Keeping fido chill when loud kids are around
Well it’s that time of year again for us that live around the Penticton Safety Village to enjoy the extra noise and activity from the kids enjoying their day.
Although there are lots of family gatherings and birthday parties regularly going on, there are also times when the kids get the opportunity for educational exercises.
They may be calling for help from the Fire House that is there to teach them fire safety and smarts. Sometimes this can go on for quite awhile until they all get the idea to not give up, but keep calling for someone to take them to safety. Some kids might be yelling directions to others that are not paying attention to the traffic signs.
They ride their bikes on roads that have crosswalks and road safety signs to learn how to be careful as someone who is walking and someone who is riding a bike. But the common ground for all of them is; they are having fun and learning at the same time.
We who live near the Penticton Safety Village don’t really pay any attention to the yells for help since they are learning fire safety, road safety and how to simply get along with each other. I really think they should be having this opportunity offered to adults as it seems that many of us have forgotten so much about traffic and pedestrian safety and how to work together. Maybe we should have the kids teach the adults and really have a fun time. Now what has this got to do with dogs? Simple – teach your dog fire and traffic safety too.
My dogs already have the opportunity to learn that noisy children are nothing to be afraid of. The dogs learn to not bark at and get fierce around the property, but to sit back and listen to the howls and screams that happen daily, sometimes on a regular schedule.
My dog and our neighbor’s dog know that us owners have it all under control and there is no need to bark or get worried about protecting the property from a bunch of yelling kids. And believe it or not there is a method to achieving all of it.
The idea is to not think your dog is protecting you and your property. For me, my dog knows I protect my property and the dog can relax and just watch life that goes on beyond that fence.
All she is taught to do is come get me if she does not like the person on the other side of the fence. She knows I am the protector and I will take care of any problems.
So when the yelling begins, Pearl is not frightened by any of it. Instead of trying to protect herself by barking incessantly at the fence she is calm. She is trained to come to me to tell me to get things under control while she sits on her pillow on the porch and waits for things to calm down. I take care of the people or animals at the gate, and I take care of the noises on the other side of the fence. I have been known to take her for a peaceful walk around the safety village and show her the noise is coming from a bunch of kids that may be yelling, but there are also smiles, giggles and a lot of fun being had.
That’s not as crazy as it sounds. I have dogs that are in training for people that really can’t comprehend traffic safety because of impaired vision.
The dog needs to learn that the person needs assistance seeing the traffic. But even for those that can’t hear, it certainly helps to have a dog trained for fire and traffic safety. I choose quiet Sundays when there is little traffic and begin to walk my dog out onto the road, only to abruptly stop and bring her back to the sidewalk when a car is coming down the road. I don’t cross a crosswalk until all of the cars have come to a complete stop. No rolling stops for this pedestrian.
Fire safety is a bit more difficult, but it is more to teach a dog to stay away from a fire. So when you’re sitting around the campfire this summer, give the dog a bed well away from the fire.
The dog will learn that sitting or being near a fire is not to be accepted. And never try to bring the dog close to the fire. Let them always stay back. For a dog, this is safer anyhow as that coat can catch with a spark and you may never know it until it’s too late. It teaches a dog that they don’t want to be near a fire. Years ago a dog of mine was desperately trying to get out of the house. She had always been directed to lie away from the fire. One fateful evening the beams under the floor caught on fire and all the dog could think about was getting away from it which meant getting out of the house.
The only way for her to get out of the house was to wake me up to open the door. Needless to say, we all followed the dog out of the house that night while the fire department went in.
So consider having a dog to be a big help to you rather than being a big frantic barking mouth. It makes a day safer and a lot quieter. And when they do make noise, you know it’s for a good cause. They may be actually saving your life.