As a dog owner in the city, you have special responsibilities. You want your neighbors to appreciate your pup just as much as you do, but with space at a premium, and much of it shared, this may take extra effort on your part. To be a good neighbor, you and your dog need to:
Promote Pet Safety
Take the time to teach your dog to be obedient on a
lead. For just tooling around town, a 4-foot lead will do.
Retractable leads are also a good option, especially in parks where your pup has room to roam, but care needs to be exercised on crowded sidewalks, foot paths, or at traffic crossings.
Practice Perfect Potty Manners
In a high rise apartment, indoor housetraining may be your only practical option. Luckily, most dogs can be housetrained fairly easily, especially with aids like our
Piddle Pads®, which contain attractants so your dog will seek out the pad when he needs to go. When you take your pet outdoors, of course, always bring a
scoop and
bag for cleanup.
Control Barking
Habitual barking presents many challenges. In addition to barking ordinances that can result in violations and fines, a barking dog can quickly create tension between neighbors. If you need to stop barking fast, consider either an
electronic or
citronella spray control collar. You can also use a
sound-correction unit to startle your dog when he barks. These devices are meant as tools to augment, not replace your on-going training.
Keep Your Building Hair-Free
Heavy shedding can also occur any time of the year due to allergies, disease, or poor diet. To minimize shedding, we recommend feeding a high quality
food, plus a fatty acid supplement like
Vitacoat® Plus, to keep his coat healthy. If scratching from allergies is causing fur to fly, supplement with
Vitacaps® and
Biotin. Also, use a gentle Shed Control Shampoo once a week and brush regularly.
Calm Your Pet
If your dog is anxious around strangers, don't take chances. Use a calming product like
Ultra-Calm® Biscuits or
Rescue Remedy. These calm your pet for short periods of 1-2 hours. Owners have seen a remarkable improvement with the
Comfort Zone Plug-In, which diffuses appeasing pheromones to reduce stress-related behaviors.
With care, training, and the right tools, your pet can be a popular member of your community.
