Training Your Dog: A Key Aspect of Responsible Ownership

For dog owners, responsible ownership includes making an unwavering commitment to your dog's training. This is true for any dog owner, but the high intelligence level, energy, and curiosity, dogs need thorough training – and training involves much more than basic obedience command mastery.

It has many implications, and misunderstandings about the goals of training often lead to serious trouble. You do the breed, yourself, your dog, and others around you an extreme disservice by failing to ensure your dog develops into a well-adjusted good canine citizen.

What are the characteristics of a well-adjusted dog? They are surprisingly similar to those traits we admire most in people we like the best. A well-trained dog brings enjoyment to others, its owner, and itself. It's a confident, friendly, well-mannered dog we not only feel comfortable approaching, but are drawn to. It's a dog we don't pull our children or our pets away from when we see it coming.

This is a dog out and about in all kinds of public places: at the pet store, the beach, a parade, when camping, or in the park. It is ready for a friendly pat on its furrowed brow from everyone who passes by, and its owner just as eagerly enjoys compliments on both the dog's beauty and demeanor.

Does this sound too good to be true? It shouldn't! Setting high goals for your dog’s training is the first step in taking responsibility for its success. Any training program should involve the development of the best social behavior, an appropriate sense of independence, and confidence everyone can recognize in your dog.

Excellent training not only enhances your dog's quality of life, it promotes your dog's safety and health, as well. A good canine citizen eagerly and appropriately responds to people of all ages and ethnicities, engaged in all sorts of activities. It is also calm and comfortable with a variety of other pets and wildlife it may encounter.

This ensures less containment and isolation of your dog, and also allows others to handle it when necessary. Veterinary care, grooming, and boarding should all be pleasurable experiences for typically friendly dog. It is simply a matter of effectively teaching it how to act appropriately in any circumstance they may encounter.

Not only can training enhance your dog's quality of life by opening social doors, you are far more likely to be able to identify health or safety issues with your dog and your home as a result of good training. Only if you know how your dog consistently reacts in a wide variety of situations will you be aware of a discrepancy that may indicate trouble.

Setting goals and developing an appropriate plan for your dog's training is a challenging, but worthwhile endeavor. While conducting research, consider interviewing several trainers, consulting with breeders, and talk to your veterinarian. You might also want to contact the American Kennel Club, and obtain a copy of The AKC Canine Good Citizen Test for additional guidance.