Dog Training Nation

In Dogs We Trust

You are here: Home / Blog

Proper Pet Store Etiquette for Dogs

by

Bring Your Dog to the Pet Store Without Problems

Dog Stores
Solovyova/iStock

As you may or may not know, most pet stores allow leashed dogs inside. After all, these are stores specifically for pets. Shopping with your dog can be both fun and a little overwhelming for both of you, as there is so much going on. Follow these tips to make shopping with your dog an enjoyable experience.

Preparing for Your Grocery Store Trip

As a dog trainer, I look at every situation as a training opportunity for my dogs, so being prepared for all different situations is a must for me.

I suggest visiting a pet store when shopping traffic is slow and after your dog has been walked before shopping. Choose a dog collar that best fits your dog with the least amount of safety issues, such as a properly fitted flat buckle collar, Martingale collar or a no-pull body harness. Now attach a durable nylon or leather leash–this is not the place for a retractable type leash. Remember, all dogs must be leashed when visiting pet stores.

Oh, and one more very important thing: stock your pockets with special tasty treats, as this will give you the opportunity to reward good behavior and redirect your dog out of a potentially negative situation.

Possible Stressors You Might Encounter

You may encounter some stressful situations, but you can use these as dog training opportunities.

Keep calm and be prepared to successfully navigate your dog through stressful situations, and thus create a positive experience. Be prepared, your dog will encounter automatic doors, other dogs (both friendly and maybe not so friendly), other kinds of animals (cats, birds, guinea pigs, etc.) and loud noises.

RELATED: How to Train Fearful Dogs

If it becomes too much, meaning your dog is overwhelmed and starts shaking, drooling, or barking or lunging at other dogs, leave immediately. Leave your shopping cart in the aisle and go. It’s not worth it.

Handling Stressful Situations

Stay calm and reward your dog every few seconds when encountering stressful situations. Try and be aware of your surrounding, so you can be ready for the situation rather then reacting to something that pops up. Hold your leash with one hand and food treats in the other hand before stressful encounters (i.e. screaming children and barking dogs).

Now, I understand that things do just pop up like a dog coming around the corner or a loud noise. In these instances, use that special food treat in your pocket to redirect your dog’s attention to something more fun like the smelly bones and toys!

Have Fun

Build positive associations, reinforce socialization and reward polite behaviors. Just think about all the great smells and fun toys your dog gets to see–who doesn’t want to buy new things from their favorite store? Allowing your dog to take their time sniffing and experiencing a new environment will enrich his experience. It’s very important to make every situation as positive as possible, allowing your dog to build life skills.

Just think: with lots of practice, this could be a fun outing for you and your dog even on a busy Saturday!

Find a Dog Sitter Tips

by

How to Find a Fabulous Dog Sitter

Find a Dog Sitter
Wavebreakmedia/iStock

Having moved to a new state recently, I’m trying to find a dog sitter and it’s stressful. We’re planning a trip to Hawaii, which means I’ll be far away if something should happen. So, I started the process and finally found the best dog sitter–we love her!

Of course, I’ll share these tips with you. Follow these steps to narrow down choices and help you find the perfect trusted dog sitter who your dogs will love too.

Ask Dog Professionals

Ask your veterinarian, dog trainer and fellow pet lovers for recommendations and, then go one step further, ask how their visits went while away. Don’t stop with just one referral. Keep asking until you have several leads. If a specific dog sitter is really good, you’ll notice his or her name popping up often.

Refrain from finding a dog sitter online–either independent or through larger companies. I’ve been burned. My dogs were fine–it didn’t get that far thankfully–but I noticed miscommunication, lack of follow-up and complete lack of professionalism in the beginning.

As a pet professional, I’ve heard horror stories of multiple dog sitters visiting during a single day and mixing up prescription dog food resulting in very sick dogs. Could this happen with anyone? Maybe, but the chances are less likely if pet professionals recommend a pet sitter instead of selectively gambling an unknown person online.

RELATED: 11 Common Questions Dog Trainers are Asked

Run a Background Search Online

Now turn on your computer and search each individual’s full name online. I recommend Google, as it really narrows down searches to specific criteria. Many years ago, someone recommended me a specific pet sitter and, after a simple Google search, I noticed three major complaints stating she never showed up for any visits over a four-day period.

