Archive: July 29, 2022

How to create safe spaces for Your baby and Your dog

welcome to the next post in the series of how we prepared our dog Baxter for the birth of our first baby. This post was actually written before my daughter was born.

Today I’m sharing my plan for all of the areas in our house and what will be shared between Baxter and baby. This is an important step in my overall goal of keeping everyone safe and making sure dog and baby respect each other. To see all of the posts in this baby prep series, click here.

A reminder that if you have serious behaviour concerns or special needs particularly when adding a baby to your family, our best advice is to work with a reputable, professional trainer.

As we’ve been preparing Baxter for baby, one of the most helpful resources has been our trainer.

In my very first conversation with her after I told her I was pregnant, she talked about the importance of space and boundaries—and training both babies and dogs to respect those boundaries.

Her comments got me thinking about what I want to be shared space and what will be exclusive to the baby or to Baxter.

With our trainer’s own daughter, she established a perimeter around where the dogs laid down most often. She didn’t set up a physical barrier, and instead just instructed her daughter to not go too close. While this approach may not work for every child, our trainer said, “By 8 or 9 months, she had learned to respect that space.”

How to create safe space for your baby and your dog

The dog’s space

Baxter’s main bed is in our living room next to his food and water. It’s a central spot where he can keep an eye on what is happening in the house. It’s also a spot where Baxter has been sensitive sometimes.

If strangers are over for a visit and they pet him while he’s in bed, he occasionally has growled. So we’re declaring Baxter’s bed and food a baby-free zone. That is Baxter’s space, and I want him to be confident that he can go there if he wants to be left alone. same goes for Baxter’s beds in other spots of the house.

This will also be the spot that we send him if we feel we need some space. Baxter responds reliably to “go lay down” by going to his bed, so we’ve been practicing this command from various places in the house to ensure he’s rock solid by the time the baby arrives.

(See our post on how to teach your dog the “place” command.)

The other spot that’s going to be exclusively Baxter’s is his chair in the living room—which he claimed long ago. Although he’s not possessive of the chair, I will not be using the chair for nursing and will not be putting the baby on the chair for a cute snugly photo op with the dog.

The baby’s space

The baby needs its own spaces too. We have put a blanket and bouncy chair on the floor in our living room upstairs and our family room downstairs, and after an initial sniff to investigate the new additions, we’ve asked Baxter to stay outside those areas.

There’s lots of debate about the “leave it” command and people using it too broadly. Baxter has a very reliable “leave it” and a broad definition of what leave it means (everything from the basic, “no don’t eat that” to “stop sniffing that” to “move away”). So we’ve been using “leave it” to ask him to move away from the chair or blanket.

The other tool I’m planning to use to create my happy baby-dog house is a play yard—the modern version of an old-school playpen or the human version of the dog crate. Baxter has never been crated and we’re not planning to start that now. However, there will be times that I need to step away for a minute, but I don’t want to leave Baxter and baby loose in the room together.

One of the books that I read talked about thinking about your dog like a swimming pool. You would never leave your baby alone in a swimming pool, so don’t leave your baby unsupervised with your dog.

Having the play yard for the baby will be enough separation to keep everyone safe for a few minutes without me being right there. We’ve set up the play yard now so that Baxter has plenty of time to get used to this new fixture in the living room.

As for the rest of the house and furniture, I’m hoping that we will all share.

Baby’s room

Baxter has been curious about the baby’s room (a room that we didn’t spend a lot of time in before) and by his own choice he’s been keeping us company when we’re in the room sorting baby clothes or setting up furniture.

I’m glad that he’s treating the room like any other in the house. I don’t want him to feel anxious or uncertain about the room, and I hope he’ll continue to feel welcome in the nursery once baby arrives.

See our update on how they’re doing here.

Shared furniture

Shared furniture is something I’ve been thinking about carefully. Baxter is allowed on the upstairs couch and our bed, but both are usually invitation only, which he respects.

Our trainer’s advice was, “If your dog is allowed on the couch, let him be on the couch with you while you’re feeding the baby. This can be a good bonding time for you and your dog and also help your dog become more familiar with the baby. If you don’t want your dog on the couch with the baby, train him now to stay off the couch.”

