Dog Training And Why You Should Bother!
Article by kayye Nynne
What Does Dog Training Really Mean?
A lot of people think that dog training is just about getting their dog to obey their commands and not to poop or wee in the house or strain at the leash when taken for a walk.
Sure dog training is part of all that but it is actually so much more. The ultimate goal of dog training is to create the most wholesome and best relationship with your dog!
A trained dog is a joyful pet because since she/he is so well-behaved you are comfortable integrating him into all aspects of your life. And most dogs just love interacting with their human families as opposed to being banished to the kennel.
An untrained dog on the other hand is a liability. In public it may lash out at other people, other pets or just generally constitute itself as a general menace.
Dog Training Starts With You Understanding Your Dog!
So when should dog training start? Ideally you should begin dog training even before you have got your dog? How is that possible, taining your dog before you've even got it?
Well it just means you need to make a complete and careful assessment of your personality, lifestyle and typical schedule before choosing a particular breed of dog!
The reasoning behind this is that over the span of many years and several generations the various different dog breeds were selectively bred to perform certain tasks. Thus some dog breeds were bred to pull things, other breeds were developed to look after life stock, while others were bred to aggressively protect.
Simply put what this means is that your dog comes with a pre-selected set of behaviors that have been genetically programmed into him since the concept and development of his/her breed. Those programmed traits determine how your dog perceives and reacts to the world around him.
By knowing the purpose behind the creation of the breed that your dog belongs to you can better understand how she or he will behave and whether she is the right fit for you.
For example if you want a dog that is playful and loves playing games then there are certain breeds that you should avoid altogether. Why? Because breeds like the livestock protection dogs for instance, were developed to protect livestock and to that end were bred with traits such as being independent-minded, wary and suspicious of other dogs as well as strangers (not exactly the ideal recipe for a playful companion).
By knowing such information you are in a better position to predict how your dog will behave in a given situation.
But What's The Point Of Dog Training Then?That's an excellent question indeed; what's the point of dog training if your dog already has a predetermined set of traits that drive his/her behavior?
Well dog training is meant to counter those predetermined genetic traits and that is what is referred to as Nurture vs. Nature!
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