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The scriptures tell us that God made all the animals and that they belong to Him. He cares for them and is concerned for their well-being.
Psalms 50: 10-11 "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine."
Proverbs 12:10 tells us that the "righteous care for their animals."
It is our responsibility to care for and respect the animals. Dogs require a lot of attention and care. They need to be exercised and groomed. They need fresh healthy food and clean water every day.
An important part of their care is training. We need to keep in mind that as smart as our dogs are they are hardwired for instinct. And getting them to "behave" and live within the boundaries of what we deem as "good" is almost like asking them to behave and communicate in a foreign country without knowing the language.
To make training a more pleasurable activity for both human and canine, here are a few suggestions:
- Training should be done in a way that cultivates mutual respect.
- Remember that training is "perishable" and reminders and refreshers will be needed, do you remember everything you learned in school?
- It takes a human doing something for 18 to 300 days on average to develop a daily habit, so how long will it take your dog?
- Dogs are happier and do better with structure, imagine you going to a new job and your boss just says "ok get to work" without any instruction.
- Be patient and forgiving when your dog makes a mistake, did you get an "A" on every test in school? Don't get mad! Just re-instruct them. We are so glad that God forgives us when we make mistakes.
- Proper nutrition and grooming are essential. Poor nutrition and health can affect behavior, as does inadequate exercise.
- Do not make training ONLY about "obedience," try to do some other training so listening to you is fun. Do trick training or agility for example.
- It helps if the human tries to learn a little "dog language."
- Think of training as building a relationship. Much like how reading the Bible and learning, God's word is also building a relationship with Him.
Please feel free to reach out with any concerns with training, behavior issues, nutrition, or general grooming. If I don't know the answer, I will research and find one!
Be Blessed, All for Him,
Chaplain Jill Marie
CGC Evaluator
AKC CGC Training For C4C
Canine Good Citizen Book
Canine Good Citizen gives dog owners the tools they need for the 10-step training program for the Canine Good Citizen Program. The first edition of Canine Good Citizen® won the Training Book of the Year by the Dog Writers Association of America, and this newly expanded edition includes information on new AKC programs for CGC dogs.