Learning how to raise a dog

We don't come pre-educated in the art of raising a dog; just like we don't come preprgrammed to play the piano, sail a yacht or do brain surgery. Most things in our life take educating; some things need more education than others but even raising a puppy takes learning. For some reason raising a puppy seems to be one of those things that most people think they've got covered.

If I decided today to get into birds; I would have alot of learning to do. I have no knowledge of domestic birds. I have some knowledge of wild birds as I was an avid bird watcher back in Canada, I knew their migration dates and charted exact days they left and came back to the North. So what makes the canine species seem so simple to people?

Dogs are simple at first glance but the more you know about them the more you realize what you don't know. Raising dogs is like most things in life; not a science. What works for one probably will not work for another. Canine behavior is extremely complicated and in a matter of seconds a dog can have conveyed many communications. And for the untrained eye, you would have missed the signs.

To admit that you don't know and seek to find the answers can only create a better canine guardian. Trying to tackle behavior issues when you are not equipped with the knowledge is an uphill battle. One that you may not only not be able to accomplish but you may indeed create worse problems because of your lack of knowledge.

Learning about dogs is enlightening; if you plan on sharing your life with a dog or many dogs then seek to find the answers. Talk to people who know, do your research and consult behavior experts. Learning how to decipher what your dog is saying takes alot of work and learning. But it is well worth the time, you may actually know what your dog is saying and have the tools to deal with what they are communicating to you.