We all have fantasies about our dogs being the perfectly trained animals we all hope them to be when they first enter our homes; unfortunately, it doesn’t really work that way. Pets are an investment – they require consistency, attention, and constant diligence in order to become the well-trained animals we all respect, admire, and love. With that being said, we all want our pets to impress, and they’re certainly capable of doing so. In this article we’ll talk more about pet training, why it’s important, and a few basic commands that are totally attainable with a little consistency and dedication.
Besides simply impressing people left and right, a well-trained pet is beneficial for many reasons. First, pets may serve as helping animals, guard dogs, or simply loving companions for us. In any of these mentioned scenarios, it’s essential to have your animal bring you more peace and joy than stress and anxiety – and that’s the basic reason for training your dog, at least in the most foundational commands. Here are a few other reasons that may give you the incentive to provide your pet with some basic training:
Your safety, as well as your dog’s, is important. If your dog knows not to run into the street when your leash fails, for instance, then the chances of them being injured by a passing car are greatly reduced. Furthermore, if your pet knows not to pull you down the street, then you’re far less likely to get dragged down the street and get hurt.
Let’s say you have to leave town and need your pet to be watched by a family friend for a few days to a week; your dog should be well trained enough to generalize their commands to other individuals who need to be able to take care of them and monitor their behavior effectively.
When your pet is well trained, you’re better able to relax and enjoy their company, or enjoy more activities with them, such as going to the dog park, going for a hike, or brining them to the pet store with you for an impromptu, leisurely shopping trip.
There’s nothing worse than feeling like you can’t keep your pet under control. Our dogs are highly intuitive, and can sense when we’re not feeling confident – especially when we have considerable anxiety. If your pet is trained in basic commands, they’ll pick up on your confidence right away and be at ease just as you are.
Having guests over is always a challenge when there are dogs involved – maybe your dog jumps up, has accidents, or barks at guests. We should feel comfortable welcoming new people into our homes, and not be worried about how our pet will behave.
You can have a lot of fun teaching and reinforcing commands with your pet, and even get a little creative in the process. However, all frills aside, there are a few basic commands that you should consider working on with your dog from day one:
The pet experts here at Dr. Ron’s Animal Hospital & Emergency have helped direct dog owners in Simi Valley, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Chatsworth, and other areas nearby Ventura County to helpful pet training resources that deliver on results. If you’d like to learn more about resources in our area, please contact one of our helpful pet experts today.