Training Your Dog Around Your Garden

Article Title: Training Your Dog Around Your Garden
Author: Dan Stevens

Dear Daniel Stevens:

One of our family's greatest hobbies is planting, weeding, and
growing fruits and vegetables so we can enjoy them on the
dinner table. Both my husband and I grew up eating organic,
homegrown foods so we wanted to pass this gift down to our own
children. Together, we have a blast working in the garden but
lately, we've had an unexpected helper - our dog Tasha.

While we work, Tasha prefers digging and tearing up the plants.
As you can imagine, this isn't helping the situation.
Obviously, we aren't going to give up our garden nor are we
going to get rid of the dog so we need to find some kind of
solution that will allow us to enjoy both. We've tried telling
her "NO" but I think the temptation is simply too great. Do
you have any ideas on how we can keep growing our favorite
foods without having some of our hard work undone by Tasha?

Denise
Colorado


Dear Denise:

The challenge with having a dog and a garden is that the space
is shared space. For this reason, you may need to find some
compromises in addition to training. One option that actually
works well is using treats as rewards and an inexpensive
clicker during the training period. Before you get started,
Tasha should be confident with common commands such as
"sit,"stay,"and "lie down." Once she's mastered these, the rest
of the training pertaining to the garden will be easier.

For the clicker, you want to teach Tasha about barriers
associated with your garden. For this, we recommend you use
some type of garden fencing or rocks. This way, you and your
pet will have a visual on where she can and can't go. As Tasha
nears the garden, tell her "NO". Once you have her attention,
use the clicker, which is a great distracter. Next, call the
dog to you, giving her the "sit" command. As she obeys, offer
her a small treat. If you are consistent with this type of
training, Tasha should have a good handle on the new rules in
about three to four weeks.

Another way to keep your dog out of the garden is to create a
zone just for her. For this, you could have a four by
four-foot space that has fresh grass, toys, water bowl, and
perhaps a favorite bone or two, buried down about six inches.
With Tasha on the leash, guide her to her space, telling her
"YES, good girl." Have her sit and stay as you make your way
to the garden.

If she tries to follow, guide her back to her "garden,"
repeating the process several times. If she does not understand
after five or six tries, go ahead and put her back indoors while
you garden. However, the next time you work in the garden, work
with her again on the leash. Eventually, she will connect her
getting to stay outside with you gardening, as long as she
remains in her own space.

All the best,
Daniel Stevens

About The Author: Daniel Stevens is the renowned dog trainer
and author of SitStayFetch: Dog Training To Stop Your Dog's
Behavior Problems
(http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/), one of
the leading dog training guides on the market today selling
over 21,000 copies (and counting).