The topic today is: How to Keep Your Dog on Track When You Move.
I’m helping a family that is moving around quite a bit. When I did the initial consultation, it was done at one home. The majority of the training sessions happened in an apartment. Then we took a little bit of a break. Their new home is currently under construction, so they will be moving again soon. A lot is going on with this family, as you can see. These are all good things, and I’m glad that they’ve decided to get a dog to join the family even with all the change.
Sometimes moving that much can make it very difficult for people to know what they should do with their dog. I think the best thing to do is to keep things simple. Here are some suggestions that could help you if you are in a similar situation.
Have A Place-Stay
The first thing that I would recommend is to have a place-stay. Also, if you’re going to be moving that much, it’s worth investing in getting an elevated bed. I sell the beds, but you can also find them on Amazon. Get your dog one specific elevated bed, and then make many associations to that one bed. Suppose you know that you’re going to be in the process of moving from one place to the next. That one thing can help your dog quite a bit. It will help him understand when it comes to the new environment; this is where and what you want them to do.
Our final training session was at their construction home and what would become their backyard with this particular family. They told me about their struggles. So I ask them, “What is it that you have been asking the dog to do?”. One of the more significant problems in dog training is that people do not specify precisely what they would like them to do. An elevated dog bed is a great solution. It makes it very easy for the dog and for you to know precisely.
Now, will this fix everything for your dog? The answer is no. Place training is an excellent place to start, and it can help the dog to understand some of the concepts that you need to teach it. It is not a means to teach the dog everything.
Short Leash Training
So what else can you do to keep your dog on track when you move? Well, I think this is an excellent time to know how to use the different training collars. Like the prong collar, Star Mark training collar, or a Martingale. Any one of these training collars would work for your dog. It will teach your dog how to walk on a short leash. Short leash walking is reasonably easy to train.
Find a training collar that works for your dog. Keep it slack when your dog is in heel position. Any time your dog pulls out, use your training collar to guide your dog back into position. Now, this method is prolonged. The reason I’m suggesting this method is as you move from one place to another, you can use this skill to help the dog understand and map out your new neighborhood. You can teach it to the dog in your driveway or an apartment complex. It’s effortless to do, and it’s just a better way of simplifying the problem for your dog.
Using A Crate
The third thing I would suggest is to get a crate. The crate is your friend. I know many people are afraid of crates, and I understand why that is, but it’s a little bit unjustified. Dogs, at least the dogs that I’ve had, love their crates. It ends up being like the dog’s home or a place where the dog can go and relax. My two puppies, Jericho and Alpha, are in their crates as I’m writing this blog. Gabby is lying on her bed here in the office with me. But those two puppies are perfectly happy in their crates, where they’ve spent a lot of time.
So if you’re moving from place to place, maybe you’re coming from an apartment and going into a new home or to a construction zone. The crate can be one of those things that helps the dog to understand that it is another safe place for them to be.
So this is how to keep your dog on track when you move: place training, short leash training, and crate training. If you can do that, that’ll help simplify a lot of the problems your dog may face as you move.
I hope this was helpful. Please remember you can always visit my YouTube Channel for more tips like this and right here on my website at www.longoriahausdogtraining.com.
Have a great day and Happy Training!
