Pet Pointers: Tips for Training Humans

Happy Dog Training Education Month! To celebrate the bark off of this furry-friendly holiday, I would like to offer Aly DelaCoeur, leading pet expert and self-proclaimed "Human Trainer for Dogs" and founder of Why Does My Dog, to provide your readers with the proper methods of dog training. Training not only helps to build a strong owner-dog relationship, but it also gives you a reason to spend quality one-on-one time with your pet.

The most common misconstruction of dog training lies entirely in the name. As pet parents, it is our responsibility to train ourselves rather than our pups, and help them adapt to the human world. According to Aly's unique spin on this topic, dog training relies in the hands of the human – rather than the paws of Fido.

Tips for Training Humans:

• Dogs are animals, not little humans in fur.
  We are constantly trying to make dogs fit into a mold of the perfect animal, when in reality this does not exist. It is important for people to understand that animal behaviors are natural and each one serves a purpose to your dog, the good and the bad. Barking, growling and humping are all behaviors used to communicate. Chewing and marking are natural behaviors that all dogs exhibit. Dog owners need to be educated about when those behaviors are acceptable and follow rules, rather than stopping their natural habits altogether.
   
• You're the boss.
  Ultimately, the pet parent makes the decisions and the rules in a house. It is important for the pet owner to know how to set those rules and how to help a dog to understand them, while still keeping a positive and rewarding relationship with their furry loved one.
   
• Dogs are mind readers.
  Dogs can read us, everything from facial expressions/feelings to the smallest movements that give us away. However, we are not as skilled when it comes to reading our dogs. We are constantly misinterpreting behaviors or communication signals from our dogs. Worse, we try to stop those natural communication signals. Dog owners need to better educate themselves on animal behavior before they can properly begin training.
   
• Dogs are very simple – people just complicate it.
  Most dogs follow about one step of causality, this happened first and then this happened. They form associations to things that help them remember how to act in the future. Dog owners need to learn what they can expect from their dog and how to properly give feedback.
   
• Training overload.
  People are constantly bombarded with information on how to train their dog, what rules and commands to follow, and the common mistakes they make. We believe that through Why Does My Dog, we can service out bite-sized tips on the most effective techniques, based on science, to empower dog owners to learn more about animal behavior and how they can improve their relationship with their furry loved one.

About Why Does My Dog

Leading pet expert, Alyona DelaCoeur, holds a certificate in applied animal behavior through University of Washington and is a certified veterinary assistant, as well as an AKC evaluator. Alyona's training method is based on positive reinforcement and extinction techniques. So to make it easy, wanted behavior is praised and rewarded, while unwanted behavior is avoided and deterred from. WhyDoesMyDog.com believes in controlling the environment until the dog is ready to make their own smart choices. We set your furry family members up for success early on to allow them to do the right thing for praise.