Commands and Behavior - Training Challenges

Read more about Training Challenges here.

Over the past months I have been publishing some thoughts on various commands (see link above). One of the intentions of this series was to provide perspective for dog owners on how training and behavior are linked. Training isn't meant to provide tricks for your dog when it's on a leash, but a means to develop communication, language, and mutual respect with your pet. Training educates dogs, teaches them how to live well in our human world, and gives owners tools to help dogs behave well in challenging or problematic settings.

As mentioned in past articles, behavior in dogs almost entirely follows respect. The more respectful a dog is of their owner, the better they listen, the more they wish to please, and the more weight the word "NO" will carry. Training is THE BEST TOOL to establish a respectful relationship with a dog. Quality training helps dogs learn to work on an owner's agenda, while owners come to appreciate the efforts of their dog(s) - everyone wins.

There are countless discussions and opinions on WHY certain behavior problems occur with dogs, and an equal amount of opinions on HOW they can be remedied. I readily acknowledge there are often several different paths to success, but let's remember that dogs are not people! What may seem logical to humans, is not necessarily sound theory in nature or the animal world. When working with dogs, we are not working with beings that 'speak our language', or reason in the same way we do. Training IS trans-species communication that bridges these gaps.

The "training challenges" series highlights various commands and their progression from beginner to advanced. As you read these posts and look at how obedience progresses, are you seeing how calming, listening, and respect must also progress? Trainer's dogs aren't perfect, but they are trained and respectful. How many trainers have problem dogs?

Can training solve every problem with every dog? Absolutely not. But it is the best path to establish a clear, strong, and trusting relationship between owner and dog. This strong foundation IS necessary to help a dog reach it's best potential, and offers dogs every possible advantage IMO. For those dogs still having issues after training, specialized approaches and exercises, management, and/or medication(s) may be helpful.

Again, with a respectful foundation of communication in place, life becomes much easier. How much better would life be with your dog walking nicely on a leash, sitting when told, or laying down on command? I encourage you to re-read existing posts in this series - how could YOU use training to help your dog succeed?