Why should I train my dog?
Most dog owners think about getting their new puppy trained right from the start. Everyone wants their new puppy to understand the basic commands of sit, lay down, heel and not to jump on people. However there are many other useful commands that the dog needs to know, understand and respond to such as “Leave it” when your favorite shoe is being taken away to be eaten! and “Off” when your pup is climbing on the counter to eat that freshly cooked steak! However puppies aren’t the only ones that need training. Your family needs training too. Everyone including your new pet has to be included so that everyone is on the same page. This means using the same command terms for the same commands and reward system. Remember your puppy wasn’t born understanding human talk. Up til now, they have spent all of their time with like-minded puppies and their mom.
What type of dog training does my dog and family need?
Most training that is available follows pretty much the same manual. The training offered and how the training is delivered is the same for all dogs. A smaller boutique training center will work with what you and your dog requires. They will promote all the fundamental training as well as design the training to your breed type. In many cases they have certified dog trainers on staff.
An example of breed specific training is our future dog of the month Vangelis who is a Hungarian Puli dog. His owner Emily rescued Vangelis. She met with a specialized trainer who recommended herding classes to help with his confidence, and to transform him into a loving, happy guy. This is specific dog training to fit a specific need.
Why choose a professional certified trainer vs a non-certified trainer
Many big box pet stores offer training now. However not all the trainers on staff are certified in dog training. So how important is it to be a “professional certified dog trainer” you ask? For many years, dog trainers were self-taught. Many read books, completed their obedience class with their pets and even assisted training classes to get more experience. To date there are many trainers that still follow this road, but now there are certification courses held in many locations. The Canadian Canine Training Academy in Canada and the Animal Behavior College in United States are just a couple of places where you can get Professional Dog Training certification. You can completely rely on these professional trainers to provide you with proven training tactics but as well these professional are also taught and trained on dog psychology, basic medical, obedience and personal protection. So when looking at training and depending on your breed type you may consider asking the question on what kind of certification your dog trainer has completed
Summary
Our next post will discuss what kind of training worked for our dogs and the four quadrants of training
Tell us about your training experiences and what worked for your dog and even what did not work. We want to hear about it all!
Liz
As a life-long dog parent and enthusiast, I can’t get enough of all things doggie! My love of dogs and passion to educate and share solutions with other dog owners, is essentially how this site came to be. With the help of my three dogs I will provide engaging ‘tails’ and real life-lessons learned on dog ownership.
