The 5 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Location To Socialize Your Dog

Warmer weather is on the horizon, and what better time to train your dog to socialize than now? Spring is a beautiful season in northern Nevada, and we want to ensure that every owner can enjoy time out and about with their pup. At Dog Gone Amazing, we provide training and resources to socialize your dog to feel confident and comfortable in new environments, around people, and with other dogs.

We also understand that socializing your dog requires consistent practice and reinforcement beyond our training programs. Socialization helps shape a puppy’s adult behavior and leads to a happy and healthy life. So, choosing suitable locations to socialize your dog is crucial.

That is why we put together five tips for choosing the perfect location to practice socialization and a bonus list of dog-friendly places in the area that we recommend!

How to Choose the Best Location to Socialize Your Dog

 

Start with dog socializing classes

Socialization classes are a great way to help your pup make new pals and learn how to behave around other dogs and people in a controlled environment. Once your puppy has its vaccines, consider signing up for one of Dog Gone Amazing’s training programs. Check out our ultimate Dog Vaccine Guide if you’re wondering which vaccines we require, check out our ultimate Dog Vaccine Guide.

Our expert trainers provide a safe and fun environment for your dog to learn, grow, and reach your specific goals. Whether you envision your pup joining you at a coffee shop with strangers or enjoying playtime at the dog park, we help them develop socialization skills and build confidence.

Research dog-friendly policies

Before heading out for some socialization fun, check the animal policies of the places you plan to play. Not all public places or businesses are dog friendly, so it’s essential to verify that dogs are allowed and to understand any specific rules or guidelines you need to follow. Research their websites or call businesses to ask about their policies.

Scope out a location

It’s always best to know before you go. Not only can you read reviews about a location or business online, but you can also see it for yourself! You know your dog best and can choose a place that is suitable for their personality and behavior. If your dog is easily overwhelmed, a quiet, less crowded location might be better. On the other hand, if your pup is social and loves meeting new dogs, a bustling park might be more up their alley. By scoping it out beforehand, you can ensure that it meets your pup’s needs and that they’ll have a positive socialization experience.

Start small and build up

Introducing new experiences to your dog can be fun and exciting, but do it gradually to avoid overwhelming them. Build up new experiences slowly and keep an eye on their body language while introducing them to people, sights, sounds, and smells.

Come prepared

If you want to have a stress-free outing, then you need to come prepared! Bring water, treats, and poop bags – we can’t think of anything worse than your pup going number two in an area where you’re not prepped to clean up after them. If your dog is still getting used to new things, bringing their favorite toy or small blanket could make them more comfortable. By being prepared, you can enjoy your time and maximize your outing.

 

Dog-Friendly Places to Socialize Your Pup: Our Favorite Locations

In addition to our top five tips for choosing the perfect location to socialize your dog, here is a list of some of our favorite places where we love taking ours.

Coffee Shops

There is no shortage of coffee shops in Reno, so why not bring your furry friend along for a cup of coffee or a meal? The noise of grinding coffee beans combined with a relaxed atmosphere can provide a good balance for your dog.

Reno Recommendations:

• The Jesse
• Magpie Coffee Roasters
• The Garden of Reno

Garden Nurseries & Plant Shops

Nurseries and plant shops are typically quieter than public parks, making them the ideal starting point for beginner socialization or nervous dogs. Many allow pups to come in as long as they don’t eat the greenery!

Reno Recommendations:

• Moana Nursery
• Sierra Water Gardens
• Cadet Space

Pet Stores

Pet stores are great places to socialize your dog because they are full of other dogs, friendly owners, and trainers. You can bring your dog along to help you pick out toys and treats!

Reno Recommendations:

• Natural Paws 
• Bone-Ito
• PetSmart
• Petco

Neighborhood Parks & Playgrounds

Parks and playgrounds are the most accessible locations where your dog is surely welcome. If you decide to socialize with another dog, follow park leash guidelines and ask other owners if their dog is friendly and would like to meet your pup. It’s always a good question to ask if the other furry friend is also up to date on their vaccinations.

