The Benefits of Obedience
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By Peri Norman
According to the AKC website,”Obedience trials demonstrate the dog’s ability to follow specified routines in the obedience ring and emphasize the usefulness of the dog as a companion to humankind. The objective of obedience trials is to recognize dogs that have been trained to behave in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs in a manner that will reflect credit on the sport of obedience at all times and under all conditions.”
In theory, the purpose of obedience training has remained consistent, but the sport and the reality have most certainly changed. My first obedience class was taught by Jerry Orth. Bill Koehler’s training methods prevailed. Dogs were given a collar correction when they failed to perform an exercise and praise from the handler when it was done properly. Many classes were taught by men who had trained dogs in the military, and the approach to obedience training in general was no nonsense.
The introduction of the title Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH) in 1977 raised the bar. A minority, but widely recognized group of trainers, competed with dogs whose precision training had them scoring over 195 (out of 200 points) on a regular basis. These highly competitive trainers ushered in a new era of training based on operant conditioning. Positive training methods became increasingly favored over more disciplinarian-type approaches. Currently, scientific research about behavior and learning is continuing to evolve the way we approach training our dogs.
Still, there has been declining interest in obedience. Numbers of exhibitors are dropping and many all-breed clubs have discontinued offering obedience. The culture of the sport has changed. When I acquired my first show quality puppy, it was common for owners to do obedience and conformation with their dogs. My mentors assumed that my dog and I would do both. So we did. It is no longer standard operating procedure for current participants in AKC competitions to enroll in an obedience class, let alone get an obedience title on their dog. This is a truly sad situation because there is so much to be gained by active participation in obedience training and trials.
The first and most important benefit of obedience training is the opportunity to deepen your relationship with your dog. When we participate in any activity that requires mutual cooperation in pursuit of a defined goal, we learn new things about each other. We build communication skills. We practice patience. We learn about resilience. A successful foray into any performance activity should not be defined by the titles (although those can be an excellent measure of accomplishment), but by the strengthening of the bond between human and dog. The pure and simple pleasure of working together emphasizes and reflects the joy that is nurtured by a relationship grounded in teamwork.
Basic obedience is a foundation for so many other skills. Developing focus and learning to listen are among the most important skills for any dog to master. Dogs destined for herding or field work need to have fail-proof recalls. Agility dogs need to be listening for instructions, as well as being able to work in sometimes chaotic environments. Show dogs need to have good leash skills and must stand politely for a stranger to conduct a thorough examination. More important than any particular skill, basic obedience taught with positive techniques and an enthusiastic attitude help mold a baby puppy into a biddable learner who will enjoy working with its owner and learning new things for a lifetime.
Safety is a critical reason to do obedience work with your dog. A well-trained dog is less likely to get into trouble when an accident or mistake happens. A dropped leash, a door left open or an x-pen knocked over is a much less threatening situation when the dog involved has been taught to follow simple commands. Lives are saved when dogs have a reliable recall. A dog that will lie down when told can be prevented from running into traffic, jumping into a dog fight or a myriad of other dangerous situations.
Dogs that “wait”, “come”, “heel” and “lie down” are a pleasure with which to live. They can be moved from place to place in the home or yard without a leash or collar. Dogs that are trained and worked individually are generally better pack members. The owner-dog bond is stronger making them less likely to become attached to other dogs at the expense of the human. John Q Public is impressed because not only are these dogs beautiful, but they are “so well-behaved”. In our current political situation, it is more important than ever to realize that our dogs are on display everywhere we go. People notice our dogs because they are so attractive, healthy and happy. Appropriate behavior in all sorts of public situations is an important part of emphasizing to the public the value of purebred dogs and dog sports.
In fact, our relationship with John Q Public is another reason to be involved in obedience. We need to nurture the relationship between the dog owning public and us; exhibitors, fanciers and breeders. In the not too distant past, we were considered the experts on all things dog. The good news is we still are! The bad news is that the public needs to be reminded. The first thing many people do when they get a new dog is look for an obedience class. But local obedience classes run and taught by members of AKC clubs are becoming scarce. Instead, people with an online “education” and some letters after their names are filling the void by teaching classes in the local corporate-owned pet store. Step up and offer to teach a training class for your club. Even if you don’t feel comfortable teaching, there are numerous other jobs that are a part of sponsoring a class. Work with a local park to secure a venue. Volunteer to handle the registration for the class. Communications about holidays and class cancellations don’t require any training skill at all. More visibility is better. Even those of us who do not compete regularly in trials are more knowledgeable in many aspects of canine behavior and training than many of the big box pet store trainers. We know things about dogs that you cannot learn in a book or an on-line course. Of course, if we are not sharing our knowledge, someone else is stepping into that void.
There are still challenges with obedience and the way that the AKC structures the trial situations. We know that the rules just changed, and those changes were designed to make obedience competitions more interesting and appealing. Regardless of one’s opinions about competition rules, the essential value of working with your dog to acquire useful skills remains the most universal benefit of obedience training. Supporting our clubs and involving the public in learning about and enjoying obedience training with our dogs is a win for all involved.
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Posted by ralbee
on Feb 20 2016. Filed under Current Articles, Editorial, Featured.
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