Training a dog looks simple from the outside. Give a command, dog does the thing, give a treat. But anyone who has actually tried it knows it's rarely that straightforward. Most new owners pick up the same handful of habits that quietly undermine their dog's progress — and they don't realise they're doing it until weeks later when nothing is working.
Here are the five most common mistakes, and exactly what to do instead.
1Training sessions that go on too long
New owners often think that more training equals faster progress. It doesn't. A dog's attention span — especially a puppy's — is short. After about five minutes of active training, focus drops sharply and the dog stops retaining information. You end up repeating commands, getting frustrated, and your dog learns that training is something to endure rather than enjoy.
What to do instead: Keep sessions to 3–5 minutes maximum, two or three times a day. Short, frequent sessions outperform long, infrequent ones every time. End each session while your dog is still engaged and succeeding — never when they've lost interest or made an error. Ending on a win matters.
My Dog Journal 365 includes a training session log so you can record what you practised, how long you trained and how your dog responded. Patterns become visible over time.
2Repeating commands over and over
You say "sit". Your dog doesn't sit. You say "sit" again. Still nothing. You say "sit sit sit SIT" and eventually push their bottom down. Sound familiar? This is one of the most damaging habits in dog training because it teaches your dog that the first command means nothing. They learn to wait for the third or fourth repetition — or the physical prompt — before responding.
What to do instead: Say the command once, clearly, and wait. If your dog doesn't respond within a few seconds, either prompt them physically — gently lure them into position with a treat — or walk away and try again in a moment. Never repeat the command. One cue, one chance. Your dog will quickly learn that the first word is the real one.
3Inconsistent rules across the household
Your dog isn't allowed on the sofa. Except when your partner lets them up. And your kids think it's funny when they jump up. Dogs don't understand inconsistency — they understand patterns. If a behaviour is sometimes rewarded and sometimes punished, they'll keep offering it because gambling pays off often enough to be worth trying.
What to do instead: Every person in the household needs to follow the same rules. Write them down if necessary. It doesn't matter which rules you choose — what matters is that everyone enforces them the same way, every single time. Decide as a household and stick to it.
Kids love to play differently to adults. Make sure your children understand the house rules for the dog and why consistency matters — frame it as helping the dog rather than restricting the child.
4Punishing behaviour you accidentally rewarded
Your puppy jumps up to greet you. You push them off, but you also made eye contact, said something and touched them. To a dog, any attention — including negative attention — can function as a reward. The jumping increased, not decreased, because you engaged with it. Now you're frustrated that your dog keeps doing something you've been "correcting" for weeks.
What to do instead: For unwanted behaviours, the most effective response is often no response at all. Turn your back, fold your arms, look away. The moment four paws are on the floor, turn around and reward calmly. You're teaching the dog which behaviour gets them what they want, which is far more powerful than trying to punish the wrong one away.
5Trying to train when your dog is not in the right state
A dog that is over-excited, exhausted, hungry or highly distracted cannot learn effectively. Their brain is elsewhere. Training in these states is frustrating for both of you and achieves very little. This is especially common with puppies after a walk or a play session when owners think "they're tired, this is a good time to train" — but tired and calm is not the same as relaxed and focused.
What to do instead: Train when your dog is calm but not sleepy. A good rule of thumb is about 20–30 minutes after exercise, once the initial excitement has settled but before they nap. The ideal training dog is relaxed, attentive, and slightly food motivated — not ravenous, not full.
My Dog Journal 365 includes a full training library with structured lessons across Puppy Basics, Obedience, Behaviour Correction and Agility — each with step-by-step instructions and video guides. Join the waitlist for early access.
The common thread
Look at all five mistakes and you'll notice they share something — they're all about the human's behaviour, not the dog's. Training struggles are almost never the dog's fault. Dogs are trying to work out what the rules are. Our job is to make those rules clear, consistent and worth following. Do that well and you'll be amazed how quickly your dog figures it out.