Author: Marissa Corbett Shamong

Navigating the city streets with a dog requires a different approach than suburban or rural training. Cities are bustling, filled with a variety of sights, sounds, and people that can overwhelm an untrained dog. City living demands specific etiquette, from leash manners to managing your dog’s behavior in shared public spaces. Training your dog to feel comfortable, calm, and confident amid the urban hustle is crucial, both for your dog’s well-being and to ensure a pleasant experience for everyone around. As Marissa Corbett of Shamong explains, training for urban environments helps build a harmonious relationship between dogs and their urban surroundings, keeping everyone safe and happy.

Leash Manners: Setting the Foundation for City Walks

One of the essential components of urban dog training is establishing good leash manners. In a city, where sidewalks and streets are often crowded, your dog must walk calmly on a loose leash, maintaining a comfortable pace beside you. Good leash manners are not just about control; they foster a sense of security for the dog, who knows what to expect on a walk.

Start with short walks in quieter areas of the city, gradually exposing your dog to busier

spaces as they become accustomed to walking calmly on the leash. Teaching commands such as “heel” and “stay close” can be highly effective in helping your dog understand what is expected. These commands reassure your dog, making it easier for them to remain composed even when faced with exciting distractions, like people, other dogs, and unexpected sounds.

Managing City Sounds: Building Comfort and Confidence

Urban environments are noisy. From construction sites to blaring car horns, city sounds can easily startle a dog not used to them. Gradually introducing these sounds during training helps to build your dog’s confidence, preventing fear-based reactions and anxiety. Begin by exposing your dog to recorded city noises at a low volume, allowing them to get used to these sounds in a controlled environment. Over time, increase the volume and gradually incorporate these sounds into real-life city walks.

Another helpful approach is to pair city sounds with positive experiences, such as treats or praise. This positive reinforcement helps your dog associate urban noises with something enjoyable, reducing the likelihood of fear responses. Additionally, practicing the “focus” command can help redirect your dog’s attention to you during particularly loud or overwhelming moments, reinforcing their sense of security.

Socializing in Public Spaces: Fostering Calm Interactions

City life often means encountering a range of people and pets in close quarters, making it essential for dogs to feel comfortable around strangers. Socializing your dog effectively ensures they can calmly handle interactions in crowded settings without reacting to strangers or other animals. Begin by introducing your dog to various people in quieter settings, gradually moving to more crowded spaces. Practicing “sit” and “stay” commands in these settings can teach your dog to remain calm and composed when approached by others.

It’s also important to practice patience, both for the dog and the owner. City dogs often encounter groups of people who want to interact with them, and being able to remain relaxed is a learned behavior. Gradual exposure, combined with positive reinforcement, creates a strong foundation for pleasant social encounters. Remember that some dogs take longer to feel comfortable in public, so be consistent with training and reinforce positive behavior to help them adapt.

The Art of Respecting Public Spaces

An essential part of urban dog etiquette is respecting shared spaces. Cities have dog parks, cafes, and even stores that welcome pets, but they often come with expectations of proper behavior. Training your dog to understand when it’s time to play and when to be calm is vital for a seamless urban experience. In dog-friendly cafes, for example, teaching your dog to “settle” can help them remain calm while you enjoy your coffee, fostering a sense of peace for everyone present.

Reinforcing boundaries also helps dogs understand that not every open space is for them to roam freely. It’s important for dogs to know when they’re in a designated dog area, like a park or play area, versus a public street or shared plaza. Training your dog to recognize these boundaries ensures a safer and more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Handling Off-Leash Situations Responsibly

While off-leash training might seem counterintuitive in an urban setting, there are times when it becomes relevant, especially in dog parks or designated off-leash areas. Teaching your dog reliable recall is crucial for these settings, ensuring they respond to your commands and stay within safe limits. Start with off-leash training in enclosed, low-distraction environments before transitioning to designated off-leash parks.

