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Why I Don’t Walk My Dogs In My Neighborhood

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Don’t Feel Bad If You Don’t Walk Your Dog

Rude Dogs
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This may surprise some pet owners, while others can completely understand, but I refuse to walk my dogs in my neighborhood anymore. As a professional dog trainer, I agree dogs need daily exercise. However, when daily walks become dangerous, it’s time to choose different forms of exercise.

Why I Don’t Do It Anymore

As temperatures cool down, our neighborhood sidewalks are filled with people enjoying the fresh air. Everyone hibernates through the brutal Texas summers, so naturally they will want to shed those extra pounds and exercise their dogs during the fall. The fact that more people are outside isn’t the reason why I don’t walk my dogs anymore. Instead, these are the two major reasons why I stopped bringing my dogs along for walks.

Rude Dogs

Cooler temperatures means more dogs are left outside in backyards unattended. As I walk by a house, these unattended dogs run along fence lines and start barking loudly. Some dogs even bang on windows barking fiercely indoors. These dog behaviors are super annoying and alarming for both my dogs and myself.

I’m forced to navigate sidewalks to avoid rude dog behavior. Plus, seeing rude dogs barking is extremely stressful for my dogs. Think about it this way: Dogs barking and lunging behind fences and windows is equivalent to them screaming, “I’m gonna beat you up fool,” to the passerby dog. Not only is this impolite behavior to other dogs, but it’s downright rude and preventable too. No dog should deal with this nasty dog behavior during a daily walk.

As humans, we understand these dogs are contained, but our dogs don’t understand that. Instead, they feel like they’re walking on eggshells, fearing for their safety. Also, constant exposure to a rude dog while on leash can lead to your dog becoming leash aggressive. Being continuously bombarded with threatening dogs that they can’t run away from may cause them to be threatening back. On the flip side, the dogs doing the barking and lunging from behind the fence learn that their aggressive behavior makes dogs leave, so they in turn become dog aggressive.

Loose Dogs

Today, I encountered two loose dogs within 20 feet of my home. Thankfully, I don’t bring my dogs walking with me any longer, but it still makes me extremely upset when inconsiderate dog owners leave their dogs loose outside. I have a few choice words with owners if they are around. Loose dogs are dangerous and can charge at your dog while walking, which teaches your dog dog aggression. By far, loose dogs make my hackles stand on end.

Neighbors, Contain Your Dogs!

Yes, I’ve screamed this very sentence at the top of my lungs numerous times. Pet owners must contain their dogs! Keep your dogs secured indoors or behind a fence, and never leave a dog unattended outdoors. Additionally, stop allowing dogs to bark and lunge at dogs (or anyone). Crate your window barking dog or keep him in an area with no access to windows. Trust me, while it seems like your dog is just “letting off steam,” your dog is becoming dog aggressive and you can be sued if your dog hurts someone or another dog.

How to Safely Exercise Your Dog

Of course, we all need exercise, including our dogs. Remember, mental stimulation is just as exhausting as physical exercise, so keep your dog’s brain busy. Here are a few options to keep your dog mentally and physically fit:

  • Play fetch daily.
  • Enroll in a weekly group class, such as nose work, agility or fly ball.
  • Provide all meals in food puzzles and stuff in toys.
  • Teach your dog to walk on a treadmill.
  • Toss kibble or treats into your backyard.
  • Play nose work games indoors.
  • Go hiking on private property—with permission, of course.
  • Bring your dog on car rides.

Rethink walking your dog around rude dogs. As pet owners, it’s our job to keep our dogs safe. 

5 Safety Tips For Dogs And Children

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How to Keep Children Safe Around Dogs

Dogs and Children
blessings/Adobe Stock

Many pet owners assume dogs and children get along like peanut butter and jelly—that they just blend seemingly well together. Well, that’s not always true, unfortunately. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) statistics show that children are bitten more often by dogs with young boys topping the charts.

Interestingly, it’s not random dogs that do the biting. It’s family dogs that bite children the most. Even though your dog has never bitten anyone, he has teeth and will defend himself if hurt or teased. With that, it’s important to understand a few safety tips to keep children safe around dogs.

1. Leave Sleeping Dogs Alone

Children should never disturb dogs that are sleeping. Many dogs will become startled and nip children as a result. Explain to your children that dogs should have plenty of space while taking naps, and that they should never wake up a sleeping dog.

2. Don’t Allow Children to Sit on Dogs

My skin crawls when viewing photos of children standing, sitting or lying across their dog’s back. While the child looks happy in the picture, the dog is not happy at all. Dogs are not little children and should be respected, so teach children to stand on the ground and not on your dog. Plus, having a 10- to 50-lb child sitting or standing on your dog is painful for him.

