Sunday, December 28, 2008

Essential Dog Training for Every Dog

It is always so exciting to bring home your new puppy. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with owning a dog especially if you want to be considered a responsible dog owner. You have to feed her, groom her, provide her with proper health care, and give her a safe place to call home.

One of the most important things you can do for your new dog is to make sure that they at least have basic training.

Discipline and Behavior

You really do not want to have a dog that is misbehaving all the time. They can an be an embarrassment and in worst cases, they can be dangerous.

Training requires lots of time and patience, but in the end you will have a well behaved dog that you can be proud of. The bond between you and your pet can be strengthened through training. Taking the time to train your dog will teach what you consider to be appropriate behavior. For best results start early.

Dog 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. Commands like sit, stay, and come, are all part of basic training. So are house training and leash training.

Of course, you can always progress to a more advanced level. More training will mean a better behaved dog. You can include training to prevent destructive behaviors like barking, digging, chewing, and aggressive behaviors. Just find a program that meets your needs and provides a results such as Sit, Stay, Fetch.

Puppy Training

Start puppy training from 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. Another alternative would be to enroll in group training classes. If you can afford to you may want to consider hiring an experience dog traininer.

Group Training Classes

Most of the larger pet stores offer training classes. Being in a group setting usually makes them cheaper. 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 and Experienced 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 an experienced dog trainer for big problems such as aggression in your dog. This is not something you want to try and handle on your own.

Conclusion

Being a dog owner 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.

And remember, you can always search for more information about dogs.

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