I am conscious that it will be important not to force Baxter to be on the couch or the bed with the baby if he doesn’t want to be.

Yes, pictures of dogs and babies snuggling together are super cute and get lots of likes online, but I’ve seen too many photos where the dog looks miserable, and those make me cringe. It’s a short step from a dog being uncomfortable to a dog being dangerous.

No matter where we are in the house, I want Baxter to feel comfortable and safe. Likewise, I want to feel comfortable that our baby is safe. thinking about how we’ll use the various spaces, setting up boundaries right from the start, respecting each other’s spaces and teaching baby and dog right away will hopefully help us to accomplish that.

Update: Baxter and Ellie are doing well, as you can see:

Summary: how to create safe spaces for your baby and your dog

Train the baby and the dog. babies and dogs need to learn that there are boundaries and to respect each other’s spaces. For example, teach the baby that the dog’s food and bed are out of bounds. Or you may want to teach your dog that the couch or the nursery is a baby only area.

Use physical boundaries to help manage interactions between your dog and baby. Crates, baby gates and play yards can be helpful if you need to separate your dog and baby. set them up early so your dog has time to get used to them before the baby arrives.

Think of your dog like a swimming pool. Don’t leave your baby unsupervised with your dog. even the best dog can make a terrible mistake. stay close enough (within reach) to intervene if needed.

Make sure your dog has a space of his own. Sometimes, a dog just needs to get away. Make sure he has a few safe spaces where he can go if he wants to be alone. Don’t put the baby in his safe spot, even if it’s just once for the cutest photo ever. Your dog should feel secure that he will not be bothered if he’s feeling overwhelmed.

Let your dog choose to engage or share space with the baby. Don’t force your dog onto the couch or into the nursery. If he chooses to join you, great. If not, let him approach the baby in his own way at his own pace.

Brush up on important commands. “Place” or “settle” or “go lay down” can all be invaluable if you or the baby need a little space. depending on your situation or training, “leave it,” “off” or “away” may also be helpful. Make sure your dog responds solidly to these commands—including if you’re not standing right beside him—before the baby arrives.

Do you have exclusive dog or baby spaces at your house?

How do you handle shared areas for your dog and children?

If you missed it, read my birth announcement here.

Related posts:

Baby prep – new routines

New sights, sounds & smells

How to safely introduce a 2nd dog

Julia Thomson is a blogger at Home on 129 Acres where she writes about her adventures of country living and diy renovating. She and her husband live on a 129-acre farm in Ontario, Canada. follow Julia on Twitter here and Instagram here.

Solana beach pet dog walking

pet dog running, hiking as well as pet sitting

Run That Mutt uses pet sitting, pet dog running as well as pet dog walking in Solana Beach and is now accepting new clients.

Pet sitting is offered by the go to or by the day. personal walks, runs as well as hikes are as much as 90 minutes.

For a lot more information:

Visit RunThatMutt.com

Email Lindsay@RunThatMutt.com

or call/text 760.822.8431

Run That Mutt is an insured pet sitting and dog walking service in Solana Beach. likewise covering Cardiff, Encinitas as well as Del Mar.

As a full-time blogger, pet sitter as well as pet dog runner, let’s just state I like my job!

10 questions to ask before boarding your canine

Whenever I leave town, I ask myself who is going to take care of my mutt Ace.

Friends and family are a good option, but only if they are reliable enough and they actually want to take my canine for a week.

For numerous canine owners, boarding is the best and in some cases the only option. There are a lot of really bad kennels out there. count on me, I worked at one. That’s the very reason I started pet sitting through my canine walking business.

I worked at a boarding facility near Minneapolis while I was in high school and college. It was a very popular and busy kennel, but the owner was very good at sucking money from his customers, and the dogs suffered because of it.

Since this week is a busy travel time, and numerous people are taking a look at dog-boarding options, I wanted to share some suggestions for you to think about when choosing a kennel for your dog.

