The picture that most often comes to mind when obedience training is mentioned is that of a dog performing specific tricks or exercises on command, probably for the purposes of competition. For a lot of people, it is hard to imagine spending the time and effort involved in this type of training on a pet that is a combination of two or more breeds and won’t ever enter the show ring. It is sometimes out of the question even for the owner of a purebred.

I love competition very much––In fact, it was my life for twenty years, but I can understand the average person’s hesitation when I say, "Maybe you should obedience train your dog." So let me put it differently. How would you like to have a dog that behaves like this: Your doorbell rings. Your dog walks calmly to the door with you, sits down, and remains there while you greet your guests. He is neither overly friendly nor aggressive––just polite. You invite your company in, and your dog lies down on command and stays in one place until you tell it to do otherwise. It is allowed to calmly greet your guests, and then lie down again. (Your pet shares the fun of having company without being a nuisance.) Small children can sit on the floor and color, eat cookies, watch television, etc., and not be annoyed by the dog. This dog comes when you call, no matter what the circumstances may be. This marvelous dog doesn’t jump on people or furniture, chew on socks, shoes, or plants, dig or bark too much, and is housebroken. It will lie down on command or a hand signal, even if it is across a busy street and cannot hear you. It walks on a loose leash and sits quietly by your side while you visit with a neighbor on your daily walk. If you go for a hike or on a camping trip or like to jog, your dog goes right along with you and behaves beautifully, ignoring other dogs, cats, or people.