Hello all,
I would like to post the benefits of puppy socialization and the continuing education of positive reinforcement training for dogs -- and their parents!
I have happily been in the companion animal services field for over a decade, in a lot of areas, from pet sitting to volunteering at shelters, veterinarians offices and to training.
My personal experiences vary from sous chef positions to advertising and editorial editing to personal dog services.  All fields have brought with it happiness and productivity, but this field, providing an animal boundaries and skills to live in our human world with our rules has been the most rewarding because I am making a difference ... one pet at a time.  We can make a difference together!
Fiscal year, 2013, more than $8 billion was spent on pet animal services.  7.6 million pets enter shelters annually. Think about that...
Less and 2% of cats and only 15 - 20% of dogs are returned to their owners.  Over 20% of people who leave dogs in shelters adopted them from a shelter.   The dog is typically 1 1/2 to 2 years old.
A research study from Ohio State University reports that 30% of people give up their dogs because of their dog's perceived behavior problems; published in the Journal of American Veterinary Association.
With your help and awareness in promoting training, we can continue to widen the scope of keeping dogs at loving homes, being an active member of the family, and not just a backyard dog with no manners and no attention and maybe to lessen the statistics of euthanized and sheltered pets.