Also see my article: 10 things to do before boarding your dog

Questions to ask before boarding your dog

1. Ask if you can trip the canine boarding facility.

Never leave your canine anywhere without touring the facility. If the staff will not allow you to see where your canine will be, that is a really bad sign. They have something to hide.

The kennel I worked at eventually stopped giving trips because if anybody saw it, they would not leave their canine there.

If the kennel you are interested in does not allow you to see the full facility, this might imply the cages are too small, the building is unclean or rundown, or maybe much more than one canine is crammed into one kennel. I have seen this happen.

Usually the kennel manager will use an excuse such as, “We can’t let you back there for insurance reasons.” That’s bullshit. If you can’t see where your canine will be, find another kennel. The owner ought to be thrilled to show off his or her business.

Just because a staff member tells you the facility holds 40 dogs, don’t believe it unless you see it. The company owner could be cramming 200 dogs in a small area, just to make much more money. count on me, I’ve seen this too.

If the staff member lists certain hours when trips are given, that is fine. It makes sense that they would want to tidy up a bit and have you visit during quieter hours.

But ideally you ought to be able to stop by anytime and someone ought to be pleased to show off their great business. By seeing where your canine will be, you will instantly have a feeling of whether or not you are comfortable leaving your canine there.

Trust your first reactions!

On your tour, here are some questions to keep in mind:

2. how clean is the canine kennel?

An area with several dogs in it is never going to smell good, or be completely clean. but are the staff members making an effort to pick up all visible canine poop? Is the ground dry?

Are there any abnormal odors, other than what you’d expect? If the ground is wet, is it because the area was recently cleaned? Does it seem like there is proper ventilation or is it wet all the time?

3. how numerous dogs are at the kennel?

Ask the staff member how numerous dogs the facility can hold, and then count for yourself how numerous are actually there. If many or all the kennels hold two or much more dogs, you ought to immediately ask why.

The staff member might tell you that dogs from multi-dog families are boarded together. but they can’t all be from multi-dog families, can they?

4. how are the dogs identified?

The dogs ought to be identified in some way, maybe with a card and photo on their kennel, or with a labeled collar.

You know what your black lab looks like, but with nine other black labs, do you think someone could get her mixed up with another dog? The answer is yes. Again, I’ve seen it happen!

You don’t want to pay for extra treats or playtime sessions, only to have them go to another canine that looks just like yours. and you don’t want your canine to get sick from eating the wrong food or receiving the wrong medications.

5. Is there a play area at the kennel?

Don’t believe there is a play area unless you see it. and don’t believe the dogs actually play in it unless you see dogs playing in it.

Ask how often the canine will be let out, and if there is any extra cost. The kennel I worked at charged an extra $4 per 15-minute play session. but because of our limited staff, there was no time to actually follow through with these “play sessions.”

Guess what? The canine owners were still charged, and they had no idea their dogs sat in a kennel all week other than to get out to go to the bathroom. The ownerof the facility would flat out lie to the customers, and they believed him.

6. how numerous staff members are on site?

Ideally, you want to have at least one staff member for every 10 dogs or so, in my opinion.

If there are less than that, it is not a good sign. It is not possible for one person to correctly care for much more animals than that. You want your canine to receive as much attention as possible.

If a fight were to break out between two or much more dogs, it would not necessarily be easy for one person to break it up. There ought to be enough staff members so the place remains clean and the dogs get plenty of exercise and affection.

7. What is the cost per day to board my dog, and what does that price include?

If the kennel charges $30 a day, ask what this includes.

Most will charge extra for food, baths, playtime and treats. Don’t assume that the fixed rate covers everything or anything extra at all.

Ask if you can bring your dog’s own food. A good kennel will encourage you to bring your dog’s regular food to keep her schedule as close to her common routine as possible.

Just make sure you know what you are paying for. The charges add up fast, and you don’t want to come home from getaway and receive a kennel bill higher than you expected.

It’s a good idea to ask what the total will be beforehand so you know.

8. What will happen in an emergency situation?

What will happen if your canine gets sick? will you be contacted? Which vet will see him? Is there a vet on site? will you be responsible for all the costs?

