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Why is Dog Training So Important?
Everyone knows that training is an essential part of dog ownership. But does anyone really know why that is? There’s the obvious answer, to get rid of unwanted behaviors like jumping up or chewing. But is that the only reason? And how far should you go with training, is just training basic commands like “sit” and “stay” enough? If you have ever asked yourself these questions, you have come to the right place because we are going to cover this and even more in our blog.
To begin, we will discuss the most common answer; training your dog in order to eliminate or prevent unwanted behavior. Dogs are naturally inclined to offer behaviors that we, as humans, are not so fond of. Things like jumping, nipping, digging in the garden, or chewing up your favorite sandals are all examples of these behaviors. In dog language, these behaviors are perfectly natural ways for a dog to act. We can teach our dogs which behaviors we like and which ones we do not like using rewards. By doing this, your dog will begin offering these rewarded behaviors more often until it is a default behavior.
Another reason training is important is for your dog’s health. Dogs have been raised alongside humans for hundreds of years, if not longer. They are extremely social animals who need companionship in order to be happy. Dogs who cannot communicate with their owners or meet their own social needs can fall into a depression. Just like humans, dogs can become depressed and their behavior and health can be affected by it. You may think a dog who is depressed would sleep a lot and not do too much, but that’s not necessarily true. Depression can cause troubling behaviors like aggression, destructive chewing, and even problems with potty training.
Additionally, training your dog improves your ability to communicate with them, and thus improves your relationship as a whole. Dogs love spending time with us and they love when you can engage in activities together. The more you train the better behaved they will be, and the more activities you can participate in most cases. Dogs who have great relationships with their owners pay more attention to them, execute commands better, and present less behavior problems.
These are just a few of the reasons to train your dog. At Brook’s Dog Training Academy, we also put a focus on making training fun for both dog and owner. Training should be an enjoyable process that brings value to the dog and humans individually and as a team. If training is not enjoyable to some extent, it is likely that neither team member is learning since learning cannot occur under stress. Training should also never cause pain or fear for this same reason. If you try training and start feeling frustrated or that you aren’t getting anywhere, you should take a break. If you find you cannot make progress, it is always advised to seek the help of a certified dog trainer or qualified animal behaviorist. It is their job to not only help you work with your dog, but also teach you how to communicate and improve your relationship so you can have a well-behaved companion and a best friend for life.
