This time of year finds us traveling everywhere to visit family and friends. Bringing your dog along is many times a part of the plan. There are several things you can do to make the traveling easier for your dog. Above all, don’t get stressed about it yourself. When you are stressed, your dog will think there is something wrong and be stressed as well.
Many of you know that I train a lot of service dogs for various careers such as guiding, mobility, diabetic alert, and hearing assistance. When working with dogs for these difficult service activities there are basically two parts to the training. The first is Public Access where the dog learns perfect manners, where to place himself, how greet or not greet people, and how to be totally discreet so as not to bother customers in a public situation, and maintaining full attention to his handler.
Do you love to touch and pet every dog you see? Does it make your heart smile when a puppy jumps up on you to say, “Hello” with a sweet wagging tail and a goofy face! Are you someone that will say, “Oh, I don’t mind if she jumps on me!” then pats your legs or gets down on the puppy’s level to smooch her? Are you someone who can’t control yourself and will pet a dog even if the handler tells you not to because the dog is so nicely behaved and soft?
With the holidays coming up very quickly, many of us are looking for that special gift that is meaningful and very special to let our loved ones know how much they mean to us. Giving the gift of a puppy or dog is something that crosses everyone’s mind, especially with all the ads in the paper urging you to give a puppy. There are adorable photos and incredibly sweet descriptions that just tempt us beyond belief!
A dog that defends his territory or home is not uncommon for any dog. This is a behavior inherited from the wolf that defends his territory from another pack. It is intended to secure hunting grounds, food and survival of the pack. Territorial behavior is not acceptable in dogs that are now domesticated and expected to live peacefully in our human society.
Living in a dog friendly environment, we tend to overlook the things that are truly safety issues for our dogs. We become cavalier in our every handling and guidance to keep our dogs safe. Yesterday, I was outside of the grocery store and there laid a nicely obedient dog waiting patiently for his owner to return from inside. Just about that minute, two youth came up to the dog and started barking at the dog trying to arouse him and tease him.
Every day, I am approached by people that want their dog to, “Just get along and be friendly” wherever they take them. They also believe that socialization is the key to making a dog do that. Unfortunately, that is not always the prescription. When socialization is done improperly, it can make things even worse for the dog that is nervous or confused about other dogs.
It’s funny to watch dogs play and make new friends. They speak with their bodies to each other which is so fascinating. One of the most common behaviors is that one dog will stick their rear end in the face of another dog. This behavior can have many meanings in the dog world, like almost any behavior. We humans like to compartmentalize behaviors – one meaning to each behavior. It seems to make the dog world easier for us to understand.
Many dog owners believe that their dog needs physical exercise every day. Owners seem to think that their dog needs to run and play with other dogs every day as well. It is true that dogs need exercise to enrich their lives and to help many high-activity dogs be calmer around the house. Exercise definitely reduces boredom-related behavior problems.
In this new world of Covid and dangers to us, many puppies are not getting the socialization they need to grow up with healthy social skills. I am also finding that more and more, people are not taking their puppies out or beginning training before they get their last puppy shots at 16 weeks! Up to 16 weeks is an incredible and critical imprinting period.
AFTER AN EXTENDED MEDICAL LEAVE, I WILL BE RETURNING TO WORK MARCH 1st!
