Being a responsible pet parent includes having your pets spayed and neutered, proper veterinary care, as well as obedience training. In this edition of Pet Pointers, Lisa Chelenza looks at why obedience training is so important, especially for big dogs.

Obedience training can be as simple as ‘sit’ and as complex as field trials and competitive obstacle course runs. But without the basics, you could have a potentially serious problem - especially if your dog is almost as big as you are.

Easy to teach commands like ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ ‘leave it,’ ‘off’ and ‘come’ are essential for keeping you and your dog out of harm’s way. These commands could prevent your dog from heading into the path of oncoming cars. It’s something many heartbroken pet parents wish they had practiced.

‘Off’ is used if they are fond of jumping up onto furniture or on company. You wouldn’t want them to frighten a guest or worse, knock them off their feet.

When working with your dog keep commands simple, be consistent and practice every day, even if you can only fit in a few minutes. A good place to start is taking a class with your dog and practicing at every opportunity.

Remember no dog is without hope. You just have to find what motivates them and be patient. Obedience training can make it easier for you and your dog to enjoy each other’s company and give you the confidence to go just about anywhere.