You’ve worked hard! On line classes, in person classes, you and your dog LOVE to learn things. It’s fun and Diogee has a wagging tail and bright eyes looking only at you. In the house. In your front yard. At your training class. You start thinking how awesome it would be to take your dog out and about, to take them on your travels, over to friend’s houses, etc… Or, if you have a competitive bent, you start thinking trialing thoughts so you can show off your brilliant dog and fun training and get a title!
However, at unfamiliar locations, your dog’s behavior is a different story! You find yourself shoving the treat under their nose, making kissy noises, calling, begging, (maybe even shouting and perhaps that leash gets tight every once in a while-different webinar!) All those distracting smells, those interesting people, those fascinating dogs! How are you going to be able to practice your dog’s skills in the local park, let alone take them to your family’s house for a meal (all the children running around!) How are you going to do a (gasp) trial? No treats, a judge looming over you and trial nerves?
Well, I can’t help about the running children or the looming judge, and the sequencing trial behaviors without reinforcement is another webinar entirely, but what helps to calm my trial nerves down is having a dog that is ready to work, looking me in the eyes with the absolute same focus that I see at home. What helps me when I take my dog to my non dog friendly mother’s house or other general travel is to have some ways that allow me to assess how comfortable and engaged my dog is (along with good crating skills and a long down-another webinar!).
Come join me in this presentation as I go over some protocols/rituals that I teach my dog. This allows me to ask these questions in any location/environment: Can you hear your words? Can you offer focus? Do you know what “sport/event” we are doing? Dog too excited, stressing up? Sniffing, stressing down? Won’t take food? We cover all that!