Some common dog obedience myths exposed.
A dog must be sent to a specialized obedience trainer to be taught properly.
False: Most of the work in training your dog will be achieved in your own home in your daily interactions with your dog. Many problems can arise when your dog ‘comes home’ from a training centre. If the owner has not also been ‘trained’ then the dog may not respect the owner and will ignore commands.
Fortunately there are many dog training books and videos available that take the stress out of teaching your dog, in it’s home environment, to be a calm and submissive member of the family.
Many of these products make claims that you can have a well trained dog in only 7 days. Whilst it is possible to train your dog a great many things in a week, your relationship with your dog will be ongoing and the mutual trust and love that you build by spending time with your dog will cement your relationship and gain your dogs loyalty.
A dog doesn’t need to be walked everyday if it’s kept in a big backyard.
False: One of the most important steps to gaining obedience from your dog is achieved through conquering the walk. Not only does the walk provide the dog with much needed exercise, it also lets the dog partake in a fundamentally instinctive drive, to go on an adventure everyday. To deprive a dog of a daily walk is to crush his spirit. Imagine if you spent all day every day at home…you would quickly become bored, and so does your dog.
Once a dog has been trained he will be obedient forever.
False: Training your dog requires commitment and persistence you can’t just try things once and then if they don’t work give up. Dogs need consistent and repetitive instruction to gain your respect and so they don’t get confused by mixed signals. Changing persistent bad behaviour will not happen overnight. Dogs need to be socialized and exposed to any situations the dog finds frightening.
Only through repetition and by remaining calm and assertive can your dog find a leader worth following.
All dog training methods are the same.
False: There are as many training methods as there are breeds of dogs, it’s a matter of research and finding a style that suits you and your dog, that you are comfortable with and gets the results you want. Dogs are fast learners and very quickly will pick up commands and learn right from wrong. Even when you have the skills to train your dog consistency and persistence are the keys to a canine companion with impeccable manners.
Take the confusion out of training your dog. We've done the research for you and selected two of the best dog training methods that gets results. Find out more http://heptar.bezoogle.com/pp/dog-training/
