January is National Train Your Dog Month
As dog trainers, we love to celebrate this month because it brings awareness to the benefit of training your dog. If you haven’t thought obedience training is for you, let me give you a few reasons you should consider training your dog:
Reason #1: Safety
Let’s be real here – the “come” command could save your dog’s life. Imagine your dog heading toward the street with cars coming. You call your dog – will it stop and come back to you, or at least stop and look at you for direction? Or will he look over his shoulder with a “yeah right” look in his eye as he heads towards danger? With proper training, your dog should stop and come back.
Here’s another scenario: imagine you open your front door and your dog shoots out from behind you, heading toward the street. Training can prevent this from happening by teaching your dog to wait at doors (or fence gates!) to get permission to go through.
Reason #2: Your dog will listen to you better
When you develop a respectful relationship with your dog, they will listen to you better when you tell them “no” or give them a command. Imagine there is something on the ground that would hurt your dog if he ingested it. If your dog respects and listens to you, he will “leave it” when you tell him to, preventing digestive problems (and another potential vet trip). If not, you may be in for some serious problems later (from both your dog and your wallet!).
It can also make your social relationships better when you have guests. If your dog will greet guests without jumping or go to “place” when they arrive, it’s a nicer scenario.
Related: Dog Training Program Specials
Reason #3: It will save you money in the long run.
Let’s go back to the example of your dog not coming or darting out the door into traffic. What would it cost you to take them to an emergency vet because they didn’t listen? Now compare the cost of a good, quality training program over a lifetime of taking him to the vet for these emergency trips. Or a lifetime of pain meds he gets put on after surgeries. Training early on can save you a lot of money over your dog’s life when you don’t have to revisit the vet’s office because of injuries that training would have prevented.
Another perspective: think of puppies and all that chewing…when your puppy chews on appropriate things, that is fine. When it moves to the furniture, doors, window frames, door jambs, etc. that is not OK and can be costly. Obedience training helps with separation anxieties (and the chewing that goes along with them). This helps your wallet by not having to replace a lot of items!
My other favorite is saving money on landscaping because of a problem digger. The list goes on, so you can keep using your imagination…
Reason #4: It is mentally stimulating for them.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “a tired dog is a happy dog”, and there is definite truth to that. But physical exercise is not the only way you can wear your dog out (but it is great in its own right!). Challenging your dog mentally can be just as exhausting.
Think back (some of us have to go farther back than others) to those HUGE tests you had to take in college or high school. Like, the SAT’s for example. Don’t you remember how exhausted or brain-dead you were after you finished? Same concept with training – you are just wearing them out mentally with a “big test” with your training sessions.
Related: 6 Reasons Basic Obedience Helps Your Dog And You
Reason #5: You will enjoy your dog more.
This kinda goes hand-in-hand with your dog listening to you better, but it needs its own line. With a new puppy, especially, we see it all the time: families are frustrated from the housebreaking, the constant playbiting, and the jumping all over them when they don’t want it. They are telling the dog “no” so much they don’t enjoy the time they do spend with their dog. The kids get fed up with trying to play because they don’t like the jumping or the nipping, the parents get tired of being the referee.
With obedience training – and especially our in-home program where we work with all members of the family – you can learn how to effectively communicate with your dog, and start enjoying them again.
So, when you think about it – training your dog is a win-win for everyone! We have trained thousands of dogs over the past 20+ years. Check out our local references and our Facebook Reviews. If you are a client, feel free to add yours as well!
Related: Training Programs
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