Choosing Between Dog Training Schools
and Animal Behavior Specialists
Kevin Simmons
If you are having behavioral issues with your dog that you cannot
seem to resolve on your own, getting professional help is an
excellent idea. However, there are two different kinds of
professionals that can help you with your situation: a Dog
Training School, and an Animal Behavior Specialist.
Which one is right for you and your pet?
The answer to this question lies in whether or not the behavior
that the dog is exhibiting is normal, or explainable. For
instance, if a dog is threatened in a violent manner (horrible to
think about, but it does happen), then it would be appropriate
for the dog to bite in retaliation. However, if a dog starts
biting you after you feed him a treat, this isn’t as easily
explained. In this second situation, you’d want to access an
Animal Behavior Specialist to get some help, instead of one of
the many readily available Dog Training Schools.
Most behavioral issues with dogs are related to pet owners who
aren’t aware as to how to manage their dogs. For instance,
jumping on people or things, pulling on their leash, not
listening or responding to commands or eliminating in the home
are all management issues. These can normally be treated with
obedience training through a Dog Training School.
Dog Training Schools are usually staffed with professionals who
have received formalized training in the field of animal behavior
modification. The methods used in these programs teach you how to
think like your dog, and communicate with each other better. They
also help your dog to understand his place, what is expected of
him, and how to stop negative behaviors, and replace them with
positive ones.
If any of these behaviors are apparent in your dog, are causing a
problem in your home, you’ll need to contact a Dog Training
School as soon as you are able, in order to start the training
process quickly. These Dog Training Schools can correct behavior
in as little as a couple of weeks.
Animal Behaviorists are professionally trained as well, but
rather academically rather than vocationally. Their training
normally includes some sort of graduate work in psychology,
biology, chemistry, neurology, zoology and the like. They will
also have specialized training in the types of animals they work
with. These professionals are equipped to deal with the more
serious of the behavioral issues in a pooch, such as aggression,
fears, anxiety or compulsions.
After reading this article, choosing the proper professional to
help you help your pet shouldn’t be terribly difficult. Now all
you need to do is find an appropriate person; ask friends, people
who work at the local pet store and your vet for recommendations.
Soon the negative behavior will only be a memory in your loved
one.
(c) 2005 dog-training-info.com.
Kevin Simmons is the webmaster of
http://www.dog-training-info.com
Please visit the site for more free dog training articles.
Back to Index of All Dog Training Info
Special Dog Breed Specific Gift Items
Really Cool Gift Items for Dogs & All Pets
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Try doing a search
