Imagine that you've just gotten a puppy. He's a Boxer, and he's cute. He stares at you curiously with his big brown eyes. His ears are folded over in a floppy manner. His wrinkled jowls hang down and bunch up when he tilts his head. You're hooked. This is the Boxer puppy of your dreams.
But your dog is hard to control. After all, he's new to the world. He's just a baby. So, he jumps on your friends, barks at neighborhood dogs, and strains to break away from you every time you take him out for a walk. He's untrained.
Like all new dog owners, you'll quickly learn that every puppy needs obedience training. That's the standard type of dog training, and it gives you three vital tools: rewards, leashes, and commands. These tools come in handy when you take your dog into a busy suburb or city. You'll find that they're essential if you take him to downtown Los Angeles.
Dog Rewards
You'll probably find that it's fun to explore L.A. with your dog. But it might take him a while to get used to traveling there.
The travel blog, DogJaunt.com, says the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority will allow you to take pets on a bus or train if they're in a carrier. You can also travel with your puppy by car. No matter how you transport him, it'll probably be a struggle to keep him calm. He could whine and scratch at his carrier.
Dogs respond well to rewards, though. During your trip, pet your puppy gently. When he stops fussing, praise him and gave him a dog treat. This will reinforce his positive behavior, and he may start to look content.
The American Kennel Club says in a handbook for its Canine Good Citizen program that you can use treats to reward your dog for walking through a crowd of people calmly. That's important. On your city outings with your puppy, you may stroll through the busy streets of L.A.
If you want to get your dog used to walking in the city, there's an upcoming obedience training class that can help. On February 9th, the dog training company, Bark & Clark, will hold the Valentine Pooch Parade in downtown L.A. This parade is a guided walk that can help you teach your dog how to interact with city folks and other dogs, as well as how to keep your dog safe at busy intersections.
Dog Leashes
While your dog is still a puppy, he might not always respond to your commands at intersections. Occasionally, you may have to use his leash to gently stop him from trotting into Los Angeles traffic.
The dog leash is your most important training tool. Without it, your dog might need a cat's nine lives. It's especially important in a hectic city. In fact, you should rely on a leash to safely guide your spunky puppy to dog parks and outdoor cafes.
Of course, it could take time to make your dog feel comfortable with a leash. The ASPCA has some good advice, though. In the Virtual Pet Behaviorist section on its Web site, the organization shows that dogs can be leash-trained through psychological conditioning techniques that involve luring and rewarding your dog with treats, walking at a quick pace to keep your dog's interest, and making sure your dog is calm before hooking the leash to his collar.
Dog Commands
When you've learned to keep your puppy calm, you can take him to dog parks. Los Angeles has several of them. There's Barrington Dog Park, Griffith Dog Park, and Laurel Canyon Dog Park, which has a three-acre section where your dog's allowed to run free without a leash. Your puppy will like that. But you may have to use dog commands if he gets a little too wild.
If you want to learn more about how to use commands well, read Kyra Sundance's book, The Dog Rules. It instructs dog owners just like you to give commands with a firm voice and to enforce them. In The Dog Rules, Sundance says that if your dog doesn't sit when commanded to do so, you can put him in the sitting position and then praise him for assuming that position.
Once your dog is trained, you can take him to outdoor cafes after playing with him at the park. DogFriendly.com has a list of restaurants with outdoor sections where leashed dogs are allowed. One of those restaurants is Johnny Rockets, home to burgers and shakes.
Glenn Bossik works as a copywriter for Puppies for Sale California.net ( http://www.puppiesforsalecalifornia.net ), a network of trusted, experienced breeders devoted to raising quality puppies and finding happy, loving homes for them.
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