Let me introduce my dogs. I have 3, Nikki and Benny are my therapy dogs, and Dukie is my blind dog. Nikki is a 1 1/2 year golden retriever and Benny is my 5 year old black lab. Dukie is now 10 years and also a black lab.

Today I saw a picture of a ceramic rabbit statue for the garden; boy did it bring back loving memories. It also made me think of the importance of training your dog. That is why I am writing this article.

When we first took our golden retriever up north to the cottage she loved it. Of course she would, she was a golden after all, and goldens love cottage life, the outdoors and the lakes!!

Now, my golden was running around lose, just having a great time. My husband, Chris and I were sitting outside talking with our friends who had a house beside the cottage.

All of a sudden my golden comes running right over to us, all exited and happy. Our golden always ran to us when she had something in her mouth, never away from us. WOW, she had gone hunting, and she was proud of it.

There in her mouth, was a rabbit!!

I started to freak, of course, but then on closer inspection (from my husband) we saw it was a "plastic rabbit" out of our friend's garden. This was one of those golden moments. My Katie Bear is gone now, I still miss her so much, and I will always miss her. I have a new golden, and I love her very much, but she does not replace my Katie Bear....

I shed a few tears of sadness because I still miss my Bear.

Thanks for letting me share my memories. Dog obedience, has always been very important to me. So, please please, train your dog. I can just never say this often enough. Your dog must obey you. Simple commands like: come, sit, stay, STOP! It is so important for the safety and enjoyment of your dog, especially during the holiday and travel season.

There are many training methods available. You need to find the method that will work for you and your dog, (a humane method of training, of course.)

I was thinking about this as I was taking my 3 dogs (one is blind) out for a walk today. Just as we were getting into the jeep (I drive to where I walk), a lady pushing a stroller came past my house.

Now, you need to understand, that my now golden retriever, Nikki, seems to think the whole world is out to play with her. She is only 1 1/2 years old. I thought to myself...WOW! What if she had decided to take off and play with the lady and her stroller? Would she have come back to me instantly when called? Stopped instantly on command? I am not sure. This gave me reason to reflect seriously about obedience training. Now, you may be thinking that because she is a therapy dog, she is a well behaved trained dog. And yes, she is. But even a therapy dog gets their moments when out and running lose. And for some reason, my dogs can be total pests at home, and total angels when visiting the seniors.

A dog must, for their own safety and security, and I will repeat myself here, a dog MUST stop and come on demand. This can never be an option. Whether your dog is a therapy dog, like mine, or a house pet the same rule applies.

Check your neighborhood for training classes. Also, there are many different types of programs available, including online downloadable programs, which are very,very good.. Check them out. Find the one that suits your lifestyle. And, do it. Both you and your dog will be happier!