Is there any situation where your canine would be euthanized without your approval first? Dogs do get sick. Dogs do get into fights. things do happen.

9. Ask all the questions you can.

If there’s something on your mind, ask it. You have every best to get the answers you want. You are trusting strangers with your pet, and you are worthy of to know everything you can.

You ought to leave your canine feeling comfortable that she is in a safe place and well taken care of. If you have any doubts, relocation on to another boarding facility.

10. suggestion the kennel staff.

You want your canine to get the best treatment, right? Well, why not slip the staff member an extra $10? This will go a long way. he or she will remember you tipped, and will likely give your canine a little extra attention, whether it’s a few minutes of ear scratching or some extra time in the play area.

It wouldn’t hurt to suggestion again when you pick up your dog. Yes, it is a bit of a bribe ?

If you feel awkward tipping the staff, you could also do something good like bring them a box of cookies or donuts when you drop off your dog. people remember good gestures.

Have you ever taken your canine to a boarding kennel? What did you think of that kennel, and how did you choose it?

What to Do When One pet dog is Jealous of the other and Growls?

What do you do if one of your dogs growls at the others out of what appears to be jealousy?

I actually get this question about once a week. I’m writing this post so I have an post to share.

I’d also like this to be a place where people can ask questions or give advice.

The scenario is typically like this:

You try to give affection to your small dog. She jumps onto your lap and you pet her. then your big pet dog techniques and sticks her head on your lap for some attention too. This is when the small pet dog proceeds to bark and growl at the big dog.

It wouldn’t have to be small pet dog vs. big dog, but let’s face it – it typically is! but it could also be two big dogs or two small dogs.

Maybe one pet dog tends to lie at the owner’s feet growling as the other pet dog approaches. Or maybe one is on the couch and growls as the other comes near.

See my post: how to stop a small pet dog from guarding me.

So what’s happening here?

Well, it’s always good to seek advice from with a professional trainer if your’e anxious about aggression. Every situation is different, and it’s impossible to give recommendations on a certain dog’s behavior over email or in a general blog post.

But here’s my general feedback:

This type of growling or “guarding” makes sense. The pet dog is resource guarding and YOU are the resource.

If the pet dog doing the growling is normally the “weaker” of the two dogs, this may be the only time you ever see her growling or standing up for herself because she’s protecting her power source (YOU). You make her feel a lot more powerful and she may even feel like you’re backing her up or protecting her.

And sadly, if one dog is very pushy or bossy, the only time your a lot more sensitive or “weaker” dog might get attention in any way is when she sits on your lap or on the couch next to you. So you bet she’s going to guard you in those situations, it’s the only real affection she gets!

People might describe this as “jealousy” but it’s normally resource guarding, which is normal pet dog behavior but something we normally don’t want to encourage. See: how to break a dog’s possessiveness.

So here’s what to do:

How to stop my pet dog from getting jealous and growing at my other dog

1. Remember, you get to decide who approaches you.

You are the person in charge, right? So, YOU decide which dog sits with you and you decide which dog gets your attention and when. Your dogs don’t get to decide, not when it’s resulting in aggression or guarding. So that’s my first tip. Be aware of who you’re giving attention to and make sure you really are the one making that decision!

2. Enforce a no dogs on the furniture policy for now.

Do this especially if being on the furniture is part of what’s triggering the guarding/jealousy. I have a cat (Beamer!) who likes to sit on my bed. When my pet dog so much as walks by the bed, Beamer swipes and hisses at the dog. He’s being a bully and possessive of the bed!

So what do I do?

I immediately remove the cat from the bed and put him on the floor. It changes his state of mind and energy instantly.

See my post: how to stop my pet dog from growling on the bed.

3. Don’t allow the pet dog to sit at your feet guarding you.

Once you actually think about this you might realize, wow, my pet dog really does sit and guard me at my feet! If you catch either pet dog doing this, shoo her away, tether her across the room or put her in a down/stay on her pet dog bed. Or, simply get up and step somewhere else so she can’t guard you.

