Everyone always talks about the costs of owning a dog, and all the extra investments that go along with it, including professional dog training services. What’s missing are the conversations around the costly repercussions of not training your dog.
As someone who not only has grown up around dogs, but has worked with them professionally for over 7 years, I know all too well the consequences that foregoing dog training leads to. I can confidently say that every dog parent should explore professional training in some capacity, whether it’s puppy group classes, or private training in your home or a facility.
Whatever you choose, professional dog training is always worth it, even from just a financial standpoint. Read on to see 3 financial reasons to invest in dog training.
UNEXPECTED VET BILLS
If you have an untrained dog, you will incur various unnecessary vet bills that could’ve been avoided with the help of a professional trainer. Everything from simple boredom to more intense incidents like dog fights, every dog is capable and likely to have some form of behavioral incident requiring veterinarian care in their life.
Even if it's a simple case of your dog being bored leading to destructive actions, your pup can easily chew on something that is harmful for them or end up swallowing something that they could need surgery to get removed. Most of the time, chewing inedible items happens when routines are changed, walks are missed, and visitors are over.
Without proper training, your dog can also start to display signs of self- harming behaviors. Caused by stress, your dog can start giving themselves hot spots due to excessive licking/chewing and extreme dehydration due to excessive anxious panting. If your dog finds themselves bored too often for too long, it can even lead to them being overly excited when it is time to play and exercise, which leads to injury. They end up hurting themselves by running so hard that they hurt their paws, pulling so hard on the leash that they hurt their throat or neck, go so crazy playing fetch that they bite their tongues or lips, and lots of other accidental self-harming injuries.
On average, wound treatment at the vet can cost anywhere from $800-$2,500, and emergency surgery anywhere from $1,500-$5,000, a significant amount more than investing in professional dog training.
I could go on and on about the possible injuries your dog could have due to a lack in proper training and socializing. A big one we see all the time is dogs running out of the house or getting out of the backyard and the awful situations that come from it, which can be avoided by training ‘recall’ and ‘barriers.’
Recall is the ability to call your dog and have them respond right away even with extreme outside stimulus and distractions (like that cat they chased up the tree!). Barriers teach your dog that they are absolutely not allowed to go out the door without you giving them permission to do so (including car doors). These are life saving and I have personally witnessed both sides of the coin with this one; dogs getting severely harmed or going missing, and dogs nearly avoiding disaster because they were properly trained and came back to their owner or stayed in place during a dangerous situation.
PROPERTY DAMAGE
Property damage is one of the main complaints I hear from frustrated clients, especially those with younger dogs or new rescue dogs.
Sometimes, we see minor and somewhat laughable damage, like a dog tearing open a beanbag or pillow, but other times, it’s a wooden door, baseboards, important documents, or expensive irrigation systems in the backyard. It’s estimated that the average dog causes over $1,000 in damage annually to their household, therefore reducing the long-term value of the home. The kind of damage that makes us fume instead of laughing it off. The truth is, your dog is telling you something when these things happen. Even if your dog doesn’t have these destructive habits now, you should always assume they can pop up any day if they are untrained and don’t have a foundation for what’s appropriate behavior and what’s not.
In addition to keeping your dog safe from any potential dangers, crate training is my go-to suggestion for every dog to avoid damage to the home. From managing potty accidents to stopping them from causing these types of frustrating home damage, learning crate training with a professional is bound to save you money in the long run. Not to mention, for renters, you may be able to get that deposit back! No more chewed blinds or soiled carpets.
While your pet sitter should have the proper insurance to cover incidents like this when you’re not there, your own homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance is not likely to cover your pets’ wrongdoings. To save the property value of your home and belongings (and save the money that comes with it), invest in training from the beginning.
LEGAL FEES AND REPERCUSSIONS
No one likes to think of their dog causing any harm to other dogs or people. But the truth is that dogs are still animals with very strong bites and any animal with teeth has the potential to bite and cause injury.
I would wager we all know someone who has been affected by a dog biting them or someone they know. While there are usually many signs and mishandling that precedes a dog bite, there are also many instances where a dog biting is a complete shock to owner and everyone involved; either way, there are sure to be major repercussions if your dog does not follow your instruction when around stimuli and, worse case, bites another dog, person, or child.
When you look at the financial cost of an unfortunate incident like this, medical costs for bites vary, but the average insurance claim can come to over $50,000. If lawsuits are pursued, the average settlement often falls over $95,000! Not to mention, if your dog does not have up-to-date Rabies vaccine, or is seen as a danger to others (which most dogs do after any bite incident is reported, no matter their history), your dog’s life will be on the line. If you are lucky, your dog will be required to be sent off for training anyway on your dime, and have to pass as docile enough to be returned.
All of this is a painful process for everyone involved, but can be avoided with professional dog training, and muzzle training in particular. I recommend muzzle training for those who may be at more of a risk for biting because of fear or sensitivity to others. Done properly, it is a method that keeps everyone safe and avoids any chance of bites done by your dog.
Find a professional dog trainer you work well with, and who uses practices you would be comfortable mimicking with your dog, and it will be well worth the investment.
–your friendly neighborhood dog trainer, Emma
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