In
Part 1 and
Part 2 of this training article series, mention was made of resolutions being made for your dog(s) as well as for yourself. Family pets are very much a part of the family and their needs should be considered as well as how they fit into the family’s lifestyle. For example, if an active puppy or dog has not been taught good family dog manners, it is likely that he or she will repeatedly jump on guests and counter tops, barge out doorways, pull while on a leash, etc. Whereas, if a resolution was made to train the family dog to exhibit impulse control and good manners in the home, it would be so much easier to enjoy living with your dog. And, thus your dog would be able to enjoy more family activities.
The action steps necessary to accomplish this might look like this: 1. Enroll Fido in a
board and train program, hire a
professional dog trainer for
in-home visits, or participate in a
group training class, 2. Make time to train Fido twice a day for 15 minutes duration, five days per week, and 3. Adopt an everyday training philosophy of Prevent (don’t put fido in situations he/she is not ready to handle), Manage (fido’s environment), and Teach (alternative behaviors that don’t allow bad manners to be rehearsed and rewarded, e.g. a solid sit stay instead of allowing Fido to jump on people upon greeting them).
Planning and carrying out actions steps are crucial for accomplishing goals. However, the most important concept the public should understand is that "dogs are living breathing
creatures that deserve to be treated with respect" according to
Professional Dog Trainer Scott Williams of
Beyond the Leash in
north eastern Massachusetts. He elaborates by saying, "Train with kindness
and choose your battles. It is infinitely more useful to have your dog
do one thing well than many things without reliability. For example a
solid down and stay will solve a thousand perceived problems".
Similarly,
Professional Dog Trainer Robin MacFarlane of
That's My Dog, Inc., in
Dubque, Wisconsin reminds us that "dogs are not humans." She further states, "They don't think or rationalize anything like us. I believe it is a disservice for people to treat them or train them with those thoughts in mind. Dog's have their own motivations and ways of interpreting the world. They are intelligent creatures and amazing to work with, but it is sad when humans don't take the time to really understand more. Too often a dog's only purpose becomes to to fill a void in our own emotional needs. And when the "treating like human" doesn't yield the ease of relationship the person was expecting...they give up, get rid of the dog or relegate the dog to a very managed, boring lifestyle. The more we actually learn about canine instincts and abilities, the more we can then appreciate them for what they are and the easier it is to train them. Once people experience this trained relationship, it changes everything for the better."
For professional dog training in Michigan, contact Michael Burkey at http://www.MichiganDogTrainer.com, info@MichiganDogTrainer.com, 734-634-4152.
No comments:
Post a Comment