Suzanne Hetts, author of the recent book, "12 Terrible Dog Training Mistakes," says there's a common mistake that she believes is the worst thing pet owners can do when training a dog.
"I think the biggest mistake is not recognizing what their dogs are (saying) through their body language," said Hetts. "People misinterpret and miss signs of fear and distress just really on a daily basis with their dogs."
Without verbal communication, it’s difficult to decipher what a dog may be thinking or feeling, so body language becomes a key component in communicating with dogs. In fact, paying attention to body language probably has the greatest impact on a dog’s welfare and its relationship with a human, according to Hetts.
When dogs bite people, fear and stress are often what's to blame, said Hetts. But if pet owners are able to tell if their dog is uncomfortable or upset, then they can intervene to help their dog instead of adding more stress to the situation.
It’s when those signs go unnoticed that dogs are tempted to misbehave. Like people, dogs can feel stress too. If overloaded with attention or pushed the wrong way, they snap and respond by biting, said Hetts.
One piece of advice Hetts offers: Avoid using the word "no" when a dog misbehaves.
"When people tell their dogs ‘no,’ really what that means, I think to most dogs, is 'freeze,'" Hetts said.
She said that in that scenario, a dog could still pick another behavior that’s equally unacceptable.
If a dog is misbehaving, Hetts suggests using a command that the dog knows in place of saying "no." Commands like "sit" and "come" are reliable standbys that pet owners can use under virtually any circumstance.
"It’s not, 'How can I get them to stop fill-in-the-blank,' but 'How can I get them to do what I want them to do so I can reward them for it.' Much more powerful way to train your dog," said Hetts.
