If you’ve ever had a dog, you certainly know what true loyalty and unconditional love means! However, we are sure you know that having a dog is not only fun, but also a big commitment that includes training that helps the whole family live harmoniously.
Dog lovers who have not had a pet most often imagine this experience as ideal; they imagine how they take a nice walk with their new best friend, how the dog listens to them, walks by their leg, knows how to wait for the command, brings the ball when we throw it, doesn’t touch what we don’t let him…
The reality can indeed be like that, but only if the owner learns the “language” of his dog and trains it using only positive associations and rewards. And if they don’t understand each other, the situation can unfortunately be sad for both the dog and the owner.
That’s exactly why Dogs Trust fully funds its Dog School, which is the right place to learn how to make your dog listen to you with pleasure, without any out-of-pocket expenses, and thus build a strong bond with him, so that you never, ever, want to leave him!
Mental stimulation of the dog is just as important as physical exercise
Dog owners are most often aware of the need to preserve the physical health of their pets, so they regularly take their dogs for walks and for veterinary examinations.
But, did you know that physical exercise alone can actually wake up the dog even more, and that exercising intelligence will make him more satisfied and tired?
Why is developing and exercising dog’s intelligence important for both dogs and their owners?
First of all, a sufficient amount of exercise through play and rewarding and encouraging the solving of challenges adequate for each dog will definitely relax the dog and reduce its stress level, but of course it will also strengthen their resourcefulness, intelligence, and self-confidence, as well as dexterity and ability to search. Additionally, mental challenges are a great way to reduce your dog’s boredom at times when you can’t give him your full attention due to other commitments. This is especially important for the owner, because these activities can offer the possibility of prolonged animation of the dog when we leave it alone at home. All this is important for the community as well, because adequately mentally stimulated dogs exhibit unwanted behaviors less often.
What can owners do to offer their pet an extra mental challenge?
Although there are numerous toys designed for this very purpose, working on developing your dog’s intelligence, with a little creativity, does not have to mean additional costs. There are many ways to enrich your dog’s environment through daily play and creating challenges using all of his senses.
You can turn regular walks into interactive ones by giving the dog tasks along the way with favorite toys or by hiding food for the dog to search for.
When you are at home, instead of giving your dog a whole meal at once, divide it into smaller portions and use it as a reward during training and play. During the day, you can also offer food in various, more interesting ways than usual, e.g. using extended feeding bowls, toys that drop food, or rubber toys that can be pre-filled with food and frozen. Be creative but be careful and always use materials that are safe for the dog.
Who can apply for training at the Dog School?
Training is necessary for every dog and important for the well-being of the dog, the owner and the community, so everyone is welcome to apply. However, dogs, like us, learn best when they are still young, so this training is especially recommended for owners who have just got a dog. In this way, the dog will learn good behavior from an early age and associate it with something pleasant for him, because we at the Dog School use the most effective method – only positive motivation and never punishment. The only requirement for you to start the training is that your dog has received vaccinations against infectious diseases, because that way he and his friends with whom he will attend the classes are protected.
Dog School can now give you individual attention through 1:1 classes if you need to work on correcting a certain behavior, and be sure to follow opportunities for webinars that will help you always understand your dog well and make him listen to you with pleasure.
Learn more, watch the dog training series and apply by filling out the application form on our website www.dogstrust.ba.
Where in Bosnia and Herzegovina is there a Dog School?
Due to limited capacity, a Dog School has only one permanent location, Semizovac bb, but in order to help as many owners and dogs as possible across the country, School has two visits every year in the regions of larger cities for the duration of five weeks, which is the average training cycle. For now, these are Banja Luka, Mostar and Tuzla.
The first guest appearance this year is in Banja Luka, from 8 May until 10 June, and applications are open from 1 April until 1 May.
Stay tuned for more information!
Over 1,500 owners and their furry friends have successfully completed this Dog School so far. Sign up too!
