If you’ve checked out @isabellaandpenelope on Instagram, you know Isabella and Penelope are quite the socialites. Our dogs go everywhere with us - to restaurants, to bars, to stores, in cars, on boats, on vacations, to friends’ houses, to parties… the list goes on and on.
Time and time again, my husband and I receive the comment: “Wow, they’re so well-behaved and quiet. I could never bring my dog out in public like this!”
Yes, a fair amount of time and effort went into teaching Bella and Penny how to act while we’re out and about. Yes, it required a lot of patience, some creativity, and some basic training. But, it was worth it!
I love being able to take the girls with us everywhere we go. That’s why I’ve developed this list of tips on how to train your dog to behave appropriately in public so you can enjoy more activities and time together.
First and foremost, you need to teach your dog basic commands. It’s so important that while you have your dog out and about that he is under your control at all time, and I don’t just mean being restrained by a leash. If your dog does not know basic commands and is not willing to respond to them immediately, you’re putting your dog, yourself, and others at risk.
Commands I have found very helpful for Isabella and Penelope to know are: ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ ‘lay down,’ ‘quiet,’ ‘heel,’ and ‘no jump.’
While this seems like a no-brainer, you’d be surprised how many dog owners don’t think this one through.
While Penelope has always been quiet, relaxed and easy to bring out, Isabella was the opposite. As a puppy, Bella was high energy and always wanted to play and interact with other dogs and people anywhere I took her.
Instead of bringing her places and fighting with her the whole time to keep her calm and under control, and instead of leaving her at home, I began to exhaust her before taking with me.
If I had plans to eat at a restaurant with friends, I let her play with other dogs in the dog park for an hour or two beforehand. If I was bringing her with me to the brewery, I’d take her running for a couple of miles right before.
As long as she was tired, she behaved perfectly. And after a while, I didn’t have to plan activities beforehand as she began to understand that she should lay quietly when she was out with me.
I will never forget the look on my husband’s face while we were at dinner when I pulled a bone out of my purse and gave it to Penny when she was getting restless. While I’m sure it looked funny, it immediately occupied Penny and kept her busy for hours afterward. My husband and I joked about how it was like giving pacifiers to babies to keep them from crying.
Just make sure when picking a distractor that it won’t be something that will bother those around you. In other words, maybe leave the squeaky toy at home.
I love these small training treats from Blue Buffalo. When the girls were learning to behave in public, I always kept a small bag of them in my purse to reward them throughout the experience.
Have any questions about the tips above, suggestions of tips that worked well for training your pup or any other comments? Leave us a comment or send us a message. We’d love to hear from you!