Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Is A Professional Dog Obedience Training Necessary?

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Obedience training for your dog is an important part of responsible pet ownership.

While common puppy behavior problems and housebreaking are discussed in many books and publications, here we’ll discuss your options for basic obedience training and whether you want train your dog yourself or hire a trainer.

Training can begin as early as three to four months if yon train the dog yourself. Most trainers believe puppies aren’t mentally or socially developed enough to benefit from group obedience class until they are six months old.

Any sincerely interested dog owner can train his or her own dog, provided your dog hasn’t already acquired a lot of bad habits.
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You and your dog may want to attend a couple of lessons at a good training club. You may also want to arm yourself with a good dog training book.

Wait until your dog is six months old before taking him to a group obedience class, which is a popular option for many dog owners. Obedience groups not only provide an excellent
source of training, but also helps socialize your pet with other dogs.

When you first visit an obedience training class, make sure the instructors treat their pupils kindly – no punishment or yelling should be taking place or be permitted by those in charge. Your local parks department or school district may sponsor an obedience group.

If you’re having trouble finding one, ask your veterinarian.

Professional training is a good option for some larger breeds or for dogs that have acquired bad habits. If you are looking for a professional obedience trainer, find one who favors working with your dog in your own home.

No matter how appealing it may seem to send a problem dog away to be trained, the reality is that this often is a waste of time and money.

The dog may behave perfectly with the trainer and then ignore you once it arrives home. A professional obedience trainer will
equip you with the knowledge and confidence you need to train your dog.

The best way to find a good professional trainer is through a veterinarian or breeder’s recommendation.

Also, if you have any family or friends that can refer you to a reputable trainer then this would be the most ideal option. Arrange for an exploratory meeting with the potential trainer, you, and your dog.

Then, make your decision.

Training takes time and patience and a capable trainer will stress this fact. Length of training depends not only on your dog’s intelligence, temperament, and age, but also on how many bad habits he has acquired.

Obedience training requires you to take the lead, both as teacher and enforcer. After your dog has been trained you must not let him drift back into bad behavior patterns.

Choosing A Mixed-Bred Dog

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Any dog with two or more ancestors of different breeds is called a mixed-breed. There are probably as many mixed-breed dogs in this country as there are purebreds, largely the result of failure to alter or contain pets properly. However, it is important to realize, of course, that each of today’s purebred dogs began as a calculated experiment in selective breeding by a fancier with a definite purpose in mind, to engineer a new breed to suit a specific need.

Mixed-breed dogs are normally no better or worse than purebred dogs with regard to temperament and physiology. Keep in mind that a mixed-breed dog is simply the product of purebred animals. There is no process occurring that would make mixed-breed dogs far better or far worse than purebreds. Some people insist that mixed breeds are hardier than purebreds because they come from a larger gene pool, but this is not generally true. If today’s mixed breeds were farther removed from their purebred ancestors – say, ten or twenty generations – there might be validity to that claim. But this is not the case. The vast majority of mixed breeds had a purebred parent or grandparent and will therefore approximate their physiology and temperament, albeit with some minor and often interesting variations.

Mixed-breed dogs are always available, unlike purebreds, which often require a search and then a waiting period. Shelters in this country are filled with mixed breeds of all ages, as a result of the irresponsibility of owners. They are also very affordable, usually costing only the price of altering, licensing, and vaccinations. Purebred dogs on the other hand can cost anywhere from three hundred dollars for a pet-quality puppy of a popular breed to well over a thousand dollars for a large or rare show-quality dog. In addition, if you get a mixed breed through a shelter, you will most likely be provided with some educational material, and you may also be given an opportunity to enroll in an obedience class.

There are drawbacks to acquiring a mixed breed dog, however. It is hard to predict the size that a mixed breed pup will attain when fully grown. In a year you could end up with a two-hundred-pound pet. Even more important, you will usually know little or nothing about the dog’s history or breeding. Was the dog abused? Hit by a car? What were his parent and litter-mates like?

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