Times Square Teaches Me Advanced Dog Training Skills

January 7th, 2010
By Eric Letendre

Waaaay back in 1994 I was asked to set up
a K-9 Unit for a security company at World
Wide Plaza on West 44th St. in Manhatten.

To say I was excited was an understatement.

Food, hotel, cab fare all paid for, not to
mention the cashola they were paying me to
do the work.

When I landed at LaGuardia Airport I was picked
up by a limo and they drove me to meet the client.

I learned a very valuable dog training lesson as
we drove into Times Square to pick him up.

Here’s what happened:

As were driving through Time Square he wanted to talk
over the details of training the staff and dogs. He
also wanted to discuss dog food, vet care and training
equipment.

In most situations I would have been all ears…

…but I just could not focus on what this guy was
saying. In fact, I was silently wishing he would
shut his pie hole so I could concentrate on what was
going outside the limo windows.

You see, I had been to New York many times as a kid,
but this was the first time I was there on my own. I was
young, I had a pocket full of money and all of the
Big Apple was calling for me.

Have you ever been in a situation like that?

Here is the dog training lesson I learned. Most dogs
can do their obedience commands when there is nothing
going on around them.

Most dogs come to their owner when they are in the
house. Take them outside and with all the distractions,
your dog’s obedience goes out the window.

So the question of the day is…

“How do I get my dog to respond to the commands when
there are distractions?”

That question, my dog loving friend, will be answered in
my next message, so stay tuned.

All the best,

Eric

2 Comments » | Tags: come when called, dog behavior problems, dog obedience, dog obedience training, dog problems, dog training
Posted in Good K9 Manners, heel command, Leash Walking, leash walking, loose leash walking, Obedience, Recall Command |