The Pros and Cons for Dogs Living Primarily Outdoors

The Pros and Cons for Dogs Living Primarily Outdoors

As a dog trainer and pet care provider living in a rural community, I have met some incredible farmers and farm dogs. I have had the pleasure of meeting fantastic people and their animals, some of which are dogs who mostly live outdoors. Some animal lovers may have concerns about family dogs living primarily outdoors, especially people who are from the city and are not used to seeing dogs kept outside, especially in the winter time. Some of their concerns are absolutely valid.  For example, only certain dog breeds (and breed mixes) can be outside all year round, they must have the proper coat to be comfortable in extremely cold temperatures. 

Even so, it is extremely important that they are outdoors a lot in the Fall when the weather gradually begins to get colder, as this signals their body to produce thicker, coarser fur. A dog who is used to being inside most of the time cannot suddenly live outdoors in the middle of winter and be comfortable. Even dogs who have thick winter coats should still always have access to some form of shelter from the elements so that they can get out of the wind, snow, rain, sun, and other weather conditions. They should also have some kind of bedding to give them isolation from the cold ground. The body is less able to regulate temperature when we are sleeping. Dogs who live outdoors also need to eat more in the winter time because the body expends more energy working to keep warm.

They also need to have access to water that won't freeze, whether that be in a heated barn, a heated dog house, or in an electric bowl that keeps the water from freezing. 

With that said, the life of a farm dog, or a dog who mostly lives outdoors, can be incredibly full and enriching! 

We have put together a list of pros and cons to consider:

 

The Pros and Cons for Dogs Living Primarily Outdoors

Pros	Cons	Mitigations
Living outdoors can be very enriching for dogs	Dogs are more exposed to the elements and extreme weather	Ensure the dog has adequate shelter from wind, rain, snow, and sun
Outdoor dogs usually get more exercise, fresh air, and stimulation	Outdoor dogs can run the risk of becoming lonely and under-socialized	Ensure the dog has daily positive interactions with people and other dogs, make time to play with and walk your dog
Outdoor dogs have freedom and are usually not home alone for a significant portion of the day	Outdoor dogs are at greater risk for getting lost or getting hit by a vehicle	Ensure your dog has a solid recall, practice it regularly, and create boundaries for your dog
Dogs with jobs can live very fulfilling and enriched lives	Dogs left to their own devices will not develop desirable behaviours as family pets and/or may develop bad habits	Make positive training with your dog a priority, including leash training
Outdoor dogs may be in better health from the amount of exercise and fresh air they get every day	Outdoor dogs may be at greater risk for health issues, or for their health issues to take longer to notice	Regardless, please ensure your dog receives regular veterinary care and check your dog daily to ensure they are in good health (i.e. eating, playing, moving normally, with no obvious signs of illness or injury).

This is, of course, not an exhaustive list, but these are important points to consider when evaluating whether the outdoor lifestyle is suitable for a particular dog and for a family. 

It is also important to consider the dog's history, especially if they've had a previous home before yours. Did the dog grow up on a farm?  Is the dog used to being outside a lot, and do they enjoy being outdoors?  Does the dog seem restless inside, and/or become destructive or anxious when indoors?  Is the family active, does the family spend a lot of time outside, and will the dog have frequent company and socialization with people and other dogs? 

Some dogs in the city are alone for 9 hours a day while their family is at work and/or school, some are alone even longer if the family members work long hours, or have other extra-curricular activities.  Granted, most pet owners make a signifiant effort to ensure their dogs get a lot of exercise, play time, socialization, and go for regular walks.

Each lifestyle has its pros and cons, and what is best for the dog will depend on the family and the dog's personality, temperament, breed, history, energy levels, age, health, among other factors.

If your dog does live outdoors (well, even if they don't!), please ensure they continue to receive regular veterinary care. Outdoor dogs may be at higher risk for certain illnesses or injuries, so it is important they are up to date on appropriate vaccinations according to their vet's expertise.

And, of course, always ensure they have access to adequate food, water, shelter, and company.  Please never leave your dog on a tie-out unsupervised. Not only can this increase undesirable behaviours, this is unsafe, and is not the way to provide an enriching and fulfilling outdoor experience for your beloved furry family member.  

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions.  

 

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.

My Tale of Two Career Streams

Jillian's Tale of Two Career Streams

Have you noticed a change in my posts over the past year? OK, with everything going on, it not surprising that pretty much everyone’s posts have changed, so you may not have noticed.

If you’re seeing posts from me both from Pawsitive Pet Care and from ADHD 2e MB and are wondering which am I doing? The answer is both. I’m doing both. Of course I am. Because I love both and right now I can do both.

