STRONGSVILLE, Ohio, June 20, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A team of Ohio veterinarians seeks to educate pet owners on the need to educate their dogs through professional obedience training. Crossroads Animal Hospital sees obedience training as a critical aspect of pet wellness. According to Dr. Jeff Peacock, one of four veterinarians at the facility, "A dog who doesn't know how to behave properly around humans cannot safely enjoy the company of humans. Pet owners must teach their pets how to fit into the household as a family member." The vet center refers its clientele to a local dog obedience school, Pawsitively Good Pup.
"If your dog frightens or annoys people by barking, growling, jumping up on them or going to the bathroom at will, you may feel that you have no choice but to keep him chained up in the yard or locked away somewhere," says Dr. Peacock. "Dogs need companionship, so this kind of treatment doesn't help them. Your dog isn't trying to misbehave -- he just doesn't understand the rules."
The veterinarian states that dog misbehavior can take a variety of forms. Dogs may relieve themselves in inappropriate places, for instance, because they do not understand which areas count as "theirs" and which do not. Dogs may also jump up on visitors or bark at them out of sheer excitement unless they have been trained to approach them calmly and quietly. Other behaviors that may require correction including chewing on furniture, wandering or running off, pulling on the leash while being walked or barking at motion outside the windows.
Dog obedience training sets out to correct these and other misbehaviors, in part by establishing a mode of communication, according to Dr. Peacock. "Owners or trainers can teach dogs to react to 'No' or a non-verbal sound issued in a firm, distinctive tone. Dogs can also learn commands such as 'Sit' or 'Stay' by receiving regular rewards every time they perform the task correctly. Positive reinforcement is hugely important in dog obedience training -- negative reinforcement will only frighten a dog." Dr. Peacock adds that once a dog recognizes his master as pack leader, he will automatically assume a subordinate role in accordance with canine social order.
The veterinarians at Crossroads strongly endorse Pawsitively Good Pup, owned and operated by Cindy Hoppes, as the official dog training resource for Crossroads Animal Hospital saying, "We have the utmost confidence that our clients will enjoy happier, more fulfilling relationships with their dogs -- and their dogs will have happier lives -- with the obedience training offered at Pawsitively Good Pup."
Crossroads Animal Hospital, based in Strongsville, Ohio, serves the veterinary needs of Strongsville, Middleburg Heights, North Royalton and Berea pets. Visitors to the website can find further information regarding obedience training for pets. Join the animal hospital on Facebook for future updates.