Cuddly Critters

Dog Training

Learn to Work Together

By Jackie Byers

We have long understood that dogs descend from wolves. According to fossil evidence, man and wolf/dog got together 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. Through centuries of acclimation, supervised breeding, and fewer DNA exchanges with wolves, the modern dogs emerged, eager and able to become man’s best friend.

Today, hundreds of dog breeds and designer dogs serve human needs in many ways. Their keen senses of smell (50 times better than ours) and hearing (more than twice as good as ours) make them able to render all sorts of services. They also have a wider field of vision than humans and, thus, more peripheral awareness. Now fully domesticated, dogs can be trained for multiple roles in humans’ lives.

Dogs’ services to humans are as varied as the breeds: pets, herders, hunters, K-9 corps for army and law enforcement, and service dogs, invaluable to humans who face life challenges. Dogs are quite adaptable, but certain breeds do generally excel at certain tasks. Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, and poodles are known for learning easily. The Labrador perennially wins the American Kennel Club’s popularity contest.

No matter what life lies ahead for a dog, training begins with trust between master and dog. Kindness and rewards are the keys. Whether puppy or mature, dogs will respond to the right stimuli.

Training can begin immediately with a puppy or a mature dog. It requires a small bit of a treat, as well as lots of praise and petting. The first three commands are come, sit, and stay. Always use one-word commands.

Give a command only once. Offer the treat; then turn to petting and praise. Eventually, you can eliminate the treat, but never stop offering petting and praise.

Once a dog has mastered the three basic commands, it can be trained for different purposes, each of which has a different time frame. Puppies’ training may last a year. Hunting dogs usually board for weeks and field train longer. Service dogs may take six months or more to learn their particular skills. They are specially trained to meet their future master’s challenges. The dog is trained before it meets the master.

If the dog is to be a family pet, the choice should be made carefully. The American Kennel Club has a helpful website. It provides profiles of many breeds, including details like size, weight, life expectancy, common personalities, and strengths. Meeting potential pets in person will let you see how they might fit in with your family.

No matter where you get your dog, you will need to find a veterinarian. Dogs need examinations, shots, tags, and food recommendations. You need trustworthy answers to your questions about your dog’s health and training. General equipment includes a food and water dish, collar, leash, some chew toys, and a carrier, which can double as sleeping quarters. Look into pet insurance—dogs’ medical needs can be expensive.

Because you want a solid foundation for your life with your pet, training is best done in short stages, several times daily. Train throughout the house and involve all family members in the process. If your pet forgets, simply begin again. Remember how many times you had to tell your child to wash hands or say thank you? Puppies learn like children.

Mature pets can be trained following the same system. If you need help with training, your vet is always a reliable source. Help is also available at animal shelters or rescues.

Hunting dogs are also companions and require a more intense commitment, beginning with the same basic commands. Building trust between the dog and owner is vital. For hunting dogs, the owner also requires training. Initially, hunting dogs may be boarded for several weeks before field conditioning with the owner. If you expect the dog to hunt with you, you are a key part of the training.

Your vet can guide your search for a trainer or boarding kennel. Many trainers for hire are online. Choose carefully, after in-person interviews and a tour of each facility.

One of the most rapidly growing ways that dogs impact human lives is as service dogs. Service dogs help people with a wide variety of physical and emotional challenges, including visual impairment, Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, autism, diabetes, and more.

Training of service dogs is not done by the future owners. It takes six months after the individual in need applies. The individual’s particular challenges determine the training the dog receives. Certification happens at state and federal levels. Certified service dogs wear identifying vests and accompany their owners everywhere, giving owners a more normal life.

No matter what a dog is trained to do, dog training is well worth the effort!

Sources for this article included: akc.org, nehumanesociety. org, k94life.org, and workingservicedogs.com.