Training for Good Manners
Chapters 15 and 16 explain how to take basic training to the next levels — more advanced training, and activities you can do together. They are for those of you who really get into training and want to challenge yourselves and your dogs to do things from walking nicely by your side to high-speed agility to amazing pet therapy.
This chapter is for the majority of dog owners who are interested in training for good household manners. What does that mean? It means having a dog who listens and responds to your requests. It means sharing your home with a dog who respects the house rules — just as your children or guests do. It includes teaching your dog what you expect from her, as it is unfair to think that because you love each other she will simply do what you want her to do.
Dogs who end up in shelters are there not because they weren't loved by their owners, but because their behavior became uncontrollable. Don't let this happen to you! Training is easy and fun and so rewarding for both of you. Start early and keep it up to enjoy a great relationship with your dog for many years.
Good manners start with a thorough understanding of the basics: Sit, Stay, Down, and Come. They grow to include requests like Heel (walk nicely by my side) and household manners — requests like Off, Drop it, Quiet, and Wait. This chapter will guide you through the basics and give you examples of how to use the requests around your house to enforce (and reward) good manners (behavior).