If it’s just one complaint, maybe it was just a disgruntled person. Four complaints though? Something is terribly wrong. When digging in, I noticed this person changed the name of her dog sitting company, which is another red flag. When I informed the person who recommended the baby sitter, she set up a hidden camera and was shocked. The “dog sitter” walked up to my friend’s front porch and sat in a rocking chair, chatting on her cellphone for an hour and never went inside to take care of the dogs. Yes, true story!

Check Better Business Bureau (BBB) for any complaints. Do your research until you uncover any and everything.

Screen By Phone

Once you’ve narrowed down your referred list even further, give each person a call. Tell the potential dog sitter who referred you to him or her, and explain a bit about yourself and your dogs. Now, ask the person to tell you about his or her background, experience and services offered.

As you’re chatting, listen closely to this person’s voice. Does he or she sound happy, patient, trustworthy and kind? Happy folks sound like they’re smiling while talking and easily elaborate answers to all your questions. Stay away from someone giving short, curt answers. That’s never a good sign.

Meet in Person

Once you’ve shortened your list further, schedule an in-person interview preferably with your dogs present. Meeting a potential dog sitter face-to-face does not guarantee acceptance. It’s so important to watch him or her interact with your dogs before signing any paperwork or exchanging keys. If needed, take a day or two and think it over. Take your time–your dogs and home are depending on your decision.

In-person interviews usually narrow down my list quickly because having a 120-pound Rottweiler slobbering all over you and a Miniature Bull Terrier looking up your skirt can be intimidating to say the least.:)  Some dog sitters state their hesitance immediately and others fumble around, trying to remove slobber from their shirts and shoo Stella away. As you guessed it, the fumblers are immediately eliminated.

Watch how this person reacts when your dog jumps up into his or her lap or gets licked on the face. The person should have gentle hands, meaning he or she is not pushing, pulling or yelling. Instead he or she should ask your dog to sit instead of jump or lick, and reward with petting and treats. If someone is scared of your dog, he or she is not the right person.

Schedule a Trial Vacation

Once you’ve selected a dog sitter, set up a mini vacation and see how things go. This could be the perfect spouse getaway you both need. Stay overnight at a high-end hotel or visit family over the weekend. If all goes well, then you’ve found your perfect dog sitter. If not, at least you were close by, and you now know how to find the right one!

Good luck and trust your gut!

How to Choose a Good Dog Trainer

by

Choosing a Dog Trainer: Cheap is Never Good

How to Choose a Dog Trainer
ChristinLola/iStock

It’s time. You’ve been pulled into your neighbor’s bushes for the last time. Your dog needs to learn how to walk politely on leash. Now it’s time to find a good dog trainer. Before you sort by price, take a moment and learn why cheaper is not better when choosing a dog trainer.

If The Price is Too Good, There’s a Catch!

Remember the saying: “If it’s too good to be true, it is”? Well, this certainly pertains to cheap dog training. When polled, many dog owners were asked the top three reasons they pick a dog trainer and I was shocked by their answers. Their main requirement was bargain basement prices. What? Allow me to explain why this will cost you more money in the long run.

While I understand most of us are on a budget, choosing a cheap dog trainer is never a good choice–there’s a reason he’s so cheap. Usually, these folks have very limited experience if any really. Their cheap prices are luring unsuspecting dog owners, so inexperienced dog trainers can “learn to be a dog trainer” with you and your dog. Yikes!

Working with an inexperienced dog trainer will not only cause extra time (which is money), but you’ll probably also need to find an experienced dog trainer to remedy unresolved or incorrectly handled issues.

RELATED: Not All Dogs Like Dog Day Care

Perception is Not Reality

States don’t require licensing for dog trainers, so anyone can call himself or herself a dog trainer–and it happens a lot!

Don’t believe me? Well, I interviewed certified dog trainers for an extremely large national company and we had set requirements before applying. All applicants had to have a minimum of two years of dog training experience, preferably teaching group classes. Then, I asked candidates typical scenario questions in my private and group dog training classes, using a standard questionnaire. I was floored by their responses.

The failure rate was absurd. It hovered around 53% to 60% weekly. Thirty percent of these applicants couldn’t answer one question correctly. Every applicant felt strongly he or she was qualified to teach dogs professionally, but they were far from it. If this scares you, it most certainly should.

Plus, dog training is new to many people and it certainly evolves yearly with newer and more effective methods, so it’s foreign to most. If your dog trainer was clueless, it would be hard to recognize it unless you have previous dog training experience. Also, some dog trainers have really good poker faces and are good at making things up on the fly, so buyer beware.

