A muzzle may be cheaper than training, but.....
At first glance, a muzzle may seem like a more cost effective way to deal with dog aggression or a dog that nips. Although it may save money in the immediate future, what is saved in the long run with training is so much greater.
Training allows your dog the quality of life he/she truly deserves. When you and your k-9 overcome certain obstacles together that you thought unimaginable not only is a bond created like no other but the confidence you can bring into any situation with you is invaluable.
Someone mentioned to me, they were so worried their dog had been "ruined" recently in a traumatic situation that now causes them to need a muzzle. Well, I say your dog is no lost cause!
We should fight for their chance at the best quality of life we can give them. So we save money today by purchasing a $15-20 muzzle but in the long run, should you face a situation acutely where no muzzle is present or you took a chance that went horribly wrong....the bill is much higher....the stakes, much higher. And is that a chance we should willing to take with our loved one? Not really.
The misconception about training is that "it does not work", "it does not last", "the chance of the dog going back to old habits"...
I am here to tell you... Training does work! But, it takes patience, diligence, compassion, trust and much reinforcement on behalf of owner once done.
Dogs learn through repetition.
An article written by Frances Gaertner in 2011 states "Scientists recognize specific skills as key signs of high cognitive abilities; they include good memory, self-awareness, an understanding of grammar and symbols, understanding others’ motives, imitation, and creativity. Just like humans, animals need these cognitive processes to interact with the changing world around them to survive."
Learning is not only the way of our lives but also the way of theirs.
To say dog training is over priced is to say, I rather risk the price later. Trainers exist to take the burden off family, allow people to embrace and love their dogs without fear or the stress of being the one to train.
Fear being the fear of darting--potential for getting hit by a car. Fear of chewing (any and everything)-- increases health risk or spending more money over the span of years upon replacing said shoes/furniture/hardware. Fear of biting--potential for harm towards owner or others. Fear of leash pulling--having yourself, family, friends or hired dog walkers dragged down the road. The list goes on.
There are so many great and valuable reasons to pick the long term solution over the quick fix.
I hope this blog helps! Thank you for reading!
-Paw Dawgs, LLC
