Commitment key
to training dog

As Dr. Acosta pointed out, "a dog is only as good as its owner."

And, that's the whole theme of my favorite dog training book, "Good Owners, Great Dogs" by Brian Kilcommons. It takes a good owner in order to have a great dog.

Brian's book, and the companion videotape of the same name, teaches you to be a "Good Owner" by starting you out with the basics of dog social structure, and teaching you how your dog thinks, how he sees you, and how you must position yourself if you plan to be the leader of the pack, the alpha dog, the top of the pecking order.

Once you understand how to establish yourself as the leader, all the dog has to do is follow instructions. And that's naturally what he wants to do. After all, it's easier to follow in-structions than to be the head man and have to do all the planning and thinking for the whole group.

And, don't misunderstand, showing the dog "who's boss" isn't about being macho or a control freak. It's just about establishing yourself as the leader. You don't want the dog to be the leader, do you?

Once everyone's position in the hierarchy is understood, the next step is the actual training. While it may be easier to train a young puppy, Brian's same methods can be used on a mature dog. He takes you step by step through the basics: sit, down, stay, walking on a loose lead, etc.

After that, it's just a matter of repetition and reinforcement. As Dr. Acosta says, ". . . dogs thoroughly enjoy the time spent with their owner for obedience training because, if it done correctly, it is a fun-filled time in which the dog receives rewards and a lot of attention."

Like any skill, training is strongest when it's practiced regularly.

Let's take a look at the practical side of good training by examining a common practice among dog owners: a daily walk. Which would be more fun: being dragged down the sidewalk at the dog's pace with him choking against the collar, or walking at your pace with a comfortably-breathing dog at your side on a loose lead?

When Mrs. Bishop hails you to ask about the new grandbaby, would it be more enjoyable for her to pet your dog and admire how he sits on command, or to fight to keep him from knocking Mrs. Bishop down through the whole conversation?

Training is all about commitment. Pet ownership is a huge responsibility, and if you've decided to take on that responsibility, you should make the commitment to spend time with your pet, give it lots of love and attention, and some of that time should be spent on training.

My favorite Brian Kilcommons quote is, "A tired dog is a good dog." No dog will ever tire himself out by running all alone in the back yard. What your dog craves is quality time spent with you: a walk, a run, throwing the ball in a game of fetch, a run through his obedience training exercises.

And if your dog is well-trained and well-behaved, you will be more likely to spend time with him and do things with him.

Make the commitment.