Our canine companions do love shadowing us – sometimes a little too much. It can become a safety hazard if you’re carrying something dangerous or are trying to perform some task.
Can I Do Something About This?
Thankfully, commanding our dogs to get out of the way is entirely possible – although it can be difficult. If your dog ticks off everything on this list, it will make training them much easier.
1. They’re attentive and perceptive to human body language.
2. They’re inclined to adjust their position in response to your movements.
3. They’re good at association information with cues.
Training your dog is still possible without these factors, although you may struggle.
How Do I Do This?
First, you’ll need your dog to be responsive to your own movements. Once that is in place, you can pair that behavior with a cue like ‘out’ and a gesture until the dog associates the behavior with that command. If you’re struggling with this, you can try using a treat or toy to help you with this.
Once you have this pinned down, then it’s simply a matter of training your dog in various sorts of situations and environments. This will be a difficult investment, but it’ll be worth it for the sake of both you and your dog’s safety.
Feature Image Source: Pixabay