I had just picked up my newly designed Home Dog Training of North Georgia Car Decals and had pulled up at the Pickneyville Dog Park in Norcross to meet one of my clients for an outside dog training session. As I was waiting for my client and her dog, another dog owner walked up with his dog. “I need my dog trained and many of my friends send their dogs off to doggie boot camp to have trainers work with the dog. Rex is my dog and I want him to be good for me. Is that the way to train?”
First of all, we all know that there are a lot of dog owners that just don’t have the time to work with their dogs. There is so little time outside of work and kids that we can call “free time” that we can devote to other things like dog training. Please understand that I do not want to get on my “high horse” of dog training and say “I don’t care, you must make time. Just don’t sleep or make your kids walk to school.”
With that said, I would like to come at this question from a different angle. We have dogs and I am sure that he got Rex because he loves dogs and, especially, he loves Rex. Dogs are our companions. They help us clear our heads from all the troubles of the day and make us laugh when we play with them. There is a special bond between dogs and humans that we all love and all need. When we have that bond, we have a great dog and a better life.
The only way that we can create that bond is to build mutual respect, the fact that our dog can always trust us, and that we have a great relationship. If our dog does something wrong, we must clearly let him know that his action was inappropriate and what he should be doing. We need to to bond with him by engaging in safe and stimulating play activities. We must never “trick him” into a situation where he is scared, hurt, or confused.
I went on to tell Rex’s owner that he must provide stimulating activities to show his dog what is expected of him. Have him “come” when he needs to have his dog by his side. Have him “sit” when he needs to provide a calm and safe environment and to show respect. Make sure he does not rush the front door when people come in to make sure he will remain safe and people don’t become scared.
The one thing that all our dogs are searching for is safety. They want to be in a safe environment with someone that they know will always be on their side. We need to be our dog’s provider and care giver. They need to look at us as the “go-to person”.
We have found that this is the key to having a great dog. Building the bond, trust, and respect is the answer. The only way that this will occur is if we are our dog’s teacher. We must be the one in charge. We must always be guiding our dog in the right direction towards a consistent and safe solution.
Sending our dog to a Canine Boot Camp takes us out of the picture. We must be fully engaged in our dog’s training to establish our relationship.
Please call Robin or me at (770) 718-7704 if you need any dog training help. We are blessed to have been your local dog training professionals for over fourteen years. We have trained over 5,000 great dogs and loving families and are ready to help you.
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