Having a pet can be a time-consuming endeavor. Luckily, there are plenty of things you may already have around the house that make excellent tools for training your dog for different situations. Here are a few examples.
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Cleaning Supplies
Your dog is going to have to get used to things that are loud and potentially scary unless you want to deal with her anxiety every time you get set to clean. Start introducing a puppy to the broom slowly, showing her how it pushes things away. Redirect unwanted attention from the items you are sweeping and discourage barking.
Once you’ve conquered brooms and dusters, it’s time to move on to the vacuum -know to your dog as the terrifying tail-sucker-upper. Be sure to reward appropriate behavior. That includes your precious pup not cowering in fear at the sight of your vacuum.
Baby Walkers and Strollers
There are plenty of reasons to expose your dog to baby toys, especially ones with wheels, even if you don’t have any kids at home. This is a great tool to desensitize them for going out where strollers, wheelchairs, or walkers might be around. Be gentle and encourage your dog to explore the toys, maybe even push them around a bit. If you have any plans to use your pooch in as a therapy pet to visit nursing homes or schools, then this is critical to her success.
Feed Buckets and Barn Tools
Any time a dog might be around larger animals like horses and cows, they need to understand how to behave in the barn. Start training by getting them used to supplies used for your livestock. Set up some horse jump cups and let them see poles being set. Toss around a feed bucket or let your puppy roll in some fresh bedding to get her used to the sights, sounds, and smells of other animals.
There are plenty of ways you can start training your dog during regular activities. It will take work and time, but you won’t have to put the rest of your life on hold to accomplish your training goals.
