Timing is so, so critical when training a dog. Rewards and praise have to be given at the exact instance your dog showed the behaviour you want to reinforce. If you are too late, you could be rewarding your dog for the wrong behaviour!
Good timing means within half a second of your dog performing the correct action. Your response needs to be clear and it must be instant. Get your timing right and do it consistently and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your dog can learn.
BONUS TIP: Timing also comes into play when you recognize your dog getting too excited, worked up or even showing signs of fear. It’s your job as the owner to be watching for signs that may indicate these states and to develop great timing to stop this from escalating. Reading your dog’s energy and state of mind is a very important skill to learn. Pairing this with perfect timing to stop a minor behaviour from getting worse can be an extremely effective technique – one which you’ll rely on forever.
Timing is such a critical part of proper training! You really have to do what you can to ensure you have excellent timing.
Luckily there are a few tools and accessories that can make our lives a lot easier to get timing our right.
Timing is something you have to get right when training your dog. Like most of these essentials it will definitely take practice and persistence. Keep thinking about your timing whenever you’re working with your Rottie and you’ll be on your way to mastering this important essential skill. We dive deeper into how to develop timing further in our future courses so watch out for that.