Teach the idea of personal space

It is good manners to respect your dog’s personal space and it is important that he learns to respect yours. We all love a cuddle but there are times we just want some peaceful distance without having to shut a dog out of the room.

Containing Cookie

When Cookie first came to Tilley Farm on foster she was really, really demanding. She had learned to grab and mouth hard to get attention. It was impossible to work if Cookie was in the office. Although she was coming along well with her training, if Sarah was sitting at the desk, Cookie would literally launch herself at her, barking and snapping to get attention. It is very hard to refrain from giving attention to a dog when they are hanging off your hands and causing serious bruising. Sarah put some sticky tape across the floor and clicker-trained Cookie to stay one side of the tape until she was called over to have some attention. This was a fun game for Cookie and a very practical one for Sarah. The tape defined a very clear boundary for Cookie, and her bed and a chew toy were left on the far side so that she had plenty of good things on the other side of the tape. You can use a similar method to ensure that your dog understands your boundaries.