Brining home a new dog or puppy is always an exciting time. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with owning a dog. 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 alway 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. Take the time to train your dog and set the rules for appropriate behavior. For the best results you should start early.
Obedience training is also an important part of your dog’s overall training program. There are different levels of obedience training – from very basic training to advanced training.
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. Training should continue to make sure that you always have a well 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 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.
The skills that a puppy can learn are limited but you can start teching some of the basic commands 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. You can also hire an experienced dog trainer if your budget allows.
Training in a Group Setting
Pet stores like PetsMart offer regular training classes. They are usually cheaper since they are in a group setting. You can also ask around as your local area animal shelter or other animal groups may offer free or discounted group training classes.
One added advantage of group training, in my opinion, is that it gives your dog the added benefit of socializing with other dogs and their owners.
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 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.
And remember, you can always search for more information about dogs.