If you’re interested in the background story, here it is. If you’re not… well, perhaps one of our other blogs will be of interest, depending on which page you follow:

twoemb.medium.com

PawsitivePooch.blogspot.com

 

Long story…. a little less long:

In 2006 I graduated (with Honours) from Humber College in Toronto, after completing a 3-year full-time intensive Child and Youth Work program and received my CYW diploma. I worked in a group home in Ontario for one year until we moved to Winnipeg in 2007, where I started my second degree, Psychology, with majors in both Child Psychology and Animal Learning (this will not surprise anyone who knows me).

While I was graduating in 2009 I had some health problems (all good now though!). Instead of heading into a full-time career in social services, I had to slow down and focus on taking care of my health at that time. I took a part-time job in a retail pet store because I love animals and because the store was close to home.

Retail Reality

I had forgotten what it was like to work in retail. For one thing, managers expect you to put your personal life on hold for a minimum-wage job. I love soccer and at that time was on a highly competitive soccer team that practiced three times per week, plus had one or two games on the weekends. When I had interviewed the manager said she was willing to work around my soccer schedule, yet when I asked them to do so they gave me a hard time about it.

The other difficulty I encountered was colleagues (even some managers) giving bad pet-care and health-related advice. ProTip: If you are working in a pet food and supplies store, you are not qualified to give dietary and health advice to pet owners. You can recommend products, share what you know about the different brands, and help customers find what they are looking for. You should not be practicing outside of your scope. Giving the wrong advice can be unsafe for pets, so please leave that to the professionals.

There’s got to be a better way!

With those challenges in mind, in May 2010 I started to offer dog-walking and pet-sitting services to families in my neighbourhood. It was small and simple at first, a free ad on Kijiji and a couple of flyers posted at the local park, but within three months it turned into a full-time gig. I loved it (and still do)! In 2012 I was ecstatic when I became pregnant with our son. As I neared closer to my due date I hired someone to cover for my maternity leave. Walking large dogs while very pregnant is challenging, to say the least! With that began the expansion of Pawsitive Pet Care into a bonafide company. We registered with the province, purchased insurance, and I officially became a sole proprietor.

When I returned to work in Fall 2013 things continued growing and it was very satisfying to see our hard work pay off. We hired more staff and our client base grew. In 2017 we moved out of Winnipeg to just West of the city, in the R.M. of Cartier on a beautiful rural property. For about three years our growth continued.

In 2019 my son had a terrible experience at his former school. Like me, he is intellectually gifted and also has ADHD. Being gifted plus having a disability is called “Twice Exceptional” or 2e, hence the “ADHD 2e” in the name.

Not only were his needs not being met, but he was being treated badly. It was heart-breaking, stressful, and just plain awful. So, I dusted off my old child psychology textbooks and became his biggest advocate. We moved him to a much better school where he is so much happier and is flourishing, thankfully.

Then 2020 came along. 

And we all know how that story goes.

In March 2020 the cancellations started pouring in, and like so many small businesses in Manitoba (and around the world), we were seriously impacted by Covid-19. Our clients couldn’t go to work or on vacation, so there was little need for dog-walking and pet-sitting services.

What there was a huge need for, though, were child advocates. Families of students with disabilities and exceptionalities often have to advocate and fight for resources for their children, to have their needs met, and for fair and appropriate access to their education. Add to that the stress and chaos of a pandemic, and these disparities grew worse. It is very hard to follow a student’s education plan when doing remote learning. Families were limited in their ability to access certain supports their children normally received at school, such as Resource, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Guidance Counselling, and much more. This is all unprecedented. Teachers, school staff, families, and students are all trying to figure this out as we go.

Most school staff are working in highly stressful and potentially unsafe conditions (improper PPE, unable to socially distance, not being made a priority for vaccines, being expected to teach both in person and online, the list goes on).

This is where people with my experience and expertise come in. I spent the past several years advocating for my exceptional child, in particular during the very challenging years while he was at his former school. I learned the Manitoba education system inside and out, gained and strengthened my advocacy skills, and updated my academic knowledge and credentials.

Why Am I Telling You All This?

As I mentioned in the beginning: If you’re seeing me post from both Pawsitive Pet Care and ADHD 2e MB and you’re wondering which am I doing… The answer is both. I’m doing both. Of course I am. Because ADHD. Because I love both and right now I can do both. Because I love my son and he has inspired me and re-ignited my passion for advocacy work. I have a fantastic staff team at Pawsitive Pet Care who help me keep things running smoothly (thank you!). I am also lucky to have a supportive and loving husband and son who support me in all my endeavours, no matter how ambitious (I love a challenge and never like to be bored… ADHD y’all, it can be a gift).

I promise I won’t spam my separate business pages with cross-posts, but I will on very rare occasions share posts that apply to both. I hope you’ll support me by liking and sharing ALL OF THE THINGS, and by referring anyone who you feel would benefit from our services (THANK YOU!).

