Hundreds of thousands of dogs are turned into animal shelters because their owners don’t know how to deal with behavior problems and couldn’t find a reliable resource to help them. We at the APDT (www.apdt.com) think it is long overdue to dedicate a month where we can bring awareness to the importance of socialization and training, and most of all, to inform the public that training your dog can be simple and fun! The APDT has selected January as the perfect month because so many dogs and puppies are adopted and brought home during the winter holidays. Our desire is to help these new pet parents start off the new year with their newest family member in the best way possible.
The APDT is planning a variety of events in January 2010 to celebrate National Train Your Dog Month. It is our hope that the everyday dog owners will visit the event web site (www.trainyourdogmonth.com), so they can see how easy and fun training can be, and how patience, consistency and a deeper understanding of their dog’s behavior can lead to happier, healthier and harmonious households. We have a wide range of topics that we’ve covered so that pet owners will recognize themselves and their dogs. We will provide a great deal of information that will help using methods that are kind gentle and that have an emphasis on building your relationships with your dogs.
In addition the APDT has more than 5000 members who are willing and able to help dog owners who need help with their dogs. If there is one thing that current television shows about dog training have taught the public its that there are solutions to help dogs with behavior problems and there are alternatives to try before giving up your dog. States Michelle Douglas, CDBC, CPDT-KA, incoming President of the APDT, “We need to raise awareness that training is fun and rewarding for both the dog and the people! I hope that the more people hear about the events around the country, the more they will think about taking a class in some doggy-activity and discover the joys if training. Training isn’t just for people who want to compete in dog shows and people with ‘bad’ dogs, it is for every dog and dog-owner.”
Our web site content will include downloadable handouts on training, and regular updates on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TheAssociationofPetDogTrainers.US) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/apdt) with fun ideas and tips on how to train your dog. Please join the APDT in celebrating National Train Your Dog Month!
