Take 5 minutes and let your dog adjust to any new person, object or environment. As part of Tucker’s rehab and move to his new family he, of course, needed to ride home in their car. However, Tucker is still a little nervous in cars. As with all dog parenting work, I presented this new car (with a small back seat and a front seat that swings back into a dog’s face) with silent support, calmness and guidance.
True, he has no choice but to go in, but it’s how I put him in respectfully; and most importantly, that I give him a few minutes to adjust that makes all the difference. I show him how I want him to behave and I stay quietly with him to make sure it happens. When Tucker’s demeanor/body language becomes what you see in this picture – THAT- is when we pull the seat back, close the door and start the car. The first 5 minutes of introduction mean a world of difference to a dog. Where dog behavior is concerned, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure!
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