It's taken a long time, but we've actually started being able to go places with our dogs that weren't home-related.
Thank goodness for dog-friendly restaurants!
Cesar Milan has some amazing tips on this in his book, Dog Whisperer.
However, you're not a dog whisperer.
You don't have Cesar's gift of communicating with dogs, and you're not always going to be able to get them to listen to you.
But there are some ways you can help them become less stressed when they're out and about.
First, as they get older, you can teach them that they need to be calm.
Poker commands (poker - ten on the ground for sit) and the recall command have both been shown to help dogs.
To teach these, first, sit next to the dog and have them lie down and watch you.
Then tell them, "Come!"
If they sit or lay down when you say it, praise them and give them a treat.
If they ignore you and continue to lay down, tell them, "No.
Sit! " And walk away.
They need to see that you will not allow them to continue lying down if they get in this kind of behavior.
Most dogs will learn this within a few repetitions.
Another trick you can use to help dogs relax when they're out is to have them lie down somewhere where they can watch you walk away.
After a minute, reward them and let them get up.
It will seem counterintuitive, but a dog that is looking at you is less stressed.
They will feel more secure and more relaxed, which translates into less hyperactivity and more focus when out in public.
Have you ever been to a coffee shop with friends, eaten at a restaurant, or watched a movie at home and felt your dog's anxiety ramp up?
That's their nervous system going, "What if we get left?"
They know that they are likely to be left alone, but they also know that you might not come back.
To help them, have one or both of you go out before you leave.
Have your friend sit and eat a meal.
Have you had a friend take them for a walk?
If your dog hasn't done this before, tell them that they can sit and wait for a while for you to come back, but that you will be leaving soon, so you'll come back.
This will likely give your dog some time to adjust to the idea of being left alone, and if they are in a situation where they are anxious, will help to calm them.
Don't forget to do the same the next time you leave, and the next time, until your dog learns to tolerate the idea of being left alone.
Even if you are coming back in a short while, letting your dog get used to being left can help to keep them calmer when you're away.
That's all for this post, but be sure to check out the next post, learning how to eat in a restaurant with your dog.
This one's going to help you prepare for socializing at restaurants.
Your next post will help you prepare for places where your dog might be nervous.
See you then!
I'm usually a pretty laid back person, but
I've really hit my limit this week.
I find myself being annoyed by every little thing that my dogs do!
What happened to my laid-back girl?!?
The truth is, they haven't changed much.
They're still dogs.
The way they process the world hasn't changed one bit.
They're still dogs who are feeling anxious, and I'm still their human.
To make matters worse, I've started noticing things that I haven't really thought about before.
I've noticed that the way my dogs have become so sensitive to my mood is actually making me more anxious.
In fact, they've probably made me more anxious than I've been in years.
It's no secret that I have a generally anxious nature, and being out of sorts is a pretty consistent state for me, even when I'm not anxious.
I've felt this way for a long time, but now it's intensified so that it's hard to separate the two.
It's like my life has become a little, a bit of an emotional roller coaster.
One minute I'm fine, the next minute I'm feeling anxious and overwhelmed.
I'm also starting to notice that when I start feeling down and anxious, it's pretty much impossible for me to see the good things about my life.
Even on a good day, there are usually several things that could be better.
Maybe the dogs didn't listen or obey today.
Or I didn't finish my chores on time.
Or I'm getting ready to have to leave the house in the morning for something, which is always scary, and I don't know what to expect.
Maybe I should cancel the appointment.
The truth is, I really do know all of these things.
The problem is that when I'm feeling anxious and down, they all seem so big and scary, and that makes it hard to think of anything good.
So, to try to help myself to see the good things about my life, I decided to make a list of the things that make my life easier.
Some of these are just things that I have, like a good alarm clock, reliable internet, and a comfortable bed.
Some are the things that I had a long time ago, but they are still important to me.
My dogs.
And my family and friends.
The dog park,
My dog training business.
All the places that I work.
And the fact that I have a roof over my head.
The truth is, my life is pretty great, even when I'm feeling stressed or anxious.
For the time being, I think I'm going to try to remember that when I'm feeling down and insecure.
I'm going to try to remember that there are plenty of things to be grateful for, even when I'm overwhelmed and anxious.
And when I'm feeling happy, I'm going to remember that, too.
Training classes are usually pretty funny.
They're noisy and crazy, filled with plenty of energy, and dogs ready to play and play and play!
It's great!
It's always really entertaining to see the different ways that people handle their dogs in class.
Some people are pretty calm.
Some people are slightly crazy.
And then there are the others.
The ones who bring their dogs in wearing little running shorts.
And then the ones who bring their dogs in with cowboy hats.
For me, one of the funniest things that I see in class is the guy who brings in his dog in a Santa suit.
What?!?
That's not even funny!
How sad is that?!?
Anyway, the Santa outfit is just one of the things that I love to watch when I go to class.
But the one that really gets me laughing is when dogs walk into the training area with a collar on their head.
Really?!?
A collar on a dog's head?!?
I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what's funnier about that.
Maybe the Santa outfit.
But definitely not the collar.
The collar.
That's what's funny!
Today, when I took Tasha and Cassie to class, I saw two dogs that had decided to get in on the collar game.
In fact, one of them looked like a bandit.
They were both wearing collars, but only one was on the right way.
The other one had the collar on backward, and I'm pretty sure they were doing some sort of weird circle/scissor/chicken dance move, with their collar riding up over their ears and under their chins.
This was just about the funniest thing I've ever seen.
How many dogs does it take to put on a collar?
One, maybe two?
But a whole herd of animals?
Now that's funny!
Besides the fact that the dogs were clearly dressed for an elaborate and hilarious prank, the most entertaining part of this whole thing was that there were other dogs in class who thought that they were part of the show.
Every time they saw the dogs doing their dance, they would break into an eager little group, dancing along with the dogs.
It was the best thing ever.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get a picture of it, because I didn't want to start up a crowd.
That's not the only problem, though.
If the collars were on the right way, they probably would have been right in the way of our downward-facing dogs.
That would have been just too funny.
It might even have caused a class-wide coughing fit.
That would have been too funny.
So, if you're looking for a really great video to share with your friends, give this a try.
And the next time you're at a dog park and see a collar on a dog's head, make sure to capture the moment on video.
I have to say, it's the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life.
And it's just as funny if you're not laughing while you're watching it.
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