Stay-at-home orders have led to a surge in dogs finding their forever and foster homes<\/a>. As a best practice, shelters typically advise new pet parents to sign up for training classes. But in many states, pet trainers are not considered essential employees, and even as parts of the U.S. reopen, social distancing will likely be part of a new normal<\/a> for some time.<\/p>\n This leaves pet parents at a disadvantage, as well as trainers who need to earn a living.<\/p>\n Related: <\/b>Have a New Puppy? Here\u2019s how to Socialize Your Dog While Social Distancing\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n But Fun Paw Care <\/a>CEO Russell Hartstein, CDBC, CPDT-KA, notes trainers and pet parents can work together safely to help dogs become the best versions of themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cSocial distancing is not difficult when dog training,\u201d Russell says, adding that this applies to both in-person and virtual sessions.<\/p>\n Russell shared tips on how to help your dog learn to sit, stay and come even in unprecedented times.<\/p>\n Make sure to do your research when looking for the right trainer. Photography by: \u00a9Lios | Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You\u2019ve heard it from doctors and on PSAs for months: Wash your hands. Carry hand sanitizer if you can, and if the grocery store is out of stock, Russell advises just to bring water and some soap. \u201cPractice social distancing \u2026 I\u2019m no longer hugging my clients or shaking hands with them,\u201d he says. If you are comfortable, you can have the dog come to you while mom and dad stay socially distant, but that will make thorough hand washing even more important as people have touched leashes and harnesses.<\/p>\n Russell says that Fido\u2019s surroundings will affect whether or not he can get the most out of his training session. \u201cGenerally, it\u2019s the trainer or behaviorist\u2019s responsibility to set up the environment to set the parent and client up for success, so that thought process will have to happen beforehand,\u201d he says. If you\u2019re not used to asking a ton of questions before a session, now is the time to start. In addition to learning about the dog\u2019s behavioral needs, find out any environmental quirks. Is the dog easily distracted by squirrels? Consider picking a parking lot instead of a park, where there is more wildlife.<\/p>\n Time to jump on the Zoom happy hour train (if you haven\u2019t already) \u2014 or at least test out the technology with a friend on the other line. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to troubleshoot technology issues when you are charging them per hour,\u201d Russell says. Ask the client to do the same, so you aren\u2019t talking them through issues on their end.<\/p>\n Also, make sure your lighting is correct, the sound is on and you have a backdrop that isn\u2019t distracting like a blank wall.<\/p>\n If possible, send a video of your dog\u2019s behavior before the session. Don\u2019t trigger it, especially if it\u2019s a defensive behavior like growling at the family cat, but instead to catch the pup in the act. \u201cOftentimes, the parent\u2019s description is way off from what is actually going on,\u201d Russell says. For example, sometimes growling is a playful behavior, which newer pet parents may not know.<\/p>\n Before COVID-19, Russell would have unstructured in-home sessions and would have pet owners\u00a0 ask all the questions they wanted right off the bat. When doing video consultations, he always starts by asking to see the home first just in case they run into video issues later. \u201cThe best way to change the behavior is to change the environment,\u201d he says. Seeing the home gives him a window into what might be triggering certain behaviors.<\/p>\n Video can use up bandwidth and slow down a computer, hurting the connection and quality of the consultation in the process. Russell doesn\u2019t place a premium on video. \u201cA lot of video consultations I do, do not have video on the entire hour or two hours,\u201d he says. \u201cI really need to be able to see the home, see what is going on, where the dog sleeps, what type of equipment they are using.\u201d From there, he often turns off his video or alternates with the client. When he\u2019s showing a technique, he puts his video on and asks the client to mute it. Then they switch off when the client tries to replicate it so he can see it and give feedback.<\/p>\n Russell prefers to use stuffed dogs over real-life models, especially if Fido isn\u2019t great with other pups. These are especially helpful during virtual consultations, when he can\u2019t go over the behavior with the client\u2019s dog. \u201c<\/b>I have dummy dogs in different sizes and shapes, and I will go over with clients equipment like leashes and harnesses and \u2026 the movements, motion [of the skill],\u201d he says. He likes the dummy dogs from Melissa and Doug<\/a>.<\/p>\n Top photograph: Courtesy Pawsitive Practice Training and and Behavior Consulting<\/p>\n Read Next: <\/b>What\u2019s Really on My Dog\u2019s Mind?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The post How Dog Trainers Can Adjust to the New Normal<\/a> by Beth Ann Clyde<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post How Dog Trainers Can Adjust to the New Normal<\/a> by Beth Ann Clyde<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Stay-at-home orders have led to a surge in dogs finding their forever and foster homes<\/a>. As a best practice, shelters typically advise new pet parents to sign up for training classes. But in many states, pet trainers are not considered essential employees, and even as parts of the U.S. reopen, social distancing will likely be part of a new normal<\/a> for some time.