Dog Longevity Survey Part II: How Important is Training to Longevity?

What can training possibly have to do with longevity?


You can see that enough people who took the survey felt there is a connection. But if training means teaching dogs wanted behaviors, what can it have to do with health and lifespan?

And yet, it can have everything to do with it.




Extremely important26.67%
Important36.67%
Somewhat important26.67%
Not important  6.67%
I don't know  3.33%
Other  0.00%

Let's start with some statistics.


Approximately 3.3 million dogs enter shelters each year, out of which about 670,000 dogs are euthanized. Roughly 620,000 enter shelters as strays and make it back to their owners. Of the dogs surrendered, the most common reason are behavioral issues. Some of them get rescued or find new homes, but many of them don't. ~ASPCA statistics

Bad behavior can lead to a dog's quick demise.


Those who surrender their dog may or may not care about what happens to them. Those whose dog gets lost, though, surely do.

A lost dog may not even make it in the shelter and get hit by a car, attacked by a wild animal, get deathly ill instead. Not every dog's owner is found.

The better trained your dog is, the lesser the chance they will run away, get hurt on their exploration trips, and get lost. The better trained your dog is, the lesser the chance they will dash into the street and get run over by a car.

Understanding the rules of the road is good for anybody's longevity.

A solid recall can be life-saving.


A well-adjusted, well trained dog is much more likely to escape all these dangers simply by sticking by your and/or coming to you when called.

Leave It or Drop It are other life-saving cues.


Dangers lurk everywhere. It's not just traffic that can be your dog's undoing. There are snakes, wild animals, dangerous objects ... Being able to have your dog stay away from them or relinquish them can indeed save their life.

Do you still think that training has nothing to do with longevity?


Related articles:
Dog Longevity Survey Part I
Dog Longevity Survey Part II
Dog Longevity Survey Part I Results
How Important Is Weight Management for Longevity?

Comments

  1. SadieDecember 18, 2017 at 11:15 AM

    Scary to think. I take photos of animals at my local shelter. It's easy to tell which dogs have had some form of training and easier to photograph the ones in 'sit' position. This is a great, thought-provoking post!

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    1. DawgBloggerDecember 19, 2017 at 1:51 PM

      Thank you; yes, not something people usually think of as a potential cause of death.

      Delete
  2. Dash Kitten CrewDecember 20, 2017 at 2:47 PM

    A well trained dog will live longer because it's not at risk - right? Your recommendation that commands can save lives should be tattooed on owners hands!

    Let's hope your post makes people think and learn.

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    1. DawgBloggerDecember 21, 2017 at 10:56 AM

      Right. Exactly. One cannot prevent everything but can prevent much.

      Delete
  3. LaylasWoofDecember 20, 2017 at 3:27 PM

    Layla knows one or two commands only and I left it like that, her first and most important one was the recall but I can say she is a very well mannered dog so am fortunate

    ReplyDelete
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    1. DawgBloggerDecember 21, 2017 at 10:57 AM

      There is really no need to know many commands; recall and some form of "leave it" or incompatible behavior is generally enough. Though teaching tricks is fun and bonding opportunity.

      Delete
  4. UnknownDecember 20, 2017 at 4:18 PM

    this is a good point -- you want your dog to behave well if it is lost so it can be rescued!
    ~Dear Mishu

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DawgBloggerDecember 21, 2017 at 10:58 AM

      Well, ideally you want your dog to behave well so it doesn't get lost in the first place :-)

      Delete
  5. CarleenpDecember 20, 2017 at 4:48 PM

    I am so paranoid about my dogs getting lose and lost. I treat recall all the time and taught emergency distance recall as well.

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    1. DawgBloggerDecember 21, 2017 at 10:59 AM

      Great job. Though the going theory that unpredictable reward (sometimes treat and sometimes now) makes the cue more reliable. I have a hard time with that too, though.

      Delete
  6. Jill - CharityPawsDecember 20, 2017 at 6:23 PM

    I am struggling to comprehend how anyone can say training is not important to longevity...sigh...clearly we need a lot more education!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DawgBloggerDecember 21, 2017 at 10:59 AM

      It's not directly obvious, until one really thinks about it.

      Delete
  7. AmyShojaiDecember 20, 2017 at 7:10 PM

    People don't think of behavior as an issue of longevity or health, but you really can't separate personality/behavior/emotions/health. They interact and influence each other so much. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sweet PurrfectionsDecember 20, 2017 at 9:40 PM

    I didn't think about a dog's health with this perspective. But it makes perfect sense.,

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousDecember 21, 2017 at 12:53 AM

    Knowing that my dog will always respond when I call him back gives me peace-of-mind. It's one of the most important things you can teach your dog, particularly if you live in a high traffic area. You never know when your dog might slip his or her leash!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The Daily Pip December 21, 2017 at 6:08 AM

    I never thought about that connection, but definitely true especially about recall and leave it.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. DawgBloggerDecember 21, 2017 at 11:01 AM

      Leave it to me to think everything to death from all angles ;-)

      Delete
  11. MattieDogDecember 21, 2017 at 7:21 AM

    We Agee! There are a few key training elements that really should be the mainstay of every human-animal experience. Recall and drop it are vital. Where we live there are rattlesnakes, so these two trainings are super important!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DawgBloggerDecember 21, 2017 at 11:02 AM

      Yes, even more important in high-risk areas; urban areas, areas with rattlesnakes ...

      Delete
  12. Sandy KubillusDecember 21, 2017 at 12:16 PM

    Yes I do think training is related to how long a dog lives. Like the other day, a pit bull mix ran up to me and Buffy and the owner was trying unsuccessfully to catch it. The dog ran across the street and the dog just kept avoiding being caught. Luckily there was no fight and Buffy distracted the dog long enough for the owner to grab it. A good recall or even a leave it or wait command would have been very helpful. I wonder how long this dog will live.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. DawgBloggerDecember 22, 2017 at 10:48 AM

      Yes, they can be life-saving. Well, if the dog has "street smarts" he might live on just fine; some dogs know how to avoid getting hurt; most don't, though.

      Delete
  13. UnknownDecember 21, 2017 at 1:35 PM

    I totally agree with you and these survey results. Recalls are essential in all situations where the dog is loose. There are so many hazards that are in the environment that "Leave It" is also at the top of the list of behaviors that must be a part of your pet's lifestyle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DawgBloggerDecember 22, 2017 at 10:49 AM

      Yes, many hazards everywhere; recall and "leave it" are life-saving.

      Delete

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