160 Bear Christiana Rd
Bear, De 19701
302-322-6488
Dr. Jim Berg
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Dog Questions
Dear Dr. Berg,
I have a 5-month-old Akita named Kato who is growing fast and now weighs 47 pounds. The last time I took him in
for shots, my veterinarian strongly suggested that I take Kato to obedience school.
Kato is a very sweet dog. She already knows how to sit, and she comes most of the time. Is it really necessary?
What do they do in obedience school that is different than what I am now doing at home?
T. L., Hockessin
Dear T.L.,
I am DEFINITELY in agreement with your veterinarian. I believe that obedience training is good for ALL DOGS whatever
their age. And, YES, you can teach an old dog-new tricks…they just do the tricks a little slower.
I believe that dogs that have gone through obedience training are, in general, happier dogs because they truly
understand what it is that their owners want them to do. Most dogs love to please us, and are very proud when they
know that their owners are pleased.
This desire to please is one of the very wonderful qualities that dogs have….their life is centered around what
makes US happy. We become so concerned about our career and possessions, yet a dog wants nothing more than a kind
word from us and to sit by our side. We can learn a lot by watching these very special creatures!
I also firmly believe that, not only are dogs usually happier once obedience training has been completed, but their
owners become much more satisfied dog owners as well. Obedience school forms a clear communication system between
dog and owner that lasts for the rest of their lives together.
Imagine you and your "now 128 pound" Kato are watching TV in your living room when an old room mate from
college stops by to visit. How would you like Kato to behave? To bark and alert you to a stranger at the door,
but when you tell him it's OK, he sits quietly and watches as you open the front door.
Or, would you rather have Kato follow his natural protective instincts a rush madly at the door, bark and paw at
the small window next to the door which stands a good chance of breaking? Would you be able to restrain Kato as
your friend came in the door? Would your friend even WANT to come in the door? Could you even open the door?
Obedience training establishes another very important understanding within your household. You see, your dog thinks
of you as just another dog….a member of your "pack". I don't mean that you look like a dog…it's just
the way a dog thinks.
Within any "pack", there is a TOP DOG and #2 dog, as well as a #9 dog. Top dog rules in most situations
that really matter: food matters, who gets to sit next to the window, who drinks the water first, who sniffs the
new object in the yard and carries it away first.
Guess what happens when #2 dog tries to take away a bone that is in TOP DOG'S mouth? If the position of TOP DOG
is unclear, a fight results to establish who gets the bone. Once the pecking order has been established, these
fights don't usually happen because everyone and every dog understands the pecking order rules.
Imagine that Kato comes across a tasty steak bone hidden in the bushes on your morning walk. If you have not established
yourself as TOP DOG (but maybe your spouse is TOP DOG…let's not go there) or at least as clearly higher up in your
pack's pecking order, it will be nearly impossible for you to get that bone out of his mouth and still have your
fingers and face intact. Do you really want to end up in your veterinarian's office at 10PM that night to have
surgery performed to remove the bone because of a blockage?
On a personal note, my wife and I recently took our 3 ½ month old Akita to obedience training at the K-9
Academy in Bear. Two police officers teach the class who have been training dogs for well over 20 years. The training
was excellent, and I learned a lot.
In our class were many different ages, breeds, sizes, and personalities. And the dogs that were with them were
all different too.
We had a pretty longhaired dachshund that you had to look at carefully to tell if she was sitting…she sort of "tilted"
a little. There was a cocker spaniel who, at the first class, screamed every time the owner tried to direct the
dog with the leash. But my favorite was a wonderful boxer who, when asked to lay down, would melt to the ground,
turn over and lay motionless with her feet skyward as if she had just been shot.
Every instructor has their own methods to train the dogs, it is clear that dogs learn best by not by punishment,
but with ENCOURAGEMENT (don't we all love it?). Each class lasted an hour, and the basic course was six lessons
held weekly.
We would all perform our "SITS" and "STAYS" and "COMES" sometimes circling around
a ring, and other times all alone in front of the whole class. There was no better time for a dog to get revenge
than when it is you and he all alone in front of the whole class.
But that's just it…dogs don't want to get revenge. They all wanted to please, and it was the establishment of an
effective communication between dog and owner that allowed this to happen.
No one likes not to be listened to, and owners would get frustrated when a dog continually ignored their instructions.
On the other hand, no one likes to be told what to do all the time, and dogs can get tired of "being good"
all of the time without words of encouragement and times of play.
The art of training a dog is an effective balance. And this balance is different for every dog. It is up to us
as owners to determine what works best with our dog so that we may become best companions for years to come.
We were taught the proper way to hold a leash, the correct way to leave a dog when we say "STAY", how
to give hand signals correctly (no bending over, please!…that means "let's play!"), and, most importantly
of all, how to praise your dog like crazy (I love that part!).
Between our Sunday classes we would practice with our dogs on our own. Even 5 or 10 minutes a day can be very effective
if you get right down to business with your dog. And as the weeks progressed, so did the dogs (faster than their
owners did, by the way). It was truly a lift to the spirits to see all those wonderful and varied creatures trying
their hardest to understand and to please.
Doing the training in a class rather than on our own I feel can be better. Not only can the instructor point out
some of the bad habits that you may be unaware of (I was always bending over), but it also forces your dog to perform
in a rather stressful situation. After all, if he can behave and listen in a strange place, with other strange
dogs around, with other strange people giving commands, with lots of strange smells everywhere, then to perform
at home will be a piece of cake (or piece of biscuit).
I also truly believe that the dogs learned by watching each other when their owners gave commands. And us owners
learned a lot by watching how other owners coped with their own dog's particular personality. Different techniques
worked better on different pets, but ALL the dogs (and their owners) LOVED PRAISE.
Incidentally, our instructors showed us the two ends of a leash, and it is what is attached to the loop end (the
end I hold) that is the hardest to train. But somehow, our dogs managed to pull us through it all, and we ALL graduated.
Even my 5 month old Akita. And, more amazingly, even ME! (On second thought, my dog got a diploma and I didn't…hmmmm)
Now, when we take my Akita for a walk and a dog on the other side of the street goes by, straining and barking
at the end of its leash, I am able to reinforce the HEEL command that we learned in class. And on this very busy
road, neither my dog nor myself ends up being dragged in front of an oncoming car.
So PLEASE take your dog to obedience training. You have 10-15 wonderful years to look forward to together. You
will have so much more fun if you are both trained and can communicate effectively.
Now if we only could figure out how to put CATS through obedience school……"Sit? You must be joking! I haven't
had my morning stretch yet?" "COME? You'd better saunter on over here if you want to talk? I'm extremely
busy with my power nap"…. "LAY DOWN?.. now THAT I can do….nite, nite."
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