“A Tired Dog is a Good Dog.”

There’s an adage that states “a tired dog is a good dog.”

I also like to think that a tired dog is also a happy dog. It means that they have the opportunity to run, stretch their legs, sniff the scents and explore their territory. Be a dog. Other than spending time with their owner, a good off-leash run is a dog’s most favorite thing. It makes their day complete.

Today I took the Goldens amd Higgins out for a run. Our property (Augusta Montgomery) has trails and ponds, fields and woods. A dog running paradise. The snow was deep and we had to bust a trail. Fin, our 4-year-old was out in front. Remy and Scarlett made snow angels and burrowed for mice and moles. Higgins just ran; leaving the pack behind as his long legs allowed him to skim above the snow. We all came back tired and content.

A tired dog is a good dog.

The vast majority of behavioral problems I see are with dogs who do not receive quality leadership from their owners. An integral part of leadership is choosing what activity the pack is to participate in and when. It’s no surprise that dogs with behavioral challenges also lack regular, quality exercise. By not providing quality exercise dog owners are not providing quality leadership.

Hyper, kinetic, frenzied antics and testy, challenging behavior can be a symptom of a lack of exercise……and leadership.

Without exercise the dog does not have physical outlet. As such, his energy needs manifests itself in undesirable forms.

Training and socialization are important ingredients to creating a well-behaved, stable dog. However, if any portion of the recipe is missing a dog may be incomplete, anxious and unfocused. The provison of daily enervated exercise can result is a dog who is more receptive to instruction and easier to live with.

The dog is content. The owner is happy.

To learn more about about our dog training services contact Augusta Dog Training.