We’ve been so lucky to have such wonderful and supportive friends, family, and clients these past 11 years (11! Pawsitive Pet Care turns 12 years old this summer!).

Thank you all for your support. Please stay safe and healthy. Stay home when you can, wash your hands, wear a mask, and get vaccinated as soon as you’re eligible. I cannot wait until things can start to return to some semblance of normal. I’ll settle for half-normal. Maybe even a quarter. 

Stay well,

Jillian Enright, CYW, BA Psych., CPDT-KA

Pawsitive Pet Care and ADHD 2e MB 

Originally posted on Medium.

Why We Do Not Recommend Board-and-Train

Pawsitive Pet Care recommends all members of your pet's household be involved in the training process

This is a blog topic we've been wanting to cover for quite some time, but there seem to be so many important and interesting topics, and not enough time to cover them all!  

Why Pawsitive Pet Care Does Not Recommend Board-and-Train 

There are exceptions to every rule, however typically speaking, it is ideal for your trainer to work with you and the members of your household, as well as your pet, and below are the two primary reasons why.  

Dogs do not generalize well

Generally speaking, dogs do not take information learned in one context or environment and apply it to new situations in other contexts or environments.  So, for example, if your dog learns some fantastic new behaviours in a board-and-train situation, that's great.  However, once they get home, you and your family would essentially have to start from scratch and re-train the behaviours in the dog's home environment with the dog's familiar surroundings and people.  

For more on generalization and how to help your dog apply what they learn to new and various situations, Emily Larlham wrote a fantastic blog post on the topic.   

The humans in the pets' lives are the most important part of the training process

Positive training strengthens the bond and the relationships between humans and animals.  When you have fun working, training, and playing with your pet, you bond with each other.  This trust and kinship will also improve how well your pet responds to you, and how well you understand your pet & why they do the things they do.  Training is about 75% teaching the humans and 25% teaching the pets.  This applies to everyone from brand new pet-owners to experienced pet trainers, because we all need to adapt our environment and our approach to fit the needs of the pet we are working with in the moment.  Pet owners also need to learn the fundamentals of animal behaviour and training, as well as learn to read and understand their pet's communication, particularly their body language in order to effectively and humanely train and work with their pets.

Some of the best help your trainer can give you is to explain what you need to do with your pet in a way that you can understand, demonstrate it for you, and then watch you do it and give you constructive and specific feedback.  This last piece is the most important part because sometimes a subtle change in positioning, body language, or cueing can help solve a training challenge and help reduce frustration for both animal and human.

Have you ever had someone set something up for you, maybe a new computer program, or a new entertainment system of some kind, and then later you run into trouble?  Because they did it for you and didn't walk you through the steps, now you have no idea how to troubleshoot or how to go about fixing the problem.  It may seem convenient that the outset, but sending your dog off to be "fixed" and then returned to you is not empowering you and the members of your household to be able to build upon your pet's training and have the skills to deal with any new issues that may arise.  

As we noted in our blog post, Finding A Trainer, 

"Your trainer needs to be able to explain to you what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how you will be able to do it once they leave.  They are not a magician, they are a teacher, and their job is to educate and empower you to understand how your dog learns and how to get desired behaviours from your dog.  This should be done in a way that works for you and your family and in a way that helps strengthen your relationship with your dog."

Think of a trainer as a teacher for you, any members of your household, and for your pet.  Their job is to give you the tools and information you need so that you can feel good about moving forward in a positive direction.  

In addition, training isn't just about solving behavioural problems after they have begun.  In fact, good training is proactive and intends to prevent these problems from coming up in the first place.  And the best training (in our opinion), is training that is done just for fun!  

For More Information

Please visit our website or contact us for more information.  

Facebook.com/PawsPetMB

About Pawsitive Pet Care

Pawsitive Pet Care is a Professional Pet Care business that has been serving Manitoba since 2010.  

Update:  November 16, 2020

It appears that the State of Emergency Orders related to animal and pet care are unchanged from March.  

Originally posted on November 12, 2020

Please excuse us if this email delves slightly into the political.  As a business, we try our best to remain neutral and focus on doing what we do best.  It seems politics are unavoidable at this time, as we are seeking direction and clarification from our government with regards to the latest code red pandemic response mandates.

Covid Confusion in Manitoba

Unfortunately Manitoba's second wave of Covid-19 has been among the worst in Canada, and per capita we currently have the most cases.  As a result, Manitoba has gone into a Code Red pandemic response.  

As pet care providers, we are considered essential when providing care for pets.  This means we should only be visiting the homes of clients who are themselves considered essential workers and must go to work, or for any reason cannot provide care for their pets and need us to do so.  Otherwise our staff should not be attending client homes or interacting with others outside of their own households per the code red mandate.  

