There is no doubt that it is a joy to see a well trained dog. A dog that has been trained is well mannered and can be relied upon to stay calm in even the most distracting of environments.
Statistics also show that a well trained dog is far more likely to have a home for life, usually with the same owner. Well trained dogs do not tend to end up abandoned and living at the local rescue centre.
If we draw the comparison to any relationship in our life – the most successful ones we have are those where there are clear boundaries; where each party to the relationship knows and understands what behaviour is acceptable and what is not. By training a dog, the owner is teaching the animal where the boundaries of acceptable behaviour are and this in turn means that the dog is no longer a liability or an embarrassment to the owner.
There is no reason why owners should not train their dogs at home or by attending classes. For some of the less teachable dogs, there are even boot camps available. The key to successful training wherever it takes place is a consistency in approach. The owner, or the trainer, must determine what acceptable behaviour is and consistently reward the dog when that behaviour is demonstrated. Equally, unacceptable behaviour must not be rewarded.
If you do not want your dog to sleep on your couch – he must never sleep on your couch. Keeping him off the couch is not to be reserved for training sessions. It is very easy to separate training sessions from every day life but it is essential that the training continues so the dog is absolutely clear about what is expected of him (or her).
Dogs have no way of differentiating between training lessons and everyday life and for the owner to demonstrate inconsistent behaviour just leads to confusion for the dog.
You will want to train your dog to be sociable without making the first move. Whilst you as the owner may not mind your dog climbing all over you, there are many people who will not feel the same way. It is important that your dog learns that it is not acceptable to jump up to greet people – if he or she does this with a child it could result in an inadvertent injury.
It is important that your dog learns to behave well when socializing with other dogs. There is nothing worse than having a dog that can never be released from the leash simply because the owner cannot trust him or her around other dogs.
Few people are lucky enough to live in an area where dogs can be walked off the leash all the time. For this reason it is important that your dog is trained to walk nicely on the leash – without pulling.
The 'sit' 'stay' 'down' commands do nothing more than teach your dog obedience – they reinforce boundaries and go a long way to ensuring that your dog will comply with your instructions.
The number of dogs that end up in rescue centres and are ultimately destroyed every year is a tragedy caused in the main by irresponsible dog owners. If you are going to take a dog into your home please view it as a long term commitment and understand that the dog will need to be taught to please you.
The rewards of taking the time to train your dog are immense; A strong human – dog bond that lasts a lifetime.
Jack Hartley is passionate about dogs and provides a wealth of free information and resources for dog owners to encourage them to learn more about their dog in order that they might forge a strong bond with their pet. He can be found at http://www.just-about-dogs.com He also posts regular musings at his blogspot http://justaboutdogs.blogspot.com
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