January 2019 – National Train Your Dog Month:
Too many dogs are turned into animal shelters each year for behavior and training issues that could easily be solved with proper socialization and positive, gentle, science-based methods of training.
Benefits of Dog Training:
• Puppy classes provide the experiences and opportunities for your puppy to develop interaction skills with other puppies, people, and new environments.
• Puppy socialization has been found to be critical to the psychological health of adult dogs.
• Training classes provide dog owners the skills and knowledge for dealing with common, normal dog behaviors—starting with puppy behaviors such as housetraining and chewing.
• No matter what age you start training your dog, foundation training provides the basis for any activity, behavior or job you want your dog to perform.
• Training provides dogs with the basic manners we all want—from polite greeting when guests arrive, to walking nicely on the leash, to coming when called.
• A trained dog is a fully participating member of the family—what a gift for all of you!
A trained dog joins in the fun when company comes, accompanies the family to the kids’ sports games, goes with you to visit friends and relatives, goes for hikes, swims, and everything else the family does together.
• Training enables you to choose from among a broad range of activities and dog sports to participate in and enjoy with your dog such as dog agility, rally-obedience, dancing with your dog, tracking, search & rescue, skijoring, sledding, water rescue trials, obedience, carting, reading programs, therapy work, and a nearly endless range of fun and philanthropic activities!
• Training has been shown to be the single most important thing that keeps a dog in his or her “forever” home.
• Training builds your mutual bond, enhances the partnership and enriches the relationship you share with your dog. Is there anything better?
Training dogs helps them to become happy and healthy companions and it is not just beneficial, it’s FUN!