One of the biggest struggles that most dog owners encounter, is the ability to maintain control & focus in different environments, especially when factoring distractions into the equation.
More often than not, we compromise our ability to control our dogs, by either constantly engaging in activities that create competing motivators for ourselves, or not engaging in any activities that promote our relationship with them at all.
Training your dog is so important, but it is an extremely difficult task if we don’t have a relationship with them to begin with.
It is so critical, that we are considered valuable to our dogs, without value it will always be a struggle to keep them engaged, regardless of the training.
We believe that there are several key components to having a successful relationship with your dog, exercise, play, affection & training / direction. Training should incorporate all of these key components combined. However, Training is more often than not considered to be a chore, and as a result it’s non-existent in most pet homes after the initial ‘Puppy Stage’.
Training with your dog should be an ongoing event throughout their entire life, and if we use a fun and fair system, it is the best way to build, and maintain your relationship with them. If you are only training your dog as a matter of necessity, and you don’t enjoy training, then you can never expect your relationship with them to reach it’s full potential.
Owning a dog, is about interacting with your dog, and creating opportunities to combine all of these key components, into the daily activities we conduct with them.
At the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to have our dogs respond and engage with us because they want to, not because they are forced to.
MAY
About the Author:
The Head Trainer at Excel Dog Training Australia, is always happy to speak with clients about dog training and obedience issues their dog may have. Offering a wealth of knowledge Paul Andryc has been involved with dogs for over 15 years.