5 Paw-some Reasons to Start Training your Pup
January is National Train Your Dog Month and there's no better way to celebrate and strengthen the bond between you and your 4-legged fur-iend than through training! Whether you’ve recently adopted or are simply wanting to kick the year off by working on your dog’s manners Wags & Walks and its network of dog trainers are here to help.
Why is training so important?
Training helps build a positive, lasting relationship between you and your beloved pup. When you can better understand your dog’s body language you can be the best possible advocate for them in all situations – fun and scary! Solid trust and respect are crucial for healthy, well-balanced relationships between us and our pets.
It is essential for teaching your dog how to be a polite member of the family and socialize with others. Training a dog, no matter their age or history, will help set them up for success! Whether they bark more than you’d like, are destructive or behaving in an unacceptable manner, training can teach both puppies and adult dogs right from wrong. Remember to stay pawsitive - successful training doesn't happen overnight!
Training can help keep you, your pup and others safe. Teaching your dog to come when called or stay put when told could not only save their life, but avoid unwanted, often dangerous tendencies like jumping on guests, running out of the car front door, destroying furniture, eating things off the floor and so much more. Training is one simple way we can do our part to decrease the number of pets entering the overflowing shelter system as a result of these often avoidable behaviors.
It can build your pet’s confidence in public places, around other pets and people! Insecure, scared pups often come off as “defensive” or “aggressive” through barking, lunging and in some cases, nipping. Building confidence can prevent avoidable fear responses that are unfortunately often misinterpreted by us humans!
Training provides great mental stimulation. Like us, our dogs can become bored or depressed without enough mental and physical stimulation and end up turning to unwanted, destructive behaviors to entertain themselves. Training helps your dog remain or become a more balanced, happy and healthy dog. Plus, training can be loads of fun for the whole family!
Looking to build a solid training foundation and better socialize your furry friend?
Join us for an upcoming Adult Social Training session with Pack Potential! You can expect to learn training fundamentals, practice confidence building exercises, skills for addressing reactivity or over-excitement and strategies for socialization, communicating with and advocating for your dog and so much more!
Have a specific behavior you want to work through with your pup?
Be sure to reach out to our trusted network of trainers and behaviorists below. Please inquire directly for services and pricing.