My dogs are a major part of my self-measurement for "quality of life". Training my dogs each morning and at the end of each day gives me a level of satisfaction that is rarely matched by anything else I do. The bond between man and dog is well known and I can personally attest to its accuracy that dog is man's best friend.

 

I am a "working dog" guy more than a "pet" guy. I believe we owe it to our dogs to bring the most out of them. I figure if you are going to have a dog that goes with your kid to the park, why not train that dog to detect drugs and bombs, be able to search for and rescue the child if lost, be able to protect the child from a bad guy? I know that sounds a bit out there, but many breeds are capable of that task it is simply a matter of teaching the dog how to do it effectively.

 

In my efforts to teach my 5 working dogs how to accomplish those, and many more tasks, I have seen a trend in dog owners that is causing me alarm. The lack of training that owners are putting on their dogs is causing me to worry about the future of our friendship with our canine companions. 

 

About 4million dogs are euthanized each year, 8 million dogs end up in shelters. The primary reason these dogs are killed; they lack basic training that stops bad behavior. Nobody wants to keep or adopt a dog that growls at them, digs up the yard, destroys furniture or drags them down the road on a leash.

 

A dog needs a leader, his owner is supposed to provide that leadership. We have to give our dogs a job to do each day or they will find a job to do that does not necessarily meet our acceptance criteria. A leader, first and foremost, is a teacher.

 

I have established an on-line training program to teach people how to train their dogs. I just launched the first program called "Problem Dogs" where we identify 31 bad behaviors and teach people how to fix those behaviors. Next week I will launch the "Pet Training" program followed this fall by the "Working Dog Training" program.

 

I know I can't reach all the 8 million owners who put their dogs in shelters each year, but I intend to make an impact. I have applied world class course development and project management techniques/processes as well as industry best dog training practices to these on-line learning programs.

 

Thank you for your time, with a little bit of help man can once again become dog's best friend!