I run into this problem with my foster dogs quite often. The foster pet dog will lie at my feet guarding me from my pet dog Ace and I don’t even realize it because Ace doesn’t protest. The poor person just goes and lies down across the room! So be aware is all I’m saying. (2019 update: Ace has passed away.)

4. Don’t allow your other pet dog to barge up and hog your attention.

Likewise, you shouldn’t allow your other pet dog to barge up and steal your attention away when you’re choosing to give affection to the first dog. Does that make sense? Don’t allow either pet dog to sit and guard you and don’t allow either pet dog to barge up when you choose to give affection to one or the other.

When a pet dog tries to barge in and hog the attention, block him with your body, tell him “no” or put him in a down/stay across the room.

5. work on general obedience with both dogs.

Obviously, you want to work on general training with both your dogs. Every pet dog must learn to lie down and stay on command for up to 20 minutes or a lot more with no distractions. If your dogs can’t do that, then start with 15 seconds.

All dogs must learn to obey “sit” and “come” and to wait patiently before eating or walking through doors. I have all sorts of articles about how to train these behaviors. just choose one or two goals to start with but do train your dogs. Well-trained dogs are a lot more respectful of their owners and they have a higher level of self-control.

Need help with a certain training issue? email me – Lindsay@ThatMutt.com.

6. Reward calm behavior from both dogs.

Try to remember to reward/praise calm behavior from both dogs. When you’re handing out treats, reward calm behavior not frantic behavior. When you’re greeting your dogs after work, give affection to the pet dog who’s not jumping. If you see one of your dogs lying quietly on her pet dog bed, discuss and praise her.

And it goes without saying, but also make sure both dogs are getting plenty of exercise! In general, dogs in the U.S. do not get nearly enough exercise.

See my post: ideas for exercising a pet dog indoors.

So those are my general tips!

Let me know your own experiences or ideas in the comments!

Related posts:

How to stop my small pet dog from guarding me

How to break a dog’s possessiveness

My pet dog growls at other dogs

What to do when your dogs don’t get along

How no-kill shelters save much more dogs and cats

The united states currently kills about 3 million healthy dogs and cats in U.S. shelters annually. That’s the general agreed-upon number from the Humane society of the united states and other groups.

We can certainly find homes for an extra 3 million animals each year if we work together. Sure, some areas are slower to catch on and some face challenging challenges, but we’ll all get there eventually.

There are currently 144 documented no-kill communities in the United States, according to Out the Front Door, a web site that tracks and verifies this info.

To be considered “no kill,” the community should have a live release rate of 90 percent or much more for impounded dogs and cats. This leaves a reasonable leeway for animals that are really suffering and ought to be euthanized and for a few dogs that are really harmful and ought to be killed for safety reasons.

I reached out to shelter workers from these documented no-kill communities and asked them about some of the basic ideas they follow to save much more lives.

Here’s what they had to say:

How no-kill shelters are saving more pets

*The canine imagined above, Kali, is up for adoption with the Nevada Humane Society

Nevada Humane Society

The Nevada Humane society is an open-admission, no-kill shelter located in Reno. It takes in owner surrendered animals as well as strays, according to its web site.

In 2013, NHS took in 15,350 animals and had a live release rate of 90 percent, according to Out the Front Door.

I spoke by email with Kimberly Chandler Wade, senior manager of communications and events for the shelter. She shared all sorts of ideas the NHS uses, and much of it came down to getting much more people to the shelter by providing adoption specials.

Adoption specials

NHS increases its adoptions by getting creative and providing adoption promotions, Wade said.

The shelter often bases these promotions off current trends. For example, it recently created “pet shaming” adoption ads featuring various animals.

As another example, the shelter featured an “Orange is the new Bark” adoption special this month after the series “Orange is the new Black” (one of my favorites!). people could adopt a canine wearing an orange bandana for just $25, and all black cats and kittens were just $10.

“The goal is to get people into the shelter and thinking of us when they consider bringing a pet into their family,” Wade said. “The adoption campaigns are essential to that.”

The shelter is also able to do much more adoptions because it remains open on weekends and in the evenings and even on some holidays.

