Press articles

Teach your dog some good manners
VINITA G SINGH
13 May, 2003 0328hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK

THEY'RE nicknamed the creature teachers. For if your pets misbehave, they discipline them and impart animal Ps and Qs to bring out the best behaviour, even in the most disobedient ones.

Be it problems like incessant barking, jumping on guests, soiling your carpets, refusing to eat and snapping at family members, pet trainers are equipped to handle it all. In fact their popularity with pet owners has apparently increased so much that several pet trainers have left regular jobs to take this on full-time.

Pet Bonding in Rajajinagar provides animal trainers for your problem pets on a training schedule of your choice. Basant Patil of Pet Bonding says, "We provide dog trainers who not only teach the dog good behaviour, they also interact with the owners so they know how to deal better with their pets when the training is complete."

Full-time trainer J Richard says, "It's all about understanding the pet, different pets have different personalities and needs. Once you know what works best for your pet, its all downhill from there."

Housewife Rosaleen J Kurien, who has a pet trainer for her Alsatian says, "The trainer not only teaches my dog 'manners', he also takes the dog for a walk. My dog was very ferocious and would not even let us talk to others. He would constantly fight with our other dog, after two months of training we see a marked improvement. The dog is house trained, obedient and less aggressive."

"Besides teaching your pet to sit, roll and fetch, pet trainers also teach them how to ride in the car without fear, bark softly, especially if the owners live in apartments, how to behave while going for a walk, and even how to play different games. A friend referred a trainer to me and my pet has been able to adjust to living in an apartment really well and I know how to handle her when she becomes naughty," says therapist Susanna Eapen. Besides obedience, trainers also train dogs for protection.

Trainers advise that pets should ideally be trained at around six months, but there is no hard and fast rule. Besides dogs, some trainers also teach cats, birds and other domestic pets, the basics of good animal behaviour. The costs range from Rs 1,500 upwards for an hour, three-five days a week. Training is done at your home.

So the next time you say 'good dog', you know just whom to thank.