Working with Dogs

Don’t jump up against people you naughty dog!
By Cristoff Christianson

Working with dogs is great, especially when it can take you around the world! I have seen Australia few times by working with dogs and I always get free accommodation for my troubles! Speaking of trouble, one time I had to look after this pet dog that would always jump up on people! It was very frustrating indeed! However I tried to stop this so that the dog would no longer do it anymore.

There are often pet jobs where you are needed to train dogs. As a dog sitter, I had to keep a dog under control. I would try and come into the house and let the dog jump up on me, only to put a strong firm hand out and make the dog get down. I would stay still and remain firm in my tone and body language and make sure that the dog was aware that I was in control. Once the dog would realise this I would have to try it out on other people. I would let another person in and see how the dog would react, while at the same time I would be in the background using my firm voice to tell the dog off when it was bad.

It did take a lot of practice and a few goes to get right but eventually the dog would listen. It's also important to reward the dog when it behaves. It won't know it's doing a good job unless you give it a treat for doing the right thing. Keep up the practice and ensure you are patient and you will get it eventually!

Trained pet sitters often find free accommodation at homes in plush cities, such as Victoria in Australia. They provide animal care therapy, train dogs while dog walking the canine pet and earn useful work experience as well.