We’ve all heard the African proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ - the idea being that it takes a group/community of people to provide for and interact positively with children in order for those children to grow into a safe and healthy environment.
But what about dogs - does the same apply? I think it does.
If everyone is working towards you and your dog’s collective goals, whatever they may be, you are likely to achieve more successes, more quickly and, in turn, become a happier dog/human family.
How can family help?
Family life is busy and pretty stressful at times with so many things going on. Having everyone in your household (and any regular visitors) agreed on the same common goal and approach will help provide consistency for your dog and lead to a smoother learning journey.
- Make a list of family ‘dog’ rules – e.g. are they allowed on sofa/upstairs?
- Create a dog dictionary – what do cues/words mean?
- Make sure everyone is using the same word for the same behaviour so that your dog doesn’t get confused
- Ensure everyone knows WHAT you’re working on and HOW to do it
Can friends help too?
Friends, whether they have dogs or not, can be so helpful. Not just with providing toilet breaks or dog care when you’re out but also helping to raise the perfect family dog, by setting up mock situations for you to practise your skills.
- Ask your friend to come to the house to practise your dog not jumping at guests
- Invite your friend round for coffee to practise settling when guests are around
- Meet your friend on a walk to practise polite greetings with another person
- If your friend has a well-mannered dog, arrange social time for your dog to learn and practise polite interactions and social skills
- Your friend could walk past you wearing odd items of clothing or riding a bike
- Friends with horses, motorbikes, farm animals etc can help acclimatise your dog to new things
What about others in your community….
Members of the community can help us, both consciously and without even realising they are helping!
- By providing distractions as they walk, drive, cycle past us.
- Providing opportunities to stop and chat whilst our dog ignores them
- By simply ignoring our dog when we are out
- Asking to greet your puppy/dog beforehand and listening to your response
- Giving a nervous or over-excited dog space and not walking directly towards them
How can I help other owners?
By simply asking this question, it shows you are already considering other dogs and their humans and how you can help them out. Sometimes it the smallest things that make a big difference.
When out with your dog:
- Give other dog owners space, especially if one or both dogs are on lead. Don’t walk directly towards another dog, instead cross the road or move out of the way to allow another dog to pass.
- Don’t cross the road and walk directly towards or into another dog’s space, just because it’s the route you always walk – that dog may be trying super hard to ignore you. This especially applies if the person is preoccupied with children or picking up poo as they won't notice you approaching and won't be able to move into a new space.
- Ask if another dog wants to say hello BEFORE initiating the interaction, for example – before you cross the road, when you are a good 10-15m away not when the dog's noses are already touching and before they run over to an on-lead dog
- Keep your dog on-lead if their recall isn’t reliable
- Don’t shout ‘it’s ok my dog’s friendly’ as it runs over to someone else – get your dog back on a lead!
- Don’t glare at or look down upon a dog reactive dog and their human – they are trying super hard to get things right – help them out!!!
- Don’t continue to walk towards a dog if it clearly uncomfortable or distracted by your presence – cross the road, change your route or wait out of the way for the dog to pass. Again this especially applies if the owner is preoccupied and doesn't notice you approaching.
- ASK before trying to say hello to a puppy/dog
- Don’t stare at a dog, bend and reach out a hand to a dog to encourage them to interact – wait for them to make the first move
- When you meet that dog reactive dog and their human – call out or stop and chat – why not offer some kind words of support or reassurance or even a smile – recommend your dog trainer to help them!
To become part of the Potter Paws community you can become a member of one of our training clubs or join or online facebook community group