A real challenge- Your stubborn pup.
Stubborn dogs can be infuriating when you are trying to train your pup. There are so many pet owners who feel like they are losing their battle with their dog. There can be some very tricky dogs to train, and it is not always about the breed or age of the dog. Sometimes a dog can just have bad habits, leaving the owner feeling exhausted, frustrated, and a little defeated too.
Oftentimes, a dog is simply just too distracted by everything, not even distracted actually, consumed. And, when the dog doesn’t listen, it doesn’t mean they are not trainable, it just means that their behaviors do not conform to our expectations, and we need to adapt to better help them learn.
Stubborn dogs #1- Teaching.
The first part of this is basic teaching, you might want to get the best training collar for stubborn dogs when you do this, aside from that all you need is a few more things, a clicker, some treats, and stubbornness to match your pup.
Start out by taking your clicker and treats with you on a walk, when you step out of the door, wait for the dog to look. Do not say anything, just wait. When they look, provide a treat and a click. Then take a few more steps and then stop, wait for the dog to look and provide another treat and click. Repeat, taking several steps and when the leash is tight, stop. Wait for the dog to look, then click and provide a treat. Repeat this process. The dog will learn that the walk will continue when they look at the owner.
This is especially great if the dog typically pulls on the leash or if walks can be full of distractions and issues. This is a great way to train your dog to behave calm and relaxed on walks, with minimal pulling and spiraling.
Stubborn dogs #2- distraction but not obsession.
If your dog is easily distracted, you can try to walk away from whatever is distracting them. You are the dog’s teacher, and so you set up the environment for the dog to succeed. A smart owner should click and treat for each second that the dog does not react to the distraction. If the dog has a problem with jumping on guests, then the owner needs to put the dog on a leash before guests arrive. Ensure the dog is kept away and asked to sit, and ensure you have trained your dog to sit with just you first.
If your dog cannot sit when you open the door when no one is there, they will not be able to when actual guests are present. In this case, the dog is not stubborn, they are just oblivious.
Stubborn dogs #3- Be consistent.
In relation to the previous point, you should be consistent. You or other members of the household may be inadvertently asking for the behavior in different ways, or rewarding different behaviors. As a result they may simply be confused. Ensure that everyone who spends time with the dog is consistent and allows the same cues and commands.
Stubborn dogs #4- Slow and Steady wins the race.
You need to start off with your dog on favored or familiar behaviors. Create positive association with training by rewarding minor successes. Once you understand that training is good, you can start doing more. Change things bit by bit. Once they have mastered sitting, add in a distraction such as a person in the room or the television being on. Take it slowly though, if it becomes too challenging, your dog and yourself may just give up.
Stubborn dogs #5- Control the environment.
As you train your dog, take precautions to help your dog stay focused, try to use distraction-free areas such as your kitchen or living room to start off. Put away toys and such that might be distracting. If you train outside, add extra safety by training on a leash or longline.
Having control of the environment means that you can train the dog and once they are starting to get the hang of the training and are mastering things, you can throw in your own distractions to test them and train them to react the same way, distractions or not.
Work slowly and control the environment around you as needed. You are the teacher and so you are in control, remember.
