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How To Decide
On A Dog Training Program
There are a number of different dog training programs available today.
Essentially there are dog training programs available for just about any
activity or action an owner may wish to train his dog to perform. Dogs can be
trained in basic obedience, for hunting, for protection, for participation in
the show ring or even for participation in dog sports such as flyball, agility,
disk dogs or dog docks. Dogs can also be trained to correct specific behaviors
such as aggressiveness, timidity, or any other action which is deemed
inappropriate by the owner. With so many different dog training program options
available, it can be difficult for a dog owner to determine which type of
program is best suited for his particular dog. Even after he narrows his search
down to the type of program he is looking for, selecting one of the many
programs in this category can be even more difficult. This article will offer
some tips for selecting a training program and ensuring your dog succeeds in
this program.
The first step in selecting a dog training program is to determine your needs
for training your dog. This is a very important step because it will help you to
narrow down your search for training programs to those programs that specialize
in the type of training you require. In considering your training needs you may
decide you have an ultimate goal of participating with your dog in competitive
obedience but you may be starting out with a puppy or young dog that is
completely untrained. In this case it may seem to be worthwhile to start out
with a basic obedience class and then progress to a training facility which
specializes in training dogs for obedience competitions. However, this can
actually be harmful to the owner’s ultimate training goals. In this case it is
recommended for the owner to enroll the dog in basic obedience classes at a
facility which trains dogs for competitive obedience from the start because it
will help to ensure the dog is learning the commands with hand and verbal
signals which are considered appropriate in the competitive show ring. This is
critical because obedience trainers who do not specialize in training for the
obedience ring may teach signals which conflict with the signals typically used
in the show ring.
However, training for the obedience ring is somewhat of an exception. In most
cases, regardless of the ultimate training goal, basic obedience is typically a
good stepping stone for training any other behaviors because it teaches the dog
to focus on the owner and to obey simple commands. I compete with my dogs in the
fast paced sport of flyball. While from the outside flyball may seem like a
chaotic sport with dogs sprinting over a serious of jumps to retrieve a tennis
ball from a spring loaded box before dashing back over the jumps to return to
the handler, there is actually a degree of obedience necessary in training a
successful flyball dog. This is because the dog must learn to follow the pattern
of the course without chasing after loose balls on the course, running after
other dogs that are competing nearby and must return to the owner after
completing the course instead of simply repeating the course over and over
again. For most dogs this type of behavior goes against their natural instinct.
This is especially true when you consider the breeds of dogs which are most
prevalent in flyball. The Border Collie and the Jack Russell Terrier are two of
the most popular breeds competing in this sport and both must overcome their
natural instincts to excel in the sport. Border Collies for example are taught
to ignore their strong herding instinct while Jack Russell Terriers must ignore
their prey drive to focus on the game. This would be very difficult for the dogs
if they did not have a solid base in obedience training which helps them to obey
their owner instead of following their instincts.
Once a dog is trained in basic obedience, it is recommended for the owner to
select a training program which is specifically geared to train a dog for the
desired behavior such as protection, hunting or any other activity. These
specialized training programs are often most effective because they are filled
with instructors who understand the need and training goals of the owner and who
have had a great deal of success training dogs to perform these activities in
the past. If you wanted to compete in agility with your dog, a specific training
facility for agility is recommended over a facility specializing in training
dogs to hunt which also offers a few agility classes. While the dog may learn
the basics of the sport at either facility the agility facility is much more
likely to produce the results desired by the owner and to train the dog to excel
in the sport.
Once a dog owner decides on a specific type of dog training program such as
obedience, hunting or agility, it is also recommended to select a facility which
is well qualified to train dogs in the specific skills necessary to excel in the
desired field. As previously mentioned this can be accomplished by selecting a
program which has the specific purpose of training dogs in these skills but it
is also worthwhile to investigate the previous training experience of the
program. A training facility may be dedicated to teaching dogs the sport of
flyball but may also be a relatively new facility which has not had a great deal
of experience. This particular facility may not be as worthwhile as a well
established facility which can demonstrate a number of past success stories
which indicate the effectiveness of the training program.
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