FOR PUPPIES
Develop Bite Inhibition
In puppy class, pups indulge in normal puppy play and practice
bite control and precision on one another. By nature, dogs
have amazing precision and control over their very strong
jaws. Its impossible to control everything in the world,
though, or to predict it. Sometime, something may happen that
so upsets your dog that hes pushed beyond his control
and snaps at someone. This is the equivalent of having an
argument with a family member; humans verbally snap
all of the time. With good bite inhibition training from puppy
hood, hell have been conditioned never to put his jaws
on people or to bite down, so if hes pushed beyond his
limits, hell just snap the air or, at worst, touch skin
without breaking it. Now thats a safe dog!
Become Well Socialized
You must give your dog the chance to learn
to love all kinds of people and to handle all kinds of experiences.
Like a person, if a puppy grows up meeting lots of people,
going to lots of different places and always having fun on
these occasions, s/hell grow into an adult dog that
loves to meet people and visit places. If a puppy is shielded
from new experiences and people, though, s/hell grow
up to be timid and possibly frightened of new things. Obedience
class is a great place to expose your dog to new people, new
sounds and sights and noises.
Its up to you to provide all kinds of new friends and
experiences for your dog. Start with Obedience classes, and
be sure to invite at least 5 new people to your house each
week. Your socialization training will help your dog feel comfortable and happy around all kinds of people and situations.
Your dog will become a true party animal.
FOR PUPPIES AND ADULT DOGS
Build Communication Skills
A good obedience class based on positive
reinforcement will help you teach you how to communicate effectively with your dog in an animal-and-people-friendly way. Teaching basic manners (Sit, Stay, Down, Roll over, Come, etc.) will help keep your dog safe, and will greatly increase the pleasure of interactions with one another and with other people.
A dog that leaps into a sit at your request cant
get into much trouble, now can s/he?
To locate a certified pet dog trainer in your area, contact the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) at 1-800-PET-DOGS or log onto www.apdt.com.
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