Training, albeit basic, is necessary if you want to live a harmonious and happy life with your dog. Without your dog will not know how to behave properly, which could lead to all sorts of problems, and, in some cases, a lack of dog training can be dangerous, especially where larger breeds are concerned.

Do not try to train your dog unless you have some idea of what you are doing, before beginning undergo some basic training yourself.

Training clubs and schools are there to help, will insure you go about things in the right way, it is a must that you find out more before starting to train your dog.

If you feel comfortable about learning how to train your dog from dog training books or articles found on the internet, then there are some very good resources you can refer to. There is no reason why you actually have to go to a school.

The very basics of dog training revolve around voicing a command, praising your dog when he does what you want, and giving him a treat. Consistency is the key, so choose a word for a command and stick to it. "Sit" and "sit down" will sound like different commands to a dog, so it’s best to stick to one word for one command.

Never punish your dog by hitting him, it does nothing but frighten your dog and could in fact be the cause of some serious behavioural issues which may surface later in life.

Avoid any dog training schools which you feel are being too harsh or rough with your dog.

Working with your dog to train him, should always be fun for both you and your dog, so if you or your dog begin to get tired take a break and come back to it later.

Do consider, that like a child, the attention span of a dog is limited, so keep training sessions short and regular.

The first step to having an obedient dog is to take it to training, and there is no better place to start than at a registered dog training club. You can obtain the address of your nearest registered training club from the Shows, Trials and Awards Department of the Kennel Club. Listed Status clubs follow the Good Citizen Dog Scheme syllabus and a list of organisations can be obtained from the Good Citizen Dog

Dog training clubs are usually very sociable, where groups of like-minded people meet on a regular basis, and get great enjoyment in training their pets. Most clubs will have a cross-section of breeds (including crossbreeds) and will welcome all standards of handlers and dogs to be trained.

For further details of the UK Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme go to:

After working a basic dog obedience course you may want to try your hand at more advanced obedience training.

There are six obedience classes available for entry at shows and all dogs start from the basic Pre- Beginners Class and by a series of first prizes qualify through to Class C, the highest (and most difficult). Each class contains a set of exercises which the judge will ask you and your dog to perform.

The exercises range from heel work (on and off the lead), to a recall, control exercises such as a one minute sit and a two minute down stay. As you progress through the classes the exercises obviously become more difficult until you reach Class C where your dog will have to perform (in addition to those previously mentioned)

a scent discrimination exercise and also a send away and distant control exercise.

Whatever competition you choose, your dog will be happier for being trained.

Further details can be found on the UK Kennel Club site

www.thekennelclub.org.uk

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