Riding in an elevator can be a source of fear for many urban dogs, causing them to react anxiously or exhibit signs of distress.
Proper socialization of your pooch early on is crucial for having positive interactions with people, pets, and other dogs and its overall well-being as an adult dog. Canines lacking adequate socialization and exposure during their early stages of life may develop fear or anxiety towards new things and situations, including elevators.
Equip your pet with skills to live confidently in the urban setting. At the same time, consider being equipped with cheap dog insurance in the least so your poochie is covered for basic health risks with little financial implications. Canine pets, whether indoors or outdoors, are susceptible to various health dangers, which is why you must contemplate purchasing pet health insurance.
Meanwhile, read this article to learn how to help your pooch stay calm in an elevator.
Forcing a four-pawed companion with a pre-existing fear of elevators to ride them will not be helpful and will potentially worsen its fear and anxiety. Instead, it is essential to work on desensitizing it.
Help your fur kid gradually overcome its fear through a patient and positive approach by following the simple steps below.
- Start the training outside the elevator.
- Stand with your pooch and press the button.
- As the elevator arrives and makes a sound, shower your pet pup with ample treats and praises. This can help build a positive association with the elevator sound.
- Once the door opens, walk inside calmly while gently tugging on the leash so your furry baby follows you without making a fuss.
- Keep the elevator door open by pressing the button meant for that function and stay inside for a brief moment before calmly exiting.
- Once both of you are out of the elevator, praise your furry little one, give head rubs, and offer it a few delectable treats as rewards for its calm behavior.
- Repeat the sequence several times, gradually increasing your dog’s comfort level while getting in and out of the elevator before moving on to the next training step.
- Take your pup inside the elevator and wait for progressively longer periods, rewarding it for maintaining etiquette every time you exit.
- After a few successful repetitions, wait inside the elevator for about a minute and then close the elevator door by pressing the button. If your pup remains quiet, praise and reward for reinforcement.
- Continue repeating the sequence until your pupper learns to stay calm when the door closes.
- Gradually progress to taking the elevator up/down floors, not forgetting to offer praises, warm gestures, and tasty rewards for its calm behavior during the rides.
- As an additional step, you can feed your puppy a mini meal inside the elevator while it is in motion, to create positive associations.
- If needed, consider introducing another calm dog into the elevator to provide your dog with extra reassurance and support.
Remember that your fur kid looks to you for guidance and cues on how to react in different situations, including overcoming its fear of elevators. It is crucial to project an aura of calmness and confidence during the desensitization process for positive results.
Nevertheless, you should consider being prepared with cheap dog insurance because even the slightest changes in the surroundings can make fur babies act out and hurt themselves. Contemplate purchasing pet health insurance so that tackling unanticipated health situations like accidental injuries, falls, and other emergencies is much easier.
