How can one train a dog, breed dogs, adopt, and pick the right dog for their family?

• Aniya Faulcon
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  Aniya Faulcon is The Spark Host/Producer for WITF. She has a passion for shining a light on unique people, experiences, and perspectives within the community.
  
  Previously she worked as the People and Social Trends Reporter/Video Anchor for LancasterOnline | LNPNews. During her time there, she created video packages, provided Facebook Live coverage at community events, and wrote data-driven stories with census data and feature stories on local leaders, non-profit organizations, events, and people with unique talents and experiences within Lancaster County.
  
  Aniya also worked at WMAR ABC 2 News as a Sales Assistant and at the AFRO American Newspapers as an Executive Assistant and Media correspondent. Aniya interned at WEAA Gospel Grace 88.9 and worked at her alma mater’s radio station, WWPJ at Point Park University, where she gained skills and a passion for radio.
  
  Aniya grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and attended the Baltimore School for the arts for high school with a concentration in acting. She continued to hone her skills and passion for storytelling and later graduated from Point Park University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and Broadcast Reporting. Aniya is eager to continue her journey with storytelling in her role with WITF, as she aims to shed a light on real people and real stories within Pennsylvania in a variety of mediums.

 Jaime Dunaway / AP Photo

FILE PHOTO: Sammy Garza, right, kisses a therapy dog, Molly, while mother, Del Garza, looks on in downtown Dallas on Friday, July 7, 2017.

Airdate: Thursday, August 25, 2022

According to the American Kennel Club there are a total of two hundred dog breeds; with so many options many people don’t know which breed to pick that will be the best fit for their family.

After purchasing a dog, owners tend to struggle with the training process.

According to Pet356 94% of respondents to their survey reported that they do at least some training with their dog at home and only 6% believed their dog to be perfectly trained.

Janet Edwards, Owner of Stateline Canine, and Brianna Fair, Veterinary Technician at Manheim Pike Veterinary Hospital, provided some tips on dog training and suggestions for dog owners and breeders on Thursday’s Smart Talk.

Here are some of the tips that were provided:

1. Create a clear communication between you and your dog
2. Establish a clear picture of what’s good behavior
3. Reward good behavior and don’t reward bad behavior
4. Develop a schedule and routine for bathroom breaks
5. Use crates properly and moderately as a potty-training tool, to ensures that your dog(s) don’t get into anything dangerous, and to reduce separation anxiety
6. Use training tools, like bark collars, properly and moderately
7. Use place training methods
8. Use slip leads
9. Don’t buy training items or dogs because they’re cheap, evaluate the quality of the item and the environment the dog is in
10. Bring you pet to the veterinarian for “Happy Visits”
11. Pay attention to irregular behavior and visit the vet to determine if there are any behavioral or medical issues
12. Normalize social experiences with other people and dogs
13. Do your research on breeders and make sure they have proper certifications
14. Ask adoption clinics and breeders what dog is best for your family type
15. When thinking about breeding, make sure the dogs you plan to use don’t have genetical problems

Edwards, said if a trainer is working with a dog they take about four to six weeks to train them but may take longer as dogs are similar to human babies, they take time to learn.

“Once that communication is established its all about follow through, consistency, keeping that picture very clear to the dogs and continuing that from puppy to adult,” Edwards said.