The bad news is that not all dogs have training. As a result, they are now at the mercy of their owner.

Let’s use these examples with an untrained dog:

1.     You take your Labrador Retriever hiking threw just woods with some rocky terrain.  He has no training. Having you “calling his name" is not enough. The Retriever is from the hunting group, but is he trained to hunt? So back to the example: Down the path you walk. Your dog runs, jumps, lands in the sticker bushes, gets hung up in the underbrush. Then that collar he has on? Now your dog is being hung by it. So now in you go to save your dog from hanging himself you pull out your knife (do you have one?) hopefully it’s a collar and not a choker chain and free your dog.

2.     Labs love water so in to the swamp and mud he goes. He is dirty who cares. Well you better care!  First can your dog swim well? Is it quick sand? Is it thick with a muddy bottom? Is your dog protected against parasites? Wow! There’s a lot to think about… back on the trail your lab scares up some deer bedded down in the woods of course this is fun for a dog to chase wild animals from foxes, rabbit, possum, raccoon, bear the list goes on well now your dog is missing has not listened to your call having too much fun chasing wildlife that now he can’t find you.. So your hike has now become a search for your dog. Not much fun has this hike been so far. You find your dog GREAT! But he/she is now exhausted, dehydrated, sore muscles, bleeding paws, cut pads from the rocks, covered in ticks. Not a fun hike was it and your vet bill proves it..