Welcoming a new pet into your life and home can be one of the most rewarding things for you and your family. Their unconditional love, fun personalities, and playful manner make them amazing companions and family members. Whether you adopt a young puppy or an older dog, it’s important that you focus on training your new pet from day one. Not only can setting a routine and boundaries be a game changer for a smooth transition but it can also set the tone for you and your pet for years to come.
Consistent training can help your new dog adjust quicker
It’s no secret that training a new pet can be a long (and sometimes tiring) process, but the benefits make the time and effort worth it. A recent survey by Pet Keen found that while only 8% of dog owners took their dogs to obedience classes, 73% of dog owners used some kind of training method, which proves that the majority of pet owners believe that training is important. While you can expect a period of adjustment for every new dog, especially since your home is a brand-new environment for them, a consistent schedule and clear boundaries will help your pup adjust much quicker.
How training helps the transition
If you still aren’t convinced, here are some of the top reasons why training your new pup is critical:
- Training helps with confidence. Dogs who feel confident that they are following the rules and making their owners happy adjust much quicker to their new homes. This is why positive reinforcement for good behavior is such a popular tactic when it comes to training.
- Training strengthens the human-dog connection. While training exercises are meant to help your dog adjust, they are also great opportunities for you to bond with your pet and learn more about them and you will notice your connection strengthen over time.
- Training builds trust. Teaching your dog to come when called and to “leave it” or “drop it” with toys can help you gain trust that they will obey these simple commands even in stressful and potentially unsafe situations.
Benefits of in-person training classes
As an avid dog lover, frequent volunteer, and pro bono attorney for Last Chance Animal Rescue, it’s no surprise that Mark T. Freeley has his own pups at home. As a dog owner, Mark believes in the importance of training and has invested in training classes himself on Long Island. One trainer he worked with for his English Golden Retriever is Happy Hounds. Through his training session with Happy Hounds, his pup learned the basic manners of sit, down, wait, stay, come, leave it, and walking nicely on leash and did so while interacting with other dogs.
Since the bulk of the training was held in a nursing home, Mark was touched to see how much the residents truly looked forward to being able to watch the group dog training. They loved being a part of the class so much that they even learned the names and breeds of all the involved dogs, and as an added bonus, this interaction did wonders for helping to improve the socialization process for the pups. There is something about a dog that makes most people feel good inside, so if you are so inclined, check out Happy Hounds Dog Training.
The North Shore Injury Lawyer is dedicated to helping pups
Over the years, Mark has welcomed thousands of dogs to Long Island on the Saturday morning bi-weekly transport van and even opened his home to a few amazing dogs. If you are interested in learning more about one of his personal experiences with obedience training for his English Golden Retriever, click here. For any questions regarding fostering or adoption, feel free to give Mark a call 631-495-9435 and he will happily walk you through the process.
