The most important thing you can do with your pet is train them! One of the biggest reasons animals are relinquished to shelters is for behavioral issues. Second, exercise, stimulate, exercise...you get the idea. Just like us, dogs and cats get bored. If you don't have the time to train and exercise your dog or cat, then please do not get one!
When I brought my dog Jackie home from the shelter, I cried. She didn't understand me, and I certainly didn't understand her. She wouldn't go up and down the steps, wouldn't go in her crate, and stood there and barked at me when I put her in the yard.
Then a wise sole told me, "You need to take your dog to obedience school. It's as good for your dog as it is for you." Wiser words have never been spoken.
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Jackie and I have been together 17 plus years. To look at us now, you would never know how traumatic our beginning was. We took a ten-week obedience class together and it changed our lives! In addition to the weekly classes, we would train every day on that weeks lessons. Today she is a model citizen. We needed to learn how to understand each other. Now Jackie and I communicate effortlessly, but like any relationship, you have to work at it! |
Below are some sites that you should definitely check out! They will give you the much needed information on training your dog (and yourself). You can also find training through your local pet store, your veterinarian, and local community organizations.
Pet Statistics on Unwanted Animals
Companions, Rescuers, and Heroes
