Choose The Type Of Dog Training That Fits Your Pet

Whether they are trained at home or in professional obedience training classes, all dogs need training. But not all dogs need the same training. The obedience training needs of dogs differ by breed, individual temperament, home life, and early experiences. In addition, the characteristics of the owners affect the type of dog training that will be most effective.

As anyone who has spent time with dogs of varying breeds knows, the differences between breeds are enormous. Welsh corgis, for example, can be demanding and bossy. Labrador retrievers mature slowly and can be overwhelmingly affectionate in their desire to please. Poodles are very smart and are known to enjoy playing tricks on their owners and other dogs. Portuguese water dogs and many other breeds require a great deal of exercise. Given this small sampling, it becomes easy to see why different breeds required different approaches to obedience training.

Even dogs of the same breed can be very different, with wide-ranging temperaments. Some breeders have observed that while a litter from one set of parents may be happy and confident, another litter of the same breed from different parents may be shy and fearful. Training that works for a confident dog may not work well for a frightened animal.

The early experiences of dogs can affect how they respond to obedience training classes. Even dogs that are adopted as puppies right from their mothers have experiences their owners don't know about. Birth order and the pecking order of the litter affect puppies' early lives. When it comes to rescue dogs, especially strays and abandoned dogs, they may have had a whole range of experiences, both good and bad, before they reach their final homes. All this impacts how the dogs respond to obedience training.

The needs of pet owners vary as much as their pets in terms of training. Some owners devote considerable time to puppy training, while others don't. Some owners are able to discipline their animals, while others cannot. Dog training classes must take these differences into account. The old saying, "There are no bad dogs, just bad owners," may not be far from the truth.

There are many different schools of thought about dog training. Quality obedience training classes adapt training to the needs of the dogs and the owners. Rather than seeking out dog training classes that specialize in a particular type of training, owners will be better served by trainers who have experience with a variety of approaches. Such trainers will be able to use the approaches that work best with the individual animals.

Dog training is a big industry. Every urban area has many options for obedience classes. From Sarasota, Florida to Bellingham, Washington, dog owners can select from a variety of obedience training classes. Owners need to remember that dog training is not one-size-fits-all. Often the best dog training classes are the ones taught by trainers who know a wide array of methods and can use the ones that work best with the dog at hand.