Bringing home a new dog or puppy is always an exciting time. Owning a dog brings a lot of responsibility. You have to feed her, groom her, provide her with proper health care, and give her a safe place to call home.
But one of the most important things you can do for your new dog or puppy is to provide essential dog training.
Discipline and Behavior
Having a dog that is always misbehaving is not something that you want. They can an be an embarrassment and in worst cases, they can be dangerous.
Training can be a lot of hard work and require a lot of time and patience, but the end result is a well behaved dog that you can be proud of. The bond between you and your pet can be strengthened through training. Let your dog know what is considered appropriate behavior by taking the time to train her. Start as early as possible for the best results.
Obedience Training
Obedience training is also an important part of your dog’s overall training program. Levels of training varies from basic to advanced.
At a minimum you should make sure that your puppy goes through basic training. Basic training includes house training, leash training, and basic commands like sit, stay, and come.
Of course, you can always progress to a more advanced level. More training will mean a better behaved dog. Destructive behaviors like barking, chewing, and digging can usually be prevented just by including the proper training. Just find a program that meets your needs and provides a results such as Sit, Stay, Fetch.
Puppy training should start at an early age. Some people wait too long to start training their puppies and it makes it a little more difficult and frustrating. Some people believe that it is not possible to train a puppy younger than six months old, but I assure you that is a myth.
Of course there are some skills that are beyond a puppy, teaching many of the commands and appropriate behaviors can start right away. Just do some research to make sure you follow the proper techniques.
There are many different sources of information available - dog training books, ebooks, websites, and even complete training programs. Something else you could do it enroll in group training. You may want to consider hiring an experienced dog trainer if you can afford it.
Dog Group Training
You can find training classes at the larger pet stores like PetsMart. Because they are in a group setting they are also usually cheaper as well. You can also ask around as your local area animal shelter or other animal groups may offer free or discounted group training classes.
Group training provides your dog with the added benfit of socialization.
Professional Trainers
With a professional trainer you get the benefit of one on one attention. Just be sure to ask around for recommendations so that you can find a trainer who is know to provide results.
You should hire a professional dog trainer for major issues such as dealing with an aggressive dog. This is definitely not something you want to deal with by yourself.
Conclusion
Owning a dog is a huge responsibility. It is also our job as responsible dog owners to make sure that we have well behaved dogs. Just be sure that you go into any training program with an open mind and the right attitude and you will find that it is a rewarding experience.
Posted under Dog Tips, dog training
This post was written by admin on December 26, 2008
