How to Train your Dog

Training your dog

Have you just got your first pup, and are you wondering, after the initial days of blissful introduction, what you have let yourself in for? Or do you already suffer the trials of an untrained dog, complete with muddy paws, strong teeth sharpened on your furniture? A dog careless of habit about the house, an indiscriminate but enthusiastic gardener, yet so well established in your affections as to be irreplaceable? In fact, are you the average dog owner?

If so, take heart, for it needs only a reasonable amount of time and patience, following a few simple rules to enable both you and your dog to lead a happier, more contented life together.

It is more important what a dog does than what he is, for among the millions of household companions the vast majority are crossbred or mongrel dogs, and these are every bit as intelligent and trainable as their blue-blooded counterparts.

In many respects dogs are like children; with both, correct care and proper upbringing pay a handsome dividend.

Like ourselves, each dog is an individual. He will naturally develop habits common to all dogs, but also, he will have his own special ones. For this reason, it is much better, given the choice, to get a puppy straight from the nest at about seven or eight weeks of age, before he has had time to form any bad habits.