Hawk Memorial Course
Image by U.S. Coast Guard
ALAMEDA, Calif. – San Francisco Police Officer Roly Canales works with his German shepherd partner, Pyro, on the Hawk Memorial obedience course on Coast Guard Island, Wednesday, May 4, 2011. Hawk served at Maritime Safety and Security Team San Francisco for four years as an explosive detection dog until he was retired in 2008 due to a spinal defect. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Pamela J. Boehland.
It seems that every where you look today, someone is offering advice on obedience dog training–there are numerous programs on television offering dog training courses and books and magazines are loaded with information and quick tips to training an obedient dog.
We all know that a well trained, obedient dog is a pleasure to be around, more so than a dog that is not obedient. But, even with all the abundance of information available, many people who own a dog do not take the time to train the dog. Then when the dog exhibits doggy behavior that the owners do not approve of, they become intolerant of the dog.
An example of this would be– if you have a puppy in the backyard digging holes because the puppy is alone all day, needing attention. The puppy should not be put in this position and then expected to just sit quietly all day, waiting for someone to come home and pay some attention to it. Is digging a trait of the breed? Some dogs dig more than others. Boredom causes dogs to dig, whine, bark or chew.
It is important to remember that dogs are born with a canine brain. They are pack animals and have a need of companionship–not isolation. They are usually full of life and fun as puppies, but they do not understand what is expected of them, unless they are trained. All dogs love to learn and they want to please their human companions. Dogs need to learn.
Left untrained, many breeds develop obnoxious behaviors and then their owners decide this puppy/dog is not cute anymore and get rid of it. Is this fair to the dog? All dogs deserve better than this. This is where responsible ownership comes into play.
There are many wonderful dogs in shelters that were abandoned or left at the shelters because of their behavior.
These dogs are just waiting for someone to love and train them properly. It is so much easier to re-home a dog if that dog has had the benefit of obedience training. All dogs need to be leash trained and come when they are called.
There are many professional dog trainers, in most areas. Many animal shelters offer training classes at reasonable fees, if you do not have the time or temperament to train your dog yourself. If you do train your dog yourself, you will both benefit as your bond will become stronger. And getting to know your dog and spend extra time with him/her is so much fun and rewarding. If you have the patience–training is not done by yelling, jerking or hitting your dog. Fear does not train!
If you are considering getting a “first” dog or adding another one to the family, do some research on the breed you are wanting. Getting to know their traits early on will help you to understand their doggy behavior. Each dog has a different personality, just like people. They also have many different facial expressions–just like people. It is easy to see when your dog is happy or sad.
Your dog will be your very best friend–always loyal and always there for you. To repay that devotion and loyalty, give your dog the best obedience training available.
Obedience Dog Training can be a challenge, but with proper instruction you can have an Obedient Dog!
Have fun with your dog as you both enjoy the training experience. This is fun and easy. Train your dog at home. Sparrow Darling helps to re-home dogs with this training advice. http://www.obediencedogtraining.addgs.com