In the city, reliable recall can also help in unexpected situations, such as when your dog might slip out of its leash. Ensuring your dog responds immediately when called provides an extra layer of security in busy, unpredictable urban settings. Using a specific command, like “come,” followed by immediate praise or a treat, can make a significant difference in reinforcing your dog’s recall skills.

Navigating Public Transportation with Ease

Public transportation can be daunting for dogs. From the sounds of the subway to the crowds on buses, these experiences require special training. Getting your dog comfortable with different modes of public transport begins with brief, controlled introductions. Familiarize your dog with quieter stations or stops, gradually introducing them to busier, louder environments as their comfort grows.

Commands like “sit” and “stay” can help your dog remain calm during the commute. Positive reinforcement when your dog remains calm on public transport helps to reinforce good behavior. Always ensure your dog is secure and comfortable, either in a carrier or harnessed, as this added security can reduce anxiety and provide peace of mind in close quarters.

Cultivating Patience: An Essential Urban Skill

For many dogs, patience is a learned skill, especially in cities where there’s often a need to wait at traffic lights, in elevators, or while you chat with a neighbor. Teaching your dog to be patient is a gradual process but one that pays off in the urban environment. Practice commands like “wait” or “stay” during everyday tasks to build this patience.

Additionally, incorporating small pauses into your dog’s daily walks helps them learn to adapt to the rhythm of the city. These moments of stillness teach your dog to stay calm even when their surroundings are stimulating. Building this patience enables your dog to stay composed, reducing stress in scenarios where they need to wait calmly for a few moments.

Embracing the Urban Adventure

Urban dog etiquette is not about restricting your dog’s freedom but rather about equipping them with the skills they need to thrive in the city environment. From leash manners to managing city sounds and fostering social grace, each skill contributes to a well-adjusted, confident city dog. The key to successful urban training lies in patience, positive reinforcement, and gradual exposure. With these principles in mind, both you and your dog can enjoy the urban adventure to its fullest, knowing you’re ready to navigate the city together, side by side.

Sometimes dogs can feel like man’s best not-so-well-behaved friend.

And that’s OK. No dog is perfect and that means they don’t always act perfectly either. Some have issues with begging or nipping. Others have trouble on a leash and figuring out appropriate ways to do their business. And there are some who develop behaviors based on past traumatic experiences or poor treatment.

Marissa Corbett of Shamong NJ says that the good news is that there are ways to work towards improving a dog’s behavior with the right kind of training and the proper owner attitude. As more Americans work at least part of the week at home, correcting unwanted canine behavior is more critical than ever.

Over the past few years, there has been about a 10% increase in owners taking dogs to obedience and behavior training. In 2020 alone, there was a 73% rise in spending on training tools, treats, and other devices to help improve behavior. Here’s what actually works.

Consider the Root Cause of the Issue

Dogs are motivated by a lot of things: attention, food, fear, frustration. Usually, dogs repeat a bad behavior because they are getting something out of it that reinforces the action.

Do they get a treat when they bark? Do they run around the living room because a family member watches them and doesn’t tell them to stop? Are they not getting enough exercise during the day or spending too much time in a room or kennel? A change in diet may also be to blame.

Practice Before Teaching

Proper dog training starts before a pet is even involved. Dog trainers call it “management” – owners taking the time to pinpoint exactly what is behind the unwanted behavior and what may be the best techniques to bring to the training table. The big goal is to determine the best way to stop a dog from repeating specific behaviors — and figure out what to teach instead.

This could mean doing everything from blocking a window’s view to prevent parking, hiding the shoes that have become their favorite chew toy in the closet or using crates or baby gates. The key is to take the time to come up with the best way to solve the problem and work closely to teach a dog the new, proper, wanted behavior.

Correct in the Right Way

It’s never acceptable to cause harm to a dog, and many dog trainers adhere to the principle of avoiding any form of physical discipline. Behavior modification can be challenging, but resorting to physical actions should never be considered, even when non-physical approaches to discipline don’t appear to be effective. Instead, concentrate on using verbal commands, reinforcing positive behavior, and making additional attempts to achieve the desired results.

