What Should I Teach My Dog?

As a dog trainer, a common question I get from clients is, “What things should I teach my dog?” or “What other things should my dog learn?”  Rather than spouting off a training list that I deem valuable, I ask questions to identify behaviors my clients would find helpful.  The reason I do this is that each person has behaviors they find acceptable or not.

Let’s take jumping to greet as an example.  Jumping to greet is commonly thought of by humans as rude dog behavior.  However, as a dog trainer, I do not see a problem in small dogs jumping to say hello as long as there is no risk of injury to small children.  Dogs are genetically programmed to greet one another face to face.  Since humans stand vertically instead of horizontally the way dogs do, jumping occurs since there is no other way for them to get close to our faces.

As both a dog trainer and the owner of a small dog, I sometimes feel an innate pressure to teach my dog polite greetings. However, I have chosen to let go of that preconceived notion.  That is because I know how excited and happy my dog gets when meeting someone new, and that is something I don’t want to deprive him of.  The way his face lights up when he jumps to greet new friends melts my heart. And since he is not hurting anyone, why not let him do it? I'd rather he show signs of being overly friendly to people than show signs of fear or aggression.  Could I train him not to jump when greeting?  Sure.  But this is something low on my list of priorities 

This is the great thing about owning a dog.  We get to decide the relationships we have with them. It does not matter what others think.  If you are happy with your dog's behavior, let go of preconceived notions about "training musts" and decide for yourself what you want to train and why.  You may even find that some of your most mutually enjoyable activities are things friends or family members find taboo.

To learn more about the services we offer visit our main page here.