Expert dog trainer Will Atherton shared a video on Instagram listing the ‘three biggest mistakes’ he sees new dog owners making on a regular basis, and it has racked up thousands of views
A canine expert has pinpointed the three most significant blunders he witnesses new dog owners making time and time again.
Dogs are renowned for being loyal companions and cherished family members, thanks to their loving and affectionate nature. Nevertheless, beneath their adorable exterior, some furry friends can develop behavioural issues, such as hyperactivity, excessive barking, or destructive chewing. Will Atherton, an expert in pooch behaviour, frequently shares guidance on tackling these issues, and one of his latest Instagram posts focuses on setting a solid foundation for training.
His advice comes as scientists have been testing if owners and their dogs’ brains sync up like mothers and babies. And just as a bitter row breaks out over plans to open a dog grooming salon next to a cat café.
Atherton’s video has garnered over 20,000 views and numerous likes, with the caption: “Leadership is love my friends, always has been, always will be. After you have that down everything else is way easier.”
Will stated: “These are the three biggest mistakes that I see new dog owners make every single day. Now, as a canine behaviourist, I’ve worked with thousands of people on problem behaviours so I see the mistakes that people make over and over again that get them there.
“The first one, when it relates to problem behaviours in the home; they’re not crate training their dogs. Crate training is a mandatory part of my system for this reason. It prevents and removes the vast majority of problem behaviours that owners have inside the house,” reports the Express US.
Dog trainer Will has highlighted common blunders dog owners make, particularly when venturing outdoors with their pets. He pointed out that failing to train dogs to walk on a loose lead is a significant error, as it can lead to the dogs pulling on the leash and potentially developing reactive or aggressive behaviours.
He underscored the necessity of mastering loose lead walking, stating: “You need to make sure that you are loose lead walking and, like crate training, that’s another mandatory part of my system.”
Wrapping up his advice, Will mentioned: “The third biggest mistake that I see is people not leading their dogs. Dogs need to be led so, if we love our dogs, we must lead them because leadership is love.”
The advice sparked reactions in the comments section. One viewer concurred, remarking: “‘Leadership is love’ so true.”
Another shared their perspective: “I’m pro balanced training, I don’t think I could resolve my Lab x’s recall issues any other way. But why are there so many positive only advocates out there? I know a super reactive dog and the owner’s solution is just to shove treats in his face whenever he starts reacting to another dog. How is that going to help!?”
A third fan recounted their positive experience: “Have followed your system with our most recent puppy and the results are speaking for themselves,” while yet another chimed in: “Don’t agree with you on the spaniel thing but I 100 % agree on all of this. Leadership is love!”