Traveling Todo Training Part 1: Dog Training on the Road

**Disclaimer: I am not an animal trainer or behaviorist. I am a traveling occupational therapist, who is also a crazy dog mom. I’ve researched and experienced a TON while traveling with a dog and want to share that knowlege. I am also trained in human behavior and human behavioral change. Due to the fact that I’m not a dog trainer, I’ve linked videos of each skill to a source from a reliable dog trainer, so you all can learn from a professional.

It has come to my attention that one of the biggest barriers in bringing our adventure animals into social situations and including them in travel is fear of poor behavior. I’m not going to deny that it is difficult to find training classes and training support when you’re a traveling professional on the road and moving every few months. In fact, it’s a challenge to find reliable training and support when you are settled in one place. Therefore, I decided to establish a small series to help us train our traveling todos, to find resources on the road and really help us build healthy education routines with our dogs.

I have come up with a few strategies to help with finding training support while traveling. There are a million online training and YouTube courses for your dog- but I am focused on finding actual training classes for this blog post. I chose this as a first priority because I feel this is the first important step when traveling with a dog. Even if you have an incredibly behaved animal, environmental changes are stressful for everyone. Having support from a professional can prevent negative behaviors and support your dog’s ability to enjoy traveling adventures to the fullest!

The American Kennel Club, Online Resources, seeking CCPDT credentials, talking to a local Veterinarian or humane societies are all excellent strategies for finding training classes on the road.

Why is Training a Priority?

As animal owners, we all love our pets- interacting with them, playing with them, walking outside and watching them run- yes, we are proud dog moms and dads here. Ammiright?

Imagine being a happy dog, in an established routine. You get to eat every morning at 7am and 7pm, you gallavant around your property after you eat and you know the environment, the squeaky floor boards, the smelly cupboards. You are comfortable in a routine.

Suddenly, without any warning everything changes. After a super fun, super long car ride, you are in an entirely new home with new smells, your meals seem strangely earlier than they were last week and now mom keeps you on a leash all the time. She won’t even let you chase the squirrels!

Do you feel stressed? I mean, if someone withholds chocolate, or worse ICECREAM from me, I’m going to feel pretty darned stressed. For this reason, as people who travel with their dogs and move frequently it is our responsibility to learn how to communicate with our dogs, to train them through exposure to a huge variety of situations, and to learn what the pup benefits from to help with the stress of traveling.

A well trained dog will respond to commands in a huge variety of situations. Ignoring the squirrel, exploring the new environments with confidence that their person is right there with them, and settling wherever you ask your pup to settle- from a coffee shop floor, to an ice covered lake.

It is truly our responsibility to prepare our adventure friends for the environmental changes and to instill within them the confidence they need to be happy everywhere they go. How do we do that? We train, every single day. Or at least twice a week. How do we learn strategies to do that? By going to dog school of course!

Where to find training and support

I did a lot of research this week (like, a TON of reading and conversations) and it was actually SUPER fun. I hope you all can use this to help train your pups!

Online

One of the most recognized positive reinforcement training professional platform, who use science based, evidenced based practices within their training are from pet professional guild. In Fargo, North Dakota I had to broaden my search to a 100 mile radius, and I found a trainer in Grand Forks. It’s recommended that you talk with a trainer on this platform, who might be able to recommend someone closer to your home.

The second best place to find support online is through the certification website itself, at Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT).

I was able to find certified trainers close to Fargo, North Dakota this time around, and I learned that the Top Tier Canine training group I attended in South Carolina had this official certification. No wonder they were so incredibly awesome! Interestingly enough, the class I attempted to take through a dog training studio in Oregon that tried to charge me almost 400$ for Chloe’s Certified Dog Citizen Classes is not even certified! Wow, live and learn. That’s like going to private school and learning from unlicensed teachers! Outrageous.

American Kennel Club

The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a phenomenal resource for dog training, classes, support and information. They have obedience classes, certifications to earn and as your dog progresses, you can practice training for any number of fun activities with your dog- from agility courses to animal athletes!

Using this website, you can filter by state and find AKC trainers near you for a variety of tasks. I have had great luck emailing the trainers and learning more about how their classes work, and getting involved that way while working toward Chloe Rue’s Certified Dog Citizen certification. We are now working toward her therapy dog certification! If you have a puppy, I highly recommend taking STAR puppy classes. And if you travel with your dog I encourage you to become a certified canine good citizen. It’s a great way to work on basic manners and training skills, and adds support to any landlord who might consider housing you and your dog.

Local Resources

Though I haven’t used these resources myself, the Humane Society and ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) both offer ideas and have connections to training resources. These resources are phenomenal in how they help animals nationwide! It is also a great option to talk to your local veterinarian about training classes and resources.

Overcoming Traveler Challenges

First, it is hard to find a class that runs at the same time as a 13 week travel contract. To combat this challenge, I found success in looking for a class immediately upon assignment arrival. I communicate openly about the traveling healthcare lifestyle and many trainers are accommodating and wonderful.

Second, time constraints are no small issue. I encourage to spend one day a week on training class, and get into that habit. Even when you aren’t in a formal class, devote that time to training your pup. Consistency and routine make a huge difference when living the traveling life.

Last, location can be a major challenge concerning both cost effectiveness and class availability. While South Carolina had amazing options, as did Maine and Oregon, Minnesota and North Dakota’s rural areas make finding local trainers very difficult!

While some travelers will choose Pet Smart trainers or anyone from the local ‘know how’ I recommend looking at the above list before resorting to less reliable methods. The priority is to find a trainer that uses science based, research supported practices that emphasize positive reinforcement.

Hey don’t fret- I’ll have more about finding reliable trainers in this series! Stay tuned for Part 2 next week and thanks for wiggling your ears my direction! Happy Tails and Happy Trails to you all.

Subscribe for more Dogventures!

For More Info….

This awesome blog post by Shoshi Parks, PhD with Rover about how to find a dog trainer.

This incredible facebook group called Dog Training Advise and Support– READ ALL OF THE UNITS!! It’s great stuff.

And of course this American Kennel Club newsletter by Stephanie Gibeault, MsC, CPDT about choosing a great dog trainer.

Barking Embarkers