Team Dog! Learn the Secrets of Effective Dog Training!Reliable and Gentle Dog Training Based on Clear Communication

I often hear different people give their idea of what a trained dog is, and even more plentiful are the ways in which to train a dog.  We can talk methodologies all day long, and we will cover that in a future post, but today, let’s talk about what a trained dog is…

Is a trained dog one that will jump up on fire hydrants (like our good friend, Monk), or one that wins obedience championships, plays frisbee really well or that simply comes when called?  Is a trained dog one that rescues the lost, guides the blind, or apprehends bad guys?  Is a trained dog one that will ignore mom’s special Thanksgiving turkey while it is cooling on the table with no one around to guard it?

I believe that this is all relative.  What one person wants for their relationship with their dog will vary considerably with another person.  Some people simply want a companion that is behaved, others put their dogs to work!

One could argue that your dog is ALREADY trained, just maybe not the way that you like it!  If the dog is consistently offering behaviors, then it likely has a conditioned response to a particular stimulus.  It is trained!

The other argument is that the dog is reactive, which can get blurry with trained.  Either way, trained to a stimulus or simply reactive, it can all be changed, so long as the owner first knows what they want, and then properly communicates that to the dog in the clearest way possible.

Dog training to me is knowing and sharing with the dog the expectations of the dog in accordance with the purpose that you got the dog for, taking care of the needs of the dog, and striving to build the relationship as it inevitably will change over time.  The loyalty, comfort, enthusiasm and companionship that a well balanced dog can provide is immeasurable…so should our dedication be to them!  To make a friend, you have to be a friend…

Brice Cavanaugh