By: Natalie Pons, Office Manager at Pawsitivity Pet Services
As responsible pet owners, our top priority is ensuring the safety and well-being of our furry companions. This week, we’re focusing on key safety aspects that every dog owner should consider: Barrier Training, Leash Laws, Obedience Training, and Dog Identification.
Obedience Training: Building a Safe Relationship with your Dog
Obedience training is the foundation of a safe and well-behaved pet! Teaching your dog basic commands like “sit”, “come”, “stay”, and “heel” can literally be life-saving in dangerous situations. Basic training can not only help you control your dog but it also is a great bonding experience between you and your dog! It can build a sense of trust between each other and also allows you the opportunity to learn more about your dog’s unique personality and better understand how they work (Animal Human Society).
Types of Obedience Training
For obedience training, you can choose to attend group classes or set up private lessons one-on-one with a trainer. In a group setting, you will work alongside other humans and their dogs and get guidance from a trainer (American Human Society). This can be a great opportunity to meet other local dog owners and who knows, maybe you’ll even find a dog for your dog to have pup-dates with!
If your dog has more extreme behaviors such as showing signs of aggression, reactiveness and/or fear, it may be best to try one on one training. With this option, the trainer will be able to offer more support and more closely monitor your pet’s behavior (and yours!).
Leash Laws: Understanding your Responsibility
Leash Laws
Loudoun County has specific ordinances in place to keep pets and humans safe. According to Loudoun County Animal Services, dogs must be on a leash at all times and the handler must have physical control of the dog while on leash. There are of course exceptions to this rule, some of which include: within the confines of the owner’s property, in a dog park that is securely fenced, during formal obedience training classes, or if the dog is a service animal whose handler, because of a disability, cannot use a leash. If these rules are not followed, the dog is considered “running at large” and the owner would be found guilty of a class 4 misdemeanor and will be fined (Loudoun County Animals Services). Now, none of this is meant to scare you and sometimes mistakes happen (see barrier training below)! However, it is always good to know the facts to make smart decisions when it comes to keeping your pet and those around you safe.
Freedom
Now, you may be wondering: how will my pet ever have any freedom if he/she is always confined to a leash while exploring outside? First, we have to remember, safety is always most important! However, as a pet owner myself, I get it - I always want to give my dog the most freedom possible to enjoy her life! Sometimes this can be a challenge, especially if you live in a home that does not have a private fenced yard, but there are ways! Here are some ideas of how to give your dog more freedom while still following county laws:
Dog Parks: This is not the best option for most dogs. If your dog struggles with any sort of reactivity, please skip this one. Dog parks can be an opportunity to allow your dog some off-leash time. It’s a great idea to scope out slower times and see if you can manage times where there are less dogs and less stimulation. In addition, you may have a neighborhood dog park that hardly anyone uses and can even allow for scheduled meetups! Of course, always watch your dog and dog behaviors and consult with a trainer and/or your veterinarian for any questions or concerns you may have.
Sniff Spots: Mine (and my dog’s) personal favorite! Sniff Spot allows you to rent a private dog park! This is a fantastic option if you have a reactive and/or fearful dog, or if you just want to have one-on-one play time with your pup! People with large, fenced yards add their yards to the site and you are able to rent them by the hour, just for you and your dog. The cost ranges from $5 - $15 per hour and allows your dog to have much-needed play and walking time without any other distractions, like other dogs or people (Sniff Spot).
Family Visits: This is a bit of a trickier one that may not work for everyone but could be something to consider. If you are going to visit family, and they have the accommodations and are onboard, consider bringing your pup with you! If they have a big fenced yard, that can provide some great playtime for your dog! If not, going on walks in new places can be very enriching for your dog and I personally always love the opportunity to make my dog's world just a little bit bigger.
Barrier Training: Protecting your Pet and Others
What is "barrier training" and why does my dog need it?
If your dog is an escape artist, or always trying to rush through doors, this one's for you! Barrier training teaches your dog to wait at each entrance/exit of your home and car. This can be life-saving to your dog, especially when it comes to doors that lead to the outside. Let me ask you this: if your dog is not trained to wait for a command to go out the front door, what is stopping them from rushing into the road when you open it to get a package?
How do I do it?
