Keeping Your Dog/Puppy Busy During our Isolation

How do you keep your puppy occupied during social distancing? It's easy and this is a great time to continue socialization while training your dog and keeping yourself busy! Remember, socializing can be done at a distance and daily walks and leash practice are easily practiced while you are at home!

Most puppy parents list loose-leash walking as their biggest goal after house-training and avoiding puppy biting. Walking slowly next to a human is not something dogs do automatically, so this skill needs to be broken into small training steps and highly reinforced with lots of rewards, praise, and practice. Even if you don't always carry treats in your pockets for your puppy, you can still build on a young pup's natural desire to be with you as you walk around your house going about your usual activities. Simply by patting your leg next to where you eventually want the puppy to walk when on leash, and praising the puppy for walking close to you, the puppy will get into the habit of walking close by. Encourage your puppy when s/he does what you ask, and be generous with the treats when you have them handy. If you do this on and off all day, whenever your puppy is off-leash and able to follow you from room to room, or even just with you in one room, you will see a big improvement very quickly. The more the puppy gets in the habit of doing at a young age, the better the adult dog will be able to draw on that experience later when the distractions are higher.

Always remember to resist expecting too much too soon from the puppy. Walking on a loose leash is

not an easy skill and will take lots of time and patience that will be well worth the effort. The more you practice in a low distraction area of your home, the better the puppy will do at the next level outside in the yard or driveway. It takes a lot of self control, practice and maturity for a puppy to walk on a loose leash outside with lots of distractions, so don't expect too much too soon and you both will feel less frustrated.

Don't forget about providing enrichment.  My favorite of course is the Kong toy. My favorites are listed on our website.

While we all practice social distancing, enjoy this time with your puppy and use your creativity to practice all you've learned so far, while staying safe. If you have any questions or concerns,  Your Canine Life Coach,  is just a text, phonecall, message or email away.

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