Death of An Untrained Dog

I woke up one morning with my littermates. I saw Mom lying there, so I went over to get some breakfast. Mom was warm and she licked me all over. She loved us so much...

Things were good back then.

Then I went to live in a home with two kids and their mom and dad. I used to be able to come in the house and play. They even let me sleep in the house. The children would run and I would chase them around. When I was little they would let me jump on them and even playfully bite them. The family would laugh and encourage me to play like that. They gave me lots of toys such as socks, shoes and stuffed animals. I had so much fun...

Those were the days.

As I got bigger, I would accidentally knock the children down. I would try to bite them on the cuff of their pants as they ran. I found toys like the ones my master gave me when I was younger, and I would chew them up. They started getting mad at me all the time. When I jumped up they would knee me down.  One minute they were laughing at me for play biting and chewing and the next minute they would spank me for doing the very same thing...

I was so confused.

Now I spend my days, hour after hour, chained in the back yard. No one comes out to play with me. I am so happy to see them when they come out that I jump and bark with joy. I spend my days digging up the yard around me which makes my masters mad at me. The fleas crawl all over me...

Which drives me crazy.

The more I sit out here the madder I get. I cannot understand why they brought me home just to chain me in the yard. If my masters are unhappy with my behavior...

Why not train me?

Why did they encourage me to jump and bite? Things have not gotten any better for me. Now I sit in jail. People come by my cage looking at me. I bark at them but no one wants me. Oh, no! Here comes a lady with a leash. Where is she taking me? She walks me into a room. Oh, she likes me. It's so good to be hugged again. What's this? She is sticking my leg. Oh, I am so sleepy. What has happened to me? I am asleep now...

NO ONE CAN HURT ME ANYMORE.

Why Train Your Dog?

Obedience training is one of the most important aspects of raising a dog. In fact, a well trained dog is by far a happier dog! Why? Because a trained dog requires fewer restrictions. The more reliable the dog, the more freedom he is given.

For example, many stores and businesses that normally won't allow dogs on their premises will make an exception for a puppy or a dog that will heel nicely by his owner's side, or will do a sit-stay or down-stay without hesitation.

And when company arrives in your home, there's no need to banish a well-behaved dog to another room for fear that he will be a royal nuisance. Moreover, because a well-mannered, obedience-trained dog is both appreciated and welcome, he receives more attention and interaction from family members, visitors, and passers-by, than does the ill-mannered dog.

You As Your Dog's Leader

Training serves to strengthen the bond between a dog and his owner. It builds communication, understanding, and mutual respect, and subtly but effectively demontrates to your dog that you're the leader of the pack (commonly referred to as the "Alpha"). And if your dog doesn't respect you as his leader, you may both be in big trouble, particularly if he's a bit rowdy or dominant by nature.

Training May Save Your Dog's Life

Obedience training also gives the dog owner the voice control necessary to prevent numerous potential tragedies. For instance, should a dog slips out of his collar in the middle of a congested traffic intersection, he can be safely heeled across the street, then given a sit command to facilitate putting his collar back on. Or should someone accidentally leave the front door open, and you spot your dog leaving, he can be safely called back to you using the recall command.

Not only will obedience training help your dog to become more responsive, but because it enables you to have immediate control over your dog's behavior, in an emergency situation obedience training may save your dog's life. In fact, it can ultimately save the lives of many dogs, because far fewer dogs would end up in animal shelters if their owners would simply take the time to train them.

And for those dogs who do need homes, a trained dog is far easier to adopt out to a new home than an untrained one.

Statistics also show that puppies which receive early socialization, obedience, and temperament training (aggression prevention training) are far less likely to end up being destroyed by the time they turn three years of age than those that do not receive this early training.

The Consequences Of An Untrained Dog

Without proper training, many dogs are likely to misbehave. And when owners allow their dogs to misbehave, everyone suffers: The owner, because he or she lives with a dog, the dog, because everyone's down on him for misbehaving; the dog's owner's neighbors, because living next to a difficult dog is no one's idea of fun; and ultimately every dog owner, because each incidence where a dog creates a nuisance increases anti-dog sentiment, and contributes to the likelihood that tough legal restrictions will be placed on all dogs.

Obedience Training Benefits Everyone

A well-behaved, obedience trained dog is a pleasure to own because he can go virtually anywhere without being a risk or nuisance to others. And don't we all want a dog who exhibits appropriate behavior in a crowd, good manners when we have guests in our home, is reliable around children, and who doesn't threaten other dogs or passers-by?

The bottom line is that dog obedience training truly benefits everyone.

Copyright 1995 - 1999,  Robin Kovary