Understanding Dogs – Part 1 – Characteristics of a Well-Trained Dog

A well-trained dog is a joy to be around. He is welcome almost anywhere, as he behaves with other people and with other dogs. He knows the easy way to stay and comes when called. It’s great for taking him out for a walk, and you can turn him loose to play in the park. They will take it on trips and family outings. He could be a member of the family in any sense of the word.

The most important benefit to your dog is your safety, the safety of others, and your own. A dog that listens and does what it is told hardly ever gets into trouble. Instead of being enslaved by a leash or rope, a trained dog is really a free dog: he will be trusted to stay when ordered, not to jump on people, to come when called and so you don’t follow a moggy down the street.

After that, ranked by importance, a well-trained dog is one that

* Does not jump on people.

* Do not order at the table

* Does not disturb guests.

*Comes when called

*Does not pull the leash

Note that these wishes, with one exception, are expressed in the negative, ie “dog, don’t do that.”

For training needs, you want to express these wishes in a positive way so that you can teach your dog exactly what you would expect of him. This is what the new list of necessities for a well-trained dog looks like:

*Sit down when I tell you.

* Go somewhere and relax.

* Lie down when I tell you and stay there.

* Come when called.

* Walk on a loose leash.

The “Sit” and “Down-Stay” commands are the Lego blocks for a well-trained dog; If Tommy doesn’t know anything else, you can live with him. Of course, your Tommy may have some additional wrinkles that need to be corrected, some of which are more management issues than training issues. You may enjoy landscaping, as does my Beagle who enjoys digging holes in the backyard and can do so with fantastic speed and strength.

Unless you’re ready to put up with what can become big digging projects, the best defense is to use this digging energy with plenty of exercise, training, and supervision. Another favorite pastime of some dogs is raiding the garbage.

Prevention is the cure here: put the litter where your dog can’t reach it. One of my Dachshunds learned to open the cooler by pulling on the towel we hung from the door handle and to help himself with anything he could reach. Prevention was the solution. We removed the towel and solved the problem. With these simple guidelines, you can identify if a two is properly trained or not.