Should dog training be mandatory?

Question

I really think it should. We constantly hear about "bad daogs" and "bad breeds" but any dog whether it's a Pit Bull or a Chihuahua has the potential to be nasty if not trained. Of course the damage a Pit can do is much worse than a Chi, but I firmly believe there are very few bad dogs. Those that are bad it's usually a medical or genetic condition often caused by bad breeding, but there are many bad owners who just can;t be bothered to train their pets.

Your thoughts please.

I totally agree quite often it's the people who need training. This happens when the dog learns though as you learn together.

I myself have 4 dogs and even though I think I do pretty well teaching them on my own the youngest will be starting his classes in a few weeks. Not only does he learn the basics and I along with him he also gets to meet other dogs/people from outside the home. To me it's a win/win situation.

I was going to close this out, but I'll leave it until tonight. I really am enjoying all of your points of view whichever way you see it.

Thanks to all who have replied.

Answer 1

I fully agree with you!

I have a pitbull mix who is the best dog with children and older people, and other then a really good home he was also trained from the day I got him at 8 weeks old. It has nothing to do with his breed at all, he was well raised and well trained.

I see so many people who spend 60 or 120 dollars to take one or two classes and have nearly perfect dogs just because they know the basics where as there's so many more who never take any classes and just give up their dogs only to get a new puppy a few months later.

People need to train their dogs if only a basic puppy class and basic training class after.

If people would actually understand the importance of getting your dog a CGC title so many dogs would be better off.

To many people have dogs who jump, or bite, or don't get along with kids or other dogs. I've yet to have that problem with any of my dogs, and I have some odd breeds who most people think are bad breeds. Yet I would trust my pit mix, or my wolf alone with a two year old child on the floor of a room before I would trust a random family's bouncy untrained lab.

Training is more then just shouting at your dog to sit or yelling it's name too, oddly a lot of people actually think that if their dog sometimes comes when they call it, it sort of walks on a leash until it sees something to run after, and sits when they pull on the dog's collar that somehow they actually think it's trained.

It only takes about a three months for any dog, young or old, to be really trained when you have a good trainer, and costs less then giving the dog up at most shelters...

So yes you are fully right, along with those reasons and so many others that I could go on with, all dogs should have to be trained. If it's a little pocket dog, or a 200 pound Newfoundland. All dogs need to be trained, really trained by someone who knows what their doing.

And all owners need to be trained as well, not just the dog.

It's really sad that more people can't understand this.

Answer 2

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://bitly.im/aL5EK

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 3

I believe at least a 6 week course should be mandatory when someone buys a dog / puppy.. Training classes train the person how to train their dog.. It doesn't do much for the dog lots of times, but it gives the person some tools to use in the future.. A resource to look back on when they come across issues with their dog in the future..

The CKC works with pet health insurance and when you register your puppies, each puppy gets 6 weeks free pet health insurance.. I believe if they maybe did the same thing with a training group.. Then more people would at least take that free 6 week course and get some tips .. Even if they did nothing but learn how to housetrain their dog.. It would be worth it..

Most dogs get returned, or sent to the shelter because of basic things like house training.. Nipping the kids.. If people were learning these little things early on, and the importance of training early on, maybe more dogs would stay in their homes and not end up in the shelter or rescues..

Answer 4

I'm not in favour of a one-size-fits-all kind of legislation. While I plan to use a puppy class for our dogs (more for socialisation than actual training), I don't think it's the answer for every dog or dog owner.

Here are some problems:

* What if the owner lives in an isolated area with limited access to training classes?

* What if the only classes available use techniques that are not compatible with that particular dog or owner?

* What if the owner is already a better, more experienced trainer than the official trainers that are available?

However, I think mandatory training classes might be a good idea for dog owners who are guilty of infractions (e.g. dogs not licensed; dogs running loose in public areas; aggression/barking behaviours that affect neighbours or general public).

