Dog training now is a lot more than teaching your dog cool tricks to do, there are actually rewards for both you and your dog to benefit from! Dogs are sharing our homes and lives in closer ways than ever now and it’s important to train them for their safety and enjoyment.
Training Benefits Both Dog and Owner
When it comes to training, your dog isn’t the only one reaping the rewards; you benefit too! Training your dog can help you better understand his needs, making you a better owner and companion to your dog. Using positive reinforcement, or using constructive guidance, instead of disciplining misbehavior while training your dog will help him understand what wants/needs for a happy life with you, his owner. Training increases the bond of loyalty and companionship between both of you!
For Their Own Safety
The better you can control your dog, the safer he will be. Teaching voice commands like “stay,” “sit,” or “come” will keep your dog out of harm’s way, whether they are leashed or not. A dog that bolts off the leash is more likely to run in front of a car or sneak out the front door when you’re trying to leave. Training your dog to be well-behaved and listen to commands is beneficial to their own safety, so you don’t have to worry about his every move.
Helps Your Dog Be More Sociable
This not only helps your dog but other dogs and people too. The more friendly your dog becomes, the more equipped he will be to deal with the pressures of his everyday life. Expanding your dog’s enjoyment of social interaction will give him the confidence to willingly and safely interact with you and others. Training your dog to have good manners while socializing means that you need to give her good experiences with all different people, animals, and environments. It’s important to keep him comfortable during these situations and use positive reinforcement when he has good sociable behavior. A lot of incidents can be avoided with a dog that has been trained to be sociable.
To Avoid Problem Behaviors
The more time you invest in training your dog, the more you will avoid problem behaviors from lack of understanding what is positive behavior and what is negative. Taking time to help your dog learn rather than negatively punishing them for the wrong behavior will avoid many of the problem behaviors you’re striving so hard to keep them from doing. Build up the language of comfort and security between you and your dog so you can evade problematic behavior.
To Teach Basic Manner Skills
Every dog needs to learn how to live successfully in the home environment. Living in a human world comes with a lot of unique pressures that a domestic dog’s wild counterpart does not face. Teaching your dog basic manner skills will prevent him from developing stress issues and related behaviors. Having your dog focus on learning skills that range from hand targeted practice to settling down at night is an excellent way for them to forget about the stressors in their world. Teaching these practices also lends a hand in providing mental enrichment and physical exercise.
