Top 5 Reasons to Train your Dog.
Why should I train my dog? If she doesn’t have any major behavior issues and isn’t going to be a working dog, then what is the point of working on training at all? We think Ken Ramirez, world-renown animal trainer and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Clicker Training, says it best with his simple and direct plea to all pet owners:
“My message would be simple: training is not a luxury, but a key component to good animal care. Everyone who has a pet should understand that basic fact. Training is a way to enhance the quality of life for our pets. It is far more than just teaching a dog to do a cute trick. Training is about teaching a dog (or any animal) how to live in our world safely.”
Don’t just take Ken’s word for it. There are countless reasons why training your dog is a great idea, but we’ve come up with our top five:
Trained dogs make for a happy home. When everyone in the house can speak a common language and understands the rules, you’ll enjoy a happy, harmonious home! Clicker training allows us to communicate clearly with our dogs and set them, and ourselves, up for success.
Training your dog provides enrichment. Mental exercise is just as crucial for your dog as physical exercise. Training gives your dog an appropriate outlet for excess energy, enriches their daily life, and helps create a calm and stable family member.
Training prevents unwanted behavior. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! While training can absolutely be used to find solutions to existing behavior problems, it’s even better to train preemptively and prevent future headaches! Training a recall before you let your dog off-leash, training cooperative care behaviors before heading to the veterinarian, and teaching puppies polite greetings before they develop a jumping habit are all prime examples.
Training can keep your dog safe. “Is that a rattlesnake!? Rover, leave it!” Many trained skills can be literally lifesaving for your dog. Dogs have to exist in a human world, so understanding certain human rules is a must for keeping your pup safe around distractions and potential hazards.
Training improves the dog-human bond! Clicker training means that school is your dog’s favorite time of day! Using force-free training helps create eager students who will go above and beyond to work with their favorite humans. There’s a reason so many of our clients’ dogs are excited to see their trainers; training creates an amazing bond between both ends of the leash!
Why do you want to train your dog? Send us a message and let us know!