Most terriers are difficult to train and Scottish Terrier (Scottie) training is not any different. When Scotties are motivated they will train very easily so the trick lies in finding that one thing that motivates your dog. Your dog may love treats, it may hate treats, it could be the same with toys or affections. It is important to find a motivating factor when reward training your animal.
Scottish Terriers are most often motivated by immediate gratification such as chasing cars, chasing squirrels, or non-stop barking at the other neighborhood dogs. When you find a reward for your dog that motivates the selfishness immediate gratification than you can hold that over them. If your dog wants the rubber squeaky toy then he will realize that he is going to need to put in a little effort to get it.
Scottish Terrier training is going to be as successful as you are consistent. Dogs are smart animals and if you do not discipline them every time, instead only one out of four they will realize this. Consistency is the most important factor when you are trying to break your Scottie of a bad habit. If the animal is not punished every time he does something that is unacceptable than he will often take the risk of getting caught since the Scottie will know that he is not punished every time.
When starting Scottie training it is important to set aside a good amount of time. The dog is hardheaded and stubborn and your training may take awhile for it to take hold. Also make sure you don’t attempt too much at one time. Perhaps only try one command at a time, or at least make sure your training is not overwhelming your dog.
Training any animal takes patience and an intelligent and stubborn dog like the Scottish Terrier is not going to be any easier.
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