Dog obedience tips: Should you hire a professional dog trainer?

“No!” “Stop it!” “What did you do? Oh, no!” These are some of the many loud expressions that you’d generally hear from a dog parent who is trying to discipline their pets – and failing. Obedience training for dogs requires patience and a lot of repetitive activities. Although many would love having an obedient dog, they may not have the time or the patience to do this. 

This article summarizes four reasons why you should consider hiring an expert dog trainer to teach your pet new tricks. 

Not enough time

You need to keep up with your career to keep food on the table, particularly for your dog. However, a busy professional life can also mean you won’t have time to train your pet. 

Here’s where a professional dog trainer comes into the picture. The trainer can train your dog to sit, stay, and other obedience-related behaviors to help ensure that it doesn’t destroy your couch while you’re at the office. 

Remember, training takes time. Some dogs might remember tricks as fast as in one training session, whereas other pooches might require several days or even weeks before they learn how to sit on command. The trainer can take this task off your hands so that you can go about your other tasks while your pet learns to be more obedient than before. 

Remove unwanted habits

Dogs will be dogs, and you might even believe that you can’t teach an old pooch new tricks. However, most dogs, regardless of age, should have the mental capacity to learn new habits. At the same time, bear in mind that some canines tend to learn habits faster (or slower) than others. 

With that said, screaming “No!” to your pet can do very little in instilling proper behavior and obedience. Instead, let a professional trainer do that for you. 

Some unwanted habits that an expert dog trainer can reduce or eliminate from your beloved pet include:

• Aggressive growling and barking
• Door bolting
• Jumping or tackling
• Leash pulling
• Nipping or biting furniture

Trainers use strategies and tactics that fit the unique personality of your canine companion. Leave your pet in the expert hands of the trainer for a few hours or days. Over time, you should see a significant improvement in reprogramming those unwanted habits. 

Teach dog owners new tricks

Professional dog trainers don’t only teach pets; they also teach their human parents as well. You, as a fur-parent, should also learn how to control your pup, mainly because the trainer won’t always be there to instill obedience in your pet.

The certified dog trainer will work with you and help you learn how to control your pet more effectively, with less strain or stress. For example, since your pet can’t discern cheap items from valuable equipment, the sight of dog zoomies may put an expensive vase at risk of falling and breaking.  

However, screaming at Spot won’t protect the vase. In fact, your pet might even find your shouting as an expression of excitement and it will wag its tail in happiness as a response. 

If you do not want to reduce the frequency of showing these zoomies, you can learn how to control your pet when this happens. The professional dog trainer will teach you how to enforce obedience through a rewards system. 

For instance, instead of screaming, “Stop!” you can calmly tell your dog to sit and stay while showing a treat. Your pet will be conditioned to think that sitting and waiting is more rewarding than knocking things over. 

Instill proper socialization skills

You should face the fact that some people will approach your dog. After all, dogs can seem cute and appealing. However, people might get scared and run off at the sight of your pooch if it doesn’t have proper socialization skills. 

Get the services of a reliable dog trainer that can teach your pooch adequate behavior when you are with other people. This move can also help reduce any health concerns about your pet. 

Imagine the following scenario: your pet becomes too excited about meeting new people. So, you attempt to curb that excitement by pulling on its leash. Pulling the leash tightens the collar, which, in turn, can choke your loved companion. 

The services of a professional dog trainer will teach you and your pet the right way to act in public. Furthermore, you can instill obedience in your pet pooch without harming your relationship with your dog.

Consider hiring a professional dog trainer if you don’t have the time to train your pet in proper obedience on command. The service should also reduce or eliminate unwanted habits such as aggressive barking and growling. Contact an expert dog trainer today to check how a professional can make your pet more well-behaved and obedient than ever. 

Puppy training 101: 10 tips to prepare your dog for success