Dear Miss Behavin’: I’ve set some New Year’s resolutions for myself and am wondering if I should do the same for my dog. Do you have any recommendations?
Reply: Whether your dog is a beloved family member or a high-performance athlete, there are always things we can do to improve their lives and create more balance.
For the well-mannered family member, consider enrolling her in a Canine Good Citizen course, where she can earn credit for passing 10 basic temperament tests. Many courses will offer six weeks of training and practice followed by an official exam on the seventh week. For information and details on such a course, visit www.akc.org.
For the hyper dog who always has boundless energy when you get home from work, set a goal to go for morning walks two or three days a week. This will balance your dog’s energy level during the day and ease some of the pressure to get her out for exercise when you get home. If there’s a canine athlete in your house — an agility star, show dog or disc dog — you can set a plan to
give her more “average dog” activities such as hiking or group walks with friends. If she lives for the win, commit to introducing her to a different sport like dock diving or K9 Nose Work in 2018.
And last but not least, for the young adult dog who still jumps up on guests or pulls on leash, make a resolution to attend an obedience class, work with a private trainer, or take the skills you already have and work on fine tuning those naughty behaviors. An old(er) dog can certainly learn new tricks and there is always room for improvement when it comes to dog manners!