Obedience training is one of the most important aspects of having a dog. When I say training I mean more than just house training your puppy. In fact, if you love your dog and you love being a dog owner, both you and your dog will be happier, easier to live with and get along with, and even safer than if you fail to train your dog.
A well-trained dog is a pleasure to own. A well-trained dog requires fewer restrictions and a well-trained dog does not create embarrassment and will always reflect well upon his or her owner.
Just to cite a few examples, a well trained dog will not frighten or annoy the visitors to your home with excessive barking, inappropriate jumping or other annoying habits. Also, a dog that is leash-trained and will heel nicely at his owner’s side and will do a sit command without hesitation is much more welcome in a public place among other people and pets than a rowdy and out-of-control. The bottom line is that the more reliable and trustworthy your dog is, the more of a pleasure he is to own. Also, a well-trained dog receives much more positive attention and interaction from other people, be they family members, friends or even people you have never met before. Nobody enjoys an unruly and ill-mannered dog but a well-trained and obedient dog can melt many hearts.
You are your dog’s leader. You are the alpha dog. It is your responsibility to turn your puppy into a well-mannered adult dog. Training also strengthens the bond between a dog and his or her owner. It builds mutual respect, communication, understanding and makes it clear to your do that you are the leader of the pack, or what is commonly referred to as the “alpha dog”, if your dog does not respect you as the leader, both of you will encounter problems, especially if your dog is a bit more high strung and rowdy by nature.
A well-trained dog that responds quickly and efficiently to voice commands is also a much safer dog. Imagine if your dog slipped out of his collar in the middle of a busy intersection, if you can safely heel him back across the street and then have him sit and put his collar back on, many tragedies could be avoided. Also, if the gate is inadvertently left open and your dog leaves the yard, if he is trained to follow your commands you can quickly bring him back home, saving you time, energy and frustration.
Many of the dogs that end up in shelters do so because of a lack of training by their owners. It is the owner’s responsibility to train the dog to conform to the family’s rules and to be a good “dog citizen”. A well-trained dog is also easier to adopt into another family, thereby saving the dog from an untimely end. Far fewer dogs would end up in shelters if the owners took obedience training seriously. A well-loved and well-trained dog is a pleasure to own. A rowdy and out of control dog is a hardship to own but it is not the dog who is responsible for that. It is always the owner.
A well-behaved and properly trained dog is a pleasure to own. Your dog will be able to go anywhere and do anything without being a nuisance or annoyance to you or to others.
