Being a pet parent is one of the greatest joys humans can experience. Maybe you got your pet after watching a pet-centered movie and got motivated to start your adventures with your fur baby or watched your friend’s happiness double after they got a pet, or maybe not. But now that you have your buddy, the reality might differ from your expectations. Maybe your pet has a reckless edge? Or do they have a little anxiety? Or might I not listen to you? Or do they bark a lot? Or show some other behavior issues that might make you a little concerned or disappointed. But you know what? You can shoo these problems away by making the understanding between you and your pet better with proper training.

Why is training Important?

Training your pet only to teach them obedience is a common misconception. At some point, training your pet was also known as a luxury among pet parents. Let us scratch away the misunderstandings as we present you with the correct information right in front of your eyes.

Training your pet plays an essential part in their well-being. Just like you need help to learn something new, pets need training to do the same. It provides mental stimulation for their emotional and social development, builds their confidence, strengthens the bond between you and them, and helps to create an overall healthy and positive human-animal relationship. It teaches you both a common language to communicate with each other. 

Training your pet also helps to eliminate any destructive behavior in your pets, which is natural to them in reality. For example, many pets have a habit of chewing or tearing household items; they do it as it is the only way they know to fulfill their need to chew for better dental health, and they might also do it to get familiar with things they’re curious about which is again their instinct. They do not know that what they are doing is wrong. So, this issue can be taken care of with proper help, guidance, and training. Training has many other benefits, which we will explain later.

Training Method

We support only using positive reinforcement training, which focuses on your pet looking up to you as a safe and reliable person instead of asserting dominance, which can negatively affect your fur baby. Although you can train your pet at home, it requires a lot of your time and effort, which may make you a bit frustrated, as the learning process is pretty slow for some. Due to this, we recommend getting a professional trainer for your pet.

If you choose to train them yourself, you can use the reward-training method, which gets done by giving them praise or a treat(probably their favorite Meo creamy treats, Dogsee chew, chicken stick, or calcium bone for dogs) whenever they do something good or when they do something that you taught them. Do not punish them when they do anything wrong; you may ask why. Keep on reading to do so.

Choosing a professional trainer is the best option, as it is their profession and most likely their passion. While choosing a trainer, go for only a reward-based trainer or a trainer who has a positive training approach. We cannot emphasize enough not to go for a trainer that uses the ‘old-school’ training method as these trainers believe is a mental and physical form of punishment, which will provide the training and results faster but will put your pet through trauma, which you don’t want.  

Note: Although it is ideal to train your pets when they are young(puppy or kitten), it is never too late to teach your old pet some new tricks, as most dogs love learning because of their curious nature.

Benefits

1. Safety

As a pet parent, the safety and well-being of our pet should be your number one responsibility. Training them ensures that they will listen to you and your commands in situations that can otherwise be life-threatening for them. It will help you stop them in situations when your door is left open or leave them off the leash and may unknowingly run into the street, which they are unaware is unsafe. It will also be helpful when they try to put something in their mouth that is harmful to them and can drop this item after getting the command(reward them later with something they like). 

2. Life skills

You can train your dog's life skills, which will make life easier for both you and them. One of the things that first-time pet parents struggle with is understanding that just like you, your pet has no idea where and when they can go to do their business; this stress might lead to them doing it accidentally wherever they can, probably within the house(maybe on your bed). So, to keep your home smelling as usual and clean, it is crucial to potty/litter train your pet. This training will help them understand where they need to do it and even when as time goes by. (Read our blog: ‘How to get your cat to use the Litter Box’).

House training your pets helps them understand which behaviors are acceptable and unacceptable in the house. It will also keep your house repairs at bay and keep your furniture safe. It will also let them show their excitement when they see you or their other beloved family members positively, rather than jumping on their favorite people, as it can cause accidental injuries and upset in the home. 

Crate training is another life skill your pet needs if you sometimes have to leave your pet alone in the house. It will help them feel safe and comfortable in their space, probably with a treat, favorite toys, and snugly blanket. It will also provide them a safe space when people are over at your place (which your pet is fearful of) and take the socialization pressure off of them. 

3. Socialization

It is essential to teach your pet ways to socialize with other animals as well as humans. If you skip this, it will make your pet anxious or aggressive during these interactions, as you cannot permanently keep your pet away from any interaction with the outside world. 

Socializing your pet from a young age will help them be confident around others. They might dislike it at first, but mostly, they will get more relaxed and happy with each interaction. A social pet helps to create a safe and calm environment wherever they go. But, you also need to understand that some dogs and cats, like humans, dislike socializing, which might mean you need to try to help them socialize but let them be in their safe bubble with you after some time, as it can do more harm than good. 

Training your pet to become social will help you, your pet, and others when you take them on walks. It will help their vet check and treat them better during their routine or certain visits. It will make tier grooming sessions more enjoyable, and they can even get delicious treats if they are a good boy/girl during their time with the groomer. When you keep them at the daycare or boarding homes when you cannot be with them, social pets will have a better time with their fellow boarded pets and will probably be the favorite of the professionals taking care of them. 

4. Bonding

When you train your pet or play with them using the commands taught by their trainer, you get an amazing opportunity to deepen your bond. Using a positive- training method will make your pet trust you more and make you their haven. It will also build a relationship of mutual respect, which makes a long-lasting bond. 

Most of the pets look forward to making you happy, so they will try their best to do things to catch your attention. Sometimes, they show destructive habits as it leads to you giving them attention, as they cannot tell the difference between wrong and right attention. So, when they do something wrong, avoid them for some time, which will be an indication to them that they shouldn’t repeat that behavior if they want your love and attention. 

We know, your unique bonding time with your pet is when you take them on walks. But sometimes, some pets look like they are taking you on a walk, or well you look like you’re trying to ski while being dragged by them. With leash training, your walks can be more pleasant and ‘bondy’, as it teaches them to walk beside you, not in front or behind you. 

To get another zillion benefits from a trained pet, book an appointment with Petzzing today. Our excellent trainers will visit you for a free consultation whenever you like, make a training plan exclusively for your pet, and train them right in front of you. Don’t worry; like us, our trainers believe in only positive reinforcement training, which is best suited for every dog.