A Good Dog Trainer is Worth Every Penny

Yes, just like all smart investments. You’ll probably attend fewer classes while learning more because you have an excellent dog trainer. If you don’t pay it now, you’ll end up paying for it later, which is true for most anything. Check out my recommendations and websites for finding a dog trainer.

You may also like: 3 Dog Obedience Training Styles

Overcoming Thunderstorm Phobia in Dogs

by

How to Help Your Dog Overcome His Thunderstorm Phobia

Dogs Scared of Thunder
klagyivik/iStock

Does your dog show signs of nervousness and anxiety during thunderstorms? If your dog is hitting the hills or shaking like a leaf when the storm rolls in, this article will help you put him at ease.

Thunderstorm phobias are more common than you think. However, just because your dog has a thunderstorm phobia that doesn’t mean he’s fearful or submissive. Lightning and rain usually accompany thunderstorms, which causes more static electricity to run through things like carpet and couches, so it’s not only the noise that bothers your dog. Imagine having all that fur and it being full of static plus loud crashing noises–doesn’t sound very calm and tranquil, does it?

Signs of Stress and Anxiety

There are some tell-tale signs your dog might be experiencing stress or anxiety during thunderstorms. These signs include: hiding under furniture, shaking, whining, howling and even running around the house. However, there are some other, sometimes subtle, signs that can be easily overlooked, including heavy panting, excessive yawning, licking, pulling ears back, tucking tail in, eyes darting back and forth, and widening of eyes (whale eye or moon eye). Whether your dog is showing some of the more prominent signs of stress or more of the subtle signs, helping him cope with the situation will create a happier, calmer dog during stormy weather.

Positive Reinforcement of Alternate Behavior

There are several ways to help your dog overcome his phobia of thunderstorms. The best thing to do is create a treatment plan to modify his behavior. This sounds much more intimidating than it really is. I suggest writing it out, so that it’s easy to follow.

First, choose an alternate, desired behavior you would like to see your dog perform during this time of stress, such as a calm down-stay. You want to begin working on this behavior (if your dog does not already know it) prior to a thunderstorm. I suggest getting a rubber mat for this dog training session, as it helps minimize the static caused during lightning, and putting it in a comfortable spot away from the window where your dog can relax.

Once you have this all picked out, you can begin rewarding your dog when he’s lying quietly on his mat. At first, you may need to place food or a special toy on the mat to get him oriented. I like to call this the “safe zone” where there are nothing but good things. Always, always, always reward calm desired behavior on the mat.

Management and Setting Your Dog Up to Succeed

This is really the biggest, meatiest part of the treatment plan where you do most of your prevention work. Managing the situation and setting your dog up for success is so important. Who doesn’t want to succeed and be praised for a correct behavior? I know I do!

Okay, so how do we do this? Well, there is a lot of desensitizing that goes into the process, which you can do in small increments to fit into your daily life. Now that you have your mat, give your dog something really special to chew on and put a recording of thunder on very low.

If your dog shows no sign of stress, allow this process to go on for about 10 to 15 minutes. Do this on and off for the next couple of weeks, slowly increasing the volume. Don’t hesitate to give additional verbal praise and petting to let your dog know he’s doing a great job.

RELATED: Calming Music for Dogs

A tool available to pet owners and dog trainers for this specific instance is the Thundershirt. The Thundershirt is a shirt with a Velcro opening that wraps around the dog in multiple places. You put the shirt over your dog’s back and attach the Velcro strap under his stomach. To keep the shirt on, there’s another Velcro strap that goes across your dog’s chest.

The material is cotton and has no chemicals or vibrations. The Thundershirt acts like a hug for your dog in a scary situation. Most dogs will become very calm and relaxed when wearing this shirt. You always want to remember to reward your dog when he’s wearing the Thundershirt and showing calm behaviors in stressful situations.

Consequences for Inappropriate Behavior

Consequences are very minimal when it comes to dealing with something your dog is scared of. Using any surprise or corrective technique could cause more harm than good. However, if your dog becomes so frightened that there is no learning taking place, you may want to remove him from the situation. Put him in a dark place with calming music to help drown out the thunderstorm. You can bring him back once he has calmed down enough to re-enter the common area.

