Melissa Hartley, an Animal Behavior Consultant and owner of Sindar Kennel, offers helpful advice on common mistakes to avoid when owning a dog. One error she highlights is keeping puppies isolated at home between 8-12 weeks out of fear of illness. Hartley emphasizes that behavioral issues, not infectious diseases, are the leading cause of death for dogs under three years old. Stranger-directed fear aggression is a significant source of behavioral euthanasia and relinquishment. The best prevention is socializing your puppy to a variety of people in places with low risk of disease, like retail stores that allow dogs. Carry a bag of treats and ask strangers to give a treat, which you provide. This practice helps puppies become comfortable around different people and environments.
Another mistake Hartley discusses is the use of punishment, especially involving pain, such as leash corrections, prong/pinch collars or shock. She explains that when pain is applied, it can create accidental emotional associations with people, animals and objects. While punishment might solve some problems, it can create multiple new ones. A meta-analysis of scientific work shows that positive reinforcement methods are more effective and do not cause negative emotional side effects. Instead, work with a dog trainer who uses force-free methods to teach your dog desirable behaviors.
Regarding crate training, Hartley points out a common mistake: only putting the puppy in a crate when leaving the house. This practice can cause the puppy to associate the crate with your absence, which is negative. To mitigate this, Hartley suggests feeding meals in the crate and putting the puppy in the crate randomly each day while you are home, offering a special treat not given at other times.
Hartley also warns against accidentally rewarding bad behavior and not rewarding good behavior. Engagement or attention is a reward for a dog. If a dog is behaving obnoxiously to seek attention, looking at her, talking to her or touching her (even negatively) are all forms of engagement, which can be rewarding. Instead, Hartley advises removing engagement during those times and adding a lot of engagement when they are calm and listening.
Finally, Hartley discusses the importance of not overfeeding your dog and being sure to set aside calories needed for training and enrichment. Dogs eat the calories they need to maintain their desired body weight. If a dog isn’t eating well, it could be due to acute anxiety, hormonal issues, extreme senescence, illness or overfeeding. Adjust your dog's daily calorie budget until they are eating all calories immediately when presented and are at the proper body condition. Allocate a percentage of those calories every morning for training and enrichment, ensuring your dog maintains a healthy weight and receives the necessary mental stimulation.