🐕 Why Should I Train My Dog?

When I look back about 48 years ago, I remember the absolute chaos of having a dog who was completely out of control. He pulled incessantly on the leash, ignored my calls, destroyed anything that would fit in his mouth, and was very aggressive towards both people and other dogs. I felt completely lost.

My turning point came when I went to a trainer in Maine. They taught me how to truly understand my dog and communicate with him in a way he could grasp. After that initial training, we were blessed with over a decade of wonderful years together.

While my dog’s issues were perhaps extreme, the truth is almost everyone who owns a dog they haven’t committed to real training with has at least one—if not all—of these problems.

We welcome these animals into our lives, expecting them to be with us for 10, 12 years, or more. If we neglect their training, we are essentially signing up for a decade or more of these behavioral problems. Without proper training, those small or big issues will plague us for the entirety of our dog's life.

Safety and Control

Beyond daily peace of mind, a trained dog is a safe dog. A dog who is trained and under control is far less likely to:

• Be hit by a car.

• Get into a fight with another animal.

• Bite someone.

• Become lost.

• Eat something toxic off the ground or inside the house.

The Lifetime Relationship

The other major aspect of training is building a relationship with a true companion that will last a lifetime (or your dog's lifetime, at least). Training helps you build an unbreakable bond, allowing you to know exactly how your dog will behave in any given situation.

You should be able to take your dog off-leash to hike on trails, trusting that he won't chase wildlife, and knowing that if he does, he will immediately return when called. People should be able to enter your home without your dog accosting them. He should be able to walk down the street and ignore other dogs and people.

Deeper Involvement

Furthermore, if you truly enjoy your dog, training opens the door to many different types of dog sports and events you can participate in all over the country. This creates a genuine team dynamic with your dog, which is an amazing and rewarding experience. This isn't for everyone, but some people who get into basic training find they love it so much they go on to pursue more complicated and fun activities.

A Happy, Confident Dog

Finally, a trained dog is a happy dog. They don’t have to wonder or become anxious about how to behave because they know the proper thing to do in any scenario. Life for them is always fun and purposeful, and they are very seldom unnerved or intimidated by a new situation.

These are just some of the powerful reasons to train your dog. If you truly commit to it, you will discover that the relationship you can build across species is an unbelievable and deeply rewarding experience.