Training My 11 week old puppy ….. Will i cause emotional damamge?
I have a 11 week old Vizsla puppy i tried to training with positive training with treats and praise but she goes crazy when i do … When im firm and put her on her side or slap her on the but once or twice she listens right away and then goes to my side .
If i keep this training and she keeps learning fast will i cause emotional damage ?
Dogs, particularly puppies, are generally very eager to please and do what you want. The problems you have had with treats and praise is most likely that you are giving them in a way you understand but she doesn’t – the way you act when you are “firm” is probably communicating in a way she understands better.
You do need to make sure that you are not using physical punishment as your main method of communication – whilst an occasional “slap” will not likely harm her, if you use it too much it could cause problems, and it is probably not the part of what you are doing that you are responding to.
It is very important that you work out how you are communicating with your dog – dogs communicate mostly through physical actions. Whilst they can learn to understand specific words, they are more in tune with your body language. If your “praise” is largely verbal, you will not get much response, and treats can actually be more of a distraction then a help unless you get the timing precise. You will probably find that your “firm” actions are more physical, which is the real reason they are having a greater effect.
Try communicating with your dog for a while without using any words – when she does the right thing, “praise” her only using body language. If she does the wrong thing, the best body language is to ignore her (in most situations). For example, if your dog jumps up on you or gets overexcited, turn your back and walk away, then when she is doing the right thing, such as standing on all 4 paws without jumping around, only then go over and give her attention.
Puppy Training – Fun, challenging games in the water.