Train Your Dog

Without proper training, many dogs are likely to misbehave. When owners allow their dogs to misbehave, everyone suffers. The owner suffers because he or she lives with the dog. The dog suffers because everyone's down on him for misbehaving. The dog owner's neighbors suffer because living next to a difficult dog is no one's idea of fun. Ultimately every dog owner will suffer because each incident where a dog becomes a nuisance increases anti-dog sentiment and contributes to the likelihood that tough legal restrictions will be placed on all dogs. Obedience training gives the dog owner the voice control necessary to prevent numerous potential tragedies. For instance, should a dog slips out of his collar in the middle of a congested traffic intersection, he can be safely heeled across the street, then given a sit command to facilitate putting his collar back on. Or should someone accidentally leave the front door open, and you spot your dog leaving, he can be safely called back to you using the recall command. Not only will obedience training help your dog to become more responsive, but because it enables you to have immediate control over your dog's behavior, in an emergency situation, obedience training may save your dog's life. In fact, it can ultimately save the lives of many dogs, because far fewer dogs would end up in animal shelters if their owners would simply take the time to train them. And for those dogs that do need homes, a trained dog is far easier to adopt than an untrained one. Statistics also show that puppies which receive early socialization, obedience, and temperament training (aggression prevention training) are far less likely to end up being destroyed by the time they turn three years of age than those that do not receive this early training. Training strengthens the bond between a dog and his owner. It builds communication, understanding, and mutual respect, and subtly but effectively demonstrates to your dog that you're the leader of the pack (commonly referred to as the "Alpha"). And if your dog doesn't respect you as his leader, you may both be in big trouble, particularly if he's a bit rowdy or dominant by nature.

 

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