Give Your Dog a Job!

Spring is in the air! You and your new four-legged family member are adjusting to life as you know it. You have gotten to know the vet of your choice, gotten through basic obedience class and now what? Here are a few suggestions for activities that you can participate in with your new pet. 

Lets start with advanced obedience classes. Enough cannot be said about working on clear communication with your pet. Dogs read our body language and our energy in about 10 seconds. Being social animals, they crave attention. If you are preoccupied with something other than paying attention to your pet, he will do something -- be it good or bad behavior -- to get your attention. Taking the time to be present and being very clear on what we are asking them to do is key to success. This clarity is what advanced obedience classes are all about.

Ask your vet and dog-owning friends and neighbors for recommendations for classes. If you’re in San Mateo county check out the offerings at the San Mateo Dog Training Club, San Bruno Dog Obedience School, Peninsula Humane Society, and The Rex Center.

If you enjoy advanced obedience, there are opportunities to compete. Establishing a working relationship with your pet is  the key  to moving on to obedience competition, the faster-paced obedience rally, and other opportunities. Once you know you can count on your dog to come when you call, to sit when you give the command, and to listen to you around other people and dogs, there are all kinds of ways to have fun.

Agility, in which dogs are coached through obstacle courses by their humans, is very popular. Trainers in the Bay Area run the gamut from world-class serious competition to recreational. 

Fly ball is a relay race involving a team of dogs jumping hurdles and fetching a tennis ball. 

Tracking puts the dog more in charge, leading his handler along a scent trail. 

Herding may be the ultimate team sport for dogs and their handlers as they guide stock animals ranging from ducks to cattle around paddocks, through gates, and into enclosures. 

These are just a few of the advanced training options (often referred to as “dog sports”) that will help you drain your dog’s energy -- the key to a successful relationship! 

We live in a wonderfully rural area. Hiking the many paths on the coast is our exercise of choice for a lot of our pets. Teaching your canine companion proper walking manners is key to keeping our trails open for all of us. Carry treats or a toy in your pocket to practice heeling, sitting, and staying on command. Teach your dog that not every person or even every dog he meets on your walk wants to say hello!

Not all dog jobs involve feats of athletic prowess. You can train your dog to be a therapy dog and go to retirement homes and hospitals to visit with the ill and geriatric community. The Peninsula Humane Society offers a therapy dog training program. One of their programs lets kids read aloud to dogs at various San Mateo County Library branches.

If all this sounds like too much work, or you simply don’t have the time to take classes, all is not lost. Check out some library books and videos about obedience training and dog tricks, or hire a trainer for some one-on-one sessions to get you started.

Simply playing games with your dog will reinforce your communications ability. Playing hide-and-seek in your house involves practicing your dog’s stay, his come (which is rewarded when he finds you and gets his treat or toy), and his overall self-control.

As your dog matures you can draw out the length of time he must wait -- a great way to strengthen his self-control. Vary the game by hiding treats all over the house so he must use his scenting and problem-solving abilities, which will tire him out! Try out some of the other games listed at http://dogtrainer.quickanddirtytips.com/play-games-bad-weather.aspx.

Give your dog a job -- whether it’s competing on weekends in agility, giving back to the community through therapy services, or just entertaining you with games for a few minutes after you get home from work -- and you will reap the benefits tenfold.

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