If you own a dog, it is important that you train it to listen to your commands. This ensures that the animal won't engage in any behaviors that will put its life in danger or put the lives of other people or animals in danger. The act of training your dog can also serve as a bonding and socialization experience that provides necessary mental exercise for the pup. Here are some reasons why such training is important.
Your Dog Has to Learn to Live In Your House
If you have kids, you likely have rules for how they must behave while living in your home. Just as kids need boundaries and structure, your dog needs to learn what is expected of it as well. While your dog may engage in a temper tantrum or resist your commands from time to time, the truth is that the dog wants to submit to your authority and please you.
Not Everyone Likes a Jumping or Barking Dog
While it is a dog's instinct to jump or bark when it is excited, your friends and family members may not be as excited to see your dog. Strangers who come across your dog while it is in the yard or while it is on a walk may not see your dog as a cute ball of fluff that is happy to see another person. Instead, they may see it as a threat to their safety and the cause for a lawsuit. That will then lead to you needing to talk to a lawyer, such as one from Clearfield & Kofsky. This is especially true if it ends up biting another person.
Your Dog Gets to Meet Other Dogs
A puppy should meet at least 100 other dogs and people in the first year of its life. Taking your dog to an obedience class gives it an opportunity to meet a variety of people and dogs in a structured environment where it isn't in any danger of getting hurt. In more advanced courses, your dog may learn how to approach other people and dogs in a calm and polite manner.
Your Dog Learns Something New Every Week
One of the best reasons to take your dog to obedience classes is the fact that it gets to learn something new each week. Learning new commands provides the mental stimulation that it needs to learn and grow at such a young age. Depending on how old your dog is, a training session may also be enough to tire it out for the night.
Every dog owner should take their animal to obedience school if it hasn't yet been trained to follow human commands. When done properly, your dog will learn how to act around you as well as how to act properly when around strangers or other animals.
