What is a good Dog?

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    1. A good dog should be fully housetrained. Learning to eliminate outdoor is a fairly easy standard to achieve. Most dogs can hold it for 8 hours while you are at work. If your pet has regular accidents overnight, or during short periods of confinement, your pet may have a medical problem or a training problem. Be consistent on what you are telling your dog!
    2. A good dog should be able to greet strangers without displaying aggression or objectionable affection. Most people do not like to be greeted by a growling, barking, improperly sniffing or even a dog jumping up to greet them. If your dog displays these behaviors you have a problem whether your friends complain or not.
    3. A good dog should be able to walk on a leash without pulling you down the street. You can control this behavior very easily with a head collar. With a Gentle Leader you no longer have to jerk on their neck with brute force. And best of all, head collars are non-painful!
    4. A good dog will tolerate medical care, exams, and grooming. Teaching your dog to accept someone handling their feet, ears, and mouth is a simple task. (It’s become a very popular thing for vets and groomers to charge a handling fee for hard to handle pets.
    5. A good dog should be able to ride in the car quietly without lunging at passers-by. Wild and crazy behavior is obviously dangerous. Owning a pet that bites a people as they walk by parked cars is likely to get someone injured.
    6. A good dog should be mannered enough to stay home in your absence without destroying the furniture. Separation anxiety is a common canine problem and can usually be solved with a little patience and work.
    7. A good dog should be able to tolerate the occasional loud noises such as thunder and fireworks. If your dog claws desperately to escape when hearing a loud noise, you have a problem.

     Although these simple good dog traits seem obvious, you would be surprised to know how many people just learn to live with canine chaos. If you are beginning to realized your dog isn’t as good as you formerly thought, you have taken the first step toward correcting the problem. The next step is finding a qualified obedience trainer. You can do it. An old dog can always learn new tricks!