It is very important to train dogs. If you do not, it leads to problems in your dog. Dogs that are untrained will do whatever they want. They might do crazy acts and even accidentally kill themselves. So training is not just important for teaching dogs tricks, but for safety reasons too. Dogs that are timid or dogs that have anxiety can benefit from being trained. Training also helps the dog bond with its owner, which is what both you and the dog wants. If your dog needs exercise, training them can help it stay in shape during rainy days. If your dog needs less exercise or is injured, training helps prevent their boredom. Note that a dog does not know right from wrong. You know right from wrong. So, it is your job to teach your dog that. If you train a dog to bite squeaky toys and not you, it will learn that it is okay to bite squeaky toys and wrong to bite your foot. Moreover, know that some behaviors that you might think are wrong are actually quite normal. Chewing and running around is quite normal behavior. If the dog is way too active and if it chews on you too much, then call a specialized trainer, who will be able to help your situation.
So now we know why to train a dog, but how? The rule of thumb is: positive encouragement. Studies show that the dog will learn more and behave better when you give it yummy treats when it behaves. But if you punish the dog, they will be angry because it did not know why it had to be punished. In the end, the dog did not learn anything and neither did you. Since there are probably only a couple of ways a dog should behave and a thousand other ways it could misbehave, it will be easier for a dog to learn what is right instead of wrong. Another useful method is clicker training. By making a clicking sound or ringing a bell or making some recognizable noise when a dog makes some good behavior, the dog will associate good behavior with a clicking sound, and also a treat afterwards. Though, there are still more ways to train a dog. If you have more than one dog, use this strategy. Use the older and more trained dog as a role model for the new dog. Maybe you cannot change the dog’s behavior, but a fellow dog can.
Furthermore, you should think about how you get the dog to learn a useful trick and then utilize it in a certain situation. Let’s say, you want your dog to follow you off-leash in the park so it does not run away. In this case, you would want the dog to learn the “heel” command. You should try doing it in a quiet room with no distractions first before doing it at the park, which has all kinds of birds and squirrels and what not to chase.
How Thoree and Bruno were Trained:
Recently, we have begun to talk about books about dogs and have not gotten back to the original story for a few months. So here is how Thoree and Bruno were trained. Shih Tzus are not the easiest dogs to train. This is mainly because they are hard to potty train. Thoree and Bruno both peed around the house and spent most of their time in a small playpen or locked in the closet during timeout. Another problem was that one dog peeing caused the other one to do the same. Thoree was not as behaved as Bruno and would mark the wall. Bruno would find it and make his mark on top of Thoree’s mark. Thoree would find out and repeat.
But that was only one aspect of their training and there were more tricks they needed to learn like handshake, rollover, heel, sit, stand, and most notably, peeing outside. Though, the main complication was the other dog in the house – Otto. Otto, of course, was well behaved and was potty trained. He was very annoyed with these dogs. Another source of timeout was doing something to Otto. Thoree and Bruno would attack and fight Otto, steal his food, sleep in his bed, and much more. They also racked up all the attention. This made Otto peeved and everything did not go well. And note that all of this was happening at the same time. Imagine how hard it would have been for Otto and for my grandma and my aunt!
In all, training dogs is important. Failure to do so will not be great for your well being or the dog’s. When you train, use positive reinforcement to convince the dog to act orderly and follow through with your tricks. The most necessary part of having a dog is caring for it, feeding it, and of course, training it.
Today is St. Patrick’s Day! Wear green, or get pinched!
