Why Do We Train Dogs?

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Dogs and dog sports are a significant part of life.

For many, a fundamental part of our day to day experience.

But what is the purpose of dog sports?

Why are training and competing so important to so many of us?

Why do we do it?

What keeps us coming back?

Let’s look at this in the broader context of life.

What is the purpose of life?

If you ask people what they want most of all, the same answer comes back person after person.

“I want to be happy”.

Sometimes ‘to achieve’, ‘to be the best’, ‘to win’, or ‘to be part of something’ is the reply.

But you only need to ask another question ‘…then what happens?’ for the deeper meaning to be revealed.

The true desire is for the feeling those experiences will bring.

The goals themselves are secondary!

Therefore we can say with confidence; the purpose of life is to find happiness.

It’s self-evident.

What happens when we feel happy and content?

We stop seeking and striving for things we believe will make us happy.

We realise our wants and needs have disappeared.

We are at peace. Knowing happiness is the end game. The ultimate goal.

And so the purpose of dog sports, as part of life, is the same.

We train because we are happy, and we are happy when we are training.

As coaches, if we accept this simple reasoning our role is clear.

The purpose of dog sport coaching is to help a person or a group of people find happiness.

This is the mission at Just Train The Dog.