The Chew: 3 Principles for Preventing Dog-Related Disasters

The following bi-weekly column is written and sponsored by Bark + Boarding, which provides a heart-centered and safe environment for your pets. Conveniently located at 5818-C Seminary Road in Bailey’s Crossroads, Bark & Boarding offers doggy daycare, boarding, grooming, walking and training services, plus in-home pet care.

Written by Tyler Evans, Animal Enthusiast from dogzasters.com

If you have a dog, you know that accidents are bound to happen. From torn-up furniture to potty accidents, these are a part of owning a dog that we could all live without. Prevention is always the best medicine, especially when it comes to a canine’s behavior.

Luckily, there are a number of ways you can avoid these unpleasant situations and clean-ups. To prevent your pooch from misbehaving, follow these three prevention principles.

Activity

Activity is a necessity of all dogs, no matter their age or breed. Some dogs though, do need more exercise than others. According to the Business Insider, the Belgian Malinois and German Pointer are the most active dogs in the world, needing over an hour and a half of intense exercise every day.

While most dogs do not need this much exercise, they still do need to get out and be active. Dogs who do not burn off their energy can easily become bored, which may cause them to turn their eyes towards a destructive game.

One of the easiest ways you can prevent doggie disasters is by providing your canine with a constructive, appropriate way to burn off their energy. The easiest way to do this is by taking them on frequent walks, preferably a couple of times a day.

For most people, this can be done before and after work. If you’re very busy, however, it might be in your best interest to hire a dog walker or a dog sitter to stop by once or twice a day to take your pooch on a walk. Though this service does cost money, it is a far better alternative than coming home to a ruined house.

Training

The second most common reason dogs misbehave is simply because they don’t know any better. If your dog has an accident on your carpet, it might not be that they were misbehaving just because they could, but that they didn’t know they weren’t supposed to.

We recommend training your pooch early and often. House training is essential to keeping your pooch in your house, but other types of training can be extremely useful too. For example, if your dog barks consistently, you can train them to not bark.

If you have a puppy, we highly recommend that you get them enrolled in a doggie training class. Puppy training classes are just as useful for you as they are your dog. Even if you’ve previously owned a puppy, each dog breed is different and responds to training techniques differently.

Attending one of these classes can inform you on what techniques would work best for your puppy. Furthermore, puppy training classes also socialize your dog with other people and canines. According to the AKC, proper socialization is a great way to prevent unnecessary aggression and fear as your dog gets older.

Enrichment

Another common reason dogs misbehave is because they’re bored.

While activity can go a long way to curb this boredom, for some dogs it is not enough, especially if they are a member of an intelligent breed. For many dogs, their minds need to be exercised just like their bodies.

This can be done easily through play if you are at home and have the time. If not, you can purchase your canine a couple of puzzle toys to leave around the house while you’re gone. This will give your pooch something to do while you’re gone and prevent them from getting into things in an attempt to find their fun.

If that doesn’t work, doggy daycare is always a great alternative to get your pup out of house and enjoy play time and enrichment with other dogs in a safe and supervised environment.

Doggie disasters are an inevitable part of owning a canine. However, by following these three principles, you can prevent many of these disasters from occurring.

At Bark + Boarding, we offer a unique boarding structure that gives your pet their own room for their bedding and toys, supervised play and regular meals and bathroom breaks in our outdoor run. This means less stress for your pet, and for you!

Looking for more tips, interested in adorable pet pics or just want to get more information on what we do? Stay connected with Bark + Boarding on Facebook, Instagram and our website!

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