If you are unsure as to whether you fall under these categories, please rest assured…  neither do we!  

Unfortunately direction and specific information has not yet been made available from the Manitoba government, despite the fact that the code red comes into effect for the entire province as of tomorrow.  

Essential Services ... ? 

 

According to the initial State of Emergency, issued 7 months ago in March 2020, our business may fall under one of essential services that:

"73. A business that provides for the health and well-being of animals, including farms, boarding kennels, stables, animal shelters, zoos, aquariums, research facilities and other service providers."  

However, the SOE was last updated October 13, 2020.  When we visited the Manitoba Government website the latest bulletin was posted November 9, 2020.  We don't yet know if changes will be made to the SOE Order tomorrow (November 12, 2020) when the expanded code red comes into effect, and we don't quite know what the government's definition of "well being" covers.

For Pawsitive Pet Care, an animal's well-being includes proper socialization and exercise, as well as the basic necessities such as food and water.  Our government has thus far not provided any information beyond what is listed above, so we will have to use our best judgement until we receive clarification, putting the health and well-being of our staff, clients, and their pets as our first priorities.  

Our best understanding at this time is the following: 

• If a client is able to work from home, then we are not considered essential if someone in the household is able to provide the necessary care for your pet(s).  

• If a client has a disability or injury that prevents them from being able to provide this care, or if a client is an essential service worker and must continue to work, then we are able to continue providing care. 

As such, our current services available are: 

• Dog walking and pet care visits only for essential service workers or clients physically unable to provide these necessities for their pet(s) at this time.

• Boarding or pet sitting for essential service workers only, and only if the client is away from home for an extended period to perform work related to those essential services.

• Doggy daycare will not be available during Code Red.

• Training services will be by virtual consult only.  

Thank you for your support and patience as we work hard to balance consideration for the health and well-being of our staff, clients, and their pets.  We also must follow the provincial mandates to the best of our ability, and be responsible citizens and community members, as well as working hard to provide exceptional and safe services for our clients who need us.

Please visit our website or contact us for more information.  

Facebook.com/PawsPetMB

About Pawsitive Pet Care

Pawsitive Pet Care is a Professional Pet Care business that has been serving Manitoba since 2010.  

Teaching Your Dog to Look At You on Cue

Building Attention: "Watch Me"

Goal:  Build  your  dog’s  focus  and  attention  on  you  by teaching  him  to  make  eye  contact  on  cue.

Step 1:  Place a treat in your hand and close your hand around the treat.  Your dog may sniff, lick, paw, and may even gently nibble at your hand.  Don’t move your hand away or say anything, just wait until he stops, even for just a second.  When he leaves your hand alone momentarily, click and give him the treat.  If you don’t use a clicker, you can use a verbal marker, such as “yes”.  Make sure it is a clear, crisp word that you will use consistently to mark when your dog has done the behaviour you were looking for.  


Do this a number of times in various locations until he stops licking or nosing at your hand altogether.  

Step 2:  Once he’s really good at leaving the treat with a closed hand, expect him to do so for a little bit longer (a full second, two seconds, and so on) before clicking and giving him the treat.

Step 3:  When your dog can leave the treat for at least two seconds, repeat step one, but this time do not click until your dog gives you a flicker of eye contact.  Timing is important here: as soon as you see his eyes meet yours, click and give him the treat.

Important to note:  Some dogs (especially shy ones) find eye contact intimidating, so do not expect extended eye contact.  Even if your dog's eyes just flicker toward your face and away, click that and reward it.  The goal is to increase your dog's attention on you (and away from a trigger), and to put it on cue, the goal is not a staring contest with your dog 😉

Step 4:  Once your dog is catching on to step 3, expect slightly longer eye contact before you click and give him the treat.  Count seconds in your head, and each time wait for eye contact for one second longer before clicking & treating.  Again, only slightly longer, and only if your dog appears comfortable with this prospect.  Don't push if your dog seems shy or uncomfortable about the eye contact.  

Step 5:  When you are satisfied with steps one through four, add a cue, such as “watch me”.  Hold your hand out with the treat in a closed fist and say “watch me” or “look” or whatever cue you would like to use to ask for eye contact.  When your dog gives you eye contact, click and treat, repeating step 4 but incorporating a verbal cue.

Step 6:  Fade out the treat in a closed hand.  Once your dog is very good at step five, hold the treat somewhere else (behind your back, out to the side, in your pocket) and ask for eye contact using your consistent cue.  

Tip:  If your dog doesn't look at you when you say your cue, do not repeat the cue.  Wait a beat to see if your dog just needs a moment to process.  If your dog does not seem to understand the cue, go back a step and practice the behaviour more before adding the cue.  

