Don’t Have Time to Train Your Dog?

It’s a busy time for a lot of people…people who just got a puppy and perhaps forgot how much work it can be! You may be thinking they are puppies, so no big deal.  You can train them later.

Have you heard the phrase, “we show people how to treat us?”  I would like to include dogs in that!  You are training your dog how to be in the home (and elsewhere) whether you think you are or not.  The moment you bring them in and for years to come, they will be learning from you.

Please don’t misinterpret this to think I believe we should try to make dogs into good little humans.  That will never be – Thank Dog!  However, since they are so good at being dogs, we need to use “dog training” in how to adapt to life in a human family.  This is always done out of respect for who they are and their inherent behaviors.

Having said that, if your friends have excuses for why they can’t come in or you panic when there is a knock at the door, or during meals, or any other time, you have “trained” your dog.  Think of training them as providing consistent, repetitive guidance on what’s good behavior in the home and in relationship to their surroundings.

We have all walked into someone’s home and it was obvious that it was the dog’s home and he was kind enough to let the humans stay.  That’s not the fault of the dog.   I don’t necessarily think it’s healthy for the dog or humans either!

As dogs mature and go through their hormone shifts, they will have new responses and can be affectionately referred to as teenagers.  This is when consistency on your part is so important.  A consistent, positive, persistent approach will do a lot more than a raised voice and frustration.

So, as you go about your day, remember that you are training your dog…the question is how?