Posted on March 14, 2010 by: WayCoolDogs

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How many of us have referred to a dog as “dumb” or “stupid”? After several years, I personally have learned there is no such thing as a dumb or stupid dog, but there sure are a lot of stupid dog owners….including myself. There isn’t a day that doesn’t go by I don’t learn something from them.

I have come to the  conclusion that lack of training is the number one form of dog abuse in the world, the same as if a child never receives an education or gets to go to school. Really….just think about it. How much different are the animal shelters—full of of untrained and abused dogs—than our own overly full jails and prisons, with streets full of homeless people with no training, a life of abuse,  no motivation due to a life of neglect and lack of education, and no future in front of them. Like the dogs, what do they have to lose other than gain a hot meal and shelter and a bit of human companionship — even if it is negative.

The best thing our court system has ever done for mankind is to develop special programs to help people stay out of jail by offering them classes, counseling, hope, and a new life. This can also be done for neglected or abused dogs by making sure they have a training program established early in their life or the minute they arrive in their new home—from street life to adopted out of a shelter. Personally, I would make it mandatory that before a person could adopt or bring home any dog, they would be required to go to training school with the dog — training both of them, not just the dog.

For people who have been penalized due to dog abuse, dog neglect, or misdemeanors….as part of their punishment they should be forced to take their pet to training classes—the more severe the deed the more the classes needed, in addition to working at shelters. Otherwise, their patterns will remain the same. Dogs quit being stupid or dumb when we, as pet owners, begin to smarten up and give them credit for being extremely intelligent.

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