Some new dog owners underestimate the power of training, assuming that training is nothing more than teaching a dog to sit and stay. What they don’t realize until it’s too late is that a dog with no behavioral intervention can find itself in dangerous situations. Read on to discover why a trained dog is a safe dog.
Coming When Called—No Matter What
Recall is one of the most important skills a dog can have. As long as they’re within hearing range, a dog with strong recall will come when called. You can use a specific command, like come or heel, a cue like two short whistles, or a clicker. Alternatively, you can teach your dog to come to you when you call out their name.
Why is recall important even if you’re not aiming to achieve off-leash walking? Imagine that someone opens your front door, and your dog gets out unexpectedly. Recall ensures that she’ll turn around and come back rather than running into the street or taking off before you can catch up.
Dropping Deadly Objects
When you’re working on basic commands, make sure to incorporate leave it and drop it into your routine. The first tells your dog to back off of an object she’s approaching or showing interest in. The second tells your dog to let go of whatever she’s already holding in her mouth.
Dogs use both taste and smell to learn more about new things, from your child’s Halloween candy to the chemical fertilizer in your neighbor’s yard. These commands are great for safer play, but they can also save your dog from ingesting something toxic or even deadly.
Staying Calm Around Other Dogs
There’s one mistake we see over and over, and that’s the assumption that just because your dog likes other dogs, she doesn’t need to be trained to stay calm around other dogs. Sure, she’s barking and rushing toward that dog she doesn’t know because she’s excited to become acquainted, but that doesn’t mean the interaction will go smoothly.
Proper socialization isn’t just about making canine friends in the neighborhood. It’s primarily about becoming desensitized to other dogs and staying neutral until more information can be gathered. This can protect your dog from engaging with reactive or aggressive dogs (and potentially getting hurt in the process).
Feeling Confident in New Environments
Speaking of reactive or aggressive dogs, what causes these types of unwanted behavior? The dog that is baring her teeth and growling is almost always doing so because she feels threatened or scared. On the contrary, a dog that feels self-assured in any environment or situation isn’t going to hurt other people or provoke an attack, making everyone a lot safer.
Rigorous training can increase your pup’s confidence by proving to her that she’s not only a good decision-maker, but that good decisions result in great rewards. Sign up for ADU training because a trained dog isn’t just a good dog—a trained dog is a safe dog!