14/03/2022
⭐️ Top Tip : Train for the situation not in the situation ⭐️
When a new puppy or dog joins the family we often have a dream of what our lives are going to look like with them. Sometimes we can become so excited by what we want to do with our dogs that we don’t prepare them for different or specific situations.
Take sitting outside a cafe for instance, we might take our dogs with us in the hope that they will sit calmly and politely while we’re otherwise engaged. This can be overwhelming for many dogs, where others may get bored or start attention seeking.
It’s really important that we prepare our pups and dogs instead of just expecting them to cope and be comfortable. For example:
- Teach your pup to settle at home using a specific blanket or mat.
- Once your pup is able to settle at home, practice the behaviour in the garden and other low distraction environments.
- Gradually build distractions and new places into your dogs settle behaviour and always go home before they start to struggle.
Our dogs have their own personalities so it’s important that we respect their preferences as an individual and avoid putting them into situations where they may struggle, become overwhelmed or practice unwanted behaviours. 🐾🐶
