Covid-19 made everybody reassess their priorities. For many people, it resulted in a new addition to their home: a dog.
It may be that you live on your own and need company, or that you’ve discovered a new love for walking that you want to share with a four-legged friend. Whatever your reasons for deciding to welcome a dog into your home, your canine will need training.
Whether it’s a rescue dog that you’ve rehomed or a young puppy that you’ve carefully selected from a litter, your dog will be looking to you for guidance on how to behave in their new home.
Here are five reasons to consider hiring an online dog trainer.
Counteract the ‘new normal’
Everyone keeps talking about the ‘new normal’ that we’re all adapting to. This new normal means that you’re probably spending most of your day in the company of your four-legged friend which is great for bonding but may also mean that your dog is becoming reliant on you. This could become an issue when it comes to leaving your dog alone in the future.
Your dog is also missing out on everyday stimuli, such as other dogs, people outside your household, traffic, and loud noises. Investing time in training your dog at this challenging time can help to counteract this strange situation, ensuring that you aren’t left with deeply-rooted issues later down the line.
Keep your dog calm in quarantine
There isn’t much that’s more stressful than your dog getting a sudden burst of energy when you’re in the middle of a Zoom meeting and deciding to destroy your chair leg!
Hiring an online dog trainer can help you to harness your dog’s energy and put it to good use. The online dog trainer can provide you with daily training exercises to do with your canine which will exercise their brain, leaving them worn out – so you can fool everyone into thinking you’re concentrating on that next video call.
Fend off the boredom
Let’s face it – lockdown is boring. When you’re not working or doing your daily exercise, there isn’t much else to do.
An online dog training course will give you something else to get stuck into, with daily training exercises to complete with your pup. While all of your friends are comparing how many box sets they managed to watch, you can revel in your success of training your four-legged friend.
Don’t miss out
When it comes to toilet training or lead training, there’s a critical window where your dog will be most receptive to training. Miss this window and it can be more difficult for your canine to master their new skills.
An online dog trainer can give you professional advice on the best way to train your specific breed of dog because they’re all different. The sooner you can train your dog, the less time they’ve got to get stuck in habits that are challenging to break.
Some things can’t wait
There are some issues that need dealing with straight away. Dog behaviour problems, such as aggression, require immediate attention. Signs of aggression in your dog include growling, snarling, baring teeth, snapping, or lunging. Fail to address aggression in your dog immediately and you could be left with a serious problem.
Online dog trainers are highly skilled in dealing with issues such as aggressive dogs, giving you techniques and exercises that you can do at home with your pooch.
If you’re ready to get started with dog training, find a Dog Trainer on Bark.