TulsaPets Magazine Nov/Dec 2020

30 TulsaPets • November/December 2020 K athy Dinh learned the hard way that while her two Labrador dogs were great at hiking, they weren’t meant for the water. From the time they were 6 months old, Kathy and her husband Davey took the pups out on trails with them, camped in tents with them, and brought them out to the wild places they adventured to. The kayaks and canoes, however, were a different story. “We had two kayaks and had a dog in each kayak. Kiedis saw Lucy in the other kayak and tried to jump out of my kayak over to her,” Kathy said. “We tried canoeing once. Kiedis saw some people on the shore and jumped out of the canoe and flipped us.” These days, Kathy and her husband keep their dogs on the hiking trails when they are out adventuring, but now they avoid the water. Like many pet owners, they want their dogs to share adventures with them. Kiedis is a hyper dog who likes to run ahead and jump around. Lucy is a bit more sedate, but Kathy said being attentive to each dog when outdoors is the key to her success. “We like to bring them along when we go adventuring so they can get exercise and enjoy being outdoors with us,” she said. “But it comes down to being attentive to them and to other hikers or dogs.” Dogs can be an added joy when adventuring outside or taking a road trip. So we asked obedience trainers the best ways to train your pup to be an adventurer like you. Sydney Head, owner and training director of Oklahoma City’s Full Circle Obedience, and Nina Russell of Tulsa’s Nonstop Dog Canine Training and Behavior share their best tips on how to train your dog to be an adventure buddy. Know Your Dog Is your dog nervous or a real risk taker? For many, the first step in knowing what adventures your dog is up for means knowing what kind of dog you have. Head said the most important thing you can do as a dog owner is know your dog. If your dog is skittish and gets overwhelmed by new sights and sounds, you’ll have to ease the pup into accepting new environments. If your dog is easily distracted, you may have to spend more time training him or her. “Know your dog. Some dogs can’t handle the responsibility to be off leash. Some dogs need more socialization than others,” said Head. “If your dog is easily skittish and nervous, it might be best not to bring the dog out. The best thing is to start socializing your dog, which doesn’t necessarily mean getting him used to other dogs and people, but getting him used to unusual sights and sounds.” Russell says finding a trainer, like her, who specializes in adventure training can help. She takes her clients’ dogs out on adventure days on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sometimes they go hiking and paddle boarding, and other times they go to Costco to people-watch. “If you don’t have any major issues like serious fears, start going to fun places with your dog,” said Russell. “The point is to start practicing skills in real life that they learned in their training.” ‘Come!’ Head said teaching your adventure dog how to come when called may be one of the best ways to protect your furry buddy and others when out on adventures. A “come when WRITTEN BY: Heide Brandes The Making of an Adventure Dog Expert advice for sharing the great outdoors with your canine companion