Training your dog is the process of teaching him the behavior you want in certain situations. It is not about punishing him or yelling at him.
Most scolding takes place after the event. You return home and find your shoes have been chewed. You are naturally upset and let off some steam by yelling at the culprit. The problem is that this is not a very effective way to stop the same thing happening again in the future.
Punishing your dog or yelling at him did have a place in traditional training. However, these days we have more effective ways of getting the behavior we want from our dogs.
Scolding Your Dog Is Not Effective.
Dogs are eager to please their owners. The problem is that they need to understand what you want. Yelling at your dog may assert your authority and even intimidate him a little, but it will not teach him the outcome you want. Don’t forget he can’t understand what you are saying. The average dog may be able to understand about 150 words, but they can’t put sentences together.
He will know from your tone and the volume of your voice that you are not happy, but there is a good chance he will not understand what has made you unhappy.
Scolding can make your dog confused.
Dogs live in the moment. You need to react to a dog’s behavior as it happens. If you yell at him, he may well show signs of submission but that doesn’t mean he has learnt anything from the experience.
Dogs act on impulse and teaching your dog to control his impulses is a major part of training.
Training your dog not to urinate inside is much more effective than yelling at him after the event.
Scolding Destroys Your Dog’s Trust In You
Yelling at your dog creates fear. Some dogs will bounce right back and may suffer no long-term effects, but others may never see you in the same way again. Smaller dogs, especially those which have been bred as lap dogs seem to remember unpleasant experiences with their owners for a lot longer.
The last thing you want is a timid dog so you should do everything you can to give your dog confidence.
Scolding Can Be Counter-productive To The Training Process.
Positive reinforcement is by far the best way to teach your dog what is required of him. When he exhibits the desired behavior he gets a reward. This method of training is not only effective, but it helps develop the bond between dog and owner.
A dog learns to expect that if he does what he is told he will be rewarded and if he doesn’t, he will be ignored.
If you suddenly abandon this rhythm and yell at him for something or other it throws a new element into the mix. The yelling may momentarily stop the behavior but it will not encourage long term change. Your dog’s instinct is to behave as him impulses direct him. The purpose of training is to show him that there is a better way.
He will learn that if he behaves in the way you want, the outcome will be better.
Yelling is an understandable reaction in many circumstances. As dog owners we have to understand that it is not a good method of building the relationship we want to have with our dog.
Dog training requires patience and persistence and is abandoned as too hard by many owners. It is worth persevering and there is great satisfaction in building a relationship with a dog built on trust and understanding.
