Take Your Dog to the Beach - in the winter?
Well, winter is upon us, or at least for those, like myself in Canada. With the retreat of the warm weather, follows the retreat of the tourists, leaving once packed beaches a vast open area for……well, for dogs to run and play! Although, this activity may not be, um, exactly “legal” - (in fact, many beaches prohibit dogs even on-leash), many pet parents enjoy taking their dogs to the beach for their off leash run. Beaches provide dogs with lots of smells, refreshing dips in the water, bird chasing, and the ability for full-blown zoomies!
To safely enjoy the beaches (or any open area) with our dogs, it is important to have a few of the basic dog training measures down pat. The first one that comes to mind, is RECALL - yes, the dreaded “Come” or “Here” command - the command that many dogs know, but goes “out the window” when at the beach. Why? Dogs, especially adolescent dogs, know what is expected but choose to not do it. They know where you are, and they know how to get to the car. They simply do not see the point. No treat, irrelevant of the high value, is going to change that. So, now what?
1) Change your reward - your dog does not want a treat; your dog wants to run. Try using your reset (Stay or Wait) and then give your release command (Ok, Break, Free) to let them know you are well aware of what is important to them. Instead of getting them to come when called, let them run. Then, you can begin to include your recall, and when they do, you can give your reset and release. Change their perception of YOUR goal. You will see that they enjoy connecting with you and including YOU into THEIR activities!
Easier said than done?
2) Practice at easier times. How strong is your reset and release at home, in your yard? Are you able to use your Reset and Release to get in and out of the car? Can you throw the toy between the Reset and Release?
Remember - dogs think differently than puppies. It is common for challenges to happen in the dog adolescent stage, and for standard dog training methods to fall short. By changing the way we approach communicating with our dogs, we can easily enjoy our dogs at the beach.
NOTE - this piece is not a dog training program, and merely provides a general overview of the approaches of CCBT. Please contact us for programs and courses offering specific advice and information.
