What Makes a Dog “Perfect”?
For all of us who are dog enthusiasts, of course there is no such thing as a dog who isn’t perfect! But when it comes to dog training, what may be one dog owner’s expectations, could look completely different from another dog owner’s behavior and training goals. So how do we set a standard for what should be expected for the average dog living with a family? Or do we just expect our dogs to be the way they are without any ability to improve or change their behaviors and training skills?
How Socialized Should my Dog be?
I am a dog trainer who specializes in problems behavior solving. I literally see the most severe cases of antisocial behaviors in dogs imaginable. After many years at this I have come to the conclusion that you cannot over-socialize a dog or puppy…period! There is no such thing as a dog having a” healthy fear of something” or “just doesn’t like (blank)”. These issues are simply the result of not enough or improper socialization during their early stages of development. Because of this potential problem that can lead to a myriad of dog behavior problems and discontentment for your dog , you really want to get your dog out there and allow them the opportunity to calmly and happily interact with people, places, things, as early and as often as possible. This will help acclimate their developing puppy brain to these items as being normal in everyday life. So as adult dogs they can maintain a relaxed and comfortable association towards anything everyday life can present.
How Trained Should my Dog Be?
As far as training your dog I like to divide it into priorities into 2 categories: 1) Necessity Dog Training & 2) Elective Dog Training Necessity dog training is a combination of the basic skills Every dog needs for safety and convenience. Examples of necessity training would be: addressing problem behaviors, teaching them not to pull on the leash, coming when called, etc.) Elective dog training would be things that are either specific to your lifestyle or simply fun training exercises you want to do with your dog! Examples of elective dog training would be: (agility / flyball training, teaching your dog to fetch, service dog work, tricks,etc.) Most dogs are quite intelligent and you would be amazed at what you could teach your dog. Give it a try! All it takes is some consistency and a little patience…