When you first got a dog, you were probably looking forward to those long walks with your pet, to playing in the park, possibly meeting other people’s pets and socializing. Furthermore, you have immediately understood the necessity of caring for the animal, and caring for it definitely includes taking it for walks and keeping it physically active day after day. Sure, different breeds require different amounts of active time, but the point is that all canines will need some kind of activity.
While you may have been looking forwards to those walks, there is a chance that they have actually turned into nightmares. Of course, this isn’t a rule, but it does happen to a large percentage of dog owners, indicating that this is a prevalent problem that should be thought about a lot. In addition to thinking about how to resolve it, people should also be thinking about how to prevent it. And, in case you couldn’t have guessed it, what I am referring to is the problem of reactivity in dogs. If you have one, and you’re not sure what to do about it, this could help.
So, what should you exactly do if you have a reactive dog – one that’s pulling the leash when you’re on walks in various directions, reacting to all the stimuli around it, growling, barking, and showing signs of fearful behavior, which can even turn to aggression? If your idea of a solution is to not take your pet on walks, it is definitely a poor one. First off, the animal needs to stay active. And secondly, this problem will persist even at home, especially when you have visitors, and you definitely don’t want to have to deal with that day after day.
Clearly, instead of ignoring the problem and hoping that it will go away all on its own, what you have to do is find a way to resolve it. Naturally, it is resolved through proper training. Thus, your focus should shift towards finding a great dog trainer in Orange County that can work with reactive dogs and that can successfully correct this behavior. Not an easy task, huh?
Well, it may not be an easy task, but the good thing is that you will undoubtedly get to find the professionals you’re looking for in this area. Just as long as you, of course, put some effort into it. If, however, you’re a bit confused about how to actually find the right dog trainer in Orange County to deal with this problem, what you should do is keep on reading to get some relevant tips that will take you through this searching process and that will ultimately lead you towards choosing the best expert for the job.
Here is a good read on how to choose dog trainers in general: https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/How_to_Choose_a_Trainer_AVSAB.pdf
Browse the Web
Nowadays, people rely on the Internet whenever they are in need of any kinds of services. That’s because it is a great source of information that helps them find what they’re looking for in a matter of minutes. So, you should definitely use the Internet to your advantage, and browse for dog trainers in Orange County. It will take more than a few minutes to actually choose the right professional, though, but the point is that this particular step will lead you towards quickly getting familiar with numerous experts that operate in this area.
Get Suggestions From Other Dog Owners
Getting suggestions from other canine owners will also help you get familiar with those different trainers. Know anyone who has had to deal with dog reactivity in the past? Now’s the time to contact them! Listen to their stories and check if they’ve been happy with the trainers that helped them resolve the problem.
Remember the recommendations they’ll give you, and then start doing some more detailed research on all the professionals you’ve found.
Qualifications Matter
Don’t know what to focus on during the research? First things first, qualifications! After all, you want the trainer you choose to be qualified for the work that has to be done with your dog. So, check if they hold any relevant certifications, and never rush into making any choices before checking precisely how qualified certain professionals really are.
So Does Experience With Reactivity
Moving on, you should check how experienced the professionals you’ve found actually are when it comes to reactivity in dogs. Of course, checking general experience is also important, but you need to take things a step further and figure out if the trainers you’re researching have really worked with reactive canines in the past, as well as if they have done a good job resolving this problem. Not all trainers will know how to handle this particular problem, which is why you need to determine experience before going any further.
Don’t Ignore Reputation
Reputation is the next crucial factor that should never be ignored. When you come across Sit Means Sit Orange County or other similar professionals in this area, you will have the task of determining how reputable they really are in the community.
Read some reviews to find out if they are known as great trainers in this area, or if a lot of people are complaining about them. And, of course, always choose those professionals that are highly reputable and trustworthy.
Interview a Few Professionals
The thing that goes without saying is that you should have a few interviews with different experts before making your hiring decision. During the interviews, you should explain the problem you have with your pet and let the professionals talk about the solution. Furthermore, you should discuss the training methods, so as to assess them before entrusting your pet to one trainer or another. Of course, talking about the prices of these services is also important, and should be done at this stage of the process, so that you can compare the fees that different experts charge. Once you’ve discussed all of this, you should take some time to compare all the information you’ve found and received, and make your final hiring decision, thus taking the right step towards resolving the reactivity problem in your dog.
