Before you really start taking your pet training to a serious level, you will need to make one more really important decision.

You need to decide what exactly you want your pet to learn.

Some basic commands, such as sit, stay, come, down, should be taught to all dogs. Any dog will benefit from a consistent ability to follow these commands. As these are the foundation commands of having a well behaved dog.

But what other types of pet training are there? Would your pet enjoy them?

Many dogs love to have purpose. This is what makes training so good for a dog. They receive praise and treats for doing good and learn that the more good stuff they do, the more they are rewarded. Your pet is likely to be no exception to this rule.

Many people just do not realize that training your dog does not need to stop at a basic level. As you continue to train your pet, and as they continue to get better, consider taking your pet’s training to more advanced levels. Some advanced training techniques can be quite rewarding for both owner and pet.

Several other types of pet training fall into advanced training these often include

• Pet Long Distance Jumping
• Pet Agility Training
• Schutzhund Training
• Frisbee Toss Training
• Protection Training
• Search and Rescue Training
• Canine Helper Programs for Handicapped
• and many other programs.

Advanced training does not even need to be something as serious as search and rescue, but should be something both of you enjoy doing. We have one dog that loves to help us carry in wood during the winter. When we head to the wood pile, he grabs a piece and carries it inside for us. He enjoys it.

Other programs, such as Service Dogs Amercia, or the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Program, are always looking for volunteers that have socially behaved dogs. These dogs are often requested to visit elderly homes or sick children in the hospital. Which is often a very enjoyable and heartwarming experience.

The only limits to your dogs training potential come from both you and your dog. If you do not wish to train your pet to advanced levels, then by all means train the basics until your pet is well-behaved, sociable and a loving pet. On the other hand, keep in mind that there are many other options that you and your dog could pursue that might be rewarding to you and your pet.

This does it for this training series. Come back often as we continue to provide canine training tips for the average person.