3. Stay Out of a Dog’s Food Bowl

When dogs are eating meals, chews or treats, children should provide their dog plenty of space. Children should stay away from their dog’s food bowl while their dog is eating, and never try to take away a chew or treat from the dog.

RELATED: 7 Tips on Being a Responsible Dog Owner

4. Keep Faces Apart

Humans love to give hugs, but dogs are not fans of them. Now, most dogs enjoy putting their face near a person’s face, but they don’t enjoy someone walking over and placing their human face near their face. There’s a big difference between the two because, with the latter, dogs feel like they can’t get away when held in a human embrace and may bite. Many dog bites happen to a child’s face, which is a telltale sign that the child’s face was too close to a dog’s face.

5. Make Like a Tree

When dogs get excited, they can topple over children quickly. Teach your child to make like a tree when your dog gets excited. Children should stand still like a tree, fold their arms around their bodies like branches and look at the ground (avoid eye contact). Most dogs will ignore a still child and find something else to do.

How To Stop A Dog From Running Out The Front Door

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Stop Your Dog From Running Outside

Front Door Dog Gate
Yuli/Adobe Stock

Ding-dong, the pizza man is here! Your dog rushes to the front door while barking loudly. As you carefully crack the front door open, your dog pushes his head through the crack and runs out the front door. The pizza man freaks out and drops your pizza while you go out to chase your dog through the neighborhood. Yikes, how can you stop your dog from running out the front door?

Set Up a Pet Barrier

Prevention is key until a dog learns how to respond to the opening of the front door, so set up a pet barrier to block your dog from the door. While it’s impossible to add a regular gate to the front door, you can place a secure front door dog gate inside your home.

Choose a well-made gate that can be expanded around the front door area and one that your family can easily step over. For large dogs that have a history of gate crashing (knocking over gates), choose a wall-mounted version with a hinged door. Gates that are at least 4 feet high prevent excited dogs from jumping over them when the pizza man arrives.

Keep your front door barrier in place permanently; it’s an added safety piece until your dog learns to wait at the door. Also, it’s a great safety measure if neighborhood children walk in and out of your house. This management tool will keep your dog safely contained inside.

Change Your Dog’s Behavior

Placing a front door barrier is an excellent management tool, but it’s important to teach your dog how to positively react when the front door opens. Grab lots of super yummy treats, put a leash on your dog and crack open the door.

When your dog chooses to back away from the door, click (or say “yes”), close the door and then give your dog a treat. Continue to practice with your dog leashed by slowly opening the front door a bit wider. If your dog tries to rush out the door, wait until she stops and click/treat. For more details, check out how to teach your dog polite door behaviors here.

WATCH: How to Stop Your Dog From Running Out the Front Door

Should Dogs Be Left Outdoors Unattended?

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Why Leaving Your Dog Outside is a Bad Idea

Leave Dog Outside Unattended
nickyuh/Adobe Stock

As a professional dog trainer, this is easily one of the most common questions that comes up during consultations. Many pet owners assume their dogs would prefer to play outdoors alone, but that’s not always true. The simple answer is no; you shouldn’t leave your dog outside unattended. Please allow me to explain why, and I think you’ll agree too.

Overprotective Pet Owner?

Keeping an eye on your dog in the backyard is preventative, and not overprotective, behavior. 🙂 Many pet owners assume hanging outside while their dogs play in the backyard is helicopter pet owner behavior. While it’s not necessary to hover over their dogs like a helicopter, they should be aware of what their dogs are doing outdoors. It’s best to hang out in your yard while your dog potties and plays. Of course, you can go indoors and grab a drink, but never leave your dog outside for longer than 5-10 minutes.

Best Way to Prevent Unwanted Behaviors

When dogs are left outdoors unattended, they can get into trouble quickly. Many dogs become lost because they’ve dug out from under their fence within seconds. Also, many accidentally walk through backyard gates unintentionally left open by service workers.

Incessantly barking dogs usually practice this behavior when left alone in the backyard, and it can quickly become a problem with neighbors. Fence fighting behavior can start abruptly and will continue until someone is hurt—and this dog behavior is tough to manage once it starts. Some dogs are teased behind fences, which can certainly cause human aggression.

Lots of unwanted dog behaviors can happen within minutes, so it’s best to hang out with your dog to prevent these behaviors from happening instead of trying to address them later. Prevention is key, and it takes much less time than changing behavior. 🙂

It’s Not Safe

Dogs can eat sticks, stones and so many other harmful objects within seconds. Surgery is often required to remove ingested acorns, pinecones, pine straw, mulch and so forth, which can cost thousands of dollars and even your dog’s life.

