So often I have heard that a person should never start training a dog until he is a least a year old. One of the most important years of his life has been wasted. When a dog is not gathering useful information he is gathering useless habits. Habits we will deal with the rest of his life.

Imagine a child that is shown nothing during his first year of life. Just left to his own. no talking, or physical exchanges, no helpful hand to strengthen or guide.

The dog is advancing at a much quicker rate in his first year than any other year in his life. Yet we accept this silly rule without question from those who we believe to be right. It is wrong. Early work is foundation work. Early stabilization is life long stabilization. Working service work is life's work. This is why the dog accepts it naturally. It permits him to use, constructively, his natural abilities. It is only man who would be bold enough to say, "I have taught my dog to track, bite, run or jump", Do not dogs naturally track, run, bite or jump?
With out man, would there be heaps of dogs unable to move like rubber mounds of useless creatures?< Does not a newborn puppy seek out the warmth of its mother's breast? Must we teach this?

Man must learn it is us that must learn to work with, not against, the natural abilities of our canine companions. When all is right, all works right.
©Mike McConnery/Baden K9 Incorporated,10/04/90

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