Training your dog is not only good for your dog, it’s also good for you! Besides the benefit of spending quality time together with your companion animal, training your dog may also improve your physical and mental health. Here’s how:
Stress Reduction
When you think about stress relief, you may think of yoga, meditation, or a day at the spa, but research has shown that having a companion animal in your life can provide stress relief. Studies have indicated that having a dog (or cat!) can lower blood pressure and reduce the heart rate, and that almost any form of physical activity can reduce stress by boosting feel-good endorphins, distracting you from daily worries, and lowering symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Training your dog gets you moving, and mentally and physically engaging with your dog is an excellent way to take some time out and remove yourself from life’s daily stressors as you find yourself concentrating on teaching a cool new trick.
Staying Mentally Active
Dog training not only exercises your dog’s mind, but yours as well. There’s always a new behavior or trick to train your dog, and the concentration needed to time your treats and praise so that your dog understands exactly which behavior earned him the rewards requires you to stay focused, alert, and fully engaged with your dog during your training session. Research indicates that learning and practicing new skills is a way to keep your mind sharp, and training your dog is a skill that will require learning and practice for both you and your dog.
Physical Fitness
An important piece of the training process is expanding your dog’s skills outside of your home. The perfect sit/stay you get in your living room won’t likely happen at the park until you have practiced there. Teaching good leash manners means getting out for lots of walks in order to practice, practice and practice some more, which means getting outdoors and getting active. Dog sports such as Agility, Freestyle, Tracking, and many others also require a lot of physical activity on the part of dog owners, requiring us to get off our sofas and start moving!
To help you get started on training your dog, the WHS Behavior & Learning Center is offering a $20 discount on 1-hour private training sessions through the months of July & August. We can help you with everything from basic manners to trick training, clicker training, or whatever interests you and your dog. Contact us at 202-723-5730 x122 or AskTheTrainer@washhumane.org to schedule your lesson today! Appointments are filling fast!
By Diana Foley, Behavior & Training Counselor
Comments