Backyards may contain poisonous mushrooms, frogs and stinging insects, which become fatal within hours. If you’re outdoors with your dog, you can prevent your dog from chewing or ingesting harmful objects. If your dog is stung, you’re aware of the insect that stung your dog, so your veterinarian will be able to quickly save your dog’s life.

Keep an Eye on Your Dog

When your dog is outdoors, sit outside and have a conversation with a friend on the phone or, even better, play a fun game with your dog. If it’s too hot or cold for you to sit outdoors, then the weather is too extreme for your dog to sit outdoors too. When your dog tries to chew on acorns, ask your dog to “leave it” and reward your dog with a yummy treat. Additionally, if your dog tries to engage in fence fighting, bring your dog indoors, so he doesn’t practice this behavior. Bored dogs will find something to do if kept outside during the day or while you’re at work, which is never a good thing. So hang out with your dog and prevent unwanted behavior.

An ounce of prevention prevents hours of changing behavior, so never leave your dog outside unattended.

How To Help Dogs After A Hurricane

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6 Ways to Help Dogs After a Hurricane

Help Dogs After Hurricane
bellakadife/Adobe Stock

What just happened in Houston, due to Hurricane Harvey, has been devastating. Unfortunately, surrounding areas in south Texas and southwest Louisiana were affected too, and they’re scrambling to save their homes, pets and livestock. As you watch hundreds of thousands of evacuees rescuing their dogs, you may wonder how you can help evacuated dogs until their pet owners are back on their feet. These tips will lead you in the right direction, so you can help dogs affected by the hurricane!

1. Foster

Hands down, finding people to foster dogs is the biggest need for all rescues. Large pet rescue organizations usually have the capacity to house numerous dogs safely, but space becomes extremely limited during natural disasters.

Smaller rescues located in rural areas have very limited space, making foster homes even more critical. Fostering a dog is easily a 2- to 6-month commitment, but keep in mind that rescue organizations cover all food, vet and supply costs. To apply as a foster home for dogs in need, find a local pet rescue and complete their foster home form.

2. Transport

During natural disasters, most dogs are evacuated out of the flooded area, which means transportation is needed. During flooding, anyone with a flat bottom boat is needed. Bring various crate sizes, dog treats, bottled waters, plastic bowls, and slip leads to capture and contain dogs during rescues. Coordinate drop-off points with dog rescue groups to ensure all pets are kept safe.

3. Set Up a Virtual Lost & Found Dogs Page

While we witnessed many evacuees leaving with their pets, there were several who were unable to get home to grab their furry friends before floodwaters blocked roadways. Thankfully, rescuers were pulling dogs in need out of homes and flooded backyards, then safely placing these dogs with dog rescue organizations. The problem was that it left pet owners looking for their dogs.

Many years ago, horrible tornadoes ravished Dallas, TX, leaving many pets displaced. A wonderful person started a “Dallas tornado dog lost and found” page on Facebook, and rescuers uploaded found dog photos online with their contact information. Pet owners, searching for their dogs, could log on and find their beloved family member. This is an excellent way to reunite dogs with their families. Surprisingly, many volunteers stepped up and spent countless hours matching photos of found dog photos with lost dog photos.

4. Donate Items

While large pet rescues donate to larger metropolitan areas, it’s important to remember that rural pet rescue organizations are in desperate need for supplies as well. Items that are much needed during natural disasters include:

  • Dog food
  • Treats
  • Collars
  • Leashes
  • Toys
  • Chews
  • Bowls
  • Crates
  • Dog beds
  • Shampoo
  • Towels
  • Blankets
  • Pee pads
  • Flea and tick products

Contact your local dog rescue or, better yet, visit their website and order items off their “wish list.” Chewy.com offers free and fast shipping with great prices—I just shipped two large crates straight to the doorway of Lake Charles Pit Bull Rescue.

5. Fundraise

Coordinate fundraisers for local dog rescue organizations with “wish list” items they’ve posted at local pet supply stores. Create a media blast and ask for specific items, such as dog crates and food, with drop-off destination points clearly noted. People want to help, so make it easy.

6. Donate Money

Donating funds is always appreciated, as most local dog rescue organizations use these funds for veterinary bills. Many stray dogs have critical medical needs, and even with deep rescue discounts, veterinary bills can easily total over a thousand dollars per month for small rescue groups. If your local rescue has not set up a donate site yet, start one for them (with their permission of course).

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.

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