I looove training in pet shops because they are a fairly quiet environment, giving you time to breathe and think while training.
It’s been a year since Bonnie made her first visit to our locally owned pet store, Head to Tail Pets.
Here are some tips for a successful session:
- Once you have done your training/walking session in the shop, put your dog back into the car and go back alone to make purchases. (Paying at the counter is a recipe for disaster if your dog is not experienced yet. Your eyes have to be off your dog while you pay, and anything can happen in that time!)
There are loads of smells, so you need to be energy up to help your dog engage on you. If your dog is very sniffy and struggling to listen to you, consider where you are placing rewards. If they are going on the floor, you’re only encouraging your dog to sniff. If you reward from above their head height, you will get a lot more focus up where you are!
Practise skills like: “Leave It”, Two Paws Up on appropriate objects, and maybe even “Place/On your mat” on the scales if you get the opportunity to. These are a fun challenge for your dog because they have to apply what they already know to a brand new environment!
If your dog doesn’t like people or dogs, this is obviously not a great space to train in just yet. So leave them at home and bring them a treat from the shop instead! 
The staff are always SO lovely and helpful at Head to Tail Pets! This is definitely my favourite place to shop. 