Consistency is Key

Don’t give up. Proper training takes dedication, time, and energy — and behavior is rarely corrected the first time. Sometimes it helps to go back to basics, such as sitting and staying, even if they seem unrelated to the most pressing behavioral issue.

Man’s best friend is known for being able to understand and follow the usual commands to sit or stay with the right training. However, there is so much more that a dog is capable of as long as the owner is aware of how to make the most of their pet’s potential.

According to dog training expert, Marissa Corbett of Shamong, NJ, the average dog is capable of more than the basic “sit, stay, come” commands. The key to unlocking a dog’s full potential is in using the relationship built during standard training. This is coupled with new techniques for challenging and encouraging the dog, which comes with many benefits such as stimulation.

Below are a few of the best tips and techniques for advancing a dog’s training. This will not only result in the dog’s tricks and commands reaching the next level, but several benefits to the relationship between dog and owner afterward.

Ways to Improve Training and Commands

A furry friend is capable of understanding not only specific commands given by a devoted owner, but even some of the moods and desires of their owner without needing to be trained. With such an amazingly empathetic capacity for a working relationship, it is no wonder many dog owners feel compelled to take their dog’s tricks and training to the next level. The question is, how? Let’s examine some of the best tips to remember when advancing a dog’s training.

Create a Firm Foundation

A firm foundation for a dog who is moving on to more advanced techniques than the usual “come, sit, and stay” commands means that they should reliably and consistently respond to those basic commands. A dog should almost always come when called, respond instantly when told to heel or sit, and display patience and discipline when staying or waiting to move.

‘This will let the dog owner know that their furry friend is ready for the next level. It will also prevent rushing the dog into overwhelming, and sometimes frustrating, chains of commands that they are not ready for.

Responding to Specific Areas and Objects

One of the most natural steps out of basic training and into more advanced techniques is that of targeted training. These commands will have to do with objects or specific places. One example might be teaching a dog to go to their bed or crate on command. Another example might be the simple but fun “fetch,” command, or even a pointing or searching command.

The best way to begin this type of command is to help connect the sound of the command with that area or object, and reward association with treats or praise. As with all dog training, repetition is key. When it seems that the dog is associating the command with the correct object or place, move on to a desired behavior, rewarding the correct action with praise and treats again.

Off Leash Training

Perhaps the most impressive trick a dog with advanced training can do is simply conduct themselves well and remain under their owner’s control even without a leash. Of course, this takes very careful discipline and an advanced stage of work between the dog and their owner before it can be tried in public areas. Trust is the key; a dog should know to obey a command to heel even in the most distracting environments, such as a dog park, while their owner should have no doubt that any command will be obeyed.

To accomplish this, the dog must be taken to controlled environments and gradually left to roam free without a leash, with repetitive training to “heel” or “return” and consistent rewarding for the desired behavior. More distractions or temptations can be gradually introduced, as well as training in new areas, to improve focus. When the results are consistent, everyone will be impressed with a dog that is under complete control even without a leash!

Training Methods

To use any of the above-mentioned tricks, a dog owner must know what kind of training method works best for their pooch. If a dog is very food-motivated, some of the same techniques of treating a desired behavior will continue to work even with advanced training.

However, sometimes using a clicker, which is a handheld object that makes a distinct clicking noise, can become a great way for a dog to associate the correct behavior with praise. This way, even in a crowded space, all the dog needs to hear is a click for effective communication.

Adapting to what might keep a dog interested in new training goals, rather than frustrated or distressed, is one of the best ways for a trainer to make the most of their canine’s potential.

In Conclusion

Advanced training tips for dogs include knowing the dog’s condition and preferred training methods and using those to the advantage of the training goals. Whether teaching a dog to heel after being allowed off-leash or simply associating a desired behavior with a location, the owner must trust that the dog has a firm foundation of obedience and discipline.