Dog Quote: They never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself, and keep up an appearance of being interested in the conversation.
....Jerome K. Jerome

PHOTO; LACEY, Feb. 2007
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One of the first and most important steps in dog training is to get the respect and confidence of your dog. As mentioned in previous newsletters dogs are pack
animals, and there always must be a leader of the pack.You need to ensure that your dog understands that you are his or her leader.

Once you've done that you will have gained the respect and confidence of your dog. Having done this will make dog training a whole lot easier for you and a far more pleasurable experience.

Failure to gain the respect of your dog will result in a disobedient animal, as they will not look to you as the lead dog, and it is only the lead dog that they will look to for direction.

While most new puppy owners love to give their animal love and affection, they also need to be aware that leadership and respect are equally important. In fact, I would go as far as to say that leadership and respect are more important, because it is only when you get that from your dog that you can truly enjoy the benefits of having a dog
in the family.

And the sooner you get your respect and leadership the more enjoyable life will be for both you and your dog, and the sooner and easier it will be to have your dog fully trained. The longer you leave the process of training your dog the more difficult it will become, as habits of old dogs are harder to break.