Obedience training has come a long way since I started dog training. Back the most people new that training their dog was at least somewhat important, but their commitment was low. You saw 25 years ago dogs were just that…dogs! If your dog did something wrong in the house like peeing and pooping your husband would give the I am tired of it speech and out the dog would go. That dog would undoubtedly live the rest of its day’s in the backyard doing nothing but barking a the neighbors. Man how things change. Today dogs are considered a part of the family. I have clients that would just as soon give up their right arm than their dogs. Nowadays people in the U.S. spend billions of dollars every year on their pets. You see we as a society have changed. We look at our dogs as our friends and not just as dogs.
Everywhere you look someone has a dog. At the park or around the block, dogs are everywhere. So why is that a big deal? Because every time you walk outside you can see dogs that don’t behave. Maybe you have encountered one at the Vet’s office or the park. Maybe you met up with one while walking the neighborhood.
You may not remember every dog you have encountered, but I’ll bet you remember the ones that caused you problems. The dog that jumped on you or runs after you while walked or rode your bike. What about the dog that barked and growled at you? Was there a dog that tried to pick a fight with your dog? Worse yet maybe it was YOUR dog that was behaving this way!
This is why dog obedience training is so important. Having a dog that:
- Jumps
- lunges
- barks
- dog fights
- chases people
…or displays any bad behaviors. This can open you to all forms of liability. Not to mention those actions make owning a dog less than fun. So what can be done about a dog that behaves this way? Well, there are few things that must be done for these situations to be resolved. First, we need to realize that our dogs like our children are hard-wired to know who is in charge. That’s right!
Your dog from the time you bring that cute little puppy to your house is trying to figure out who is the boss. If you wait just a bit too long, it can be too late. Here is just one example. You purchased a giant breed dog like a Great Dane. Your puppy is only two months
When you bring him home but seemingly overnight he doubles in size. By the time he just six months old, he weighs more that 70lbs. That’s the size of some adult German Shepards. If you’re not properly teaching your dog to be obedient from the very beginning, you will miss the boat.
I know, I know you’re going to tell me but I have “mini” whatever breed. Why do I need obedience training for her? I don’t care if she does tricks like sit and lay down. Your little dog can be just as much a problem as any large breed dog if it displays those same behaviors. As for the trick training inference, obedience training should never be thought of as skill training.
The reason allows of folks make this mistake is that over the last 20 years, or so some trainers have bought into the idea of using treats to teach obedience. Theirs just one problem that original idea of obedience training was to teach a dog to what his handler wanted even if he didn’t want to. You see in the middle of the word obedience is another word “Die” in other words for your dog to obey you he has to “Die” to his self-will. He has to stop doing what he wants to do and do what you tell him to.That’s the whole point. It’s also why you don’t see professional like police dog handlers or military working dog teams carrying boxes of goodies. They need their dogs to behave when THEY tell not when their dogs feel like it.
Getting your dog to change can very easy or tough it just depends on the dog and the situation. Don’t be put off by though. In the end, the rewards for having a well-trained dog are more than you might know. Being able to walk down the street or go the park are perfect for you as your dog’s owner. Your dog gets the best rewards, however. Being able to do more fun stuff. Have a better and more interesting and active life. To not be bored or shut away. And most of all to be able to love and be loved by people because everyone loves a well-trained dog.
Read more about Canine Obedience Training in Austin Texas.