Travel Safety this Summer with Wolfie

Hey, it’s Summer Time and time to hit the road or air for our family vacation.  I think I know what to do to make sure Wolfie is OK, but I want to be sure…

Whether you travel by car, truck, plane or train, help ensure a safe and pleasant journey with your pet by taking these safety precautions:

General Travel Tips:

• No matter what your mode of travel, the single best safe practice you can employ to keep your dog safe during the journey is to keep him restrained.
• Affix current identification to your dog. Even better, have him micro chipped, which provides a permanent form of I.D. to help ensure he is returned to you if he becomes lost.
• Carry a recent photograph of your dog to make it easier for others to help you look for him if he gets lost during the trip.
• If your dog is prone to anxiety or motion sickness, consult with your veterinarian about using pet tranquilizers for your dog appropriate for the particular type of travel you will take.
• Feed your pet his usual meal one to two hours before travel. (If your dog is prone to motion sickness, feed him two to four hours before travel.) Do not give him food or water during travel as it may spill, forcing him to lie in a mess during the trip.

Cars and Trucks

• No matter how long or short the journey, your dog should be restrained. An unrestrained dog is dangerous to himself and others. He can become a flying projectile that can injure you, your passengers or himself.
• Secure your dog in the back seat (dogs riding in the front seat can be seriously hurt if the airbags deploy) with a pet travel safety harness or car seat, or in a pet carrier fastened to a seatbelt. If you drive an SUV, install a pet barrier to keep the dog in the back area of the vehicle as well as securing him in his harness and attaching it to the hooks in the floor.
• If you must transport your dog in the bed of a pickup, use a crate or carrier secured to the truck bed to prevent him from being thrown into traffic at a sudden stop.
• Do not allow your dog to ride with his head out the window. Road debris and other flying objects can injure his eyes.
• Before you set out on your journey and after arriving at your destination, give your dog plenty of exercise. This will help him be more relaxed and able to acclimate to his new surroundings.
• When stopping for a break and before you open the car door, attach a leash to your dog’s collar so he can’t escape. Even the most obedient pet can become disoriented when traveling. Always use a leash to walk your dog.
• On a long car ride, stop every four hours or so to allow your dog to relieve himself (be sure to clean up after him), stretch his legs, refresh himself with a small drink of water, and help him understand that he’s going to another environment.
• Watch for temperature extremes. Your car is like an oven under the blazing sun and a freezer in the bitter cold.

Airline or Train Travel

• Whether he will go in the cabin with you or in the cargo hold, your dog will need to travel in an airline (or train) -approved carrier.  Check the airline (or train line) website for requirements.
• If your pet will travel as cargo, check for restrictions on any health/immunization and other requirements.
• Use direct flights to avoid mix-ups during transfers or the possibility of delays in getting your pet off the plane.  Ask the airline if you can watch your pet being loaded and unloaded into the cargo hold.
• Upon arrival at your destination, open the carrier as soon as you are in a safe place, and then clip a leash on your dog so you can safely examine him. If anything seems wrong, get him to a veterinarian right away.

Follow these precautions and Wolfie will love your family vacation too.  For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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How to Stop My Dog Stealing From the Table

The one thing that really makes meal time stressful is trying to keep my dog from begging and stealing food from the table.  I know that other people with dogs don’t have this problem, but I do.  What can I do?

There is one important thing that we must understand about dogs stealing food from the table.  They don’t place an implicit ownership on food.  If they see food left unattended, it is just like their finding a dead animal in the wild.  If they are hungry, they will naturally eat the food.  So, as humans, we need to understand that if we leave food unattended with our dog nearby, it might be gone when we return.

With this said, we must also understand when it is not acceptable for our dog to steal from the table.  If we are providing our dog leadership while building a bond, establishing trust, and delivering companionship; our dog will see us as their caregiver and leader.  From our dog’s perspective, it is not acceptable to take food from the leader until allowed.

When our dog attempts to take food from the table while we are at the table, he is breaking that natural rule and we must, as the leader, let him know that he is doing something wrong.  In order to do this, we must set the scene to allow him to either try and steal the food or respect us and not encroach.  Here is a little exercise for you:

• Establish a perimeter around your table where you don’t want your dog to cross when you are eating.
• Make sure you have toys, goodies, or even your dog’s dinner placed outside the perimeter.
• Place a leash on your dog.
• Create one or two plates of “smelly food” like cheese, cold cuts, hamburger meat, etc. and place them on the table.
• Everyone with a plate needs to sit down at the table and keep their chairs placed far enough away from the table so that they can easily stand up.  Everyone must sit “side saddled” (like our Mom always scolded us for doing).
• Make “yummy sounds” and nibble on the food while you watch your dog out of the corner of your eye.
• If your dog begins to approach your boundary, quickly stand up, face your dog, and loudly say “No” in an authoritative, guttural tone.  If you need to, gently pick up the leash and guide him away to his toys, goodies, or dinner.
• Praise your dog with a high pitched “Good boy” for doing the right thing.  (You might have had to show him what was right, but that is OK.  He is learning.)
• Return to your chair, always facing your dog.
• Slowly sit down and repeat the process until your dog looses interest and does not approach you.
• Repeat this every day until you no longer have to actively keep him away from the table.

Having to deal with a “nosy dog” while at the table can be a big pain for your family and friends.  Practice this exercise regularly and we are sure you will soon have an enjoyable time at the dinner table.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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