Thanksgiving evokes images of family and friends gathered around the table sharing their gratitudes for the year followed by relaxing by the fire watching football and the #NationalDogShow taped at the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. Those images never show the next day at the vet’s office with your dog because he got into some turkey bones or Aunt Nellie broke her hip because he jumped up on her when she went to pet him hello!
Our goal at Haggerty Dog Training is to provide you with the tools you need to help make Your Dog a Once in a Lifetime Dog, the dog that everyone during Thanksgiving marvels at your well behaved dog. So that this can actually happen over the Thanksgiving holiday you need to start teaching your dog the following commands:
- Go to your bed – This is particularly useful when people come to the door
- Down and stay – We teach dogs in our programs to lay down and stay for 30 minutes! Yes! 30 minutes, it can and should be part of any basic obedience program.
- Out – No, this is not out of their mouth, this is “get out” and this is not for you to use on your deadbeat brother-in-law that you really don’t want in your home, this is for your dog. Let’s say you are cooking and you drop a glass, you want them out of your kitchen so you can clean up and they not step on any glass. You don’t care where they go, just out! On second thught, if you really don’t want that deadbeat brother in law over, you could practice on him!
- Drop it! – And yes, this is for when they have something in their mouth ie. a bone, knife or any other forbidden object that they decide to steal while you are cooking.
- Jumping – This is something that needs to be corrected immediately. There can be no counter surfing at any time, especially when you have a table or counter full of food.
- Conditioning to be stepped over. This is an exercise that is an extension of down and stay. If you allow your dog in the kitchen while cooking, you know your dog will at some point lay down and fall asleep. You want your dog to be accusotmed to being stepped over so that while you step over them carrying the turkey, you, your dog and the bird don’t end up on the floor.
This list is not all encompassing but it is a start for you to have a much less stressful Thanksgiving with your dog and family Start working on these exercises now so that you can have your dog ready for company by Thanksgiving! You can access our online training at www.DogTricks.net or purchase Complete Visual Guide to Good Dog Training at amazon or anywhere books are sold!
Yours for better dogs,
Babette Haggerty
Dog Parenting By Babette Haggerty 