Training your dog can be a rewarding experience for both you and your pet. The experience builds a bond between you and your dog and helps turn a whirling, undisciplined tornado of legs and tail into a well-mannered companion. Whether you have a puppy or an adult dog, the training experience benefits you both. If you have ever trained your dog, you know it pays dividends.
Taking the time to master training skills matters. Having a well-trained dog gives you the benefit of living with a model canine citizen while being well-trained offers freedom for your dog–freedom from being constantly reprimanded, freedom from never knowing what is expected, and freedom to do fun things like be allowed off-leash outside and to have the run of the house instead of being crated constantly.
Learning to teach the basics–sit, stay, heel, down, come–are imperative, but once they’re mastered there are so many more fun and useful commands to teach. As you build training skills, you realize just how much dogs can learn. Some dog owners scour the internet for training tips and new skills to learn. YouTube is awash in videos about how to teach a dog to do just about anything, from learning how to play a doggy version of the shell game to fetching you a drink from the fridge.
Looking for new things to teach your dog can become addictive. Most dogs are eager to please and love the learning process. They are smarter than people give them credit for, plus they crave quality time with their person. Having a willing pupil makes dog training more fun as you add to your skills.
For some people, working with dogs is intuitive. They can read a dog’s personality and instinctively know what motivates him or her and how to get results, but intuition must be combined with know-how, patience, and sticktoittiveness.
Training dogs to reach their potential requires a lot of skill-building on the human’s part. The results are so worth the effort you put into it. A well-trained dog is not just a good dog, it’s a great accomplishment.
Do you love training your dog? It might be worth it to look at taking your skills to the next level. Becoming a professional dog trainer on the side could put some extra cash in your pocket, or it could be a great full time career for a dog lover.
If training your dog has sparked an interest in the profession, we would love to talk to you. Call 1-800-795-3294 to speak to an admissions counselor about your future career!