When your dog gives you eye contact, click and treat, as before starting out with a flicker and each time expecting slightly longer.

Practice this all around the house, in the backyard, under zero or low distractions. 

When your dog is a pro at “watch me” in your yard, move it to the streets and try it on a walk when there is no one around.  If you practice this, giving your dog a delicious treat each time, he will learn to pay attention to you and ignore distractions in the environment when you want him to (i.e. passing other dogs on the street).  

Remember that he needs practice doing this (and we humans need practice at our timing as well!), so be patient and realistic when moving from low distractions to medium and high distractions.  Go at his pace and set yourselves up for success.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.

"If I can't see it, it's not there!"

Teaching “Leave It” 

Goal:  Your dog learns not to take an item (particularly delicious food) until it is given to him, whether it is in your hand or dropped on the floor.

Step 1:  Place a treat in your hand and close your hand around the treat.  Your dog will sniff, lick, paw, and he may even gently nibble at your hand.  Don’t move your hand or say anything, just wait quietly until he stops, even for just a second.  It's not helpful to use a cue (or command) yet, because your dog hasn’t learned the behaviour, so the word won’t have any meaning to him.  

When your dog leaves your hand alone momentarily, click (or use a verbal marker, such as “yes”) and give him the treat.  It’s important to give the treat directly to him so he learns he only takes the treat when it’s given to him and not when it’s dropped.  

Variation:  If your dog is struggling to get the hang of step one, you can use a lower value item in your hand with a higher value item as his reward.  For example, have a small piece of carrot in your hand for him to leave, but behind your back in a treat pouch is freeze dried liver or diced chicken or something he really likes.  When he leaves the carrot, click and give him a piece of meat instead.  That way he learns that leaving it when asked results in receiving something even better.  

Practice this a number of times in various locations until he stops licking or nosing at your hand altogether.  

Important:  Keep your training sessions short, sweet, and fun.  Frequent, very short sessions are much more effective than a single long, drawn-out training session.  Dogs have short attention spans and we want to leave them wanting more.  

Step 2:  Once he’s really good at leaving the treat with a closed hand (and this can take a very long time, so please be patient and don’t rush the process!), do the same as above with an open hand.  Have your thumb ready to cover the treat or be ready to close your hand in case he goes for it.  If he offers a different behaviour (leaves the treat, sits, moves away, looks away, etc.), click and give him the treat.  You are reinforcing a behaviour that is incompatible with taking the item he has been asked to leave, so he is still successfully leaving it.  As before, practice this a number of times and in various locations until he is catching on to the game and getting really good at it.

Step 3:  When you are satisfied that your dog is a pro at step #2, then you can name the behaviour. You can say “leave it” or whatever cue you want to use for “don’t take that until I give it to you”.  Keep it simple and memorable so you will be consistent with the cue. 

 
Once you have added a name, you will need to go back and practice steps 1 and 2 again with a verbal cue to give your dog a chance to learn the word(s) before moving on to step 4.  Whenever you increase the criteria (or make harder) one aspect of a behaviour, you need to relax your criteria on other aspects, so don’t want long before you click and reward.    

Step 4:  Now you can place the treat on the floor.  Tell your dog to leave it and have your foot ready to cover it up in case he goes for it, or sit on the floor and be ready to cover the treat with your hand if needed.  When he leaves it (moves away, looks away, backs up, sits, anything but trying to get the treat), click, pick the treat up off the floor, and give it directly to your dog. 

Remember:  It’s important to pick the food up and give it directly to him.  You don’t want your dog to learn that he can scoop food off the floor in case one day you drop something that could make him sick, or something you really don’t want him to have.  Practice step four a number of times in various locations to allow your dog to generalize the behaviour and get really skilled at it.  Don’t be in a hurry to move to the next step, as always, be patient and set your dog up for success.

 

Emily Larlham (KikoPup / Dogmantics Dog Training) has some great videos on this topic on her YouTube channel: 

 

Step 5:  Your goal is to be able to drop food on the ground and ask your dog to leave it.  Start by dropping the treat from a very low height to make it easier for your dog, then very gradually increase the height from which you drop it.  The treat will bounce, making it ever so enticing to chase!  

If your dog does try to go for it, just cover it up, then try again with a lower value item.  When you can drop the treat without your dog trying to get it, click and give him something even better from your pocket or treat pouch.  This simulates a scenario wherein you are opening or using something potentially unsafe for your dog and accidentally drop it on the floor.  If you drop a pill on the floor, you want your dog to listen to "leave it" and then you reward him with a dog treat, or something safe for him to eat and enjoy.  

