So You Want Your Dog To Be A "Patio" Dog...
Lounge at the brewery, hang at the cafe, relax at the restaurant. It’s every pet parents dream, right? But for some dogs, it may not be the ideal afternoon or the idea of a relaxing evening.
Let's talk about it!
With COVID restrictions easing up in much of North America, people are ready to get out and do “normal” things again. If you’re anything like me these last 15 months have left me feeling a bit rusty in terms of my own socialization skills, so I know my dogs are not in practice with their people and dog skills!
As a trainer specializing in separation anxiety and fear related behaviors I know all too well the instinct to bring our dogs everywhere, and in some cases this might actually be need a that management set up to succeed with home alone training, but before you leash up your pup and bring them out to the nearest brewery, restaurant or cafe - let’s talk about what makes a successful patio dog.
First, ask yourself the following questions about your dog:
Does your dog enjoy being around new people?
Does your dog enjoy being around new dogs?
Does your dog adjust well to loud noises or sudden environmental changes?
Does your dog share resources such as food/water/space/you with unknown people and dogs?
If you didn’t immediately answer YES to all of the above, ask yourself why you want to bring your dog with you to a dog friendly patio. Is it for you, or them? Your dog should enjoy the experience and not find it too stressful!
If your dog simply tolerates the above experiences, it might be ok to stop by a quiet space for a coffee, but I would avoid busy restaurants with people carrying clanking plates and unknown dogs walking by the table. At least until you’ve put in some serious training to help your pup feel better about it.
If your dog needs to come with you due to behavior issues, read on and make considerations based on your dogs specific needs.
If you answered YES, absolutely! To the above questions - good news - your dog might be a good candidate. There’s a lot more to it then just the right temperament. Keep reading for more insight to how to succeed!
Now, ask yourself these questions:
Am I willing to put in training to help my dog succeed in new environments?
Am I willing to prioritize my dogs comfort over mine?
Am I willing to listen to my dogs needs when out, even if that means ending my fun time early?
Am I willing to advocate for my dog with people and dogs?
If you didn’t immediately answer YES! That’s ok. It’s a big responsibility to have your dog out with you and keep their wellbeing in mind. Too often I see dogs out in spaces who are showing high levels of stress and would rather not be there. If you cannot meet your dogs needs in these novel, human based environments, leave them home!
So, how do we prepare our dogs to not only act the way WE want them to in these settings but ensure they are feeling ok about it too?
Start early!
If you have a puppy or young dog (under 1 year), socializing them to the types of environments with positive experiences will be key:
Short trips (10-15mins each) to dog friendly establishments where your dog has your full attention and only good things happen: lots of yummy snacks, space from people who may be overwhelming (even people friendly dogs can become overwhelmed with TOO much TOO soon), not being forced to interact with new dogs on leash.
If you have an adult dog and are just starting out, you can still do the same as above but the process may take longer if they are unsure of new places, people or dogs. While we can easily train new behaviors, changing emotional states can take much longer and our dogs emotions effect their behaviors.
Enlist the help of a qualified positive reinforcement professional to help you achieve your goals.
Know the signs of stress
Dogs communicate with body language, if you know what to look out for you can work to prevent bigger behavior displays that due to your feeling much more stressed and not enjoying himself later such as barking, lunging, growling, snapping and more. We don’t want to push our dogs to scream out because we ignored them trying to communicate.
Subtle/early stress signs:
Yawning
Lip licks
Panting (when its not hot)
Tail tucked or low
Tail high or rigid (when approached by/approaching people or dogs) - a wagging tail does not = a happy dog
Trying to hide / escape
Freezing / not walking
Refusing food / treats
Whale Eye/Avoidance
Inability to settle / whining / agitation
If you see these signs when you are in a busy space with your dog, chances are they are stressed and may not be having a good time. Consider leaving or at least finding a quieter place to sit and not allowing anyone to approach or interact with your dog.
Train desirable behaviors
No one wants a dog that is jumping all over people, tables, stealing food or barking their heads off while enjoying their patio time. When you bring your dog with you it is YOUR responsibility to ensure they have some basic skills and that you set up their environment well so they can be comfortable. Your dog doesn’t understand the context of a public place vs what is allowed at home.
Behaviors all dogs in public spaces should know well before they arrive - the patio is not the place to teach new behaviors, just reinforce and maintain.
Settle on a mat (yes you should provide a comfortable place for your dog to lay) - this doesn’t mean they need to lay for your entire 2 hour meal, but they should know how to, and be comfortable, settling in the environment before they are asked to be there.
Disengage from people and dogs on cue - not everyone wants to be jumped on and licked by your dog and not all dogs want to say hi. This doesn’t mean you jerk them away when it happens, that cruel and unpleasant. Teach them what you want. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.
Disengage from passing/dropped food - this is critical to safety of your dog and others. As with the above, dogs will naturally try to eat food in a new setting, yelling, jerking the leash and punishing them first is not a good option. Take the time to train an alternative before you even consider bringing them with you. This will make the time more enjoyable for everyone.
The above do not come naturally for 97% of dogs and will take lots of positive, reward based training to accomplish. If they get good things for being bored, it won’t be as boring!
Avoid punishment (such as scolding, leash jerks, hold your dogs mouth, spray bottles, prong collars, e-collars etc) if your dog does become over excited or agitated. Remember these environments are very overwhelming - people, dogs, food, noise - and us - telling our dogs to sit still and not be a part of any of it while we have fun. Punishment is a sure way to make your dog dislike hanging out with you.
Things you should bring when out on a patio
Mat / Bed (waterproof recommended)
Water Dish / Water
Treats (to reward good behavior)
Leash & Harness
Extra Treats (to manage when they get bored)
More Treats - because we ask a lot of our dogs….
Avoid - bones, chews, toys etc - even dogs that don’t have a tendency to resource guard can become protective when overwhelmed. If you do bring these types of items, be sure your dog is in a place where other dogs or people won’t get into their space.
Take the time to put in the work to set your dog up to succeed and you can have a patio dog for years to come!
Check out my upcoming series and live support group all about creating a successful patio dog by becoming a member of my Dogly Advocate Community
https://dogly.com/posts/for-people-who-want-to-create-a-successful-patio-dog
https://www.acanineaffinity.com/dogly-advocate
https://dogly.com/ACanineAffinity
Happy Training!
Melissa Dallier, CSAT, CPDT-KA
A Canine Affinity