The Kansas City Pet Project

The Kansas City Pet project is a non-profit organization that began running the Kansas City (Mo.) Animal shelter in January 2012. KC Pet project is open admission and no kill, according to its web site.

The organization took in 8,179 dogs and cats in 2013, according to Out the Front Door. It had a live release rate of 92% (or 88% when factoring in owner-requested euthanasia).

Before KC Pet project took over the shelter, the shelter had a live release rate between 31 and 61 percent over the previous 5 years, according to its web site.

I spoke with Tori Fugate, the manager of marketing and development for KC Pet Project, over the phone. She shared some of the programs that work really well in Kansas City.

Open adoptions

One of the reasons the KCPP is able to save much more animals is because it provides “open adoptions,” Fugate said. instead of searching for reasons to turn adopters away, the shelter has conversations with adopters to match them up with the best pets.

She said the shelter does not ask closed-ended questions with “right” or “wrong” answers. It does not ask for any references. It does not require a fenced yard for dogs, and it does not require adopters to pass a “home check.”

Personally, I’m starting to see a trend! Thankfully, much more and much more shelters are dropping invasive adoption requirements. I can’t wait for much more and shelters to catch on!

Playgroups for dogs

Another great program through KC Pet project is that it offers playgroups for the dogs every single day, Fugate said. This is one way to relieve tension for the dogs while providing them a way to play, exercise and socialize.

It also helps the staff and volunteers get to know each dog’s personality and playing style, which helps them match the dogs with the most suitable adopters, Fugate said.

Check out this great video from KCPP to get a better idea at the outstanding work it is doing.

Other ways the NHS and KC Pet project are saving lives:

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Barn cat adoption programs in place for feral cats

Recruiting additional foster homes whenever possible

Significant adoption discounts. For example, when KC Pet Project took over the shelter in January 2012, it provided adoptions for just $20.12.

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Other examples of U.S. no-kill communities

No-kill communities exist in all areas of the country. They exist in rural and urban areas and are not limited to areas that have “more money.”

As you can see from the KC Pet project video, it’s about removing killing as an option and getting creative, because people really are very resourceful!

You have to be “really brave,” Fugate said. You should “have a passion to save as numerous lives as you can.”

Here are just a few examples of additional no-kill communities in the united states from the growing list of 144 existing communities so far:

[check_list]

Duluth, Minn.

McIntosh County, Ga.

Kalispell, Mont.

Ithaca, N.Y.

Lynchburg, Va.

Travis County, Texas

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To see the full list, visit Out the Front Door.

What are some programs that are working really well in your community?

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Prevent dogs from satisfying head on

Dogs are getting crazier. people just don’t comprehend them.

I’ve never gone to a pet dog adoption event without some idiot enabling his stressed-out pet dog to fee ideal as much as the pet dog I’m handling.

Last week I was managing a sweet, laid-back American pit bull terrier named Jada who is a bit pet dog aggressive. Even after I told other handlers that “my” pet dog doesn’t do well with other dogs, a lot more than one enabled his or her pet dog to run ideal as much as Jada’s face. This is not fair to any type of dog, particularly one who is discovering exactly how to interact socially appropriately with others.

People are excellent at setting up their dogs as well as other people’s dogs for failure. When you’re taking care of powerful breeds, the errors can be huge.

Luckily, when dogs do get into scuffles, it’s normally “talk” as well as no bite. There’s a great deal of growling as well as barking, however nobody gets hurt. It seems poor to us, however the dogs step on immediately.

Handling a rescue pet dog at adoption events is one of the most satisfying things I can do as a pet dog enthusiast as well as trainer. I like assisting a pet dog learn, interact socially as well as have some fun while ideally satisfying the ideal family. however going to these events likewise difficulties me, since I never understand what other people are going to do.

Below are some ideas I utilize to make it through circumstances where a great deal of dogs with different energy levels as well as irresponsible owners are together in a little space.

How to prevent satisfying other dogs head on

1. prevent standing against walls or barriers.

When I’m sitting against the wall with “my” dog, it’s difficult to step away from other dogs that fee us. If you’re standing or sitting at an adoption event, a pet dog show or a training class, don’t sit where your pet dog might feel trapped. You will have nowhere to go if one more pet dog techniques you.