Step 6:  Your goal is to be able to have enticing food on the ground as you are walking and ask your dog to leave it and continue walking.  You may want to do this exercise after a walk when your dog is relaxed and already has his leash on, this way you can walk past something tempting and ask your dog to leave it while still having control of his movements in case he tries to go for it.  

If your dog does try to go for it, just cheerfully say “oops” (or “let’s go”) and happily go in another direction so that he is eager to follow you away from the treat, then try again with a lower value item.  When you can walk past the treat on the ground without your dog trying to get it, click and give him something even better from your pocket or treat pouch.  

With step six you want to simulate being out for a walk and passing something on the ground that your dog is curious about and may try to eat.  You ask him to "leave it" and then give him a treat from your pocket so that he doesn't eat something off the ground that could potentially be unsafe.  

Step 7:  Once your dog is walking past the treat without looking longingly at it, drop the leash and drop treats on the floor, asking him to leave it.  Remember, when you increase the difficulty, you have the lower the bar for your dog.  Now that you're combining both dropping the treat and walking past it, you want to back up and start with dropping lower-value treats from a very low height and then gradually increasing the difficulty again.  

If he does get them, just back up a step and keep practicing with a lower value treat.  Do not correct your dog for taking the treat, he simply needs more practice, and taking readily available food is an important and natural behaviour for dogs.  

If he does not take them, click or use a verbal marker, then pick each treat up and feed them directly to him one by one.  This is a very difficult task for a dog, moving/falling food is even more enticing than stationary food, so be patient with your dog as he learns this new behaviour.  

When he gets it right, reward him heavily so that waiting and leaving it really pays off!

If you prefer a visual demonstration and/or prefer a video, KikoPup recently uploaded a great tutorial on You Tube.  This video was created by Emily Larlham of Dogmantics Training:  

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

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Door Training with your Pets

"Can we go out yet?"

Threshold Training

The goal of these exercises is to teach your pet that they do not automatically go through a doorway when a door is opened and they should wait until you give them permission to move forward.  This is important for your pet's safety and is an extremely important skill for all dogs to learn, especially door-dashers.  Door-dashing cats definitely benefit from this training as well, we'll focus on dogs here, but the Cat Behaviour Associates website has fantastic resources for cat behaviour. 

Waiting in a Controlled Position

It is easier for your dog to wait if they are in a control position (sitting or lying down).  Ask your dog to sit or down, whichever they do best; the focus is not on sit/down, but on waiting and on impulse control.  

For cats, you can often do what we call "station training" and have them up on a cat tree.  Pam Johnson-Bennett has a great article on door-darting on her website that focuses exclusively on cat behaviour. 

Choose a safe doorway within your home and have your dog sit or lay down by your side.  Similar to your “stay” cue, gently move your hand in front of your dog, or put up one finger, and say “wait”.  

Desensitization

Most dogs associate their person touching a doorknob with the door being opened and will jump up or run toward the door as soon as our hand reaches toward the doorknob.  Before we even begin door training, we need to desensitize our dog to this process.  Currently your dog may have the association of door knob touch = rush the door.  What we want to do is teach him to remain in place when we touch the door knob and then open the door, and make waiting more rewarding than rushing.   

It can be easiest to have a mat or dog bed near the door to give your dog a visual cue for where he is supposed to wait.  If you have a threshold that changes flooring type (i.e. a hardwood or carpet that transitions to vinyl), then using that line can also be a good spot to start.  

Have your dog in his control position (down/sit), ask him to "wait", then put up a finger (don't do it at the same time, use the verbal signal first, then the hand signal).  Move your hand to touch the doorknob.  If he jumps up, return him to his place and his control position, then try again but move even more slowly.  If he remains in place, move beside your dog, then reward him.  It is important you return to your dog before giving him a treat so that he does not start moving toward you in anticipation of his treat.  

Next, turn the doorknob and repeat the steps above.  Then open the door a crack and repeat the steps above.  Continue this until you can reliably open the door without your dog moving (meaning he doesn’t move at least 8 out of 10 times).  

Step 2 : Practice With the Door Open

Step one can take days or even weeks to perfect, so please do not rush the process.  Take your time and set yourself and your dog up for success along the way.  Your patience will pay off!  

Now, with the door open, have your dog in his control position (down/sit), ask him to "wait", then put up a finger.  Take one step toward the doorway.  If your dog does not move, return to his side and give him a treat.  If he does move, ask him to sit/down and try again but take a smaller step to make it a little easier for him.  

Once you can take one step without your dog moving reliably (at least 8 out of 10 times he doesn’t move), ask your dog to sit/down & wait and take a step through the doorway.  If he does not move, return to your dog and give him a treat.   If he moves, ask him to sit or down and try again with a smaller step, perhaps stopping right on the threshold instead of going through the doorway first.  

