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Why CityLiving Can Be Dangerous For Your DogThe Resource for Everything About Dogs |
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Why CityLiving Can Be Dangerous For Your Dogby John Edwards
For dogs that are living in the city with you, you should be weary of a few setbacks. For example, noise pollution is actually more of a problem to dogs than air pollution. Honking horns, sirens, airplanes, sonic booms, and crowd noises all take their toll on the city dog. Use the same precautions for your dog you would take for yourself. Avoid walking past construction projects if you cam avoid it, because loud sudden machinery noises can make even the best-trained dog break heel and dart away. Narrow, thin alleys, or precarious, temporary construction crossings can be a problem. Remember, not all dogs are of the caliber of Seeing Eye dogs, which are able to cope with city stress because they are genetically and educationally prepared. When you must traverse an area where noise is deafening, hold the dog near to you on the leash, and cup one hand around the dog's neck until the noise dies down or you pass out of its range. This comforting body contact can help the dog cope with the noise more easily. Dogs should not be allowed to run free in city parks unless they are completely controllable. In some cities the law may forbid off-lead dogs altogether. Even city parks can be a stress for the dog and can provoke strange behavioral reactions. For instance, never allow the dog to run free with strange children. Don't allow noisy children to crowd around your dog. Groups of screaming children have often triggered biting incidents or encouraged playful dogs to jump up. A child who is jumped on in play, and then falls and screams, can be perceived as prey by a dog, with occasionally tragic results. The city dog needs to be able to deal with an incredible array of strangers each day. Many humans in cities simply go on "automatic pilot" and pass strangers without seeing particular faces. This ability to screen out distractions is more difficult for dogs to acquire. The dog remains interested, in a positive or negative way, in practically every human and dog it passes. Pedestrians may react in a variety of ways, from fear, to over-effusive affection, to outright disdain or hostility. There is simply no way to predict the variety of reactions, so the best approach is to expose your dog to all possibilities in a structured training session. Accustom your dog to being approached, petted, and also possibly rebuffed. A leadership role by the master, and heeling practice, can help rivet the dog to its owner, but remember that heeling is always more difficult in the city. There are simply more distractions, more opportunities to lag behind and investigate or to lunge ahead. If you follow proper heeling methods and are sure to train your dog to heel by using distractions in your training sessions (traffic, other dogs, working in crowds), your dog should be controllable and able to meet any situation on the street.
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