Month: January 2019

Tips for Travel with Dogs

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Canine Adventures

If you could travel anywhere with your dog, where would you go? As dog people, many of us value quality time spent in the company of our furry best friends. I love to travel and choose to take my miniature dachshunds Lucy and Ruby with me when I go. Collectively, my dogs have been to California, New Mexico, Germany, Utah, Virginia, Maine, Georgia, Denmark and many places in between. They are the best co-pilots anyone could ask for and their presence enriches my travel experience without fail. If any of you are considering hitting the road with your dogs, there are two behaviors you should teach your dog before you go.

Training Tip: Go to Mat

travel training tip go to mat

I have found that the most useful skill to teach your dog for travel is a solid Go to Mat cue (see handout attached). This skill is beneficial because it allows you to settle your dog just about anywhere. I have used it in restaurants overseas, traveling on crowded planes, or simply when I want to enjoy a meal without being mugged for food by my long and low criminals. It gives my dogs a job that occasionally yields a reward and the end result is a well-behaved dog that is welcome and appreciated wherever it shows up. Even dachshunds can occasionally turn on the listening ears if you make it worth their while.

Training Tip: Crate Training

travel training tip crate training

Crate training is another essential travel skill for any dog. In everyday life a crate can be a useful management tool for you and a safe space for your dog. In an emergency situation it can potentially save your dog’s life. Imagine a house fire or an evacuation scenario: a rescuer could easily remove a terrified dog in a crate, whereas a terrified loose dog could dash out the door and end up lost or overlooked under the bed. When traveling with your dog, a crate can provide a home away from home. My Lucy loves her travel bag. It is a familiar and safe place for her no matter how crazy her surroundings may get. She retreats to it on her own when the travel hubbub gets too much. She uses it to nap in in unfamiliar locations (hotel rooms, trains, planes, restaurants, other people’s homes, etc.)

Final Thoughts

Overall, remember that travel is stressful on any organism. If you do choose to take your dog along on your travels, it is your responsibility to be aware of how your dog experiences his or her world in the moment. Be prepared to make adjustments in order to keep their stress at manageable levels. This means packing and training a toolbox of skills that you can resort to. For example: teach your dog to be comfortable in a variety of settings and situations ahead of time using mindful socialization. Try not to overwhelm your dog with new experiences. Keep each new experience safe, fun, and positive for your dog.

I like to use hunting games to keep Ruby’s little brain entertained during down times. I am also always very aware that Lucy needs her bag to feel safe. Know your dog and come up with a simple list of his or her favorite activities. If your dog is well exercised ahead of travel and has everything he or she needs in order to feel secure, the trip will be as enjoyable for your canine as it is for you.

Pepper’s Paws, LLC provides in home dog training for basic manners, behavior problems, and fear aggression in Rehoboth Beach, DE and surrounding towns. We also offer Zoom private lessons for people not in our service area. 

Post by Maike Singelmann

yellow lab

National Train Your Dog Month

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yellow lab

Did you know that January is National Train Your Dog Month?

The Association of Professional Dog Trainers started National Train Your Month 8 years ago to promote training your family dog to have everyday manners. Their website, trainyourdogmonth.com is chock full training tips and videos on everything from new puppy challenges, safe interactions between dogs and kids, what to know when you own a large breed dog, and how to choose a kennel or groomer. New content will be added throughout the month too. Make sure to check out their site.

Why should you bother training your dog?

Dogs who have had some training are less likely to end up in shelters or being returned to rescues or breeders. Dogs who get regular mental stimulation through training are happier, more relaxed, and are easier to live with because they aren’t always brimming with unbridled energy. Training can take the edge off of a nervous or anxious dog. Training teaches a dog to look to his owner for guidance. And last but not least, training is fun for dogs and people.

What behaviors should you train?

Start with the basics. Sit, Lay Down, Come, Stay, and Touch are great commands to begin with. Think of your dog learning these commands as putting tools in your toolbox – behaviors you can call on your dog to do instead of things you don’t want him to do.

Have a dog that jumps on people? Teach him a rock solid sit and call on this behavior when she wants to greet people. If she sits, she gets attention, and a dog that is sitting can’t be jumping at the same time! Same thing with a solid down – a dog that is lying down is not jumping on people. A dog who comes when called can’t be doing a myriad of other things we don’t like – barking at other dogs, getting into the trash, chewing on your shoes – the list is endless!

By teaching your dog to follow these commands you are effectively teaching replacement behaviors – things your dog can do instead of the things he is doing that you don’t like. Remember – training and investing in your dog really is all about you. Training makes your life with your dog more fun (and the dog gets the benefit too!)

How do you get started?

If you are a DYI kind of person, YouTube and Facebook have great training videos and groups. Our recommendation for training is always to use positive training methods. Our favorite YouTube channels for this are Kikopup and Zak George. These two trainers have hundreds of great videos that are easy to follow and get great results.

If you prefer to have someone teach you one on one, private dog training lessons are the way to go. When we work with clients we customize our programs to meet our clients goals and dreams for their dogs. We provide written training plans and handouts and lots of other great materials to support you in your training.

No matter what route you take to train your train, remember to have patience with your dog. Dogs don’t speak English, and some dogs take longer to learn new things than others do. If you dog doesn’t follow your commands, assume he needs a minute to translate from people to dog language or he doesn’t understand what you want him to do. Believe it or not, most dogs are not stubborn. We just haven’t made our instructions clear enough for them 🙂

Pepper’s Paws, LLC provides in home dog training for basic manners, behavior problems, and fear aggression in Rehoboth Beach, DE and surrounding areas. We also offer lessons via Zoom for anyone not in our in person service area.

Head trainer Deb Murray, is Certified Canine Behavior Consultant (CBCC-KA) and Certified Professional Dog Training (CPDT-KA) by the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers, a Fear Free Certified Trainer, an AKC Evaluator, and a Distinguished Graduate and Mentor Trainer for the Catch Canine Academy.