Choosing a Release Word 

Once your dog understands the concept of "wait" and is reliably waiting while you take a big step fully through your doorway, you can then incorporate a release word.  Your release word can be anything you choose.  Remember, your dog does not speak English (or any other spoken language); he just makes associations between certain “sounds” (words), actions, and their consequences.  A common release word is “okay”, but this is not always the best choice because we use the word “okay” a great deal in our everyday conversations.  Other options are “break”, “alright”, “free”, or truly anything you choose.  It can be in any language, or it can be gibberish, a made-up word, as long as you are consistent and everyone in your household will use the same word every time.  I like to use a crisp, one-syllable word so that it is easy and clear for the dog.  

Step 3 : Increase # of Steps

Once you can walk through the doorway without your dog moving, ask him dog to sit/down & wait and take two steps through the doorway.  If he moves, ask him to sit or down and try again with only one step.  If he does not move, return to your dog and give him a treat, and then release him!  Remember: It’s important to reward him in his waiting place and not after you release him, so that he’s getting rewarded for staying there, and not for going through the door.  His big reward will be getting to go where he wants to go – through the door, usually to the outside world.  Slowly you will be able to reduce and then phase out the treats for waiting, and his reward will be the release and being allowed to go play in the yard, or out the front door to start his walk.  

Step 4 :  Generalize

Dogs are not good at generalization, so they need to practice new behaviours in as many different locations and scenarios as possible.  Practice “wait” in various doorways throughout your house, including the bedrooms, bathrooms, and back door.  Once you can walk through the doorways without your dog moving until you release him, move to the front door, but make sure your dog is on his leash for safety. 

 

You can also practice "wait" at the bottom of the stairs, having him wait at the bottom until you get to the top before you release him, and then starting at the top and releasing him when you get to the bottom.  This helps generalize the wait command and also promotes safety on the stairs, especially with those big dogs who like to rush past your legs while you're trying to go down the stairs!  

Another very important place to practice "wait" is yard gates.  If you have a fenced yard with gates that can be blown open, or left open accidentally, this is another important place where your dog should wait for a cue to proceed out.  

Once he gets good at waiting, you can use a longer leash so that you can take more steps through the doorway before returning to him and releasing him.  It is important you return to your dog before giving him a treat so that he does not start anticipating and moving before you are back by his side.  

Remain Consistent

It is very important that once you start this training, you do not allow your dog out the front door without waiting for your permission.  It may take a long time to leave the house for walks at first, but the hard work and patience will pay off, and it will become a habit for your dog to sit and wait at the door and to be invited out to start the walk.  

Environmental Management 

You can set both your dog and yourself up for success (and safety!) by using the environment around him to reduce or prevent the likelihood of getting out doors without waiting first.  Use baby gates, closed doors, whatever you can to prevent access to frequently-used doorways to prevent any door dashing.  

Proofing (Step 5): Door Dashing

Some dogs will try to push their way out the door when their owners are talking to a delivery person or getting the mail.  With your dog on leash, have a friend, partner, or family member practice coming to the door and having a conversation with you with the door open just a bit while your dog is asked to wait on his bed or wait by your side.  Start with the door only open a crack and slowly practice with the door opened a little more each time, again, always make sure your dog is on leash so you can keep him safe if he does try to sneak past you.  You also want to prevent the opportunity for him to be rewarded by door-dashing, so even if you’re practicing on a garage door or back door, I still recommend using a leash.  

Keep it Short & Sweet

Training sessions should be frequent, short, and fun.  Cut up 10 very small pieces of your dog’s treats and do 10 reps or practice during commercial breaks while watching television.  Keep sessions only to a minute or two so that you end with your dog wanting more, don’t over-train until he’s tired of the game and no longer engaged.  Remember that puppies’ attention spans are even shorter, and they wear out faster!  

Reward heavily for your dog waiting successfully!  It’s hard work for him to fight the urge to run free and explore the outdoors, so make sure that you make waiting inside a very pleasant event for him by using high-value (and high-value is determined by your dog’s preferences) treats.  Most importantly, have fun!

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

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Pet Sitting Health and Safety

Pawsitive Pet Care Pet Sitting Health & Safety Policies

At Pawsitive Pet Care we take the health and safety of the pets, our clients, and our staff very seriously.  

As we resume services following the Covid-19 closures, we will be taking the following precautions for live-in pet sits, and many of the below precautions will also apply to drop-in pet sitting as well: 

• Our staff will perform the Self-Assessment Screening prior to travelling to any client's home. 
• Staff will not enter a home wherein a person has Covid-19 symptoms or has been diagnosed with Coronavirus.
• Our staff will wash hands before and after visiting any client's homes. 
• During their last pet-sitting visit, our staff will sanitize frequently-touched surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, light switches, and handrails and will wash any dishes they have used.
• Staff will bring their own water-bottle and other personal-use items from home to avoid using client items as much as possible.  

