Why train?

• To teach your dog to be a good canine citizen for the pleasure of your family, neighborhood and community.
• To deepen the bond between you and your dog, and to increase the enjoyment, companionship and satisfaction of your relationship with your dog.
• To keep your dog safe and happy.
• A well-trained dog is a happy dog, and the time taken to train your dog is small considering that the manners will teach him will last the rest of his life. Your reward will be a special companion to share your life with.

What is training?

Training a dog is teaching it to do a job for you. Dogs, by nature, are pack animals with a well-defined social order. When you train your dog, you take the role of pack leader. It is not cruel to train a dog. It is cruel to leave a dog not knowing what he or she should or shouldn't do. Your dog needs to know the rules of the house in order to become part of your family circle and to bond with you. Every breed was developed to do a specific job for people. In our current world the main job for most dogs is to be a good companion. While they may have other jobs such as watching your house or going jogging with you, they are friends first and workers second. All dogs have to be taught to do their jobs. Herding dogs are bred to want to chase animals but must be taught to gather and drive; terriers are bred to chase and kill small animals but have to learn what to hunt and what to leave alone; a retriever must learn to ignore rabbits and to give a fallen bird to a person instead of eating it. Companion or service dogs have to be taught how to do their jobs too. Most dogs were bred to like people but they have to learn to be a good family member and a well-behaved member of the community. No dog knows how to behave without training any more than people do.

When should training start?

Start training early. Start training as soon as you get your dog. Gentle training will help your new companion feel welcome and secure and let him know what the rules are so he won't get in trouble. The old saying, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is not true. It is never too late, but it may take longer with an older dog because you may have to spend some time correcting habits he learned before you got him.

Obedience Training

It is a fact that 96% of all dogs relinquished to Animal Services Division have never had a day of obedience training. The owners apparently are unhappy with the way the dogs act-but never trained the dog to be a good citizen. Obedience training involves learning the basic exercises sit, stand, down, walk on leash, come and stay. These exercises are the foundation of all training for any dog/handler activities. A companion dog has good home manners. This means that the dog must be house-trained and learn not to steal food from the table or chew his owner's clothing. He must be taught not to jump on people, and learn what he may do to keep busy instead of destructive chewing or digging. A companion dog must be a good neighbor. He should be quiet unless there is a reason for barking, he should remain at home, out of the street and neighbor's yards. He will walk on a leash without pulling you so that you can enjoy going out with him, will sit and stay when you want him to and will come when you call him. In obedience class you can learn how to teach your dog these basics. Your dog will have the chance to learn how to be polite around other people and other dogs. It's a wonderful chance for you and your dog to enjoy each other. A number of schools, clubs and private trainers offer a variety of classes at different levels of training, instructed by trainers who love dogs and training. Most of these have experience with training all breeds, and can help solve behavior problems. Many classes allow you to observe before signing up.

• Puppy Class
  This is a basic course for the 3-5 month old puppy. Emphasis on socialization with people and other puppies, and introduction to obedience work with exercises geared to the younger dog.
• Basic Novice Class
  A course for dogs 5-6 months and older. Emphasis is on basic training needed to make the dog a good companion: walk on a loose leash, sit, down, stay in position and come when called.
• Advanced Obedience Class
  A class for perfecting obedience exercises to prepare you to enter obedience trials.
• Canine Good Citizen Class
  Offered by some trainers, your dog will need to know all the exercises taught in a basic training class to pass the Canine Good Citizen Test (CGC). This test is for all dogs and is offered by AKC clubs and other dog organizations within the city. This test of your dog's manners and training is not a competition, and does not require you and your dog to perform with precision. All dogs passing the (CGC) are awarded a certificate from the AKC stating they are a "Canine Good Citizen."
• Other Classes
  Other specialized classes such as tracking, Therapy Dog Certification, agility and others may be offered and are all great areas to get involved in.

This article was written by Catherine Waters, a volunteer for Animal Services Division. For calendar information about Canine Good Citizen Testing, call the Rio Grande Kennel Club at (505) 888-4447.