Dogs are highly social animals and still share many behavioural characteristics in common with their closest ancestor; the wolf. A dog perceives its family as its "pack" and is happiest when it knows its position within the pack hierarchy. This is especially true when a family has young children. The dog needs to know that the children are higher up in the hierarchy than he is.

The Importance of Training:

Obedience training your dog is one of the best things you can do to establish yourself as leader and to set boundaries that your dog will understand. Unfortunately, the majority of dog owners do not participate in obedience training classes with their dogs. This results in many dogs becoming hyperactive, boisterous, disobedient and confused about their role within the "pack." A subsequent weakening of the bond between owner and dog often results in relinquishment or abandonment.

These days, most dog training facilities train dogs using positive reinforcement. Some use food treats as rewards, while others use praise (verbal and physical) and play. You may need to consider which method will suit your dog best. For example, if your dog is highly motivated by food, you should choose a dog training school that uses food treats as positive reinforcement. However, if your dog is motivated with praise and play rather than food, choose an obedience school that uses this method.

Perfect Dog Owners:

Perfect dog owners are people who have researched different breeds (or cross breeds), decided which breed or cross breed will best suit their situation or lifestyle and understand what it takes to be a responsible dog owner. They know that dogs are social "pack" animals, must have companionship and are not to be left to their own devices in the backyard for extended periods of time. They understand that dogs are intelligent and that their minds need to be kept busy or else they are prone to behavioural problems. Perfect dog owners are prepared to walk their dog daily, obedience train it if necessary (highly recommended), provide suitable veterinary care, feed a balanced and nutritious diet and above all, provide companionship for their dog. If you do not think you can provide these things to a dog, then DON'T get one! Not only is it unfair for the dog but you will save yourself a lot of grief in the long run. Instead, you could offer to walk a friend's dog or even volunteer at your local animal shelter.

Purebred, Crossbred or Mixed-breed (Mongrel)?

Any dog or puppy has the potential to make an excellent pet. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to all three types of dogs. Purebred dogs usually have a predictable temperament and appearance. For example, if you buy a Golden Retriever from a breeder you can usually view the parents and you know that your puppy will mature to a similar size and appearance as the parents. A disadvantage of owning some purebred dogs is that they can be prone to genetic defects and hereditary illnesses because of a small gene pool, resulting in a shortened lifespan.

Crossbreeds are dogs that are produced from crossing two different purebreds. Advantages of buying a crossbred are that they can be robust (depending on the breed and health of the parents), requiring less trips to the vet for things like ear and skin infections, heart problems and tumors and they are usually cheaper to purchase. However, if their ancestry is unknown, it is often difficult to predict adult behavioural and physical attributes such as temperament, size, coat length and activity level.

Recently, some crossbred or "designer dogs" have become very popular and expensive. Crossbreds such as cavoodles (cavalier x poodle), maltaliers (maltese x cavalier), schnoodles (schnauzer x poodle), groodles (golden retriever x poodle) and pugaliers (pug x cavalier) can be found in pet shops Australia wide.

These crossbreds are often sold as "better alternatives" to purebred dogs because they have "crossbreed vigor" or "low shed coats." This is not always the case. Be careful if buying a puppy from a pet shop. Some pet shops source their pups from puppy mills (or puppy farms) where dogs are sometimes bred continuously in less than satisfactory conditions. However, not all pet shop puppies come from such puppy farms and there are reputable pet shops which sell happy, healthy puppies. When buying a puppy, make sure you can view the parents and only consider purchasing the puppy if the parents have excellent health and temperaments.

Mixed-breed or mongrel dogs have a combination of purebred or crossbred parentage or their parentage is unknown. These dogs can also make excellent pets and are often very robust, being less prone to genetic defects due to a wider gene pool. However, when buying a mongrel puppy it is difficult to know what the adult characteristics will be unless the parents of the pup can be viewed.

What about a shelter dog?

Adopting a dog from a shelter means giving that dog a second chance at life. There are thousands of dogs in shelters all over Australia waiting for "forever homes." Unfortunately, the lure of a cute little puppy means that many shelter dogs are overlooked, even though they can make excellent pets.

Dogs end up in shelters for a number of reasons. Some are strays. Others are relinquished by their owners because of time, money and relationship issues and some dogs end up in shelters because of "behavioural problems." As a result, shelter dogs vary in the degrees to which they were socialised, trained and cared for. Some shelter dogs may have been mistreated by their previous owner. However, with a little time and TLC, these dogs settle well into their new homes. Obedience training goes a long way towards a happy human-canine relationship.