Some parents bring home a newborn and he/she starts sleeping through the night within the first month. The baby hardly ever cries and doesn’t get colic.
The perfect baby.
Some people are equally fortunate with dogs. They bring their puppy home and he housetrains within a week. Doesn’t nip, chew or dig. Although these dogs are unusual (about your same chances as winning the lottery), they do exist.
However, 99.9% of dogs require training. My customers always ask me: how long will it take to train my dog? The answer is it depends.
Depends on what?
You. Your patience, diligence and dedication to the training techniques I teach you. Many owners give up to easily. Or start out with good intentions and then slack off.
Changing a dog’s behavior will take me, you, patience and repetition. Let’s break it down into a few steps:
- Who is the leader? Your dog must think of you as the pack leader. You are in charge, not the dog. As pack animals, many dogs feel it is their responsibility to be in control. Right from the beginning we need to teach them that you are the Top Dog. You set the rules and boundaries and they must follow them.
- Is your dog stubborn or easy going? Some dogs catch on right away. You tell them to “sit” and they consistently “sit”. Other dogs get distracted more easily and take additional teaching. In many cases it’s not because they are “stubborn”, but because they don’t understand what you are saying. Dogs don’t understand English, so when you give them a verbal command you may as well be talking in Japanese. That’s why I use a dog training method that simulates the way dogs normally communicate – voice tones and body language. There are other factors as well. Your dog’s breed characteristics, his intelligence and his previous experiences are also part of the equation. These can also add challenges or assist in changing your dog’s behavior.
- What is your environment like? Do you have other dogs? Do you have a rescue dog? Has your dog ever experienced a circumstance that scared him? For instance, I had one client who took her dog for a walk everyday and this one dog would always try and attack him. In this case, the neighborhood could be part of the problem. Many dogs don’t do well at dog parks because of the mixture of personalities. When you are trying to teach your dog a new behavior, it is best to do so when the dog is not adrenalized and can focus and you’re not in a hurry.
- How much time do you have? Training a dog takes patience. You must set aside time each day to practice the exercises and reinforce the behaviors. You must be consistent in your reactions.
Bark Busters will help you get to the root of the behavior so you know how to fix it. Unless you know why your dog is barking (boredom, fear), you can’t change the mis-behaviors. And we will do so using dog-friendly techniques – no harsh shock collars or prong collars for us.
So, if you want your dog trained in the least amount of time, call Michael Konstantaras at Bark Busters. I will teach you how to change your dog’s behavior – whether it’s barking, aggression, biting, or sibling rivalry – in no time.
How long will it take to train your dog? It depends on the having the right dog trainer and you!
