Last Updated on May 10, 2023 by Kunthida
Ready to turn your Australian Shepherd into an “Aussie-mazing” furry genius? Dive into our playful guide on Australian Shepherd training, packed with foolproof tips, hilarious anecdotes, and relatable moments. Discover how to unlock your pup’s full potential, and watch your “Aussie” turn into the neighborhood’s smartest canine!
If there is only one benefit that the new owner of a puppy can get from reading this page it is this: the absolute necessity of proper Australian Shepherd training. Such training is far more important than for other breeds of dogs!
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Usual Australian Shepherd Training Errors
Even though they’re known for being kind, loving, and loyal to their owners, the Australian Shepherd is not your ordinary house pet. They possess some traits that can make them a bit challenging to handle especially if not provided with the much-needed Australian Shepherd training.
Without such training, this working dog with remarkable herding skills is more likely to bring about annoyance and regret than happiness.
This breed has a reputation as a highly intelligent breed so training should not be a pain in the neck.
But like with any other breed, an owner may come across a few problems that could surely affect the training outcome and the dog’s behavior.
The first most typical mistake is waiting for the puppy to grow older before the training starts.
Puppies might have a short attention span yet it is during this time that they learn effectively given that they haven’t developed bad habits yet.
If you will wait for the puppy to grow older, you are simply giving it the chance to know numerous undesirable habits that are difficult to break.
Another common mistake owners make is making use of physical punishment to mend the dog’s behavior. Dog experts do not discourage the use of physical punishment for nothing.
Obviously, this type of modification causes more harm than good.
Smacking, rubbing the nose on the mess, or crating for an extended period of time may lead to fear, aggressive behavior, and others. It is best to use other Australian Shepherd training approaches than this.
Negative habits develop if the pet often gets away from its mistakes. Several canine owners are guilty of this mistake too. They believe that dogs are too sweet and entertaining hence first offense can be easily ignored.
However, the first offense can potentially lead to rare offense and later on constant offense until it has progressed into a habit. To prevent this from taking place, a correction needs to be done the first time your dog made an error.
If bad behavior mustn’t be neglected, good behavior must be granted the same attention. Recognizing your pet’s behavior by rewarding it for such good deeds is one amazing method to motivate it to repeat the behavior he is being rewarded for.
By rewarding your family pet, be it with treats or praise, you’re making it aware that you’re pleased with the behavior thus it’ll repeat the behavior when necessary to get rewards again.
Australian Shepherd training is an important part of every dog and owner’s life. It teaches these four-legged creatures how to behave appropriately for them to become well-behaved dogs, everyone loves, to be around. But in order to obtain such results, these mistakes ought to be modified at the earliest possible time.
Typical Health Problems that Can Deter Australian Shepherd Training
Known for being highly intelligent, Australian Shepherds should be less of a challenge to train. But despite that impressive characteristic, there are a few unavoidable factors that can spoil the result of Australian Shepherd training.
A variety of health concerns this breed is susceptible to top the list of such factors. It is not that they are an unhealthy breed but they normally inherit health issues affecting the back, hip, and eyes.
While these health diseases can indeed affect the training, learning more about them will help you decide as to what training method would work best for your pet without the need to sacrifice their health condition.
Here is a list of health problems and their descriptions you may want to know:
Hip dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is one of the most common health problems affecting dogs particularly larger breeds. This health problem occurs when the caput (end of the femur head) isn’t deeply or tightly held by the acetabulum (socket located in the pelvis).
It has become a loose fit or partial fit instead of the normal snug fit. Hip dysplasia may also be an effect when the caput or acetabulum are not smooth and round thus causing abnormal wear and tear inside the joint as it moves.
This health concern can cause mild to severe crippling and eventually severe osteoarthritis without intervention. Although this disease is inherited, external factors like overweight conditions and injury at a young age can also trigger it.
Elbow dysplasia
While hip dysplasia affects the femur and the caput, elbow dysplasia in contrast affects the cartilage and the structures surrounding it. This issue creates pain or stiffness and sometimes disables a sufferer. Inflammation and osteoarthritis may also develop hence making Australian Shepherd training more challenging.
Patella luxation
In addition to hip and elbow problems, an Aussie could also suffer from luxating patella, a disease that happens when a dog’s knees are misaligned or misshapen.
A dog may not feel any pain after the onset however, this disease that is also called trick knee may cause the dog to skip when running and does not let one rear leg touch the ground especially when walking or running.
Eye problems
Australian Shepherds are also susceptible to eye problems like red-eye, epiphora, conjunctivitis, and cataracts. Collie eye anomaly is uncommon but iris coloboma must be noted.
If your pet is suffering from any of these issues, it’s of utmost importance that you take necessary measures to prevent the problem from progressing if not completely eradicate it.
Of course, you can still go on providing your dog with Australian Shepherd training. Just ensure that the activities involved won’t help intensify whatever disease your pet has. Jennifer Powell loves to write articles regarding Australian Shepherds and Australian Shepherd training. To read her articles and tips, visit her site filled with Australian Shepherd training information.