<\/p>\n This leaves pet parents at a disadvantage, as well as trainers who need to earn a living.<\/p>\n Related: <\/b>Have a New Puppy? Here\u2019s how to Socialize Your Dog While Social Distancing\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n But Fun Paw Care <\/a>CEO Russell Hartstein, CDBC, CPDT-KA, notes trainers and pet parents can work together safely to help dogs become the best versions of themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cSocial distancing is not difficult when dog training,\u201d Russell says, adding that this applies to both in-person and virtual sessions.<\/p>\n Russell shared tips on how to help your dog learn to sit, stay and come even in unprecedented times.<\/p>\n Make sure to do your research when looking for the right trainer. Photography by: \u00a9Lios | Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You\u2019ve heard it from doctors and on PSAs for months: Wash your hands. Carry hand sanitizer if you can, and if the grocery store is out of stock, Russell advises just to bring water and some soap. \u201cPractice social distancing \u2026 I\u2019m no longer hugging my clients or shaking hands with them,\u201d he says. If you are comfortable, you can have the dog come to you while mom and dad stay socially distant, but that will make thorough hand washing even more important as people have touched leashes and harnesses.<\/p>\n Russell says that Fido\u2019s surroundings will affect whether or not he can get the most out of his training session. \u201cGenerally, it\u2019s the trainer or behaviorist\u2019s responsibility to set up the environment to set the parent and client up for success, so that thought process will have to happen beforehand,\u201d he says. If you\u2019re not used to asking a ton of questions before a session, now is the time to start. In addition to learning about the dog\u2019s behavioral needs, find out any environmental quirks. Is the dog easily distracted by squirrels? Consider picking a parking lot instead of a park, where there is more wildlife.<\/p>\n Time to jump on the Zoom happy hour train (if you haven\u2019t already) \u2014 or at least test out the technology with a friend on the other line. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to troubleshoot technology issues when you are charging them per hour,\u201d Russell says. Ask the client to do the same, so you aren\u2019t talking them through issues on their end.<\/p>\n Also, make sure your lighting is correct, the sound is on and you have a backdrop that isn\u2019t distracting like a blank wall.<\/p>\n If possible, send a video of your dog\u2019s behavior before the session. Don\u2019t trigger it, especially if it\u2019s a defensive behavior like growling at the family cat, but instead to catch the pup in the act. \u201cOftentimes, the parent\u2019s description is way off from what is actually going on,\u201d Russell says. For example, sometimes growling is a playful behavior, which newer pet parents may not know.<\/p>\n Before COVID-19, Russell would have unstructured in-home sessions and would have pet owners\u00a0 ask all the questions they wanted right off the bat. When doing video consultations, he always starts by asking to see the home first just in case they run into video issues later. \u201cThe best way to change the behavior is to change the environment,\u201d he says. Seeing the home gives him a window into what might be triggering certain behaviors.<\/p>\n Video can use up bandwidth and slow down a computer, hurting the connection and quality of the consultation in the process. Russell doesn\u2019t place a premium on video. \u201cA lot of video consultations I do, do not have video on the entire hour or two hours,\u201d he says. \u201cI really need to be able to see the home, see what is going on, where the dog sleeps, what type of equipment they are using.\u201d From there, he often turns off his video or alternates with the client. When he\u2019s showing a technique, he puts his video on and asks the client to mute it. Then they switch off when the client tries to replicate it so he can see it and give feedback.<\/p>\n Russell prefers to use stuffed dogs over real-life models, especially if Fido isn\u2019t great with other pups. These are especially helpful during virtual consultations, when he can\u2019t go over the behavior with the client\u2019s dog. \u201c<\/b>I have dummy dogs in different sizes and shapes, and I will go over with clients equipment like leashes and harnesses and \u2026 the movements, motion [of the skill],\u201d he says. He likes the dummy dogs from Melissa and Doug<\/a>.<\/p>\n Top photograph: Courtesy Pawsitive Practice Training and and Behavior Consulting<\/p>\n Read Next: <\/b>What\u2019s Really on My Dog\u2019s Mind?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The post How Dog Trainers Can Adjust to the New Normal<\/a> by Beth Ann Clyde<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Make](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Dog-obeyin-gtrainer.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIf doing in-person dog training<\/b><\/h2>\n
Follow the basics<\/b><\/h3>\n
Be set for success<\/b><\/h3>\n
What you need to know about virtual dog training<\/b><\/h2>\n
Have a mock trial<\/b><\/h3>\n
Do your prep work<\/b><\/h3>\n
See the house<\/b><\/h3>\n
Trade off video<\/b><\/h3>\n
Invest in dummy dogs<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nIf doing in-person dog training<\/b><\/h2>\n
Follow the basics<\/b><\/h3>\n
Be set for success<\/b><\/h3>\n
What you need to know about virtual dog training<\/b><\/h2>\n
Have a mock trial<\/b><\/h3>\n
Do your prep work<\/b><\/h3>\n
See the house<\/b><\/h3>\n
Trade off video<\/b><\/h3>\n
Invest in dummy dogs<\/b><\/h3>\n