Consistency

This is the most important part of the treatment plan and usually the most overlooked. It is very important to follow through with all the exercises mentioned above until your dog is exhibiting calm, relaxed behaviors during thunderstorms. Dogs need to think it is an ordinary day with just another thing happening where good things happen to him!

Anytime you have to watch one of your family members deal with a stressful situation, it probably stresses you out as well. Hopefully, these dog training tips will help your dog with his thunderstorm phobia. If, after you try these dog training techniques and are still having difficulties, I suggest looking for a local dog trainer who can assist you and your companion.

Dogs Die in Hot Cars

by

Dogs Left in Hot Cars: We’re Everywhere & Watching You!

Dogs Die in Hot Cars
rezkrr/Deposit Photos

There’s an angry movement popping up in your neighborhood. It’s happening right this moment and you need to be very concerned. Don’t look away. You need to understand the consequences of leaving your dog in a hot car. Be prepared for a broken car window and confrontation with a concerned pet owner. You’ve been warned.

Why You Need to Stop Leaving Dogs in Hot Cars

It’s Cruel and Illegal

When the thought of leaving your dog in a warm or hot car pops in your brain, don’t do it. Don’t convince yourself you’ll only be a few minutes. We both know this is not true. Besides, cars can heat up within seconds. If you do decide to leave your pet, concerned pet owners will be standing right there dialing 911 because what you’ve committed is cruelty and illegal in 17 states and counting.

Never leave your dog in a hot car–not even for a second. Take an extra few minutes to drive your dog home or have a friend sit inside the car with your dog while the car is turned on and the AC is blowing.

Don’t Be Surprised If Your Car Window Breaks

Leaving any living being in a hot car while you run to fill-in-the-blank is cruelty. There’s no excuse that will rectify the situation. If your car window is broken because a concerned pet owner wanted to save your distressed pet from dying in your hot car, it’s your fault. You should’ve never caused this situation. This is not the concerned pet owner’s fault who simply noticed your panting dog locked in a warm car while you were walking toward the grocery store.

Trust me, we as pet lovers don’t relish in stumbling across a distressed dog. It’s gut-wrenching to see a dog suffer. So, when we see dogs in hot cars, we take a stand against this horrible act. Leaving dogs in hot cars needs to stop now.

What Caused This Movement?

Concerned pet owners have had enough. Countless dogs die every day due to foolish decisions made by humans. Concerned pet lovers are tired of it and finally taking a stand. Yes, we shop at your grocery store, eat at your restaurants and visit your local malls, and we will make a scene if your dog is locked in your car.

You can’t say you didn’t know about dogs dying in hot cars. Social media and daily news programs beg you to keep dogs at home during extreme temperatures. Celebrities have locked themselves in hot cars and documented their tortuous experience to raise awareness. Millions of pamphlets are distributed on car windshields and PSAs flood Facebook and Twitter feeds every day, and yet it still happens.

If you do this, don’t be surprised when you’re paged in the grocery store or return back to a mob of concerned pet lovers trying to free your dog. Don’t put the blame on anyone else. This happened because of the choice you as the suffering dog’s owner made. Save the victim act for the police. It’s your fault and you were caught.

Why Am I Angry?

I’m infuriated because people still choose to leave their dogs in hot cars at an alarming rate. Just this weekend, three dog-loving friends made a stand at their local shopping centers where they found dogs sitting in hot cars. In each instance, these concerned pet-loving citizens were met with hostility from returning dog owners who mumbled ridiculous excuses.

I’m dumbfounded that the dog owners who made these horrible decisions lash out verbally and sometimes physically toward citizens taking a stand. Is it because you’re embarrassed? You should be. Trust me, concerned pet owners will stand there and watch you make a total fool of yourself while dialing 911. We’re not scared. We’re taking a stand.

As for dog owners throwing out phrases like “Everyone is offended nowadays,” it’s not that. Concerned dog owners are not offended when we see dogs left in hot cars; we’re beyond even angry. Offended and angry are two different worlds. We’re way past insulted. We’re downright furious, which means we will take a stand. So save that excuse for the police because they are on the way.

You may also like: 11 Common Questions Dog Trainers Are Asked

Dog Training Nation is a dog training blog for pet owners and dog lovers. We cover a range of topics from puppy socialization tips to dog aggression to dog health. It is our hope you share our content to make the world a better place for dogs.

Dog Training Nation

Quick Links

Dog Training
Dog Behavior
Dog Training Videos
Become a Dog Trainer
About
Contact Us