Every Lagotto needs early socialization and basic obedience training to grow into a confident, well behaved and happy companion. It all starts with puppy socialization at an early age, then continues to basic obedience training to learn the needed skills such as “sit”, “down”, “come”, “stay”, and “heel”.
Lagotto are smart and learn quickly when positive training methods are used, which can include praise, treats, and toys. Spending time to give your partner the training he needs to be well mannered at home and out in public is well worth the effort.
Once you and your dog have learned the basics, your dog can earn an AKC Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) certificate by passing a simple test. The CGC program is designed to reward dogs who have been trained to have good manners at home and in their community. The CGC skills lay the foundation for other activities, such as obedience, agility, tracking and other performance events.
Some people get hooked on obedience while training their dogs the basic skills, and want to continue on to more formal obedience training. Dog and handler teams can go on to compete for titles at AKC and UKC trials. The teams are judged on how accurately they perform the required exercises. Each titling level becomes more challenging, requiring more advanced training to move up.
Taking a class at your local training center is the best way to train your dog in obedience but you can’t rely on classes alone: you have to practice, and while it’s important to practice regularly and frequently, sessions should be short and interspersed with playtime and rewards.
An obedience trial is an event at which dogs and handlers perform exercises as outlined in the American Kennel Club’s Obedience Regulations. Dogs are scored on their performance by AKC-approved judges.
There are three levels of training. Through the Novice Class, dogs earn the Companion Dog (CD) title, through the Open Class, the Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title; and through the Utility Class, the Utility Dog (UD) title.
Obedience is a fun way to meet others and learn to be a team with your dog. It is recommended that you choose a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT)
