Getting a new dog can be a very exciting but also nervous prospect, especially in the process of having to train them.
There are plenty of dos and don'ts to keep in mind for this, especially with the words owners use when training their pets.
Saying a certain word too many times around a new dog could end up impeding its progress.
To help those with new pups or rescue dogs Victoria Kerr, a pet nutritionist at Naturo, has shared her top tips for this.
What word should you avoid saying during dog training?
Dog training can be a difficult task as it can be hard to understand how to communicate with your pet but when it comes to command words there are some that work better than others.
Victoria warns that using the word ‘okay’ around dogs could impede their progress.
She explained: “You may not realise but the word ‘ok’ comes naturally to humans and we use it a lot in casual conversations as well as during dog training sessions.
"It’s commonly used as a release word to tell your dog they can stop performing a task, but this can confuse dogs and set them back since we use the word so nonchalantly.
"I recommend using words like ‘release’ and ‘free’ instead. Owners should also avoid command nagging, the repetition of words such as ‘come’ several times when the dog isn’t paying attention could cause it to lose meaning.
"Always ensure you have their full attention and then use the word once.”
Victoria also recommended keeping training quite regular to help to mentally stimulate dogs and create a lifelong bond.
She said: “Training little and often between sessions works a charm. Dogs have the mentality of a human toddler, so their attention spans are short. Keep training sessions at 5-10 minutes in order for them to stay stimulated.
"Dogs require regular interaction with their favourite people for their health and happiness so don’t give up on training.
"Get into a routine such as integrating this at the end of walks or before playing with them, then they can be rewarded afterwards.”
