It’s not just your pet dog undergoing training alone. Instead, as the owner, you’re also training along with him, and this is a special way to bond and better communicate with your furry friend. This sends a strong signal to them that you’re willing to meet their needs in the best way possible.
The mindset should be setting aside more than enough time so you can communicate with one another. Your dogs should enjoy training, and this isn’t something that should be forced on them.
Fortunately, there are experts in Huntsville that can provide science-based programs and positive reinforcements that work. However, know that the pet training industry is non-regulated, so anyone can often call themselves an expert. See info about dog training methods on this webpage here.
Do your research and make sure that you’re hiring legitimate ones before selecting them. Question them about their practices on whether they use collars, alarm bells, and crates because you want your canine to be safe and sound.
Selecting the Best People for the Job
One of the best signs that they are going to provide you with great results is when they practice positive reinforcements at all times. This means that they reward excellent behaviors instead of punishing every misdemeanor that your pet made.
During this phase, there should be a lot of praise and treats that will make your pet look forward to their training sessions during the week. It also involves walking with them gently, and you should also be able to join the trainer so you can practice what they teach at home.
Strengthening the bond between owners and pets can boost the confidence of everyone involved. They also result in happier canines who really want to interact instead of just obeying orders. Also, dogs should have free will and be more engaged rather than being always afraid of doing something wrong because they fear punishment.
Gentle Training
Force-free programs are the ones that you should choose when looking for trainers in Huntsville. Avoid the ones that use prongs, choke collars, electric shocks, hitting, and yelling because they can be on the extreme sides. Grabbing a canine in the neck with its scruff or collars on can be very abusive and cruel. It will also damage their trust, which you might have been trying to build for years.
It’s a recipe for disaster where you should expect some resistance from your pets if you’re not careful. Punishments are very scary and stressful, and a fear or pain-based method is going to likely result in more aggressive behavior. This is often the opposite of your goals, so be careful with the people you choose.
Choose a trainer in Huntsville that can help you get a more behaved dog. They can offer multiple training where they can deal with chewing, mounting, barking, leash pulling, and aggression in their ultimate package. One such company is Sit Means Sit, where you’ll get in touch with an expert trainer who will give you private lessons.
There will also be assignments for each lesson, and puppy training is also an option. The owners love dogs and treat them as their children. They have videos and guides that will make many owners’ lives easier.
What are the Warning Signs to Look for and Avoid?
Aversive Training Methods
Hard pass on those ineffective fear and pain tactics that can be threatening to your pet. This fear-based association is going to be an interference, and it’s going to leave you with a not-so-obedient canine.
Prong collars are going to inflict pain on the dog’s neck whenever they are on the leash. With this, expect them to be more aggressive as they won’t just walk calmly in the park with it on. Instead, they will learn to associate the person and the place with this torture device, and they are going to avoid them as much as possible.
You can also accidentally relieve their stress by merely putting a collar on them so you must avoid these types of classes as much as possible. Remember that canines thrive well when they have the ability to sniff and roam around even if they are on a collar. The best trainers will not also recommend the antiquated methods, which are the following:
Choke and Prong Collars – They can damage your pet’s neck and trachea and can result in a loss of balance. Also, too much choking can lead to brain damage, and it’s unsafe. Compare them to a medieval torture device where the prongs can penetrate the skin.
Crushing the windpipe is also the result, so you really know that they don’t have any business anywhere near your pet.
Electronic Shocks – Another no-no that can cause a lot of burns, pain in the neck, and cardiac fibrillation is the use of e-collars. They are going to result in more aggression, and even if the person claims that the lights or buzz are just a warning, know that your dog may still receive shocks.
It’s going to cause more anxiety and stress, so never hire trainers that do this. Read more about electronic training devices in this link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787818300108.
Dominance Theory: What about It?
Also known as the alpha theory, this is often the idea that dogs or wolves are competing with one another to reach the top or guardian spot. This has been discredited and if you see a trainer who is using this, it means that they are not keeping up with the times.
For one, your dog is not a wolf or living in a pack. The one who proposed this theory studied captive wolves, they were forced to live in stressful situations. Dominance training may encourage the owners to mimic dog behavior, but you can’t cure aggressiveness by being aggressive yourself.
Bullying a puppy will simply not work and this just makes the canine more afraid rather than obedient. Board and train programs will also not be effective so never let someone train your dog unless you’re present.
Leaving your pet to a stranger can be very scary and confusing and this shouldn’t be done in any circumstances. Instead, call the legitimate ones in Huntsville who actually know what they are doing.
