My dog does some really nice things. He knows how to, "shake," and he rolls over to get his tummy scratched. I always try to make him "sit" and "stay" before I feed him. If I have a treat in my hand, he comes, most of the time. Isn't this obedience? Although your pet may have been taught many tricks, a basic obedience class is the avenue to gain compliance. Your pet needs to understand what, and how, you need certain tasks performed. Here, the emphasis is on prompt and precise performance and creating a discipline level with your pet.

There is a big difference between discipline and obedience. Almost all dogs know what obedience is by the time they reach six months of age. They know what's a sit is, they know what a down is, chances are, they even know what a come is. The problem is that they perceive these words as requests, not commands. What we need to do is to create a discipline level in the dog so that what we want becomes more important than what they want. This is called creating handler dependency and handler orientation.

The key to any distraction is for the owner to become more important than that distraction. Obedience is the dog understanding what it is that you want. A discipline level is what causes them to fulfill the task, even if the dog has a higher priority in mind.

We at P.A.W.S. strive to create a discipline level, not just an obedience level, in all dogs we work with. Companionship is the most common reason people have for owning dogs, and a good relationship is usually their top priority. It is difficult to have a good relationship with your pet if he is unruly, over exuberant, destructive, or ill mannered.

Having guests over to the house used to be in activity to be enjoyed, but now it has become a chore because of the dog jumping up on everyone that comes through the front door. The answer to these dilemmas is basic obedience. The best favor you could ever to for a loved pet, and for yourself, is to have your dog obedience trained. Training lasts a lifetime, and a well-trained and well-behaved dog only attracts attention to himself by showing how well mannered he is. A well-trained dog is a happy dog, and a happy dog owner.