Raising Healthy Dogs

Have you ever met a dog that is just incredibly well behaved no matter what is going on around him or her? You start to think that the owners must be incredible at dog training, or that the dog is a genius. You wish that your own dog would act so calmly and politely when in public. Well, you can help your dog learn good basic manners that will make them polite in public and obedient while at home if you enroll the pup in American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Program.

"No shoe"

This program aims to help strengthen the bond between dog guardian and dog through training exercises that will improve the dog’s behaviors both at home and in public. Is your dog the type to get overly excited and jump all over any new person that they come in contact with? Well, this behavior probably embarrasses you, and it can also frighten or annoy the people in your community. The Canine Good Citizen Program will teach your dog how to approach strangers calmly and politely.

The program focuses on the following behavioral areas:

• Approaching strangers or other dogs calmly and politely. As mentioned before, the dog will learn to interact in social situations without jumping on people or their dogs.

• Walking through crowded areas. The dog will learn to walk with the owner even in the presence of several or more people without becoming frightened or over-excited. There are probably many public parks or events that are dog friendly that you do not currently attend because you think your dog couldn’t “handle” it. The training course would help teach your dog how to enjoy these outings while showing good behaviors.

• Walking on a lead. You should be able to walk your dog and have complete control over the experience. The dog should not be leading you. The course helps you teach your dog to walk with you without running, lunging, or fighting the lead.

• Behaving well during grooming or veterinarian trips. The dog will learn to sit calmly as someone other than the dog owner grooms it. The dog will learn to feel comfortable being handled and examined by others.

• Dealing with separation anxiety. It can be very bad for your neighbors, or even your furniture if your dog cannot be left alone without whining, barking, or becoming destructive. The dog will be able to be left alone, or with a supervisor, without showing any bad behaviors.

These are just a few examples of how the Good Citizen Program teaches your dog good basic manners. This training program is an excellent way for you to take your dog into public confidently, but it will also improve your relationship with your dog at home. The training works by having the owners continually giving the dog encouragement. This experience can really help form a trusting bond between dog owner and dog. The Good Citizen Program provides the training foundation to give you the well-behaved dog that you have always wanted.