Dog obedience training is one of the most important ways you can show your love for your dog. Obedience training improves the bond between you and your dog, building communication and understanding. Dogs need to know their place in the world to be content and happy; when you take the time to train your dog appropriately, you strengthen your dog's perception of where he belongs and what his "job" is in the world. As a consequence, he's more confident of your ability to be his "leader."

Benefits of Dog Obedience Training
Imagine walking your beloved, untrained dog near a busy city intersection, with cars and trucks whizzing by, drivers paying no attention to pedestrians or pets on the sidewalk. Suddenly, your dog spots a cat across the street, slips out of his collar and gives chase--right across that busy intersection. The chance he'll get hit and severely injured--or even killed--by one of those speeding vehicles is extraordinarily high.

With a well-trained dog, two things would be very different about the scenario I just described.

• Your dog wouldn't have reacted in that manner when he spotted the cat.

• Even if he had slipped out of his collar for some reason, you would have been able to control him with a simple "Come" or "Stay" command.
  

Training your dog gives you immediate voice control over him, eliminating many potentially tragic situations. From straying into a busy intersection to wandering out an opened gate, having a dog that is reactive to your voice commands will enable you to call him back from settings and locations where he could be injured or killed.

Obedience Training Can Save Your Dog's Life
In addition, studies have shown that a well-trained dog has a much lower chance of being surrendered to an animal shelter or humane society. A study conducted in 2003 by a veterinarian and his colleagues at Purdue University at the Humane Society of St. Joseph in Indiana found that the main reason owners surrender their dogs is because they fail to obedience train them or have unrealistic expectations of their pets. Some 54 percent of dogs surrendered were between the ages of six months and three years old, and the behavioral problems most frequently cited were barking, chewing, hyperactivity, housetraining accidents and aggression.

Taking the time to obedience train your dog will substantially increase the chances that you and your dog will have a long-term and satisfying relationship--on both sides!