Elevation Behavior

As we move out of one holiday and into another, its a good time to remember that training can improve your dog’s comfort with visitors. Here River wears a muzzle which allows her to safely roam among our company and choose whether she wants to approach them or not. River chose to hang out for a while, greet very briefly and then retreat to watch at a distance.

The days after 4th of July, Halloween, and New Year’s are high volume for shelters as pets get spooked and run away from home. Please keep as many barriers between your dog and disaster as possible. Here are some ideas in case you are unsure how to do this... (I employ almost all of these on “scary holidays”).

Collar with ID Tags
Microchip with updated contact information
Baby gate or x-pen blocking access to outside doors (airlock system)!!
Relieve on leash only (even if I have a fence)
Secure in interior room of house (bonus points if insulated from noise)

Here are some additional things I do to keep my dog calm... 

Create a safe space
Close windows (muffles noise and reduces smell)
Play music
Keep them busy (frozen or PB Kong, puzzle toy, chew, etc)
Feed treats after whistles and booms

And here are some things I train at other times of the year to make holidays go smoothly...

Recall and Collar Grab
Auto-stop at thresholds (doorways and gates)
Condition positive associations to loud noises and novelty
Crate is safe space

Stay safe and happy