Is Your Dog Ready for Travel?

Is He the Right Age?

Is He Healthy?

Is He Crate-Trained?

How to Crate-Train Your Dog

1. Place the crate where your dog will be near your family. If you put him away in a laundry room or another location away from daily traffic, he will feel lonely. You want him to feel as if he’s part of the family, so put your crate somewhere that your family spends a great deal of time.
2. Make the inside of the crate attractive and comfortable for your dog. You can provide some safe toys for him in the crate. If you have a young dog who’s an enthusiastic chewer or an older dog with destructive tendencies, don’t leave any blankets or bedding in the crate, unless you’re sure he won’t shred or eat them.
3. Before you put your dog in the crate, make sure it’s safe for him. If you have a wire crate, don’t leave your dog’s collar on while he’s inside because it could get caught on the wire. Also, make sure that the crate isn’t near something, such as a tablecloth, electrical wire, or another dangerous item, that he can pull into the crate.
4. Start introducing your dog to the crate gradually. Don’t just toss him in his crate and shut the door, as he may end up fearing the crate. Leave the crate open and toss some treats in there when you pass by during the day, and let him go in after them. When he does, praise him, but don’t shut the door behind him yet.
5. For all your dog’s meals, get the meal ready, put the bowl in the crate, and shut the door with the dog outside the crate. Wait about five minutes for him to build up some anticipation for his meal, then let him in the crate with a verbal cue such as “Go to kennel” or another phrase of your choosing. Let him eat his meal in the crate without shutting the door behind him. Whatever cue you choose, you and your family should use it every time you want your dog to go to his crate.
6. Once your dog is eagerly going into his crate, you’re ready to try luring him into the crate yourself. Get a treat in your hand, show it to him, and give him the verbal cue you’ve chosen. Use the treat in your hand to lure him into the crate. If he follows it in, give him the treat when he’s inside and praise him. Repeat this process several times a day. (If he doesn’t follow the lure into the crate, go back to the previous step for a little longer, then try again with a tastier treat.)
7. Begin shutting the door for a few minutes while your dog is in the crate, then let him out only if he’s being quiet, not if he barks or paws at the door. If he barks or whines, and you let him out, you’re teaching him that whining gets him what he wants. Don’t let him out of the crate unless he’s behaving, which will teach him that he gets rewarded for good manners.
8. Gradually increase the time your dog spends in his crate. Begin with a few minutes, then move up to half an hour, then an hour. Give him plenty of breaks in between your crate-training sessions. Also, vary your routine. Leave him in the crate both while you’re out of the house and while you’re at home because your dog may start associating the crate with you leaving the house.
9. At this point, your dog should be running into his crate when you give him the cue and staying in there for appropriate amounts of time. Once this is the case, you can stop using a treat to lure him into his crate. Instead, give him the verbal cue and point to his crate as if you have a treat in your hand. (He’ll know that you don’t have a treat because he won’t be able to smell it, but he will recognize the movement of your hand as a signal and respond to it.)
10. Once he’s in the crate, praise him, shut the door, and quickly give him a treat through the door. This teaches him that you may not always have treats with you, but he should still do what you ask because he’ll receive a reward.

Does He Know Basic Commands?

How to Teach Your Dog to Come

1. Begin indoors. Holding treats in one hand, call your dog’s name to get his attention.
2. When he looks over at you, say “Yes!” and treat.
3. Continue until he comes over to you for a treat when you call his name.
4. Put him on a long line and take him outside. Let him explore to the end of the line, then call him.
5. When he looks at you, encourage him to come running by showing him a treat. Say “Yes!” as he runs toward you, and give him a treat when he gets to you.
6. Once it’s clear that he understands that coming to you results in a treat, say his name and then “Come!” when you call.

How to Teach Your Dog to Sit

1. Begin with your dog standing and facing you.
2. Hold a treat between your thumb and index finger over your dog’s nose, then move your hand slowly back toward his tail.
3. His head should follow the treat, and his rear should move into a sit. Say “Yes!” and treat.
4. If he won’t sit entirely, “shape” the behavior by saying “Yes!” and treating approximations of the sit, such as the rear lowering a little, then a little more, and so on.
5. Eventually your dog will offer to sit on his own. Say “Yes!” and treat.
6. Now you can add the verbal “Sit,” and he’ll come to associate the word with the action. Be very precise with the word, using it only once, then waiting for the action.

How to Teach Your Dog to Down

1. Start with your dog in the sit position. Hold a treat in your hand and let him smell it.
2. Move your hand toward the floor, and slide it along the floor away from his nose. If he stands up to get the treat, put him back in the sit position and try again.
3. Once your dog’s elbows touch the floor as he lies down to follow the treat, say “Yes!” and treat.
4. Repeat until he begins to offer the behavior on his own. Then add the verbal cue and continue to treat.
5. Finally, train him to go into the down position from a standing position using the same method.

How to Teach Your Dog to Stay

1. Put your dog in a sit or down position, then step in front of him, holding a flattened palm to his face.
2. Look him in the eye and say “Stay” in a firm voice.
3. After a second of motionlessness, lean down and say “Yes!” and treat him.
4. Eventually work up to more time in the stay, then vary the time you ask for so that your dog doesn’t learn to stay only for a set amount of time.

Is He Leash-Trained?

Wherever you plan to take your dog, he should be able to walk well on a leash. You will be walking with him in unfamiliar areas, both when taking him out to eliminate and if you choose to bring him with you when sightseeing or visiting attractions at your destination. A dog who is able to walk nicely and reliably by his owner’s side while on his leash is more likely to be welcome in these places and much less likely to get into mischief or danger.

 

How to Teach Your Dog to Walk on a Leash

1. Put your dog on his leash using a flat buckle collar.
2. When he pulls, stop and wait for him to relax and for slack to come into the leash. The second this happens, say “Yes!” and treat, then keep walking.
3. Repeat until your dog realizes that if he pulls, he won’t get anywhere, but if he relaxes, he’ll receive a treat and get to keep walking.
4. Add the verbal cue “Let’s go” when it’s clear that he understands.
5. If your dog pulls when he sees another dog or anything else he wants, turn him around, walk in the other direction, and say “Let’s go.” Then say “Yes!” and treat him for coming along.

Is He Socialized?

How to Socialize Your Dog

• Socialize your dog to other people by having them pet him and feed him treats.
• Socialize him to children under close supervision, reminding them never to tease him, pull his ears or tail, approach him when he’s sleeping, take his toys or food, or stare into his eyes.
• Socialize him to other dogs by letting him play with as many breeds and sizes as possible. Supervise him, and intervene if play gets really rough or if your dog is cowering in fear.
• Socialize him to new places by taking him with you to various locations and making each trip a fun (or at least positive) experience. Don’t let your dog’s only traveling experiences be those of going to the vet’s office or other unpleasant places.