The word has its roots in the Latin word for life - dog training is important because it enhances the quality of life for both the owner and their dog.
Dogs still have a lot of the wild in their natures even though they have been domesticated for thousands of years. Providing that you remember they are dogs and not small furry children, a dog will adapt well to home life. Training your dog helps to maximize peace and security for both the dog and the family.
The importance of training your dog has to go beyond the very basic level of safety or the avoidance of property damage and physical harm. Dogs are by nature pack animals and early on in life they recognize a social hierarchy. As the dog's owner you must be at the top of that hierarchy, for the sake of the sanity of both of you.
Some dogs will naturally try to take the alpha or lead role as in the wild this has evolutionary advantages. In a domestic situation however, you have the greater ability to judge the consequences and your dog will be better adjusted if he knows that you rather than he, is the master or "pack leader".
Teaching your dog that, no matter how treasured they are, you and not they are at the top of the heap brings peace of mind. This means that they must do as you wish by coming when you say and staying at your command. This behavior may seem dictatorial and many people are reluctant to assert themselves that way. When dealing with your dog however, it is essential.
Dogs are natural hunters and therefore are inclined to chase things. Young dogs especially are prone to take off after another animal, a car or a child. However, these situations can be dangerous and result in harm to your pet, a person or some property. In order to lessen the chances of such happenings it is necessary to train your dog early on to listen to voice commands from everyone in the family.
There is much less likelihood that your dog will respond to a sudden urge of emotion that could end in an accident if you have first taught your dog to obey the commands of halt, stop and then come. It might be necessary in the beginning to use a leash so that you can snap the leash sideways at the same time as you issue the command. When you do this you should try to avoid jerking backward against the dog's throat. In time your dog will associate the command with the physical action and then come to obey the voice alone.
These kinds of techniques help to ensure the safety not only of your own dog but of other animals and people as well. Many dogs will chase after another who could harm then, the dog's emotions take control when he feels that the dog has entered his territory. Rather than stopping to judge whether they have a chance against the other animal as we might, they simply react.
When they know you are the leader of the pack it gives the dog a sense of its place in the group. It can follow your lead, secure in the knowledge that you will keep it safe from harm and well-fed. Training is the only way to ensure that you are acting in the same way than an alpha dog would do.
