Dog Longevity Survey Part II: How Important is Training to Longevity? ~ CookingFood.Org

What can training possibly have to do with longevity?

You can see that enough people who took the survey felt there is a connection. But if training means teaching dogs wanted behaviors, what can it have to do with health and lifespan?

And yet, it can have everything to do with it.

Extremely important	26.67%
Important	36.67%
Somewhat important	26.67%
Not important	6.67%
I don't know	3.33%
Other	0.00%

Let's start with some statistics.

Approximately 3.3 million dogs enter shelters each year, out of which about 670,000 dogs are euthanized. Roughly 620,000 enter shelters as strays and make it back to their owners. Of the dogs surrendered, the most common reason are behavioral issues. Some of them get rescued or find new homes, but many of them don't. ~ASPCA statistics

Bad behavior can lead to a dog's quick demise.

Those who surrender their dog may or may not care about what happens to them. Those whose dog gets lost, though, surely do.

A lost dog may not even make it in the shelter and get hit by a car, attacked by a wild animal, get deathly ill instead. Not every dog's owner is found.

The better trained your dog is, the lesser the chance they will run away, get hurt on their exploration trips, and get lost. The better trained your dog is, the lesser the chance they will dash into the street and get run over by a car.

Understanding the rules of the road is good for anybody's longevity.

A solid recall can be life-saving.

A well-adjusted, well trained dog is much more likely to escape all these dangers simply by sticking by your and/or coming to you when called.

Leave It or Drop It are other life-saving cues.

Dangers lurk everywhere. It's not just traffic that can be your dog's undoing. There are snakes, wild animals, dangerous objects ... Being able to have your dog stay away from them or relinquish them can indeed save their life.

Do you still think that training has nothing to do with longevity?