The old saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," is not entirely true, but it does have some truth to it. Older dogs, like older people, do become set in their ways and do not always like change. An older dog also does have more difficulty in retaining new experiences, so it can take an older dog longer to learn new commands. So, the younger you begin training your dog to be a good traveler, the better he will be. If you can begin working with your dog when he is still a puppy that is even better.
The most important thing to teach your dog is discipline. An obedience class with a trained professional is the best way. As your pet's "parent," your pet may be prone to ignore your commands if his past experience tells him that he can, and you may be tempted to allow him to do this, teaching him that he can continue to ignore you. The obedience instructor will keep both of you on task and will remind you that you are not demanding obedience from your pet in order to be mean to him, you are doing it to keep him safe. Your command could stop your pet from running into traffic, chasing another animal into the woods, or eating something harmful. So keep this in mind when you give your dog a command.
Ask your friends who also own dogs to recommend an obedience trainer, or talk to your vet. Your local YMCA or community center may offer classes, and your vet may even offer evening obedience or "puppy civilization" classes. Being in the class will accustom your dog to being around other dogs and people so he is more relaxed in public and less likely to be distracted. In addition to walking on a lead, you and your dog will learn commands such as: come, front, sit, lie down, up, heel, down, quiet, and drop it. These are important in training your dog to come to you when called, to stay with you, to not jump on people, to not bark, and to leave an object alone.
As you and your dog are going through obedience training, take your dog on short trips in the car to accustom him to riding with you. Start with your dog in his carrier to make him feel safer, and to keep him from getting too excited. After you accustom him to taking short trips in town, try taking him on longer drives. Once he is good about behaving while you are in the car with him, start training him to stay in the car unsupervised for increasing amounts of time. Start with him in his carrier so he does not damage your car if he gets too excited then allow him out of his carrier once you feel he can behave himself. Remember to lock the car doors and crack the windows slightly. (More about the Do's and Don'ts of leaving your pet in the car in a future article.)
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Beverly Eschberger's Travelling with Pets topic, please visit the Discussions page.