Is Shar Pei Training Really Neccessary?

If you’re considering adopting a Shar Pei, or even if you’ve already brought one home, you may have asked yourself the question “do I really need to train him?”. The quick answer to this question, is “yes”. In fact, no matter what breed of dog you have, it’s very important to teach some basic commands and behaviors in order to coexist happily, comfortably, and safely.

When you really think about it, whether you actually take your Shar Pei to a formal training course or not, you will be providing that dog with a form of training. The problem is that if you don’t add a bit of formal obedience training into the mix, you won’t know whether this teaching is for behaviors that you want or not. After all, without consciously knowing what you’re doing, you could be sending your dog the message that you are a pushover and that he or she is actually the one in control of the household, that it’s alright to drink out of the toilet, or that growling at the mailman is allowed.

The thing is, Shar Peis actually want to be trained. It’s ingrained in their nature to desire instruction and guidance so that they can find their place in the “pack” that is your family. So if you want to do both yourself and your pooch a favor, give him or her the lessons that are both craved and necessary.

It may seem strange to think of training a Shar Pei in this way, but it’s true. Yes, you are giving a command that the dog must follow, but at the same time, by building a communication between you and your pet, you’ll build significant confidence in your dog and strength in your relationship with him or her. By teaching your dog to follow certain basic commands, by showing him where it is important to do his business, and by eliminating undesirable behaviors such as digging and barking, you’ll have a new canine family member who is respectful, responds to your wishes, and listens to what you’re telling him.

The fact is that trained Shar Pei dogs make better family members and are far more unlikely to wind up being surrendered to an animal shelter because things have become too difficult to manage and the bad habits that have formed in the dog are too tough to break.