We have to teach our dogs the behaviors we want them to do! There are many ways you can teach your dog to wait for a command to go through doors and it is always best to consult with a licensed trainer. However, one way you can teach this is teaching them to “wait”. This is of course a great idea for doors leading to the outside world but, it is best to begin your training with an inside door so there is not a risk of them escaping in the process. With that in mind, here is how you can begin this training process:
Have your dog settle in front of the door (try not to use a command like “sit” that they already know so that they don’t rely on that command moving forward).
Open the door a crack. As soon as your dog approaches the door, close it again.
Continue to slightly open then close the door until your dog realizes they cannot get through. Once they no longer try to approach the door, mark the moment (clicker, or the word “yes”), then praise your dog and reward them with a treat.
Now, slowly increase the amount you open the door. Follow the steps above at this new width.
Once you can open the door completely without your dog moving through, you’re ready to add a verbal cue like “wait” and a hand signal of your choice, if you’d like.
Now, you’re ready to make this more of a challenge and add your movement to the training. After you open the door, take a single step into the doorway, then return to your dog and mark the moment, praise and reward for staying on their side.
Once they have this down, it’s time to add a release word like “break” or “free” on some of your training trials and allow your dog to pass through the door. Make this a special reward like playing with them for a couple of minutes on the other side! On other trials, continue to leave the room, then return to your dog before rewarding them.
Once your dog has this down (timeline can vary for each individual dog), you can apply this same training to their crate and/or your car. For doors leading to the outside, leash your dog as an extra precaution!
(American Kennel Club)
As with any training, consistency and patience are both key! After a lot of training, my dog waits at all doorways, car doors and her crate without a verbal cue, however, if she starts testing what she can get away with, we go back to being strict with using the verbal cue!
Dog Identification: The Essential Safety Net
License
According to Loudoun County Animal Services, “the Commonwealth of Virginia mandates Loudoun County to require all dogs four months of age and older to be licensed…All dogs must have a license tag securely attached to a collar and worn whenever the dog is off of the owner’s property” (Loudoun County Animal Services). Failure to purchase a license is a class 4 misdemeanor and includes a fine.
Dog license tags are a critical way of getting your dog back to you if they were to ever get lost. Specifically in Loudoun County, if your dog is picked up by Animal Control and they are wearing a tag, they will attempt to deliver your dog directly back to you, instead of going to the animal shelter. This can help reduce a lot of unnecessary stress for you and for your dog! Another positive to purchasing your dog’s license is that license fees in Loudoun County support Animal Services for care and housing of stray and abandoned animals, investigations of neglect/cruelty, emergency rescue, and more!
Microchip
According to the AVMA, “a microchip is a small, electronic chip enclosed in a glass cylinder that is about the size of a grain of rice…it is activated by a scanner that is passed over the area, and the radio waves put out by the scanner activate the chip [and]…the chip transmits the identification number to the scanner, which displays the number of the screen. [If] an animal is found and taken to a shelter or veterinary clinic, [staff scans for a microchip and if] the microchip registry has accurate information, they can quickly find the animal’s owner” (AVMA).
You can get a microchip for your dog at your veterinarian’s office. Additionally, Loudoun County offers resources for providing Microchips for little or no money. Loudoun County Animal Shelter has days where you can bring your pet to the shelter and get them microchipped for free if you are a Loudoun County resident ($15 otherwise)! Feel free to visit the website for more information about their services: https://www.loudoun.gov/3906/Low-Cost-Resources.
Wrap Up: Keeping Your Dog Safe
We hope that you have found this information helpful on your journey of being a responsible pet owner!
Sources: Sources:
Why dog training is important – for both you and your dog. Animal Humane Society. (n.d.).
Codified ordinances of the County of loudoun Virginia. American Legal Publishing. (n.d.).
Private dog park rentals - safe exercise and training for your dog. (2024, September 4). SNIFFSPOT. https://www.sniffspot.com/
Stephanie Gibeault, Ms. (2024, July 26). How to teach your dog to wait at doorways. American Kennel Club.https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/teach-your-dog- to-wait-at-doorways/#:~:text=When
Dog licenses. Dog Licenses | Loudoun County, VA - Official Website. (n.d.).
Microchipping FAQ. American Veterinary Medical Association. (n.d.).
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/microchips-reunite- pets-families/microchipping-faq
Low-cost resources. Low-Cost Resources | Loudoun County, VA - Official Website. (n.d.-b).
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