TV Dog Training – Meaningful and Effective or Merely Entertainment?
So, the decision has been made to get a puppy. Or, perhaps you already have a dog and would like to add a new member to the family. Has your dog started to exhibit new, undesirable behavior? Maybe you would just like to learn more about teaching your dog some new tricks. Whatever the case may be, you may be thinking about either hiring a trainer or learning about dog training on your own. So, where do you start? While there are many options, we will consider the currently popular TV dog training shows. There have been several of these celebrity trainers over the years who deliver entertaining and interesting tips on how to get your errant dog to correct his or her undesirable behavior. The question is how do we translate these TV dog training tips into practical and effective methods to teach your dog the behaviors you want?
Depending on the issues you are facing with your dog, making the necessary changes through dog training may take more effort than the seemingly “quick fix” session on a 30-minute dog training TV episode (including commercials). The almost immediate positive changes portrayed on one of these dog training sessions may actually take days, weeks or even months of effort to gain long-lasting benefit for your dog. For the sake of the time limitations dictated by the network episode, the training techniques are deeply edited to fit the time slot. And, you may have noticed a subtitle that will pop up at the bottom of the screen warning the viewer, “not to try this without the help of a professional”. It looks so convincing though, doesn’t it? Especially if you happen to have a dog that is exhibiting those very same behaviors, it is easy to believe that it must be pretty easy to fix the problem with just a few minutes’ of dog training work.
The reality may be very different for your particular dog because, dogs, like people, are individuals. Very often the source of the behavior may be a determining factor for what methods are used to correct the problem. There are a number of different approaches that an experienced dog trainer might employ to arrive at the desired results. Authentic behavior changes take skill, time, patience and most importantly, consistency and maintenance to assure successful dog training.
In our lightning fast-paced, quick-fix world, people have come to expect immediate gratification in almost every area of their lives. Dogs, however, live and thrive in the moment, want and need consistency and leadership within their family unit. While there are several different dog training methods being promoted by industry professionals, most agree that effective, humane dog behavior modification and basic obedience dog training require an understanding by the owner that there are rarely any fast and easy solutions. The best solution begins with research into various types of dog training services available in your area. Interview a potential dog trainer and involve your dog and the rest of family in any decisions. Make the commitment to stay the course, which may be for the lifetime of your dog. Surely, nothing is more rewarding than having a peaceful home with a well mannered, obedient and loving dog.
If you want to learn more about dog training or are interested in training dogs as a career please contact us at 866.200.2207 or email us at training@highlandcanine.com.