Dogs don’t wake up one day and decide, “My family seems really unhappy when I jump on people, knock the kids down, chase the cat, bark at the neighbors, and take off running down the street. I’m going to stop doing these things starting today! The people will be happier and I will be calmer and get more affection!” Dogs will not make this decision, so it is up to their owners to change these unwanted behaviors.
Change comes quickly when leadership is established. It’s all about who you are to your dog. You need to be clearly in charge or the dog will take on that role. Every pack must have a leader who provides food, shelter, protection, rules, discipline, and affection. The mother dog provided this leadership to her puppies, and when you take the puppy home you assume that responsibility. Whether you brought home an 8 week old puppy or a 5 year old dog from the local shelter, they need leadership and they need it on a daily basis, forever!
There is no one method that has been established and proven as the definitive and only way to train dogs. It’s our philosophy that we must be flexible in our style so that we can help our clients, on a case by case basis, to achieve their goals. Essential obedience isn’t about standing around with a dozen clients with their dogs on down-stay. Essential obedience is about how you manage your dog when you answer your front door, how you let your dog in from the yard, how your dog behaves when company comes over for dinner, and how to hang out in your front yard without your dog running away. Whether your dog goes on to do performance work like Agility, Hunting, Therapy, Search & Rescue, etc., they should be good at home first!
Our goal is to Educate, Exemplify, and Inspire you to have the very best relationship with the dog you have now and with every dog you will ever have.
|
