I want to jump at you

Picture the scene if you will, walking down the street in your newly laundered and ironed trousers.

Whoosh, dog with muddy paws jumps gleefully up at you leaving his paw prints all over your clothing.

Grrrhhh, how irritating.  To make the situation worse the owner yells bad dog, NO! You think, bad owner, very bad owner.  Whose fault it is really, dog or owner?

Or what about the dog that leaves that ‘calling card’ that you tread in and, unknowingly, take with you into your house.  Yuck! Again, who is the bad beast here, dog or owner?

Simply put, both cases above demonstrate, that, like children, dogs need boundaries and teaching right from wrong by responsible owners.  From humans to animals we all learn behavior from those that teach us.  Our children learn from their parents and dogs from their human parents.  This teaching extends beyond the confines of the home, it should include a variety of scenarios based on your life and surroundings.

A dog is never too old to learn but of course but it is so much better to start a training routine off from the outset of getting a new puppy.  Choosing a suitable trainer that you feel comfortable with should lead you and your dog to a positive experience with regard the learning process for responsible owner and well adjusted and trained dog.

Patience, persistence and kindness pay off big time with dog training and the training should never just be limited to the dog training environment.  When teaching your dog to walk on the leash get him used to it as soon as possible, practicing in the back yard.

Dog behavior trainers often state the dog is the easier of the dog/owner partnership to train.  Owners need to be taught how to handle their pooch.

Using rewards to reinforce good behavior from your dog is a method dog trainers will teach.  Treats don’t have to be food related, a stroke or pat can be a reward as well.

If you are looking for a recommendation for a dog trainer your local veterinarian practice, dog warden or fellow dog walkers are an excellent source of knowledge.  Call the trainer, ask if you can visit one of their classes, observe the class size, observe how the dogs react and last but not least speak to some of the human students how they find the classes.

Training your dog to be a good dog citizen is a very rewarding experience for both of you.