This week in "What Goes on in this Dog Trainer's Mind..."
What made YOU decide to train your dog?
I've often wondered this through my 33+ years as a professional trainer, and it just now dawned on me to ask!
In going about my everyday life, I see a lot of dogs. Some are well-behaved and happy - walking along nicely without pulling on their leashes, looking to their owners for guidance with devotion in their eyes, wagging and panting happily when they get a treat or meet a new person or discover a new smell.
On the other hand, I also see the not-so-well-behaved dogs, too! The ones straining out in front of their owners on straight, tight leashes, bouncing off every person they meet in over-stimulated excitement. These are the dogs who are often completely disconnected from their humans, and struggle in our human world - lunging, barking, digging, destroying things in the house, and maybe even experiencing actual aggression problems.
In today's world, there is no shortage of dog training information out there - from (often) free blogs, webinars, online training courses, youtube videos, and of course, the good ol' library - full of free books to read about dog behavior, no matter what type of training you're looking for.
A quick google search reveals that in the greater Denver area, there are hundreds of professional in-person dog training options (over 70 different options on the first 3 pages).
So...what made YOU decide to train your dog?
Was there a one-time incident that put you over the edge?
Have you always had dogs, and always gone to professional trainers, so it was a given that you'd do the same with your newest dog?
Did a friend or family member suggest training?
Did you meet a trained dog out in the world, and think, "Hey! I want a dog like that!"?
Did you see something on a tv show or social media that planted the seed in your mind that you wanted to go to training?
Sooo…What was it that made you decide to train your dog?