Farmers Market

We consider local farmers markets the big leagues for socializing your dog. There are many people, dogs, sounds, smells, and not to mention… food. We recommend visiting Dog Gone Amazing to practice this environment with an experienced trainer before heading out to the market with your dog. With some time, patience, and practice, your pup will handle the stimulating environment while you enjoy supporting our

By following these tips and exploring dog-friendly places in your area, you can have a positive and enjoyable socialization experience for you and your dog. Visit Dog Gone Amazing to get started with social dog training today.

 

10+ Helpful Tips for How To Deal With Dog Separation Anxiety

If Fido shows some of the classic separation anxiety symptoms in dogs whenever you reach for your shoes, you’ll want to know how to deal with dog separation anxiety.

Dogs are known for their loyalty and companionship, but what happens when they start to get anxious when you leave them alone? This is a common problem known as separation anxiety. But don’t worry, there are ways that you can help your furry friend deal with this issue. Keep reading to learn more about how to deal with dog separation anxiety, common dog separation anxiety symptoms, what causes separation anxiety in dogs, how to prevent dog separation anxiety, signs of separation anxiety in dogs, and separation anxiety dog training near you.

Separation Anxiety Symptoms in Dogs and How To Spot Them

 

Dog separation anxiety can be a problematic condition in loving pet owners. Typical signs of occasional separation anxiety include barking, whimpering, howling, trying to escape the house or yard, or destructive behaviors. Still, anxiety can pose a significant challenge for pets and their owners when it becomes severe.

To identify how to deal with dog separation anxiety, it is essential first to understand how to spot the symptoms. The key signs of clinical separation anxiety in dogs include:

• Anxious panting
• Destroying objects in the house out of frustration
• Howling
• Pacing back and forth
• Refusal to eat or loss of appetite

Other subtle symptoms may include excessive licking and whining when you leave the room or try to leave your home altogether. If you notice your pup exhibiting any combination of these behaviors regularly, it may be time to consult your vet about managing their stress. With the proper love and attention—not to mention plenty of physical exercises and proper training—your pup can learn how to better cope with their fears!

 

What Causes Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Separation anxiety in dogs is a common problem among owners that can cause substantial distress and frustration. The root cause of dogs’ separation anxiety is complex and multifaceted. Still, it commonly stems from the lack of proper training, situational changes within the household, health problems, or abandonment.

Dogs will often display howling, barking, and crying when left alone, which is a direct sign of distress stemming from their insecurity. This feeling can also be exacerbated if an owner gives too much attention to their pet at home and then neglects them once they go out. As a result, owners must create routines for pets to help them adjust positively to being alone or in less familiar environments. Proper training is also essential in helping a dog understand that being away from their owner does not always bring negative connotations.

 

How To Deal With Dog Separation Anxiety

It is possible to create a positive association with being away from your pup by following simple practices. Start small, getting used to being out of the house for short periods of time while leaving your dog alone indoors. Reward them with small treats upon returning or offer them a special toy to play with during the time away so that they associate positive behavior when left alone.

You can also plan activities where you spend more time together before leaving, such as playtime or a training session, and then part ways on a high note. Lastly, how you feel when going can play an important role in how your dog reacts—staying calm and confident will help prevent distress and separation anxiety. Following these steps, pet parents and their furry friends can build healthy habits that help create positive associations when apart.

How To Prevent Dog Separation Anxiety

Treatment options are available to help bring your furry friend some much-needed calm. Providing plenty of companionship and positive experiences is important to distract your pup from feeling anxious when alone. A few change-of-pace activities that you could try include:

• Having play dates with other doggy friends
• Short grocery store visits with your pup
• Taking them on more trainer-rated walks around the neighborhood 

Regular exercise often helps reduce pets’ anxiety and provides an outlet for their energy. Providing comfort items such as toys or blankets can help reduce fear levels as these objects can help remind the dog of its owner’s presence even when apart. Through implementing all these steps, owners can support their beloved pet and make strides towards successfully reducing separation anxiety in their dog.

