Why Educate a Dog?

1. The call of the wild

There are many reasons why it’s so important for a dog to have an education. Dogs, like people, are not born knowing what to do. Think of some of the things you might do if no one had taught you any manners… perhaps eating with your hands, pushing people out of your way, or interrupting conversations might come to mind. A dog will also develop behaviors on his own if not taught otherwise. One of the things a dog might do would be playbiting and jumping as their way of greeting. Some dogs might challenge anyone who tries to discipline them. Others may be very fearful…a behavior that often results in biting.

When dogs are in the wild, they form a pack. Within this pack, they develop their own “pecking order” which is similar to a totem pole. If there are 6 dogs in the pack, they will each have their own position. One will be the ‘top dog’ or Alpha dog, and the rest will each have their own positions 2-6 on the totem pole. All of the dogs in the pack know exactly where everyone stands. This pecking order is based upon respect, and each position is obtained through a show of dominance or submission.

When training a dog, it is very important to establish a relationship based upon respect. With the help of Best Paw Forward, dogs can learn to respect humans, but not to fear them. We can help dogs to learn what kind of behavior is expected of them by being their leader or Alpha “dog.”

2. Relationships with humans

Another reason it is so important to educate dogs is to enrich the dog / human relationship. Very often, people get a dog expecting “man’s best friend.” Instead, they end up with “man’s worst nightmare!” Instead of relaxing strolls through the park, they find themselves being dragged down the sidewalk! Owners very often find themselves constantly yelling at their dog, keeping them outside or separated when visitors come over, and bribing them with treats to try to get good behavior. This can be very frustrating, and it also creates a circle of failure. The constant yelling, isolation, and confusion can often cause a dog to behave even more poorly. Through
proper education of both the owner and the dog, a much more enjoyable, less frustrating relationship can quickly be developed. With the help of Best Paw Forward, we can help owners and their dogs to have the relationships they originally intended.

3. Behavior Problems

Behavior problems are one of the biggest problem areas for dog owners. Very often, owners think their dog is “untrainable.” They may think that you can’t train an older dog, or that their dog is just stupid. Our two main objectives at Best Paw Forward are:

1. To prevent behavior problems from developing.
2. To teach dogs who already have problems to change their behavior.

4. Accident Prevention

Another of the most important reasons to educate dogs is to prevent accidents. For example, dogs who jump can be very dangerous. They can knock over children, elderly people, and people carrying hot dishes. Biting is a problem that can be dangerous to say the least. By teaching dogs to behave appropriately, the number of accidents and injuries caused by them can be greatly reduced, and even
eliminated!

It is obvious that a lack of dog education can be very dangerous to humans, but what about injuries to the dogs themselves? Well, the dog who jumps might get burned by the hot dishes. Dogs who do not come when called often end up running into the street and being hit by cars. Chewing problems can often have fateful endings when intestinal injuries are incurred from ingesting things such as metal, wood, and splintered bones.

Through education, Best Paw Forward can help owners and dogs to prevent accidents and mishaps from occurring. By using professional methods, and providing factful information, we can help owners and dogs to be involved in considerably less accidents. For example:

Did You Know?…
Anti-freeze tastes like candy to dogs!
All dogs are extremely allergic to chocolate!
A dogs body temperature is considerably higher than that of humans!