Dog Park Visits
If you are taking your dog to a dog park or another public place to practice retrieving, use a hard rubber ball instcad of a tennis ball. The rubber ball won't hold sand, dirt, fertilizer and saliva from other dogs, so your dog is less likely to get sick. Carry your own water bowl to decrease exposure to parvovirus.
Scary Stuff In The Environment
When your dog is faced with a frightening object, allow him to escape to a safe distance. Then turn 90 degrees, so he can still observe the scary object but isn't threatened by direct confrontation. Look at the object and yawn at your dog. This signals, "Relax! I've got this under control."
Is That Service Dog Real?
In comparison to mobility challenged owners, clients with invisible handicaps are often subject to greater scrutiny and hassles by the public when they are with their service dogs. They can avoid rude encounters and prying questions about why they need a service dog if they train the dog to do some simple tasks such as picking up the leash, retrieving dropped keys or pressing the crosswalk signal button.
