Dog Obedience Training - May Be Your Best Bet

Dog obedience training is probably one of the best investments you could ever make in your pet. It can solve a multitude of problems ranging from run-of-the-mill antisocial behavior to chewing to barking at night when the lights go out in the neighborhood. Dog obedience training makes a direct connection of communication between you and your pet.

Do you have a dog that runs wild when people come over to visit, or is aggressive when other people or animals are around? Does your dog or puppy seem to care less what you have to say and just does whatever they want? Well, if so, your pet may need some dog obedience training.

Dogs are social creatures from the start, and they must learn socially for them to understand. Unlike humans, they live by instinct and, unless we have properly programmed the right instincts into them and the correct meaning for our commands, its a 50/50 chance that we will get the results we hope for when we tell our dog to sit down or to stop jumping on the company.

The worst thing that a pet owner can do is to punish their dog when they misbehave. Punishment, especially the kind that is not connected to the negative action, has no inherent positive aspect to it. If you throw your dog out in the back yard in the rain when company comes over because they won't stop licking them, it is not your dog that has failed to obey. You have failed to clearly define your expectations. Some people also seem to think that it is okay to punch, hit or kick a dog to get it to obey, or that dogs need to have their spirit's broken in order for them to listen to your commands. This is totally unnecessary and down right cruel. There is a better and more humane way.

The best option available to most is to enroll your dog into a local obedience training class like Katie's Pawsitive Dog Training. By doing so you get the very best instruction, and you will have more confidence because there is an experienced instructor helping you and your pet work through the basics. Most introductory classes will cover the four basic commands that are fundamental to dog obedience. Those commands are: Heel, Sit, Stay and Down.

As you and your best friend progress in class, it will be important that you leave class time for learning new techniques and apply the techniques that you are already familiar with at home in short but frequent training sessions. Going too long on your informal sessions will be repetitious for you and downright boring for your pet. Be sure that during class time or your at home sessions you only use positive reinforcement and do not reprimand. By reprimanding, your pet will quickly learn to hate practicing obedience.

A well trained dog is more confident and safe in a crowd than their untrained counterparts. They can have more freedom and are more relaxed, simply because they know what is expected of them, and their owners are not anxious, wondering what their pet is going to do to their guests.

Steven Veach is a freelance writer, entrepreneur and full-time graduate student. You can see some of his other writing or purchase one of his books online right now by clicking here [http://www.stevenveach.net]! Read more of his pet articles at Hwy 99 Boarding Kennels.

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