How to Keep Elderly Family Safe Around Active Dogs
Tire the dog out., Do extensive training., Allow the dog to smell the person ahead of time.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Tire the dog out.
Take your dog for a long walk or let it run around at a dog park before being around elderly people.
You can also play fetch or another game where the dog runs around a lot to tire it out.
Most of the danger of having an active dog around elderly people is that the dog might knock them down or injure them just out of excitement.
In order to curb this risk, you should make sure to really tire the dog out before the meeting.If the dog is tired out, it is less likely to be really wild and uncontrollable.
However, there are some dogs that will be really active when meeting new people or old friends no matter how much exercise you give them.
Make this judgement for yourself based on your particular dog. -
Step 2: Do extensive training.
In order to keep an elderly person really safe around an active dog, you need to control that dog's behavior.
Extensive training that the dog consistently responds to is the best way to control its behavior.
Training requires daily practice with your dog, clear and consistent directions, and positive reinforcement to encourage your dog to follow your commands.
With a well-trained dog, you can allow the dog to be around an elderly person unrestrained because you know that it will stop dangerous behavior immediately if commanded.
Training that is very successful will allow you to control your dog's behavior no matter what it is doing with a simple command.
This type of training takes a long time to complete.
Don't expect to get total control over your dog's actions in a week or two.
It takes lots and lots of repetition and positive reinforcement to instill in your dog. , If you are planning on introducing your dog to a family member then you can let the dog smell his or her smells ahead of time.
Getting a piece of clothing or a sheet or blanket that the person uses and letting your dog smell it ahead of time will let the dog get the excitement of new smells over with.
If the dog has already smelled someone, then doing this before he or she comes over will not generally diffuse the dog's excitement.
This tactic is usually just helpful for first time encounters.
This technique is used often when introducing dogs to new babies, but can work with other types of situations as well. -
Step 3: Allow the dog to smell the person ahead of time.
Detailed Guide
Take your dog for a long walk or let it run around at a dog park before being around elderly people.
You can also play fetch or another game where the dog runs around a lot to tire it out.
Most of the danger of having an active dog around elderly people is that the dog might knock them down or injure them just out of excitement.
In order to curb this risk, you should make sure to really tire the dog out before the meeting.If the dog is tired out, it is less likely to be really wild and uncontrollable.
However, there are some dogs that will be really active when meeting new people or old friends no matter how much exercise you give them.
Make this judgement for yourself based on your particular dog.
In order to keep an elderly person really safe around an active dog, you need to control that dog's behavior.
Extensive training that the dog consistently responds to is the best way to control its behavior.
Training requires daily practice with your dog, clear and consistent directions, and positive reinforcement to encourage your dog to follow your commands.
With a well-trained dog, you can allow the dog to be around an elderly person unrestrained because you know that it will stop dangerous behavior immediately if commanded.
Training that is very successful will allow you to control your dog's behavior no matter what it is doing with a simple command.
This type of training takes a long time to complete.
Don't expect to get total control over your dog's actions in a week or two.
It takes lots and lots of repetition and positive reinforcement to instill in your dog. , If you are planning on introducing your dog to a family member then you can let the dog smell his or her smells ahead of time.
Getting a piece of clothing or a sheet or blanket that the person uses and letting your dog smell it ahead of time will let the dog get the excitement of new smells over with.
If the dog has already smelled someone, then doing this before he or she comes over will not generally diffuse the dog's excitement.
This tactic is usually just helpful for first time encounters.
This technique is used often when introducing dogs to new babies, but can work with other types of situations as well.
About the Author
Heather Nguyen
A passionate writer with expertise in cooking topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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