A Healthy Dog Is A Well Trained Dog

A Healthy Dog Is A Well Trained Dog
I've worked with a number of rescue groups and volunteered at no-kill shelters. Many dogs come in after losing their home because they have obedience problems. They bark too much, they jump, they bite, they "go" in the house. It breaks my heart because most dogs respond very well and very quickly to obedience training if their owner would work with them, or hire someone to work with them, they could have kept their dogs in the home, happy, healthy and safe.

Dogs LOVE to have a leader. Remember they are "pack members" and there is always one dog that is the "lead" dog or the "alpha dog". Dogs thrive when the lead dog instructs them on what to do and how to behave. It gives them confidence and when they have confidence they are calmer and happier. You, as their owner, are the ultimate ALPHA DOG.

I've seen dogs arrive at shelters with no direction at all. The people loved the dog when it was a puppy, but put no time at all into making this dog a happy dog by providing direction. They just threw it away. Unfortunately, these dogs have a tougher time getting adopted and many languish in shelters for their entire lives, if they are lucky to get sent to a no-kill shelter, that is. The ones who are dumped in kill shelters...well...if they are hard to work with - they are killed.

There are so many training methods that can help dog owners to improve their dogs behavior. The best ones are always the ones that solve the behavior problems in a humane way, using kindness and patience. Training that involves punishment only teaches fear. One training program I like is Sit Stay Fetch because it covers very comprehensively all the issues that a person might encounter during the life of their dog.

You'd be surprised how quickly a dog will respond to love and kindness. But Sit Stay Fetch doesn't sugar coat the training issue. Training a dog takes time and patience and love. If you can follow the author's directions you will have success. If you will work at it you will have a dog companion that gives you pleasure every single day.