A dog's obedience is 99% a result of the owner/handler and 1% a result of the dog. A dog will only do what it is allowed and taught to do. Many house pet owners become frustrated with their dogs when it comes to obedience training and problem solving, yet they do not realize they are actually the ones making the mistake. Here is a countdown of the top 10 most common mistakes made by dog owners.

10. The owner somehow believes the dog naturally understands English (or any other language spoken by the owner).

9. The owner asks and takes advice from other pet owners who have no idea about dog training.

8. The owner repeats a command several times.

7. The owner yells louder believing a dog will then understand much clearer, especially if the dog is not looking directly at the owner.

6. The owner bends down closer to the dog's ears to yell even louder believing that will really get the dog's attention.

5. The owner allows the dog to ignore a command.

4. The owner praises the dog even though it has just ignored a command.

3. The owner does not practice with the dog outside of class time.

2. The owner lacks patience and expects the dog to instantly be the perfect house pet.

1. The owner does not follow the exact directions and instructions given by the trainer.

As unbelievable as it may sound, yes, the #1 training mistake is that the owner does not follow the exact directions and instructions given by the trainer. Plus, it is often done intentionally! The reasons include everything from stubbornness to laziness to attempting their own "shortcuts". Then they wonder why their dog is not obeying perfectly.

Remember, it is not "practice makes perfect". It is "perfect practice makes perfect".