How to train your dog to be calm in public?

To help your dog learn to be calm in public, it’s hard for your dog to learn how to settle when there are distractions, so it’s best to begin practicing somewhere quiet. Reward relaxed behaviours, to begin with you may just need to reward your dog for any behaviour that doesn’t involve staring at you, pulling on the lead, or barking. Sit quietly on a chair with your dog on the lead and a blanket on the floor, drop tiny bite-size treats to your dog as a reward for settling down on the blanket. Gradually reward more relaxed behaviours, this will vary between dogs – some will automatically start lying down so you can quickly progress to rewarding your dog only for this behaviour. Then move on to reward specific signs of relaxing like sighing, weight shifting and head resting. Once your dog starts to get the hang of it and is shifting their weight so they’re comfortable and relaxed, you can start practising with them off lead. Slowly start building up distractions by practising the ‘settle’ in increasingly busy areas or ask a helper to create a distraction by walking past, progressing to more exciting activities like sweeping or skipping. If your dog becomes unsettled or gets up, ignore them and wait until they settle again before rewarding them. If they won’t relax and settle, increase the distance from the distraction or make the distraction less interesting.

Teaching a dog that won’t settle to lie down when asked on a mat or dog bed gives them and you time to switch off and chill out. To progress, reward the dog when they have two paws on the mat and gradually build this up to them having all four paws on the mat. Repeat this until the dog is comfortable to walk over and stand on the mat. Once the dog is comfortable to stand on the blanket, ask the dog to lie down and then reward them. Gradually include distractions and practice in different locations, using your dog’s mat as a cue to settle. This exercise should be calm and collected, practice at a time when your dog is already tired, encouraging calm behaviour from your dog. Remember to go at your dog’s pace. If they move away from the mat or break their down position go back a step and lure them back into position.

Implement a “relax” command at home. Catch your dog in a relaxed state and reward them. Introduce the “calm” or “relax” command. Choose a word that you’ll use to name this calm state, and say it whenever you give your dog a reward. Gradually invite your dog to go into a calm state on command. Burn off excess energy Once you’re ready to start testing out your new calm command in public, you can set your dog up for success by exercising them beforehand. Start training in a quiet public place Another great way to set your dog up for success is to start out in public places without a lot of traffic or noise. Keep your visits short and sweet to start Just like you would train any other behavior, you’ll want to stick with very short training sessions at the beginning. Consider bringing distractions We’ve said on the blog before that it’s typically easier to give your dog an alternative behavior than simply telling them no. Always reward calm behavior Whenever your dog shows a moment of calmness, be ready to reward them with a treat. Manage your own stress levels As dog owners, we set the tone for our dogs. So, if you tend to feel stressed, embarrassed, or angry when your dog acts out in public, it’s possible that your emotional state will make the situation worse. Try your best to stay calm and neutral during all training sessions. With patience and perseverance, you can have a polite dog in public!