Archive for December, 2008
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Bringing home a new dog or puppy is always an exciting time. 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
Owning a dog that is constantly behaving badly is not some 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. Training will also strengthen the bond between you and your dog. Taking the time to train your dog will teach what you consider to be appropriate behavior. Start as early as possible for the best results.
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. 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. Training should continue to make sure that you always have a well 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
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.
The skills that a puppy can learn are limited but you can start teaching 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 suggestion would be to look for dog group training. You may want to consider hiring an experience dog trainer if you can afford it.
Group Training
You can find training classes at the larger pet stores like PetsMart. 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 benefit of socializing with other dogs and their owners.
Professional and Experienced Trainers
The benefit of a professional trainer is the one on one training that they will provide. Just be sure to ask around for recommendations so that you can find a trainer who is know to provide results.
In my opinion I recommend hiring a professional dog trainer for major issues such as dealing with an aggressive dog. This is not something you want to try and handle on your own.
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.
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