Knowledge

Step 1 - Knowledge

This is the first step.  It is the foundation that all other foundations are built upon.  You need to understand what you are starting with, what is normal for your dog, and what you can and can't change.

Think of bringing your vehicle to a mechanic. He needs to understand your make and model, what is normal for that vehicle, what is causing a problem, and what can be reasonably accomplished in the shop.  For instance, expecting a Corvette to be a good off-roading vehicle, or expecting a Hummer to excel at road racing may be a strech, but with a lot of work the mechanic can do his best to reach the potential of these vehicles.  But, keep in mind that the Corvette will never be a Humvee and the Humvee never a Corvette and be unlikely to perform as well at the others specialized task.

Dog training is similar and somewhat more complicated.  The average Rottweiler will never be a Beagle and the average Beagle will never be a Rottweiler.  Also, dogs will be born with certain genetic characteristics that may not be the norm for their breed and/or have had a less than ideal early environment which may always influence their behavior to a degree.

Your job in step 1, Knowledge , is to be aware of the normal and predictable behavior of your individual untrained dog.  Once you understand what is "normal" for your dog (not to be confused with what you want to be normal for your dog), you can take your knowledge and do the best for your dog with what God gave him.  Then, you will see what your dog's potential truly can be.

When you finish step 1 - Knowledge you should be able to answer:

1. What does my dog do that I want to change?

2. When does my dog do these behaviors?

3. Why does my dog do these behaviors?

The first two questions you should be able to answer now, the third you most likely need to keep reading the site to answer.  Do not move forward to step 2 until you can answer these questions.

A good place to start on getting the most out of our dog is to start with some of the very basics of dog culture.  Click here for some of the most important and not commonly known basics of their culture.