When we invite puppies into our world, we sometimes forget how stressful that can be. We
expect them to accept leads in public, accept being left alone and expect them to be calm
and relaxed in public places, which are often full of exciting things such as other dogs, kids
running and skateboards flying by.
We can help prepare them to cope with these triggers from a young age.
Here are Dee’s Top 5 tips!
1. Teach your young puppy to accept confinement from a young age. This may be by correct introduction to a crate or even behind a baby gate. Overtime, introduce distractions and reward all calm and relaxed behaviour.
2. When playing with your dog, occasionally restrain by the lead as you throw a toy. Ignore all struggles that might follow and simply wait for them to show you some self-control, either a ‘sit’ or some nice eye contact will work and then immediately reward and release.
3. Teaching exercises such as ‘stay’ and ‘leave it’, will help to build self-control and focus on
the owner. Remember to practice in lots of different locations.
4. When faced with a location with potential distractions, be ready to convince your puppy
that YOU suddenly become more interesting when they are near! A game of tuggy or
multiply small, tasty treats will usually do the trick!
5. Grooming and handling your puppy is important for any future vets or grooming visits, and teaching calm acceptance of being restrained by the collar is vital.
Remember, If you are having difficulty getting your dog to focus on you in public, move further away from the trigger and try again!
Happy training!
