Dog Training Tips continued from page 20 Parenting Matters continued from page 17 • • • • A crate or pet carrier provides a natural safe haven for your dog. Keep his crate or dog pillow in a quiet area of the home, and direct your dog to go there when you need to set boundaries. While he may not like being separated from you, he will still feel secure. If your dog begins to bark or nip at visitors, remove him from the area and keep him in his safe place until your guests have gone. Keep the dog out of certain rooms where he can get underfoot. For example, training your dog to stay out of the kitchen-where most household accidents occur-is a good safety measure. It also helps to prevent your dog from begging for food. If you travel during the holidays, taking his crate/carrier will help your dog feel more relaxed, since “home” is wherever he finds you and his familiar bed. Front door behaviors A knock on the door can be a stimulating event for a dog, whether he sees it as fun or alarming. It is natural for him to want to know who the visitors are to determine if they are friendly or not. However, a dog that explodes with excitement at the sound of the doorbell is both annoying and unsafe-he may dash out the door and run into harm’s way, he may get underfoot and become a trip hazard, he may knock people over, or he may become aggressive to the visitor. • To help your dog be calmer, exercise him prior to the arrival of guests. After 30 minutes of walking or playing, your dog will more likely be relaxed or want to nap. • As a general rule, don’t allow the family dog to greet unfamiliar guests because commotion and unusual circumstances can cause stress for dogs. • Consider putting your dog on a leash as guests arrive to maintain better control of him. • Teach your dog to sit and stay on command. When the doorbell rings, put him in a sit-stay and do not open the door until he calms down. • If your dog gets overly excited with arriving visitors, remove him from the scene ahead of time. Place him in his crate in a quiet room, and then let him join the party later. By anticipating how your dog may react to new activities and visitors, you can help ensure that everyone-both two- and fourlegged-has a fun and safe holiday season. 28 Piedmont Family Magazine 2013 • Issue 5 Visit recreation.fauquiercounty.gov for more details and a complete listing of our programs and events. Elderly dogs Elderly dogs may not enjoy the extra hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Be mindful of keeping your older dog comfortable when his routine is disrupted. • If your elderly dog gets cranky around visitors, simply take him to his special quiet place where he won’t be bothered and can feel secure. • Remind children to be respectful of your older dog. Always provide supervision when dogs and kids are together. Encouraging a sense of curiosity and inquiry will help your child to discover new and interesting things about her world. Having an opportunity to visit places where other children gather (such as at a park or playgroup) can support your child’s ability to make and keep friends, which is another competency that can ensure school readiness. The self-help skills your child learns by doing simple chores like putting toys away, dressing himself, folding laundry and setting the table not only helps him become independent, but also helps develop small and large muscle control, counting, and other math skills (such as matching and sequencing). Without even being aware of it, all of this learning happens all day, every day when parents are intentional in the things they do with their children. Children are learning all the time, whether at school or at home. Take some time to think about all the things your child has learned from you already and how that happened. As he gets older, increase the amount of information you share or discover new ways of learning. Field trips to museums, art galleries, historical sites, libraries, parks, restaurants, grocery stores and shops can be opportunities to learn about social studies, art, science, history and more. You will probably even discover that as your child’s first teacher, you will learn new things, too! Carol Osborn is the Director of the Virginia Preschool Initiative with the Department of Family Services Office for Children in Fairfax County and Piedmont Family Magazine’s Parenting Matters columnist.