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If there’s a phrase that rings true when it comes to dog owners, it’s that there’s ‘no such thing as bad dogs, just bad owners’. While dogs do have different personalities, and various breeds can lean towards being more boisterous or playful, how you train your dog will make a huge difference to their personality and behavior.
Letting your dog rule the house may seem like something you want to do if you think of them as part of the family and want to show them they are loved, but actually, the kindest thing you can do for a dog is train them. If you don’t train them, your dog can easily become confused over who the pack leader is. If they think they are the pack leader, they may indulge in all kinds of behavior you don’t want, such as not listening to you, pulling on the lead, and ruining your furniture. As no pack members tend to leave the pack leader, either (it’s usually the other way around), when you leave the house for work or to run errands, your dog will become confused. Some dogs become so confused that they get separation anxiety, and can even show signs of depression.
To put it simply, failure to train your dog is bad for their emotional wellbeing. You’ll develop a much stronger bond and have a better time overall when you choose to train them.
Should You Train Your Dog Yourself?
It could be a good idea to train your dog yourself to begin with, but you must be vigilant. It’s also important that the people in your home are all on the same page, as sending mixed messages to the dog is unfair. The following sorts of things are what you’ll need to adhere to:
- Not feeding the dog off your plate (or they will beg for life)
- Getting them to walk next to you on the lead, not pull in front
- Follow commands like sit, stay, lie down, etc
- Making sure they don’t eat their food until you say they can (probably the hardest thing to achieve)
- Entering the house first
- Greeting everybody else in the house before greeting your dog
- Trying not to get too excited when you greet your dog
The above may sound difficult, and in some cases be foreign to those who like to treat their dog like a member of the family. However, this will send a clear message of who the leader is, and will ensure they see you as their leader, and not them as yours. If you want to make sure you get this right from the start, looking for professional dog training may be the key. It’s always better to get professional dog training before you develop any serious issues, such as an aggressive dog who doesn’t like other dogs, or even a dog who doesn't like it when anybody speaks to you (yes, some dogs can feel ownership of their owners!).
How will you start training your dog?
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