Answer 5

It would be a great idea if there could be some sort of mandatory education class devised for people wanting to bring a dog into their lives. Everything from teaching basic commands to information on how much it costs to maintain a dog's health over its lifetime would be worthwhile topics, since so many people obviously have no clue about these things. People should be informed of what they're getting into if they don't already know - it would help solve a lot of problems of people returning dogs because they "can't" be trained, mess the house, develop health problems, etc. etc.

Answer 6

Yes - it should be.

Humans are REQUIRED (yes they are legally required) to send their children to school. And we have put the burden on schools to not only teach our children history and science, but also to teach them responsibility (which is usually undermined by the irrresponsible parents), accountability, study habits, how to practice, and most importantly, how to learn for themselves.

So why not require us to do the same for our dogs. Dogs can do damage to humans and other dogs and 99% of the time its because the OWNER did not have a well trained dog. 99% of the time, the dog doesn't just snap and go on a killing rampage - they don't go "postal". There is a reason the dog hurts someone or something living. I think it would #1 - cut down on animal cruelty - why - because if a trainer witnessed a human beating or abusing the animal then the animal could be removed from that situation #2 - it would cut down on pet bites owners - because now the owners have the tools to train and deal with the dog #3 - it would cut down on dog bite dog situations because now the dog would have training and the owner would know exactly how to deal with aggression before it escalated to "red level" aggression.

Will it happen - no. Why - because of some of the same crazy people that have already answered your question "forcing me to go to training violates my rights". Those are the same people that I deal with as parents of my students that give excuse after excuse after excuse for their child's poor behaviour and lack of responsibility in my classroom. People need to wake up and stop complaining about your rights or lack thereof - you want to see lack of rights go live in China or Afghanistan or Saudia Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan - don't talk to me about lack of rights in this country!!

So - I approve of your eutopian idea - I commend you for it and I wish that the rest of the people would realize that sometimes good does come from losing your right to choose to do something.

Answer 7

Absolutely!

Till it is mandatory, the people who most need to be trained to train their dog, will not do it. Smart people already know that it is important to train your dog.

If it wasn't mandatory for all children to attend school, how many do you think would never get an education? I reckon quite a lot. Look at countries were they do not have mandatory schooling.

It would be nice to think that all parents / dog owners are responsible people, but we already know they are not.

I am all in favour of mandatory dog training. There is already such a thing as a "Good Canine Citizen" in the US, isn't there? We have a "Ideal dog of Australia" Certificate. Let's make it mandatory!

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Answer 8

I agree! When we had our greyhound, Dodge, we had to train him to just be in a house, since he was a rescue. We had the time and inclination to train him on our own. My husband (fiancee at the time) had been a vet tech, so he knew a lot about dogs; he also had a greyhound previously, when we first met. So, he knew what it took. Yet, not everyone has the experience and know how to do this on their own, so it would be a great idea to take dogs to a trainer. It is good for owners to see how to handle a dog as well. It is pet-raising training for people, too! Good idea!! : )

Answer 9

No. We already have enough regulations placed upon us as it is. In a world where you have to have an FBI background check, medical screening, drug testing and credit check just to work at a minimum wage job, all we need is one more intrusion in our lives. This would mean that only the more well-to-do could have a pet (unless of course the city or state wanted to pay for this "training'). I have known many poorer and elderly people who are devoted and loving to their pets. Let's not take that joy away from them. And what is supposed to happen if the dog is lazy, stubborn, or less-than-bright and flunks its little training course? Should it be snatched away from the owner and euthanized? Realistically, you are asking for more legislation in obtaining a Chihuahua than a firearm. Sure, it never hurts to give a dog a few obediance classes, but find something more worthy to be passionate about.

Answer 10

That's a wonderful idea but I don't know how we'd enforce it. It is the lazy owner who thinks their dog will just automatically be good or obedient. Just doesn't happen.
Just by some of the question posted here I wonder where some have learned their training techniques!!! YIKES!

Heck I used to give each new puppy owner names of training schools in their area with each pup I sold. I don't know if they ever used them but most did. Even reading a good training book will help tons. I think we can only try and keep our fingers crossed at this point.