Basic obedience training is one of the most important aspects of raising a dog. Dog training is not an end but a means to build a better communication with a dog. Effective communication is necessary to instruct a dog not only for basic instructions such as eating, sitting or standing but also to prevent numerous potential tragedies.

Besides obedience training, there is agility training, behavioural training, dog show training, and training as guide dogs for people who have visual impairments and also as sniffer dogs for the police.

A trained dog is easier to adopt than an ill-trained one. A trainer must be trained in order to train a dog, which follows that anybody with a dog must be a trainer. There are no bad dogs but bad trainers.

There are a number of training schools abroad that train people to be professional dog trainers. In the Middle East and Asia, the concept of dog training is relatively new and still needs to be explored.

But there is a new and growing demand for dog trainers who can train dogs for basic obedience, advance training gun dog training, and rescue training.

If you are interested in training dogs …

Where you can get trained …

Moorpark College in California, US, offers a programme in animal training and management. The University of North Texas, Department of Behaviour Analysis, offers graduate and undergraduate courses in behaviour modification. But even these courses do not cover all aspects of dog training.

Presently, there aren't universities or institutes in the Middle East that offer dog training as a degree or a diploma programme. But there are a number of private institutes that provide training programmes, including various kennel clubs.

K. Subramanian, Gulf News Report

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