I’ve likewise discovered that sitting on the ground assists me manage my pet dog much easier since I’m at her level with less slack in the leash.

2. walk into your pet dog so she has to back away from the other dog.

I see a great deal of people desperately pulling back on tense leashes. Pulling produces a lot more tension as well as enjoyment which will motivate the pet dog to withstand as well as pull even harder. This commonly leads to lunging, barking as well as “choking.”

It’s much a lot more efficient to calmly turn into your pet dog as well as walk ideal into her. Don’t kick her, just insurance claim her space. This will distract her from the other pet dog as well as cause her to back away while looking up at you. This is the best time to offer her a treat. breaking eye get in touch with between the two dogs will assist re-direct the other dog’s attention, too. It must likewise send a remove message to its owner that an interaction at this time around would be a poor idea.

3. Be direct with people about your dog’s aggression issues.

Most people presume all dogs are friendly, even if theirs isn’t. Make sure to tell other owners that your pet dog does refrain from doing well with other dogs. You’ll most likely still have to step away from some people, since specific individuals just don’t get it. I understand at least one guy who believes managing an aggressive pet dog makes him a poor ass.

4. stay calm.

I understand this is much easier stated then done. a lot of of us have to consciously remind ourselves not to overreact or tense up, particularly if we’re predicting the worst. The a lot more kicked back you are, the a lot more kicked back your pet dog will be.

5. difficulty your pet dog in little ways.

Look for laid-back, submissive dogs as well as describe to their owners that you would like your pet dog to begin satisfying other dogs. Be upfront with them if she has aggression issues. keep the leashes kicked back as well as enable each pet dog to odor the other’s butt before they make direct eye get in touch with (awkward, I know). If the dogs seem okay with one one more as well as there is no tension, let them sniff for a few seconds, however stop while your pet dog is successful.

6. Take breaks.

Do not push your pet dog as well far. If she seems stressed or excited, take her for a short walk away from everybody else as well as return when she is calmer. If the circumstance seems as well overwhelming for your dog, don’t be terrified to leave early.

7. If errors happen, forgive yourself as well as step on.

When you’re taking care of ecstatic dogs as well as inexperienced handlers, there are going to be some scuffles. utilize these as discovering experiences so you do not make the exact same errors several times. If your pet dog lunges or snaps, do not overreact. as well asdon’t overreact if somebody else’s pet dog tries to assault your dog. Re-gain manage of the circumstance as well as step on.

8. utilize treats to distract your dog.

Treats are a excellent method to draw your dog’s interest away from one more dog. just make sure you are not utilizing treats to reward excited, anxious or aggressive behavior. likewise enjoy for any type of food possessiveness, which might draw out aggression.

9. step away from aggressive or ecstatic dogs.

Predict poor circumstances before they occur as well as prevent them. Excited, unsocialized dogs will try to run as much as your dog. just step away from these dogs before something poor happens. You can’t manage what other people enable their dogs to do, however you can manage your own dog.

Stay conscious of other people’s dogs as well as your pet dog in any way times. You cannot inspect out for even a second. It’s typical to see a handler totally focused on somebody else’s adorable puppy while her own pet dog is desperately pulling in the opposite direction after one more dog. Not good.

10. manage your dog’s energy with exercise as well as an proper collar.

Providing your pet dog with sufficient exercise in advance will assist you prevent head-on confrontations since your pet dog will be less likely to barge as much as other dogs. Make sure to utilize a collar that will provide you the most manage of your dog. I suggest the pinch collar. If you are uneasy with this, then utilize a Halti or gentle Leader. Choke or martingale collars do not provide you a great deal of manage in “exciting” situations.

Do you have experience with people who enable their aggressive dogs to run ideal as much as other dogs? What did you do?

For a lot more info on introducing dogs, inspect out my articles on how to introduce dogs.

Jada is up for adoption with 4 Luv of pet dog Rescue. She is in requirement of a foster home. She is extremely friendly with all people as well as would do okay with a laid-back male pet dog if introduced properly. Edit: Jada was adopted!