Dog's Best Friend
When it comes to dog training in India, M P Butt is a name to be reckoned with. A qualified engineer, he mastered the art of dog training in Germany, where they train some of the finest in the world.
Butt started Commando Kennels, said to be the first private dog security company in India, in 1986. Also the first to introduce in India Schutzhund, fly ball, French ring sports and dancing for dogs, the company has also produced some of the best trained dogs in India.
And young trainers were buzzing around Butt to get a piece of advice as he visited Kochi as one of the judges for the All Breeds Championship dog show in Kochi organised by the Kochi Kennel Club that concluded on Sunday.
“You can’t train the dog for some months and then leave it,” he says. “It won’t give good results. To get a good performance from your dog, you need to work on his routines continuously, and build a strong relationship. Only then will the dog perform when something is demanded of it”.
After watching various performances at the show, Butt is not too satisfied. There is a lot of room for improvement both for the dogs and the trainers, he says. In his opinion, Kochi still has some distance to go when it comes to the quality of performances. “I have seen better performing dogs in Thrissur, the neighbouring district, he says.
But he does not believe harsh punishments would make the dog any better. “The training methods for the dogs have evolved over the years. When I started, many trainers used to beat the dogs to good behaviour. But it has been proved a bad method. Why should we punish and harass the dog, if we can train them more efficiently through plays, giving them love and affection,” he asks.
Butt believes there is a lot more to dog training than just making them competition worthy. A trained dog stands out from the rest, he says. “It would know when to bark and when not to, it would help you in your daily chores, it would guard your home and be your good companion and it won’t destroy things in your house,” he says.
According to Butt, dog training is all about teaching them the right temperament. “We can keep the dog physically beautiful, but what matters is whether it has got the right temperament,” he says.
For people who want to buy a puppy, Butt has some advice. “Before buying a dog everyone needs to ask the question - what do I want this dog for? You must find out what are the things you want from your dog and select your puppy accordingly,” he says.
There are different breeds of dogs, each breed with some characteristic traits of behaviour. “If security is your concern select breeds like German Shepherd or Rottweiler; for companionship, breeds like Labrador and Beagle are better,” he says.
“Feed your dog on time, take it for some regular outing, and the dog will love your presence,” Butt says.