TRAIN YOUR DOG

The partnership between you and your dog is one of nature’s great symbiotic relationships. For at least 30,000 years our species have shared space and resources. We’ve evolved together. Many of the social behaviors of the domestic dog, Canis familiaris, only make sense in the context of living and working in human society. Your dog is wired to work with you. 

Give your dog a job. Your dog’s job may be as basic as walking on a loose leash, coming when called, politely greeting other dogs, or calmly laying down while you’re out in public. It may be as complex as obedience competitions, sports, service or protection work. But you can be sure that your dog is always working on something and always learning. 

Teach your dog. Your dog learns through success: if a behavior delivers, repeat; if not, change tactics. You will show your dog what success looks like through clear communication and consistency. Your dog has their own will, no doubt about it. But your dog will always tell you the truth about what they want. 

Learn your dog’s language. What does calm, confident, eager, ready to learn and explore look like? How about distracted, anxious, fearful, or aggressive? You want your dog to listen to you and to respect you. It’s only fair that you listen to and respect your dog.

Work as a team. Every successful human dog team has a unique relationship. You can’t download a behavior and obedience app to your dog. Training your dog is work that is part science, part art and all love. There are as many methods as there are dogs, but the right way to train your dog is the way that works. There’s no getting around it. There’s just getting after it. Train your dog.