Guest post by David Cugno, from Perfect Pooch.
As I mentioned in my last post, I want to talk about the importance of proper training for your dog and how to pick the right trainer for you and your pup.
Training your dog is one of the most important obligations an owner has. Training is about communication because most dogs are confused. A dog never thinks in terms of good and bad – believe it or not, unwanted behaviors are almost always cultivated by the owner. Yep, when a dog exhibits unwanted behaviors it’s the owner that has led the dog to believe that the behavior is desired. The problem arises because dogs don’t have an innate understanding of how humans communicate, and humans don’t have a natural understanding of how dogs communicate.
So training begins with communication. By teaching your dog the meaning of certain words – like sit, down, heel, stay, and come – you build a base. Once you can communicate with your dog you can start to nurture a healthy, well-balanced relationship. For instance, all dogs need a job. They need to feel like they earn their place in the pack. If a dog receives food, water, shelter, and affection – but does nothing to earn these things – don’t be surprised when they assume a more dominant role. When a dog jumps, pulls on the leash, steals food, or acts out other unwanted behaviors they believe they have a right to. And if you don’t teach your dog where it fits in the pack, you can’t get upset when it exhibits alpha behavior.
Every time you tell your dog to sit you’re giving him a function … a job, something to do for you that will help him understand who leads the pack. So if you do a few short training sessions a day with your dog on a consistent basis, your dog will feel like he’s working for all he receives. This will give you a happy, well-balanced dog that’s not confused about how the world works.
Finding a good trainer can be a little tricky. There are many, many trainers out there, but different methods work for different people. Do what works for you and your situation. Find a trainer with a philosophy you agree with. Think of what you ultimately want to achieve and ask how that trainer can help you get there. Remember training is much more about the owner than the dog, so find someone you’re comfortable with. Find out about the trainer, ask how they got into training. Ask if you can see their dog since you can learn a lot by seeing how the trainer’s dog acts. A good trainer should have a good dog right? Most importantly whatever kind of training you decide to go with make sure you stay consistent. A trainer can only get you and your dog started, and provide information. It’s up to the owner to do the work and build the relationship.
Next guest post, I’ll talk about my nine dogs and how I was able to take a group of unstable, aggressive dogs and turn them in to a well-behaved pack.
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