Penny Eims of examiner.com just did a piece entitled "I am a dog, not a thing". Something very important is missing from that article, however. This is something most dog owners don't grasp and understand how this benefits both dogs and owners. Dogs need food, shelter, affection, exercise, veterinary care, grooming, and so forth. Training is so often overlooked. I should emphasize here training to a standard, and that standard is to be trained to such a degree that a dog can be worked around distractions by completing the command on the first command 4 out of five times. Also so that training improves the socialization of dogs around other humans and dogs. See my article on socialization before assuming what that means.
Training in general is very important to dogs in specific.
- It is mentally stimulating. Imagine you did the same thing everyday, even if it was fun. Or you were regulated to the same tv show everyday. Dogs get bored too. Regardless of whether they are likely to act out on their boredom or not, to provide your dog with the best life possible, training gets them doing new and different things. Just like humans need variety as the spice of life, so do dogs.
- How often do we think if only we could tell our dogs that? Training done right is a way to make that partly possible. The end result of training is a system of communication between two different species. Don't forget, training does not always have to be obedience commands.
- Increased bonding between the dog and human. An owner really gets to know their dog when they train, and the dog likewise gets to know more about their owner. This is usually a good thing
. Training with your dog can increase the bond rather than just having a walking and napping buddy.
- Besides irresponsible breeding, the lack of training given to canine companions is a leading cause of dogs being brought to shelters from their previous homes. Often if the owners were caring and loving, they have no idea what a training standard could have done for their relationship with their dog.
- Doing this and starting out with a puppy will eliminate about 80% of potential problem behaviors that could develop without such training.
- If a dog has behavioral problems, training to a standard will at the least improve the behavior and the relationship between the dog and owner. For some dogs, it will totally reverse the behavioral challenges that they once had.
- The ability to communicate with your dog, make the dog owners life easier in the process, and do more things with your dog at more places where they are actually welcomed!
- Increased ability to exercise in freedom without constraints or restraints.
- Owner's who adopt you have researched, thought about, and carefully considered the responsibilities of providing YOU with the happiest life possible (and not just considered how you will make THEM happy).
- Owner's who adopt you are willing and able to provide you with shelter, food, veterinary care, grooming, exercise, and all the other essential necessities you need.
- Owner's who adopt or rescue you, realize that dogs are not perfect or stuffed animals, that you may have medical and temperament needs outside the scope of a perfectly behaved pet.
- Owner's who adopt or rescue you, also realize their repsonsibility to the non dog owning or dog fearful public, by presenting you as an ambassador for dogs everywhere in a safe and responsible manner.
- Owner's who adopt or rescue you, realize how scary it is to be lost and the possible consequences to you of being allowed to run off.
- Owner's who adopt or rescue you have a game plan should you not end up being the perfect pet for their family NOW, or a dog that they just can not handle.
- Owner's who adopt you realize that you do not know what is poison and not poisin in the house (and probably never will on your own).
- Owner's who adopt you realize that dirt comes in on the feet of dogs. That the house will require more picking up after.
- Owner's who adopt you realize that all dogs make accidents in the house at some point. It is the owner's responsibility not only to clean up, but to teach you the right place to go by housetraining. There is a reason why "training" exists in housetraining.
- Owner's who adopt you will appreciate spending much time with you (outside, inside, in the car, at the park, at family events, on family vacations...).
- Owner's who adopt you either know how to train a dog to a standard, know where to find resources to help them train to a standard or are willing to research and find resources to help them train to a standard.
- Owner's who adopt puppies know that puppies need early training, and this makes it far less likely that the situation will work out later in life.
- Check shelter and rescue wishlists to see if you can donate anything.
- Money donations to shelters that you know are doing a good job, are always welcome. Do become familiar with the shelters in your area, and be wary before sending cash out to shelters outside your area (I am sure scams are going on) or to PETA and HSUS who surely do not fund shelters and rescues.
- Shelters who do screening need volunteers to check out potential homes and adopters.
- Local shelters can use the help of volunteers to provide their adoptees with exercise and interaction.
Potential and future dog and/or cat owners, please make my Valentine's hope come true by adopting responsibly, and only after truly thinking about the responsibilities involved. This is why I do not get involved in the push to promote going to a shelter on a specific month or holiday. I just do not believe this attracts the most responsible owners, and dogs deserve the best homes they can get. They really do.
http://www.mannerlymutts.com/
http://mannerlymutts.blogspot.com/
mannerly_mutt@yahoo.com
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