Should My Dog Tag Along?
The world is changing. Is anyone else finding this stressful? Does it take you longer to process your environment and make decisions? Are you experiencing decision fatigue?
Your dog may also be experiencing decision fatigue. Your dog may be wondering if the sounds of helicopters, delivery trucks, or letter carriers are a threat? Are the sights of children running down the street, bicyclists, people playing basketball, or other dogs a threat? In my observation, as a dog’s risk assessment frequency increases, the dog’s resilience decreases.
Please consider this before bringing your dog to backyard BBQs or friends’ and family’s homes. As people socialize in-person more, ask yourself if these gatherings are appropriate for your dog. Post social distancing, it’s unlikely that your dog has had sufficient practice greeting adults or children without jumping and nipping. Can your dog settle amidst controlled chaos with fabulous smelling food on the grill? If the answer is “not yet”, leave your dog home to snooze the afternoon away. Train so that you your dog can tag along next time!
If you are hosting family and friends in your own home, give your dog lots of breaks and encourage your dog to stay out of the fray. Your dog may seem “fine” only to lunge and bark once a guest gets up to refresh their drink. Dogs just haven’t had enough practice with these activities to truly enjoy them. Environmental variability can stress dogs out. If your dog is greatly affected by his environment, best to leave him in a quiet room at home while you catch up with friends and family.
But how will they learn to cope with their environment, you ask? In small incremental systematic steps. Regardless of your timeline, your dog sets the pace. Exposure to controlled chaos can start with sitting on a park bench. Engage your dog while you both watch the world go by. Over time, sit closer and closer to the well-traveled path all the while feeding your dog for watching the world go by.
Until your dog has been prepared for post vaccination socialization, let your dog sit this celebration out. Reach out to your local force-free professional dog trainer for a personalized plan that sets you and your dog up for success!