Sustainable Living: Mask Disposal

Home Improvements Can Make it Easier to Live With Your Dog

By Amee Abel, CPDT-KA

Whenever I’m invited to help a client deal with an unmanageable dog, my first step is a behavior assessment. As much as you may find a behavior obnoxious, unappealing, frightening or dangerous, your dog does not feel the same way. They do it because it’s working well for them. I can’t read your dog’s mind; I can, however, observe your dog’s behavior and make some educated guesses about what your dog finds fulfilling about the behavior that you “just wish would stop.” Does your dog assault the DoorDash Delivery person? All that barking and carrying on makes you miserable, but your dog see the behavior as successful. The intruder goes away after depositing a yummy smelling treasure. We know it’s because there are other deliveries waiting; your dog believes it was his or her aggression that drove off the intruder. Pestering people at the dinner table? Every time someone makes eye contact with the dog to tell them to “go lay down,” the dog understands that they have successfully reminded you to save some for them. Stopping these behaviors is enough to make you crazy! Often a modest home improvement can help you get control. Adding a barrier gate to create a front door foyer can stop you dog from overwhelming delivery people or guests as they enter (see photo example, left). It can also prevent inadvertent escapes. An exercise pen that encloses a dog bed can enforce a “stay on your bed while we’re at the table” rule while your dog is learning. Other problem solvers can include a dog door that opens on a fenced outdoor area. Allowing Fifi more access to the correct place to pee can be a good way to avoid house training accidents. Is your hound obsessed with overseeing wildlife or walkers out your window? Consider frosted window overlays to help Fido relax his constant vigilance at the window. Preventing the dog from practicing the behavior you don’t want is a first step to changing the dog’s behavior from terrible to terrific. The next step is training the dog to do something else. A Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) can guide you through the training process. Your dog trainer can build a customized training plan that addresses your household’s specific needs. Doggy interior modifications don’t have to trash your home’s décor. Beautiful furniture-style dog crates can enhance a room while helping your dog’s behavior. A crate that doubles as an end table can supply a way to control your dog’s participation in the TV snacks while allowing Fido to join in on movie night. An online search for “designer dog crates” brings up many resources for handsome dog crates in a variety of styles. Remember to select your crate size based on your dog’s comfort. An at-home, relax-in-comfort sized crate should provide your dog with enough room to stand up and turn around, as well as have good ventilation, a place for a water dish, and flooring surface that suits your dog’s idea of comfort. Some dogs like soft beds; some prefer a stiffer surface. Physical management of your home provides a quick reduction in noxious behaviors. Paired with training, dog-focused home improvements can go a long way to reducing stress in your life. And, they can help you remember why you love your dog.

Amee Abel is a certified professional dog trainer who offers in-home training for dogs and their people. Additionally, she teaches classes at Monadnock Humane Society and through the Peterborough Rec Department. Learn more about her business at www.abel2train.com.

PHOTO, left: Doggy interior modifications don’t have to trash your home’s décor. Gates can be attractive while providing control to prevent your dog from misbehaving when people come to the door. Photo courtesy of Amee Abel.