What is Dog Behavior Counseling?

Dog behavior counseling is an important part of owning and caring for your four-legged friend and family member. Loving your dog involves teaching him how to listen to you so that he can be safe in all situations. Dog behavior counseling includes three major levels: basic training, advanced training, and off-leash training.

Taking your dog through basic training will help him learn common commands like “sit” and “shake.” The counselor may also address house training, loose-leash walking, and running away. The point of taking your dog through this counseling step is to teach him good doggy manners while he is around you, your other family and friends, and even strangers.

Advance training might be needed for a dog who is anxious and/or aggressive. Remember: the dog himself is not “bad”; he just needs to be taught better conduct by working with you and your dog behavior counselor. Also, even if your dog is perfectly sweet and docile, he might one day run into a dog that is aggressive or snappy. In behavior counseling, you and your dog can discover how to act around this other type of dog.

Finally, dog behavior counseling can assist you and your dog with strong non-verbal communication to the point that it is safe for your dog to be off-leash. With excellent counseling, your dog can learn to come when he is called–even from far away–and to be reliable around distractions.

You may have seen a variety of dog behavior counseling programs on TV, or you may have read a number of books on dog training. However, this is not a do-it-yourself situation. Dog behavior counseling can help you identify when your dog may need to see a veterinarian or look into obtaining medication.

The entire process requires nuance and skill. So when you look for a dog behavior counselor, make sure you find one that is knowledgeable.