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Blog Entry 14 of 26 Ask the Dog Guy

The Dog Guy (me) answers questions about dog behavior/misbehavior.

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How Much Training- I'm confused

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Contributed by: Dave Pearson on 5/14/2008

Dear Dog Guy

I'm confused. I have a new puppy and I want him to be nice and do what I ask him to do. But the variety and quantity of trainers out there are overwhelming. Where do I start?

Confused in Conifer

Dear Confused,

You are asking the absolute right question. You first need to think about what you wish him (I assume it is a him as you referred to "him") to do and how he you wish him to behave.

Some people want their pooches to "walk the line." By that I mean, they are strict and wish their pet pooch to mind their every whim. Others could care less and take a laisse-faire approach, letting their dog be a dog. I'm guessing somewhere in the middle is where most folks want to be.

If you are not showing your pooch or competing at flyball and/or obstacle courses, you most likely want your pooch to not annoy people, come when he's called, do his daily business outside someplace and generally be a good buddy.

There are many many people who profess to understand dogs better than us common folk (I suppose I might be one of them) but my view is that the dog's owner is the best person to try and train his/her pooch. (After all, most policemen/women etc train their own dogs).

Probably the most important thing is socialization. It is vital that your pooch become accustomed to other people, dogs and situations. Behind that are the basic commands of sit, stay, down, come, etc.

The big box stores have low cost (and pretty good) basic group training. Like everything in life, you get what you pay for but generally they are pretty good. It all depends on the instructor. This will help your pooch become socialized by being around other dogs and people. You should take every opportunity to take your puppy with you when you go places so he is not "surprised" by strange smells, sounds (like autos) and the like.

But the absolute most important thing is for you to decide just how "trained" you want your dog. I recently agreed to feed a couple of pooches while their owners were away at a conference. I noticed that they did their "business" wherever the mood struck them (in the yard, of course). I mentioned to the owners that they could be trained to go in one place, thereby making clean up easier and quicker. The owners didn't seem to mind their bathroom habits, so it was not an issue. They were just fine allowing their dogs (both black Lab mixes) to go wherever they wished. Other owner's would/could have a different view.

You need to decide.

The Dog Guy...

< Previous: 'On-Line Training' | Next: 'Grapes of Wrath!' >

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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Dave Pearson

Arvada , CO

Dave Pearson has posted 26 blog entries and 0 comments since joining on 1/7/2008. Dave Pearson 's average blog rating is 5.

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