Training Your Dog To Behave In Public
When your dog behaves well, you can be more relaxed during your walks. This is a sharp contrast to feelings of anxiety and feeling on edge all the time when you’re out with a dog that is not well-behaved. A well-behaved dog is not only a joy for you, it’s a joy to the people around you as well. They don’t have to fear a dog that is reactive and aggressive and instead, can peacefully co-exist with your pet. No one wants to be out in public with a dog that lunges, jumps, barks, and is generally, intimidating to the people around. This is why training your dog to behave well is so important, so that your time out with your pet can be enjoyable for everyone.
Visit Pet-Friendly Places
Bringing your dog to places where they are accepted and appreciated is always better than being in a place where you feel like your dog is unwanted. This is why it’s so important to visit pet-friendly places because these are places where you can be certain that no one is fearful of your pet and is ready to interact with any potential pets. Just call ahead to confirm the pet policy before your visit, it’s as easy as that!
Tips For Successful Dog-Training
Though training a reactive dog to become well-behaved is not easy, here are a few tips that might help you along the way. Patience is the most important trait during this entire process!
- Bring out a relaxed dog: Check your dog’s temperament before you bring them outdoors. If you have a social activity planned and your dog is too excited, try to bring him for a walk around the neighborhood before your public outing.
- Keep your visits outside short: Building duration slowly rather than immediately expecting your dog to spend prolonged hours outside is another way to ensure that training your pet to behave in public is successful. This is especially important if your pet has not been exposed to going outdoors very much as the excessive stimuli may be too overwhelming for your pet.
- Have bathroom breaks: A lot of times, your pet’s desire to use the toilet may change when they’re outdoors. They may feel a need to potty more, which is why you should bring them to relieve themselves before any visits to stores or restaurants.
- Communicate your dog’s needs to others: Dogs have feelings too, and it’s important that we respect these feelings! If your dog does not like getting petted, communicate these needs to people to respect your pet. You can always politely decline people’s requests for socialization as this might help dogs who are more overexcited to become more well-behaved.
- Be attentive: When you’re outside, distractions are aplenty. You might get caught up in shopping or socializing with a long-lost friend, which may result in you losing focus when it comes to your pet. However, remaining attentive is very important so that you can spot any sights that might disturb your pet and efficiently train your pet when these distractions emerge.
