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Dog training -training for proper dog behavior
By Barry Gilbert
There are many reasons for teaching proper dog behavior,
and teaching such behavior has many benefits for both the
human and canine partners. Dog behavior training is
vital to such life and death issues as preventing
aggression, controlling dog on dog aggression problems
and teaching dogs to interact properly with both their
handlers and with other members of the family.
Understanding how dogs evolved, and how dogs interact
with each other, is very important to understanding how
to properly train your dog to be a devoted, loyal
companion.
The original dogs were probably orphaned wolf pups
adopted by early humans. These wild dogs probably
learned to perform behaviors that their human protectors
valued, such as guarding the cave or scaring off
predators. In exchange for these valued behaviors, the
humans probably provided their new companions with foods,
protection and shelter.
That kind of relationship still exists today, of course,
and dogs still can, and do, perform valuable jobs for
their human benefactors. Those jobs include herding and
guarding livestock, guarding property, guarding people,
and finding game.
When planning a dog training program, it is important to
know that dogs are pack animals. In wild dog societies,
packs are formed, and each member of the pack quickly
learns his or her place in the pecking order. Except in
the event of death or injury to the alpha dog, the
hierarchy never changes once it has been established.
The lower dogs know not to challenge the alpha dog, and
the alpha dog understand his place as leader of the pack.
All the other dogs in the pack look to the alpha dog for
leadership, in important survival issues like finding
food and avoiding larger predators. In order to properly
train your dog and gain its respect, it is important for
you to become the alpha dog.
That is because a dog that sees its owner as a superior
leader will follow the commands the owner gives without
question. Getting the respect of the dog is the most
important step to proper dog training, and it will form
the basis of all subsequent training.
The reasons for training a dog properly are many,
especially in today's world. A well mannered, obedient
dog is a joy to be around, both for the owner and his or
her family, and for people in the community at large. In
addition, seeing a well mannered dog sets people's mind
at ease, especially with breeds of dog thought to be
dangerous, such as Dobermans, rottweilers and pit bulls.
When training dogs and dealing with unwanted dog
behaviors, it is important to understand the motivating
factors behind those behaviors. For example, many dogs
exhibit unwanted behaviors such as chewing and destroying
furniture due to separation anxiety. Dealing with the
sources of problem behaviors is an important first step
toward eliminating those problem behaviors.
Many dogs exhibit unwanted behaviors as a result of
stress in the animal's life, and its inability to cope
with that stress. The goal of a good dog training
program is to allow the dog to tolerate greater levels of
stress without becoming a problem animal.
When dealing with dog behavior, it is important not to
confuse human behavior with dog behavior. While there is
a great temptation on the part of dog owners to see their
dogs as almost human, in reality dogs and humans have
very different motivations, and very different reactions
to similar situations.
One trait that humans and dogs do share, however, is the
need to form close social groups and strong bonds within
those social groups. This bonding is important to both
humans and dogs, but it has served vastly different ends
as both species have evolved and changed over time.
About the Author
Barry Gilbert
Our Dog Obedience Training Secrets TRANSFORM Your
Dog's Behavior Problems! "And puts an End to the
Stress and Annoyance of Your Dog's Behavior!
http://www.auctionbusinesssite.com/dogs/
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