 WHY SHOULD YOUR DOG HAVE OBEDIENCE TRAINING? Many people bring that cute little puppy home to enjoy as a life-long companion but have no idea how to teach their new friend manners. Unfortunately, if this crucial training is ignored, that once adorable little puppy will inevitably grow into an unruly, destructive teenager. Then what? What often happens is that the dog will be, by necessity, relegated to the back yard, or perhaps tied to a tree or post and virtually forgotten, except for feedings. Or, if the dog becomes too unruly, it is taken to a shelter to find a new home, right? Wrong. Most dogs taken to shelters never find new homes. A very high percentage of adolescent dogs die in shelters because the owners failed to teach them manners. Basic obedience training could have prevented this travesty. Basic obedience training strengthens that special bond between you and your canine companion. This happens naturally as you two go through the training process. You earn your dog's respect which establishes you, in your dog's mind, as the "top dog" of the family "pack". That is, your dog will look up to you as the one in charge. And, a well mannered dog has fewer restrictions in public, gaining you the respect of society as well. Training gives your dog a way to communicate his love and respect for you. Dogs, by nature, want to please their masters and training essentially gives them a "voice". A well trained dog knows how to express his devotion to you and is more than happy to show you his love through the obedience skills he has learned. As you discover how training reinforces the relationship between you and your cherished canine friend, the two of you may enjoy competing for obedience titles or participate in other dog sports such as herding, agility, free-style, and fly-ball, to name a few. It's a wonderful way to have fun for both you and your dog. WHEN SHOULD YOU TRAIN YOUR DOG? Despite a dog's age, it's actually never too late. You really can teach an old dog new tricks. The only restriction we place on age is that we prefer no puppies in group classes that are younger than 6 months because of the teething pain they often suffer at that age. How would you feel if you were in chemistry class with a massive toothache? Miserable right? Well that's how a teething puppy feels. Also, if they're too young the chance for catching parvo or distemper increases dramatically since at such a young age their immune systems aren't fully developed. Yes it is important to socialize your young pup but not necessarily at a park where many dogs are or have been. PUPPY TRAINING Certain training is necessary for puppies before six months of age such as housebreaking which, of course, is best started as soon as your puppy arrives. Though allot of behavior problems will be solved through obedience training, you don't want to wait till they develop problems and then have correct them. For example you obviously can't have a five month old St. Bernard jumping up on you. Or a four month old Husky eating your sofa. It's harder to undo what a dog has learned than it is to just teach your puppy what is OK and is not OK from the start. You must teach your puppy right from wrong just as you teach children such concepts long before they ever enter a classroom. Here at RagTak we offer several different ways to train your dog for basic obedience. Group classes: 8 week course Our group class meets once a week to learn and practice how to train your dog. During the rest of the week you work with your dog on the exercise that was taught. Each week you learn a new exercise. This is a great method for your dog to be around other dogs and people. Could your dog be first in his class? Private Lessons: 6 week course We come to your home to teach the dog the exercise and then show you how to work with the dog during the week. In-House Training: 3 week course We board and train the dog for you, then we teach you how to work with a trained dog. For your and the dog's sake, do some research before getting a canine companion. Visit the AKC site! |
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