MYTHS ABOUT DOG TRAINING

Dog training is one of the most important aspects of enjoying your life with your pooch. 

- Roohi Kulkarni

Training helps to build the best bond with your pooch especially when done with compassion, commitment, and consistency. However, some misconceptions about training hinder the process which leads to confusion, chaos, and frustration.

While we have heard common myths like "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" and "rub your dog's nose in his accident to teach him a lesson" (both of which are completely untrue), let's debunk some less discussed training myths and empower pet parents to understand their pooches and train them better.

You can train a dog only after she is 6 months old: the moment you get your puppy, she starts to explore her environment and make decisions. She will try to find a place to rest, to go to the toilet, and will understand which her food and water place is depending on where you consistently feed her. These are all a part of training and it is best to guide your pup at the earliest rather than letting them figure things out by themselves, punishing them for an unwanted behaviour, and then retraining their brain after 6 months of age.

Some dog breeds are untrainable: Different breeds were created for different purposes and hence require different styles of training. We have to understand what our individual pooch requires to thrive, i.e., what she identifies as a reward, how much mental and physical exercise she needs, etc. If you are stuck at a particular behaviour or command for a long time, it is better to take a step back and assess whether your pooch is physically able to perform the command, understands the expectations, and finds it rewarding to perform the command. You can then tweak the training accordingly. With positive reinforcement methods, you can train any dog regardless of the breed.