Patio Dog Training Day 1
Patio Dog Training Exercise 1
Before we start heading out to restaurants and pubs with our dogs there are things we can do at home to help prep them for this set up.
So I begin my patio dog training right here at home with my dining room table at dinner time!
When you sit down to eat a meal at home, snap on your dog's leash and have them sit with you like they will be doing at a dog friendly establishment.
Many dogs find being stuck on a leash in one spot for an extended period of time very frustrating, so taking away the chaos of a new public place can help them get used to the leashed part in a less stressful way.
I don't use treats for this! Many dogs will get more worked up trying to figure out how they get treats and won't truly relax.
I use releasing as the reward so they are not expecting food.
I do not give the dog cues for what to do, I want them to settle on their own and not feel stuck, so I don't tell them to sit or lay down.
I might calmly pet them or praise them when they do offer a sit or down on their own, but I don't give food for it.
If your dog is easily frustrated, rather than reaching for food, try more frequent VERY SHORT sessions. Like you sit down for 1-2 minutes.
In the very beginning if your dog offers settling down, very calmly and quietly unclip the leash after they do, and by settle I don't mean the second their elbows hit the ground, I mean they have laid down and are either snoozing or just calmly laying for a few minutes.
Try your best to just ignore them if they are antsy, don't give them a lot of attention, just let them have the length of the leash and the ability to do what they want as long as they are not jumping on you and trying to steal food of course.
If your dog likes comfort, you can put a little mat down under the table for them to lay on if they choose (but don't cue them to).
WHY DO WE NOT CUE THE DOGS TO LAY DOWN AND STAY FOR PATIO DOG TRAINING?
Because we want our dogs to know they are free to move around if they feel they need to. They might be concerned about a person and we want them knowing they can move away rather than feel stuck. They might be worried about your feet moving and we want them to know they can move from them if they are afraid. Somebody might drop something and again, freedom of movement matters, knowing you can move away brings more comfort during sketchy times. Also, a dog that chooses to lay down and relax is truly more calm than a dog commanded to and their ability to do so becomes a big message to you as to their mental state. I know when my dogs lay down and chill that they are fine and we are good to stay as long as we want to, I know when they are pacing around and cannot settle that the environment is currently a lot for them to handle so I am going to be watching their surroundings closely and be ready to leave if I see stress signals increasing.