If the symptoms persist, consider consulting a dog trainer, behavior specialist, or veterinarian who can offer advice tailored to your dog’s specific needs. With patience and dedication, it is possible to turn things around and help manage how to deal with your pet’s separation anxiety in a caring manner.

Separation Anxiety Dog Training Near Me

Pet owners can use several separation anxiety dog training techniques to help their pup overcome this issue. To start, regularly exposing the dog to shorter periods of separation is important. Start by leaving them alone for five minutes at a time and gradually increase your time away from your pet until they become used to it. Positive reinforcement can also be an effective tool in managing separation anxiety. Make sure to reward your pup with treats or praise whenever they stay quiet while alone.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring a professional trainer. Dog trainers offer specialized separation anxiety dog training that can help you quickly teach your pup how to cope with being left alone safely and comfortably. With patience and consistency, your pooch will learn how to stay calm when apart from you and enjoy more stress-free moments together!

How to deal with separation anxiety  

If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, there are several things you can do to help them feel better. First, it’s important to understand the symptoms and root causes of the condition. Then, you can begin working on creating a positive association with being away from your dog. Training techniques such as counterconditioning and desensitization can also help overcome separation anxiety. If you implement these suggestions, you should see an improvement in your dog’s anxiety levels over time.

Googling “separation anxiety dog training near me?” At Dog Gone Amazing, we believe that every dog deserves a chance to learn, and we know that every dog has the potential to be amazing! Click here to learn more about the types of dog training in Reno that we offer.

Why Is Walking My Dog Difficult?

The Top 5 Training Mistakes To Avoid When Training Your Dog To Walk. 

Strolling the neighborhood with your buddy walking calmly by your side as you breeze through the neighborhood is a dog owner’s dream. But, if your dog walking experience looks more like playing tug-of-war out the door, getting pulled around on the leash, and apologizing to your neighbors, it can feel more like a nightmare. 

Teaching your dog to walk nicely on the leash can be surprisingly simple but if you are making any of these top 5 training mistakes, it can get really complicated, really fast. Here are 5 of the top dog walking mistakes we see with tips on changes you can make to stop unwanted walking behavior and actually enjoy walking your dog.

 

The 5 Training Mistakes To Avoid On Walks

 

MISTAKE #1: GETTING YOUR DOG TOO AMPED UP 

Dogs LOVE going on walks, so when you pull out the leash and put on your walking shoes, it’s their signal to go bananas. They start panting, whining, running around, jumping on and off furniture and getting their pre-game on with all kinds of spastic energy. Most owners love seeing their dogs happy and want to join in on the celebration or even surprise their dogs by announcing “you wanna go on a WALK??” 

It’s all in good spirits but, unfortunately, when it comes to walking – energy is everything. If your dog is overly excited and bouncing off the walls (literally), then they are in no state to be able to participate in a calm walking experience. That level of energy makes it hard for them to hear your voice and focus on what you want them to do. It can not only make for an annoying experience having to repeat yourself a dozen times, but can actually be dangerous if they are too amped up to hear your warnings. 

A calm walk starts with a calm dog. If you want to set your dog up for success, resist the urge to get them all amped up, even if it is fun to watch them bounce around in joy. Keep things peaceful and make sure they are calm before you set out on your journey.

 

MISTAKE #2: BOLTING OUT THE DOOR 

We talked about the importance of a calm dog for having a calm walk. Once your dog has calmed down and has the right energy level for the walk, the next important step is paying attention to how you leave the house. One of our #1 rules when we train dogs is NO BOLTING. That means they are not allowed to dart over the threshold as soon as the door opens. 

If your dog is pulling you out of the door or jutting out the gate, it can amp up their energy again and undo all the work you did to help them get calm. One thing we practice repeatedly before ever even leaving the doorway is just standing at the threshold with the door open and asking the dog to sit. We will even practice walking outside the door and going back in the house/training center several times to remove the excitement around leaving for a walk. We want them to be able to access a calm state-of-mind and not be triggered by the act of leaving.

