Obedience and Etiquette

There is a big difference between learning to obey commands and developing good manners.  An obedient dog obeys the commands he’s given.  A dog with good manners engages in appropriate behavior without being told to do so.  When a dog is taught to behave properly in a way that is consistent enough to create habits, his good behavior is maintained indefinitely. 

Teaching good manners results in a dog that understands how to cope with his world and therefore feels less stress.  It’s one of the best gifts you can give your dog. 

The weeks and months after you first acquire your dog or puppy are the best time to start creating good habits.  Instilling good habits from the beginning means that you and your dog have fewer bad ones to break later on and creating a good habit is much easier than breaking a well-established bad habit.   

Most people think that taking the time to instill good habits in their dog is an excessively time-consuming task but in the long run (and don’t we all plan to be dog owners for a long time?) being freed from constantly managing your dog’s behavior or reminding it what to do will make your life — and your dog’s — simpler and more enjoyable.

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