ALSAGER ANIMAL CARE CENTER

TRAINING YOUR DOG

One of the most asked questions we get is about behavior problems with dogs. Some dogs bark excessively, pull their owners down the street for their daily walk, or jump on visitors in their homes. These behaviors can be very annoying to dog owners.

The most important aspect of owning a dog is owning a well behaved dog. Some are easy to train and take little effort on your part, others are a little more strong willed and may require the help of a trainer.

It is important to start training as soon as your new friend arrives in your household. Like children, dogs need rules. These rules make them feel safe and make them more enjoyable to the family. Training your dog does not need to be harsh. Most dogs respond more quickly to positive reinforcement such as treats. When your dog does something good, praise him, they love it. When they do something bad, a simple "no" in a stern voice will be enough to break his heart! Hitting your dog may lead to other problems, such as aggression. They often react to punishment. From a vet's view, it is not any fun looking into a dog's mouth who thinks you are going to hurt him!

Socializing your dog is also very important. When they encounter other dogs and people on a regular basis, they are less likely to lose control in these situations.

There are many training methods, but you as the owner know your pet and know what methods would be best for his personality. There are many good trainers out there who can help you train your dog. Actually, they train you, then you train the dog.

Mike Burkey is one such trainer we have had a great experience with. Several of our employees have attended his classes and have been quite pleased. Even Dawn's man-eating Dozer made it through class! Mike holds classes in the area. For more information on his classes and his training methods you can visit him at www.K9response.com.

With a lot of patience and a lot of love, your dog will be the best behaved dog on the block-or at least he won't chase the neighbor's car down the road!

It takes a lot of training to get results like this!!!!