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The trouble with dog training is that it's hard to boil it down to a few key points. I'm always trying to think of ways to sum it up, but it takes thought, and learning, and work.

One tool you can use when you're starting out is to do the math. That is, how would this advice lead to my dog doing what I want? If you can do the math, the advice might be good. But if not, you definitely know it's not good advice. Let's try some examples.

I read a blog just the other day, that said this:

Never give treats for toileting in the proper place, for instance or for not biting the neighbor’s kid- he needs to learn those things to function within the family.

This is a great example of really horrible advice. First the person is telling you not to praise the dog for doing good things. Second he tells you what needs to happen instead. So do the math.

• I want my dog to potty in the correct place.
• I shouldn't give them treats.
• My dog needs to learn to potty in the correct place.

See? This advice is bad because it doesn't at all tell you how to get from where you are to where you want to be. You can probably completely discard such advice, because you have no reason to believe this advice is in any way good. For instance, giving treats would actually be good here. It would have been unhelpful to say the overall advice was bad but to hang onto that one piece of it.

Let's try another one. Say your dog is barking at strangers and you would like this to stop and you receive this advice.

Be the pack leader.

Let's do the math:

• I would like my dog to stop barking at strangers.
• I should be the pack leader.

Again, this doesn't work. This advice in no way gets you from where you are to where you want to be. You're not dumb. You're not just not getting it. It's bad, unhelpful advice.

Let's try some more advice for this barking problem:

1. When you see someone approaching, have your dog sit (don't know how yet? see other advice).
2. When they are quiet for five seconds, give them a treat.
3. If they seem to be escalating rather than calming, go ahead and move them away from the person.
4. After moving far enough away that they seem to feel safe, try to have them sit and be quiet for 5 seconds, and then give them a treat.
5. This will teach them good things happen when people approach and they sit quietly. They also will start to think of people approaching as a good opportunity for them to get a treat.
6. Over time, maybe a lot of time, you will notice your dog calming down around strangers.

Well this advice even comes in the form of math. It specifically tells you how to get from where you are to where you want to be. It covers "what if" situations and has a note that it may take time. You may not know this is good advice, but you know it might be, because at least the math makes sense. You'll have to try it to find out.

Other forms of bad advice I've seen to look out for, they share a common tone.

• It is unacceptable for dogs to go potty in the house.
• Your dog needs to understand they can't bark inside.
• I wouldn't put up with that! Say "no" in a stern voice!
• My dog knows he's not allowed to sit on the couch!

What happens is sometimes people end up training their dog, or their dog just gets the picture, and they don't know how it happened. So give advice like this, taking credit for something they didn't really do. They will claim it was their authority that the dog sensed and then was "good". These people don't know what they talking about, and you shouldn't feel at all bad for just writing their advice off. Just keep looking, someone will eventually have advice where the math makes sense, where it feels right, where there's actually a list of steps to do!

I should just add, that advice that involves hurting your dog is also bad, even if the math kind of works. Yes, if you hit your dog, you can get them to not do all sorts of things, but then they will just start biting you because you hit them. It doesn't ever work out.