By: Lori Verni
Most people get a dog expecting man’s best friend, but instead may find themselves being irritated by their pet on a daily basis. The majority of the time, the problem is that the dog simply hasn’t been taught what’s expected. Or maybe he knows the rules but hasn’t been trained and practiced with enough to build up his tolerance for distractions.
Can you imagine if no one ever taught you not to push people out of your way? Or not to eat with your hands? Like your dog, if no one taught you, you wouldn’t know… and you’d innocently go around behaving poorly.
Dog training is one of those professions that can be a real conversation piece in social situations. When dialogue turns to the topic of work, people often ask, “Wow, do you get bitten by lots of vicious dogs?”
Most people are surprised to find out that the majority of dog training students are not at all vicious! In fact, there are a very small percentage of dogs who are even a little aggressive. More commonly, the dog or puppy is just plain goofy or overzealous. Addressing issues such as jumping, excessive barking, chewing, housebreaking, separation anxiety, and general manners are the more common goals of the average family. (Click each highlighted topic for additional articles on that subject.)
More often than not, pet owners express that their dog or puppy is well-behaved with the family, but just gets too exuberant with visitors. Or maybe the dog is too rough with the family because he’s preposterously playful. “I can hardly walk him because he gets so excited and pulls when he sees people or dogs” is a common complaint, closely followed by, “He’s very well-behaved, but if he gets out I have to chase him all around the neighborhood to catch him!”
Of course, there are occasionally dogs who lack in socialization, are fearful, possessive or truly aggressive. But they are certainly the small minority of dog training students.
Obedience training is an avenue for earning your dog or puppy’s respect and developing a relationship between the two of you. Whether there are only one or two issues that need sharpening up, or your dog is having serious behavior problems, your dog’s education can bring a vast improvement to your enjoyment of your pet.
