When you’re training a dog, it’s vital to gain their trust. If a dog feels like they’re being forced to do something, they might find the situation more stressful or appear stubborn – so it’s important to listen to them and work with them.
To help your dog trust you in training sessions, it’s a great idea to give them choices where appropriate alongside some of the best dog treats. Often, our pets don’t get to make their own choices, as we decide when they need to go to the vet and when we feed them, for example. So, giving them choices during training sessions can go a long way.
Certified dog trainer Melissa Goodman of Mission Pawsitive has explained everything we need to know in a recent Instagram post, and her advice is worth noting!
In her video, Goodman is working with a dog, Eugene, who struggles with separation from his mother and is hesitant to leave her office during his training session – here’s how to reduce separation anxiety in dogs for more information. “So,” says Goodman, “I rewarded him the second he chose to come with me. He hesitated again, because mom was out of sight, but he pushed himself.”
As part of the reward, Goodman immediately lets him go back to his mom in the office, and repeats this process for a few minutes. Eugene then begins to come with Goodman more willingly.
“By doing this simple exercise, he learned that I’m not trying to trick him, I’m not forcing him outside of his comfort zone, and he has the option to go where he feels safe if he wants to,” she continues.
She intentionally walks back and forth with the door open so Eugene knows that he has the option to go back in, helping to build trust and confidence and giving you the chance to make progress in your training faster.
Goodman explains further in the caption, “It is moments like these when dogs get labeled as ‘stubborn’ and ‘refusing to listen’ when there is a good reason in their mind that is preventing them from doing XYZ. It’s our job to learn how to listen to them as much as you want them to listen to you.”
There are plenty of ways to be a responsible dog owner and ways for improving your relationship with your dog, and this is just one of them – but giving your dog choices can go such a long way in making them happy and more willing to take part and succeed in training sessions, so why not give it a try?
