Every dog owner desires that their dogs remain easy to handle, while they go out in public and interact with their friends and their dogs. For this reason, most people start their dog training quite early.
Even though well-socialized dogs are calm and composed in public places, many other dogs didn’t get trained at a young age. There are also rescue dogs, who have a tough time walking in public, as they get stressed and anxious by their past trauma. These dogs can pull on the leash, bark at fellow dogs or passersby, or even refuse to walk with you.
In this blog, you will see some excellent tips on training your dogs to be calm in public and relaxing dogs that get anxious while walking.
If you are just starting out walking your dogs in public, it’s better to avoid places that are too crowded. Nervous dogs can quickly get frightened if they see a lot of people and dogs suddenly. Hence, you need to take them to a peaceful and less crowded place at first. Also, it is suggested that you wait until your dog is in a relaxed mood and has been to the bathroom before the walk.
If you see your dog is showing signs of anxiety when outside, you want to switch to taking brief walks. You can slowly build up to longer ones as they become more confident. Consider breaking up one long walk into a few shorter walks throughout the day, each lasting around 10-15 minutes. Let your dog control when walking and let them sniff as much as they want. This makes them comfortable and offers them a sense of control.
As interesting as it may sound, you can teach your dog to be calm in public by training them from home. What you need to do is put your dog’s leash on in the house and sit next to their bed or blanket. If your dog settles down on the bed or sits calmly without pulling the leash or barking, silently give them a delicious dog treat as a reward. What this does is, it helps them associate calm behaviour and positive reinforcement with their leash.
Although some dogs may take a while to get trained this way, it is nevertheless a great foundation to build on before walking with them in public.
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Reward their Positive Behaviour in Public
While walking with your dog, you should reward good or calm behaviour like not pulling the leash or barking at other dogs with a treat, just like how you do this at home. If your dog isn’t food-motivated, you can try giving them some entertaining dog toys to just carry or to simply distract them
Remember that, sometimes, even giving your dog something to sniff is enough to keep them distracted. Praise can also go a long way in motivating them to behave well.
Whether your dog is an adult or a puppy, socialising them with other pets is necessary. If you are unsure of how your dogs will react to other dogs, keep them on the leash during their initial meetings and keep the dogs at a distance from each other.
Also, make sure to introduce your dog to new people too. The more they interact with other people and dogs, the more confident they will feel in public.
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Regularly Exercise Your Dog
A dog that exercises regularly is more likely to be relaxed in public, as it helps them get rid of any pent-up energy. When a dog doesn’t receive enough exercise, it gets bored, hyped up and frustrated, causing several behavioural issues in them. This is why it is essential to play with your dog games like fetch, offering them chew toys, or doing exercises that both you and your dogs enjoy.
Lastly, having a positive frame of mind while walking with your dog can help you avoid a lot of trouble. Since dogs absorb the mindset of their owners quickly, keeping calm while walking makes your dogs less likely to react strangely. Also never punish your dog, if they bark at fellow dogs and passersby, as it will only make things worse. It is important to keep your body language as relaxed as you can.
Final Thoughts
If you think you have been struggling to keep your dog well-behaved in public, remember that you are not alone. This is a common problem that a lot of dog owners are dealing with, even the experienced ones. Having a little amount of patience and positivity can help you a lot in training your dogs effectively. If you think your dog is dealing with anxiety, consult your vet for advice.
