Practice Where You Play

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traveling with a well-behaved pooch, I often hear the comment, “Yeah, but he’s so good. My dog isn’t like that.”

Well, your dog could be if you practiced.

Like most behaviors, you must break it into small components and work on some piece each day. I tend to train the way I do everything else: work both ends to the middle. A little socialization here, a little obedience there, and soon you have a pooch on patio.

If you’re starting with a young puppy, you’re probably golden. Just take him everywhere you can, and introduce him to everything and everyone. In my opinion, carefully supervised socialization is the single most important thing you can provide for your dog. The sooner you start, the better off you’ll be.

At 9 months old, it was Henri’s great misfortune to arrive in the home of a socially needy creature. Having gone from a shelter to an apartment with a Dad who worked a lot, he hadn’t had much socialization. He needed to be a little less timid. So, we started going. A lot. He had to learn that the world was big and new wasn’t scary.

On the other end, he had to start learning the dos and the don’ts of being my dog. Aside from sit, and walking not just on a loose leash but very near me in a not quite heel, ‘leave-it’ is really important. All my clients know and use it.

‘Leave-it’ means not yours, walk away, stop barking at that, don’t lick it. Basically, “That’s none of your business.”

Terriers think everything is their business!

‘Say HI’ is just the opposite of leave-it. ‘Say HI’ applies not only to friendly people, but sketchy inanimate objects. There’s also “get over here,” but that’s an informal Southern directive. It’s usually learned, but not exactly taught.

Teaching your dog a variety of commands isn’t just about communication between the two of you. Your dog is learning to look to you for information about how he should react.

For example: there’s a girl on crutches coming down the street.

A dog who has never seen crutches might stiffen and begin to growl. At that, you’d say ‘leave it.’ Chances are the girl will pass you with no interaction. In this situation your direction indicates that ‘no harm is coming, and zero action is needed on your part.’ A reassuring butt scratch helps.

This one remark makes the crutches scene predictable for your dog. You could just as easily tell your dog to ‘Say HI’ to the girl on crutches, though it may require encouragement, but the point is you’re feeding your dog information that indicates what is coming next, AND you’re rewarding the correct response. Once you’ve got some basic communication developed and your dog is fairly ok with strangers, you are ready to give it a try.

Before your first patio experience, prepare. You need to pack a few things, and you need to burn off some energy.

Your bag should include a water bowl, a small bottle of water (though usually the wait staff will offer to bring some), something to chew on, and a few treats. For little dogs, maybe a small fold up pad to lie on. Our go-bag also includes bug repellant and a couple of koozies.

After you burn off some energy with a walk or a game of fetch, it’s ‘practice where you play’ time.

Head to your favorite dog-friendly place during a not so busy hour and have ONE drink. Ok. Maybe two, but keep it short and sweet. Remember, this is a training session and your focus should be mostly on your dog.

With no food things on the table, it should be easy to encourage your dog to sit or lay next to you. If he seems as though he wants to visit with strangers, use ‘leave-it’. If strangers want to pet him, encourage them to come to you instead of letting your dog wander over to them, especially at the beginning of training. You always want to learn and establish the rules before you start bending or breaking them. For outdoor dining, this means your well-mannered pup stays next to you.

After a short successful session, 30 minutes max, it’s time to go. If you’re in a business district, maybe you can take a little walk and either return to the previous location or park-it at a new one. Just make sure you aren’t causing your dog undo stress.

Excessive yawning, licking, or panting, or some combination of these behaviors could be a sign that your dog isn’t having much fun. Henri doesn’t stress out much anymore, but when he’s had enough, he’ll put a paw in my lap or stand on me with both feet if one paw doesn’t do the trick. This usually means it’s time to go. Learn the most common signs and which ones your dog uses.

On your next outing you can stay longer, have an appetizer or try a short session on a busier night. Mix it up so your dog gets comfortable in a variety of situations.

• Be consistent with your commands and rules.
• Be respectful of other guests.
• Be aware of your surroundings.

Do these three things and you’ll also be an ambassador for good behavior (both human and canine). It’ll take some practice to pull it all together, but soon you’ll be able to go from a day on the water to dinner at the pier.