Why Should I Train My Dog Anyway?

Why Should I Train My Dog Anyway?
By Gisela Eggleston

Good question. I guess most dog owners never think of training their dogs … or why it’s so important. After all, you don’t own vicious pit bulls and you find it highly unlikely your St. Bernard, Cujo, will be bitten by a rabid bat, go insane, and attack you and your child anytime soon. In fact, your dog simply lays around the house sleeping lazily for 10-12 hours or so. Every once in a while, he might muster up the energy to get up and drink some water or eat or something. And the bottom line is … your dog LOOKS happy and even ACTS happy, so why SHOULD you train your dog?

The truth is this …

#1 Dogs are ANIMALS – Sure, your poodle Fifi may not be a wild untamed killer canine … but that doesn’t mean she isn’t capable of aggressive behavior. Fifi may look sweet and innocent in her little red pullover sweater and have a cute little excited bark she reserves only for you when you come home from work … but she is STILL AN ANIMAL. All to often, I hear dog owners talk about how SHOCKED they were when their lovable laid-back pooch attacked and bit their neighbor’s six-year old child. And they actually seem SURPRISED that Fifi would do such an awful thing …

Newsflash. Your dog is an ANIMAL. They act differently than humans, and always will. Today, most dog owners treat their dog like one of their kids. They love them dearly, take pride in them, and even spoil them rotten at times. I completely understand this too … dogs ARE treasured members of the family and are probably one of the most lovable little creatures on the planet. But they are still animals folks.

A friend of mine has a two year old son who he took over to his parents house to visit. The grandparents have a small schnauzer who they cherish, but today they were playing with their grandson and didn’t have time for their pup. Eventually, the child crawled off into the other room while my friend was talking with his folks. The child laid down in the dog’s bed. Well, this sweet, docile little dog saw the child climb into his bed … and quickly proceeded to attack and bite the child in the face repeatedly until my friend pulled the pooch away. But the damage was already done.

The child was taken to the hospital and the grandparents were apologizing profusely … SHOCKED at their dog’s behavior. Unbelievable. I know those grandparents may have thought of their dog as one of their children, but I’m sure the reality of this situation helped them to change their way of thinking … to say the least.

#2 Dogs NEED instruction – Believe me, I know your dog may even act exactly like children … a little lazy and unmotivated at times, naive but curious, and even causing a little mischief (when they think they can get away with it of course 😉 But you still have to teach your kids, right? “NO”, “put that down”, “be home by 11:00”, “do your chores”, “clean your room”, “just say no to drugs”, “stop kicking your sister in the head” …

Why do you teach your children these things and set a few rules for them? First, you want them to grow up and become responsible adults. Second, because your child needs to learn boundaries and the difference between right and wrong. And most importantly because you don’t want to be down at the jailhouse at 3:00 AM posting bail for your son or daughter …

In this case, your dog is NO different. Leave your dog to his own devices and he will act a lot like a child. Innocent when you are around, but raising cain when you’re gone. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard folks talk about how quiet and unassuming their dogs are when they are at home. But when they leave, they come home to find the garbage can overturned, their running shoes chewed up, and fresh new bite marks on the cat.

Listen … I’m sure you’re not going to find your dog sitting around lazily playing PS2 video games in the living room with his friends like your teenager might be. And Fifi may not be interested doing drugs, engaging in petty vandalism around town, or throwing wild keg parties like kids do … but make no mistake, your dog does need a little training and a few boundaries around the house.

Like kids, they have no training or experience to draw upon. Your dog learns the same way your child does … they do what they want, whenever they want, until someone tells them to stop. It’s that simple.

But here’s the best part …

#3 Dogs WANT to learn – So, your child may hate school. Hey, YOU hated school too as I recall 😉 But your dog is DIFFERENT. Dogs love to please and more importantly, they want to communicate with you. And that takes a little dog training. I know you probably think your dog will be reluctant to learn or get frustrated when they don’t understand something … kinda like you were in Advanced Algebra class, right? Truth is, your dog WANTS to learn. He knows when you are training him that you are spending all this extra time with him for a REASON. He loves the attention of course and desperately wants to please you … so if he has any reluctance to begin with, it will soon fade and your dog will actually look FORWARD to his training in the future! Sounds crazy, but it’s true 🙂

So, try and spend some time training your dog. Not because you are afraid he will unexpectedly attack passerbys in the neighborhood … but because you truly want a better relationship with your dog. Spend time teaching your dog … and he will love you for it. I know it may require a little effort on your part, but I guarantee you … it’s worth it!

Until next time, Happy Dog Training!

Gisela Eggleston

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