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This Month:
January |
From all of us at Bay Vet Clinic to all of you, HAPPY 2026 NEW YEAR!
January is National Train your Dog Month, and the beginning of a new year is a great time to begin teaching your dog new skills and improving their behavior. Training your dog to listen to your commands is very important for not only your dog's safety but the safety of others. Consistency, continual positive reinforcement and patience are key parts of training your dog. Here are a couple tips to get you started.
January is National Train your Dog Month, and the beginning of a new year is a great time to begin teaching your dog new skills and improving their behavior. Training your dog to listen to your commands is very important for not only your dog's safety but the safety of others. Consistency, continual positive reinforcement and patience are key parts of training your dog. Here are a couple tips to get you started.
- Begin working with your dog as young as possible to instill good habits early on.
- Work on simple commands at first: sit, stay, come, and heel. Do not expect your dog to understand right away what you are asking them to do. Repetition and consistency are key.
- Keep training sessions short, about 10-15 minutes at a time but you can have multiple sessions in a day, about 3-5.
Use the same word every time for the command you are teaching. Work on one command at a time so your dog doesn't get confused, and you don't get frustrated. - Use rewards for your dog, their favorite toy or treats (their regular dog food works well or break apart a dog treat into small pieces).
- Remember your dog wants to please you, stay calm, showing love and patience, your dog will be more responsive. Showing aggression will only create a scared pet and they will not be as willing to do what you ask of them.
- Expose your dog to different environments, people, and animals (as long as they are up to date on their vaccines). Doing this as soon as you can and as often as you can is a great way to desensitize your dog to many things and keep them from becoming reactive in certain situations.
- Make sure to play with/manipulate your pet’s ears, legs, feet, and tail as young as possible. Doing so is a great help to us as veterinary professionals when it comes to overall examinations, ear cleanings, and nail trims. The more comfortable your dog is with being touched and moved around, the easier it is for us to work on your dog when they are grown adults or not feeling well.
**Make sure your pet is current on their flea and tick and heartworm preventatives to keep them safe and protected year round. Contact us today or order them online by clicking on the My VetStore Online button below.**
Order online from our pharmacy and receive FREE SHIPPPING with orders over $49!
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