Talking to your dog can ruin his training, says behaviouralist

Speaking to your dog is natural – any owner will tell you that unloading the grumbles of the day onto a pair of furry ears can help – but one expert thinks that talking too much can ruin his training program.

Glenn Redmond, a dog trainer, has said that many owners are the source of their pet’s bad behaviour. According to him, any vocalisations you make to your dog will be seen as a form of encouragement.

It’s all to do with what your dog gets out of training. Speaking to CBC news, he said:

“Many times we reward the things we don’t want. Your frustration will add to the behaviour. The more you say no to the dog, the more the behaviour is going to occur.”

According to Redmond, an effective way to make sure that any bad behaviour is managed is to simply ignore your pooch, and he thinks that this works with their Zen mental state:

“Dogs are true Buddhists. They live in the second. They don’t care about the past or future.”

Of course, even the most enlightened of us can be tempted by treats, and he says that they are a great way to motivate your dog and make him focus on you when other things are going on around you. The dreaded spray bottle is also an effective tool, as it’s a harmless way to discourage him from bad behaviour.

Socialisation is, of course, one of the best ways to train your pet, whether it’s a senior dog or a 12-week-old puppy. Walking him around town is a good way to acclimatise him to people and noise, and this goes hand-in-hand with the basics of sit, stay and come.

To learn how to train your dog like a pro, check out the Online Learning Academy Canine Training Course Diploma. Want to take it a step further and really get inside your dog’s mindset? You can download our free Mindfulness Taster Course today!