Congratulations on your new, four-pawed family member. Arguably, dogs, especially well-trained dogs, are a great addition to anyone’s life. Almost everyone enjoys being around a happy, well-behaved pet. Dogs who are properly socialized can also reduce your risk of being held liable for pet-induced injuries to other people and animals.
Increases Socialization
Many seasoned dog owners can begin to feel very confident about their dog training abilities and be tempted to skip obedience classes. Yes, many basic commands can, and should, be taught at home from the minute you bring your adorable new family member into your life. However, there are some very important reasons for dog obedience classes to be included in your new pet’s training regime. The most important reason for class-based dog training is to instill appropriate social skills in your canine buddy for those times they will meet other animals and humans outside of the home.
Also, dog training classes are an important bonding time for you and your special friend. Lastly, training your dog to focus on your instructions in a noisy, distracting environment, such as an obedience class, can be invaluable if you want to include Fido or Fifi in your regular activities away from home.
Reduces Aggression
Doggie training courses serve as a focused environment to train with real-life distractions. When you give your dog the opportunity to practice focusing in on you under stressful conditions, you are gaining further control of your beloved canine. Being able to retain control over your dog at home, at the park or, if you are so lucky, at work, greatly reduces the possibility of aggression. A dog that is trained to focus on one person’s commands, no matter the environment, is a dog that will be welcome nearly everywhere. By reducing the chance of aggressive actions, it is less likely that dog owners can be held liable for injuries their dog causes to other people, because, simply put, those incidents are less likely to occur.
Training a Dog Is an Act of Love
Chances are if you choose to have a dog, you want the opportunity to bring your companion along to a variety of your social events, such as on errands, trips to the dog park and other opportunities to create fun memories. Dogs who jump on people or are overly active around other animals and, worse, don’t listen to their master’s commands will rarely be a welcome part of any situation. In some cases, a poorly behaved dog might be asked, along with their human, to leave events. One way to show your dog how much you love them is by helping them become a good canine citizen through obedience training. Both the novice and the experienced dog owner can benefit from structured classes. However, the one who benefits the most from good, humane obedience classes is the dog.
At the end of the day, when we choose to include dogs as a family member, we want the joy of involving them, as much as possible, in our day-to-day activities. A well-behaved dog can be a bigger part of our lives because a dog with good manners will be welcome almost anywhere.
If you liked this article, check out “The importance of setting boundaries with your new puppy”.