 

MISTAKE #3: ALLOWING PULLING, TUGGING, OR DARTING

When dogs are left on their own to scavenge and sniff around, they naturally follow their nose…wherever it goes. Naturally, this looks like darting around, getting lost, and pulling and tugging toward whatever interesting smell, sight, or sound crosses their path.. 

When your dog is on a walk, it is a SHARED experience and it is not time for them to act independently and run wild. When you are training your dog to walk nicely on a leash, you are training them to travel with you in a structured walk. That means that you are in motion and moving together as a pack in a certain direction. 

Teach your dog to stay focused by being structured and not allowing them to dart around, pulling, tugging and walking whichever direction their nose leads. Part of learning to walk is learning to stay in-tune with you and connected to your direction. If they get too focused on their own journey and what they are smelling, they will naturally start to pull and tug in the direction THEY want to go.  

Correct them by keeping them at by your side and redirecting them when they dart across your path or pull/lunge towards objects of interest. When we train dogs to walk on a leash, we don’t allow frequent stopping and we especially don’t allow visits with strangers. A walk is for just that – walking.

MISTAKE #4: BEING INCONSISTENT 

 One of the most important aspects of training is consistency. When you are training your dog to walk nicely on a leash, it’s important to provide a consistent pattern to the way you structure your walk. This is everything from the way you leave the house (as we mentioned above) to the way you hold the leash, and the commands you use. If you sometimes allow your dog to dart around sniffing everything, or allow them to tug and pull around certain areas in the park but not others, it confuses them. They will have a much harder time understanding how to behave if it’s a moving target. 

This is also true when it comes to your positioning during the walk. We recommend training your dog consistently with a heel at the same side every time. A “heel” command means that your dog is sitting or standing next to you at your side. You can use the heel command when you are stopped to have your dog sit calmly next to you or to stay at your side while you walk. Either way, teaching them a consistent position at your side gives them sort of a “home base” that helps them refocus and stay sensitive to your voice, gestures, or touches.  

MISTAKE #5: USING THE WRONG TOOLS 

We talk all the time with folks about the walking tools they choose for their dogs. One of the most common problems we see are people using tools that are not just ineffective but can actually work against your training efforts. For example, harnesses and especially harnesses with a clip in the middle of the back are actually similar to harnesses designed to HELP animals pull things like carts, wagons, sleds, etc. So using them while also trying to train your dog NOT to pull can pose a real problem as it gives them the urge to pull. Harnesses also provide significant leverage making it easier for your dog to pull you around the neighborhood. 

There are a variety of different tools we recommend for on-leash walking. The top two are prong collars and e-collars. The reason we recommend these over all other walking tools, including flat collars is because they are the best way to be able to communicate with your dog quickly and in a way that they are more sensitive to. When used with proper safety and training these tools are actually more humane and require a lot less repetition and force. Please learn more about those tools here. 

Another mistake is using a retractable leash. Many people like the function of retractable leashes but aren’t aware of their risks and drawbacks. Retractable leashes not only delay the time your dog can feel your tug and respond but can also malfunction and make it difficult for you to gain control when necessary.

Can you TEACH MY DOG TO WALK ON A  LEASH? 

We hope this guide has been helpful in diagnosing what might be getting in the way of you, your dog, and a peaceful walk. If you feel overwhelmed by this list and just aren’t sure where to start, we recommend looking into our training programs. We can help you sort out the issues and train your dog in the key skills it takes to perform a calm, structured walk you can both enjoy. 

BONUS – Watch lead trainer, Malaika Heinbaugh share and demonstrate her top dog walking tips in this free dog training video. 

When the pandemic started, the rate of puppy adoptions and purchases increased across the country surged, bringing about the term “pandemic puppy.”