We ask our clients to please provide the following: 

• We ask that clients cancel services if they have Covid-19 symptoms or are concerned that they may have Coronavirus.
• Please ensure there is plenty of soap at each sink in the household for hand-washing. 
• Please ensure there are cleaning supplies available for staff to use as needed.
• Please provide clean linen (bedding, towels, hand towels, etc.), or ask our staff to bring their own if you prefer.
• Please sanitize frequently-touched surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, light switches, and handrails.  We will have our staff do the same prior to leaving your home.  

Non-Medical Masks

Please notify our staff well in advance if you wish us to wear a mask when entering your home so that we ensure we have adequate PPE supplies.

Because we normally work alone, we do not require our staff to wear masks, but will accommodate for those who request it, pending mask availability.  We will also meet with clients outdoors whenever possible.  

Please contact us with any questions or concerns about our health and safety policies, or any questions about our services.

Click here to learn more about our Live-in Pet Sitting Services.

Please contact Jillian with any questions or concerns.  

Thank you for doing your part to keep everyone safe as we resume services.  

Pawsitive Pet Care turns TEN YEARS OLD on June 18, 2020!

Visit our website to learn about our 10th Anniversary Specials

Preventing Separation Anxiety

Working proactively to prevent separation anxiety as some families gradually return to work.  

If you've been home for the past two or three months and are planning to return to work soon, we have a few suggestions to make the transition easier for your pet(s). 

Practice leaving when you don't really have to 

Make the cues and signs that you're getting ready to leave meaningless to your pet(s) by doing your leave routine and then staying home. 

For example: Get dressed, get your keys and briefcase or purse, grab a cup of coffee, put your hand on the doorknob and then...  sit down on the couch or your home office and enjoy the coffee :) 

If you do this randomly these signals will not give your dog anxiety with the anticipation of your leaving. 

Practice leaving when you don't have to be gone long 

Do all of the above, then leave for short, but varying and unpredictable lengths of time and at random and varying times of day.  

Don't increase the length of time on a linear fashion.  Instead, go out for 2 minutes, then 1, then 3, then 2, then 4, then 1, then 5, then....  etc.  

When you do have to go for real... 

Give your pet(s) as much exercise and enrichment as you can before and during your absence.  Take your dog for a long morning walk, play with your pet(s), and leave fun things for them to do while you're away.  

Make leaving a good thing 

Don't make a big fuss over your dog when you are leaving or when you first get home.  When you leave, consider providing a puzzle toy, a frozen Kong, something enjoyable to keep your pet(s) busy and create a positive association with your departure.  (For more ideas, visit our Boredom Busters blog post).  

When you get home, calmly and kindly greet your dog, but don't make a huge deal out of arriving home.  Once they are settled, then you can make a fuss over them, play, go for a walk, whatever you normally would do.  

Consider a Dog Walker, Pet Sitter, or Half Day at Doggy Daycare 

If your dog is quite anxious or struggling to adjust, you may want to consider hiring a dog walker to come to your home and take him out mid-day.  Some company, fresh air, and exercise will help break up the day and help him relax.  If walks aren't suitable, consider hiring a pet sitter to visit and check in on your pet(s) while you're at work.  

Click here for advice on choosing the right professional and getting the most out of your dog walking service.

Click here for advice on choosing the right pet sitter for you and your pet(s).  

If you feel more is needed, consider a half-day at a reputable doggy daycare.  Please be very particular and thorough when choosing a daycare, as a negative experience could cause more trouble for you and your dog.  Visit our post on Doggy Daycares for further information and advice.  

Full disclosure:  We offer and promote both of these services, so naturally we will have some biases.  We do, however, recommend other services or companies when prospective clients are seeking out services that we do not offer, or when our services are booked up.  

Seek support from a compassionate, qualified trainer 

If you feel your pet's separation anxiety is worsening, or you feel you need assistance, please contact a compassionate and qualified trainer who is knowledgeable about separation anxiety.  (Click here for our blog post with advice on how to find the right trainer for you and your pet).  

Click here for more resources on preventing and treating separation anxiety in dogs.  

Our Services

Click here for more information on our dog walking services.

Click here for more information on our doggy daycare service.

Click here to learn about how we're working hard to keep everyone safe as we resume services.  Please contact Jillian if you have any questions or concerns.   

 

 

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As for those humans experiencing separation anxiety from their pets....  well, that's outside our area of expertise, but we highly recommend sharing copious photos of your pets online for us to enjoy!  

Stay safe, be well. 

From the Pawsitive Pet Care team. 

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.