9 Common Dog Training Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Most dog training problems are not about a stubborn dog. They come from small habits that confuse the dog or make learning harder. This guide lists nine common mistakes, why they matter and what to do instead. It applies to puppies and adult dogs, and it is general advice: your dog is an individual.

1. Rewarding too late

Dogs link a reward to whatever happened in the last second or two. If you give the treat after your dog has already stood up, wandered off or jumped on you, you may reward the wrong thing.

Fix: use a marker, such as a short word ("yes") or a clicker, at the exact moment of the right behavior, then deliver the treat. Practice your timing without the dog first, for example by marking when a ball bounces.

2. Repeating the cue again and again

"Sit, sit, sit, SIT" teaches your dog that the first three do not count. It also makes cues sound like background noise.

Fix: say the cue once, wait a few seconds, then help the dog succeed, for example by luring with a treat, and reward. If your dog gets it wrong often, the step is too hard. Go back to an easier version.

3. Going straight to hard places

A dog that sits perfectly in the kitchen may ignore you in the park. That is not disobedience; dogs do not generalize well, and a park has far more going on.

Fix: practice in many places and raise difficulty slowly: the hallway, the garden, the quiet street, then busier ones. Use better treats and go back a step when it gets hard.

4. Sessions that are too long

Dogs, like people, get tired and frustrated. Long sessions often end with an irritated owner and a dog who has stopped trying.

Fix: keep sessions short, from a couple of minutes for a young puppy to perhaps five to ten minutes for an older dog who is engaged, and stop while it is still going well. Several short sessions through the day are fine.

5. Using punishment or intimidation

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) takes the position that reward-based training should be used for dog training, including for behavior problems, and that aversive methods such as shock, prong or choke collars, leash jerks and intimidation should not be used. It cites risks including increased fear and anxiety, aggression and damage to the relationship with the owner. A dog that is afraid of you is not learning what you want.

Fix: show the dog what you want, reward it, and manage the environment so the dog is not rehearsing the unwanted behavior. If you are unsure about a method a trainer suggests, ask what happens when the dog gets it wrong, and walk away from anything that frightens or hurts the dog.

6. Accidentally rewarding what you do not want

Attention is a reward. If a dog jumps and you push it away and say "no", the dog got touch, eye contact and a reaction. Barking at the table and getting a scrap works the same way.

Fix: reward the alternative. Ask for sit before greetings and reward with attention, and ignore the jumping where safe to do so. Ask everyone in the household to do the same, because mixed messages slow everything down.

7. Being inconsistent between people

If one person lets the dog on the sofa and another does not, the dog cannot guess the rule. The same goes for "off", "down" and "get down" all meaning different things.

Fix: agree as a household on the main rules and cue words, and write them on a card by the door.

8. Forgetting exercise and mental stimulation

A dog with too much energy and nothing to do will often make its own entertainment, usually digging, chewing or barking. Training itself is mental exercise, and so are sniffing walks, puzzle feeders and chew toys.

Fix: give appropriate daily exercise for the dog's age, breed and health (your vet can advise), and replace some bowl meals with food puzzles or scatter feeding.

9. Ignoring health or fear

Sudden changes such as new aggression, house-soiling in a trained dog, reluctance to jump or be touched, or restlessness at night can be signs of pain or illness. Fear and anxiety can also look like "naughtiness".

Fix: book a vet check first, and use a qualified reward-based trainer or a veterinary behaviorist for fear, aggression or separation distress. Do not try to "dominate" a frightened dog.

A quick self-check

Ask yourself after each session:

• Did I reward within a second or two of the right behavior?
• Did I make the task easy enough for the dog to succeed most of the time?
• Did I stop before the dog was tired or bored?
• Did everyone in the household use the same cue?
• Is the dog getting enough rest, exercise and mental work?

When to see a professional

Get help from a vet, a reward-based trainer who can watch your dog, or a veterinary behaviorist if:

• Your dog growls, snaps or bites, or guards food, toys or space.
• Your dog is very fearful, or reacts strongly to other dogs, children or strangers.
• The behavior is new or has suddenly got worse.
• You feel unsafe, or someone else could be at risk.

An online guide, a book or a course cannot see your dog, and it cannot replace this kind of help.

If you want a structured program

Some owners prefer to follow a course so they are not piecing advice together. Brain Training for Dogs (affiliate link) is one option. According to the vendor, it is an online program by Adrienne Farricelli, a CPDT-KA certified professional dog trainer, built around reward-based methods, with a puppy section, two online courses, articles on common behavior problems and a private forum. Those are the vendor's descriptions; I have not tried the course, and I did not find price or refund details on the pages I read, so check the order page. The vendor's site also has a sample game, which can help you judge the style. For a fuller checklist see our review notes, and for a plan for a new puppy see the first-month guide.

Disclosure: I earn a commission if you buy through links in this post, at no extra cost to you.