Many people saw the increase in at-home time as an opportunity to finally raise a puppy and have a creature to keep them company during the lockdown. Of course, dogs can be the best company! They love to cuddle, make great co-pilots on a quick coffee run, and always know how to make us smile. But, what happens when you can’t spend as much time with them as you did during those work-from-home pandemic days?

If you’ve been able to spend a lot more time at home with your dog, you’ve probably developed a pretty nice routine. And dogs LOVE routines. They get used to the schedule you set. Here’s the flipside—changes in that schedule can cause separation anxiety and other behavior issues. Over the past several months, we’ve seen a trend where dog owners return to work, and their pups who have never been left home alone are struggling. Some doggos deal with bouts of separation anxiety, while others take their “Home Alone” role too seriously and get up to all sorts of shenanigans (Kevinnn!!). 

We understand how frustrating this can be! So, we’ve rounded up six survival tips to help you and your pandemic puppy make the transition. 

What To Do With Your Pandemic Puppy Once You’re Back In The Office

1. Consider Crate Training

Some people believe that putting a dog in a crate is uncomfortable and unkind. And, if that meant you kept them in there for needless amounts of time, we’d agree with you. Most people don’t know that with gentle and positive training, many dogs actually love their crates because it’s a space where they feel safe. According to the Humane Society of the United States, crate training takes advantage of your dog’s instincts to seek out a comfortable, quiet, and safe place when the environment around them becomes too loud or overwhelming. Many dogs we train with crate training will later choose to sit or sleep in their special space. Crate training is a great way to establish a “safe zone” where your dog can feel protected and can’t get into trouble while you’re away.

The key to effective crate training, according to the American Kennel Club, is to create positive associations with the crate through the use of treats and games. While it can take some time and patience to train your pup, the results are worth it!

For more information on crate training, check out the advice our fearless leader Malaika Heinbaugh gave to readers of the Northern Nevada Business Weekly.

2. Practice being away from your pandemic puppy

If you have a few weeks before heading back to school or work and you anticipate schedule changes for your dog, try making some of those changes gradually to help ease the shift. For example, if you’ve been walking your dog at 2 p.m. but know you won’t be able to do walks now until 5:30 p.m., start walking your four-legged friend a few minutes later each day. This gradual adjustment over a few weeks can help your dog get used to the changes in a positive way.

3. Puppy-proof your home

If it’s been a while since you’ve scanned your home for potential hazards for your dog, now is the time. Before heading back to the office, thoroughly review your space and consider ways that you can both protect your dog and your stuff. Installing gates to block off any off-limit areas like down hallways or certain rooms is a great way to keep your pup out of trouble. Remove temptations by putting locks on garbage cans and cabinets or putting things away in higher places. 

4. Get techy

There are several high-tech solutions designed with dog owners in mind. If you want to deter your dog from cuddling up on your couches and chairs, try a ScatMat. If you know that both you and your doggo will have some separation anxiety, try a Furbo. You’ll be able to talk to your dog through the two-way speaker, see them in full HD, and even throw them a treat.

5. Consider doggy daycare

If you’re the only friend your pandemic puppy knows, they might benefit from the socialization and activities that come from a day at doggy daycare. Your canine companion will get time to play and socialize with all the supervision they need in a safe environment. A professional, well-run dog daycare can help you get back to work while also ensuring that your pup has a fun place where they can be a dog.

6. Get In-Home Training Lessons

One of the best ways to make your dog more comfortable with being home without you is by getting them the training they need. With in-home dog training, one of Dog Gone Amazing’s dedicated dog trainers will bring the same top-level instruction we offer at our education center directly to you. We’ll come to you and help you get set up to go back to work and school. We’ll help your dog work on the specific needs and skills they will use to make good choices and stay cool and calm while you’re away. It’s a convenient and easy way to help your dog learn better manners and obedience without traveling away from home.

By preparing your pandemic puppy for some extra alone time, you can set their mind at ease and take care of the creature who took such good care of you during those long work from home days.