Dog Training

Obedience training and your dog

Obedience training is one of the most important and most effective

things any owner can do for his or her dog. A properly obedience

trained dog is a happy, productive and safe member of the family,

while a untrained dog can be destructive and even dangerous.

Dogs are designed by nature to follow leaders, and to look for that

leadership. As pack animals, dogs naturally follow the directions of

their pack leader. In the absence of a strong leader, the dog may

assume this role itself. Dogs that think of themselves as the leader of

their human pack can become uncooperative, destructive and even

dangerous.

Proper obedience training opens up important lines of communication

between handler and dog. The basis of any obedience training

program is to gain the cooperation and respect of the animal. This

respect cannot be exerted through rough handling methods or

mistreatment. It must instead be earned through leadership and

proper training techniques.

Basic obedience training consists of teaching the dog what to do and

what not to do. When it comes to desired behaviors, it is important

for the dog to learn and respond to basic commands, such as heeling

when walking, stopping on command, sitting when directed, coming

when called and staying where the handler directs.

The list of what not to do is also important when it comes to obedience

training. Some of the don’ts of obedience training include – not

jumping up on people, not forging ahead when walking and, not

chewing the furniture or your property, and not getting out of control

when exposed to novel situations.

In essence, obedience training involves establishing the social

hierarchy that is so important to dogs as pack animals. When your

dog follows your obedience commands, such as – come, stay, sit, heel,

etc., he or she is showing compliance and submissiveness. This is the

same type of behavior a submissive member of a wild dog pack would

show to the alpha dog in that pack.

As with any type of dog training, it is important that obedience training sessions be fun and rewarding for both dog and handler. A happy, healthy dog will be best able to learn, and keeping the dog happy

during the training sessions will make life easier for both yourself and your dog. Obedience training has many benefits for the dog as well as the handler. For one thing, a well trained, obedient dog can be

permitted a larger amount of freedom than an untrained dog. For instance, a dog that has been properly trained to come when called

can safely enjoy some off leash play time at the local park.

There is always a debate over whether it is easier to obedience train

puppies or older dogs. The fact is that both puppies and older dogs

can be successfully trained to be willing, obedient companions. It is

generally easier to train puppies and young dogs than it is to retrain

dogs that have developed behavior problems. Even problem dogs,

however, can be successfully retrained using basic obedience training

and control concepts.

When obedience training puppies, however, it is important to

remember that puppies generally have a shorter attention span than

to do full grown dogs. It is important, therefore to keep training

sessions short in the beginning. It is also important to incorporate lots

of play with other puppies, dogs and other animals, as well as lots of

different people. Proper socialization is very important to creating a

safe, healthy and happy companion dog.

There are many obedience training classes held in all parts of the

country, and new puppy and dog owners are encouraged to enroll in

one of these classes. Not only do puppy kindergarten and dog

obedience classes provide important structure for the dogs, but it

provides important chances for properly socialization the puppy as

well.

To Learn More About Dog Training, go to

http://howtohousetraindog.com/go/dog-training

Thank you!