Time for Training Your Dog
Some dog owners get frustrated when their dog does not initially pick up on the commands that the owner is trying to teach him. The owners often then decide that the dog is too dumb for training and give up. No dog is too dumb to train. Some can be frustrating to train, yes, but it isn't because they are too dumb; most of the time the dog is actually difficult to train because he is so smart! Smart dogs wonder why they have to listen to you and get bored easily. But all too often, dogs become difficult to train because they are tired from training. When it comes to training your dog, do it frequently for short amounts of time.
You have to remember that puppies are babies, and that their attention span is short. When you start training a puppy, make sure that you are only doing so for a small amount of time. Ten minutes should be the longest you work on one command at any point in time. For instance, if you are trying to teach your puppy to sit, work on it for five or ten minutes and then stop training. Then, after the puppy has rested, work on the trick again for another five or ten minutes. You can do this often during the day.
Older dogs can take a bit more training time, but you still should not expect them to work for hours on one command. An older dog can work for fifteen to twenty minutes before they begin to get bored or frustrated. Learn to watch for the signs of boredom and frustration from your dog, and stop training when you see the signs appearing. You can always start again a few hours later.
Get more dog training information at Sit Stay Fetch.
