The Benefits of Joining a Dog Obedience Group or School
A well-mannered dog is a pleasure to be with. Not only do they display good manners with other people, pets, and in the home, but walks become more enjoyable, and knowledge of basic commands helps to keep them safe. Joining a dog obedience group, or school, is one of the best things you can do to help teach both you and your dog how to work well together. Obedience training also helps to further strengthen a positive bond you have with your pet. Some of the advantages of a joining a dog obedience group include:
- Professional guidance. Dog trainers have seen many different dogs and how they behave and react to various training methods and rewards. They can assess your dog and guide you to the best way to train your dog. Although it might sound funny, dog training isn't just for dogs - it's also for training people on how to manage their dogs!
Socialization. Your dog learns how to
behave appropriately with other canines and people.
- Opportunity to observe and learn. You will be able to watch how other people handle their dogs, and learn from both their successes and their mistakes. Since every dog is different you can also see what other people are using to encourage and reward their pets for appropriate behaviour.
- It can save you time, money, and aggravation. It can be very frustrating for pet owners to try to teach their dogs or correct 'bad' behavior when they're not certain how to do so. Punishment won't get you far... positive reinforcement training tends to yield the best results, as well as maintains the good relationship you have with your dog. Plus it's much more fun for the dog!
- A classroom or group setting allows for interaction, fun and games. Dog training should be positive and upbeat. With all the other dogs and their people in the class together, there's opportunity for playing games that can help to reinforce appropriate behavior.
- Specialty classes can "home in" on a behavior problem. For example, there are classes specifically for reactive dogs, for puppies, and for older dogs. Many specialty classes are even smaller in size to allow for more individualized attention as needed.
Dog obedience groups have many benefits - but of course, one of the keys is to find the right trainer! For more information, please see the article, How to Find a Dog Trainer.