Judah
A Shih Tzu mix who would hopefully like to be adopted with his brother, Moses. Judah’s adorable features and adventure-loving attitude means he packs a pretty big heart in a heroically small frame. Walk-loving and play-focused, there are few activities finer than spending some time with this terrific pair of frankly peerless pooches; 100PlusDogs.org.
Rigger
A loving Labrador who would like nothing more than to explore our many scenic waters, is there any place better outfitted for the health and happiness of a Retriever than our own Key Biscayne? Not only well-trained and friendly with his foster family, Rigger also is just as content kicking back on the couch as he is exploring our adventuresome coasts; LRROF.org.
Ryan
A seriously social media-able scamp blessed with perhaps one of our language’s finest monikers, Ryan’s mixed heritage gives him the best qualities of a number of notable dog breeds. Pint-sized and perfect for the size conscious Biscayner, we think Ryan would look great wandering about our well-manicured byways; GoodKarmaPetRescue.org.
Elevator Anxiety
When we stop to think about what experiencing an elevator for the first time might be like for our furry friends, it shouldn’t surprise us that some dogs are fearful of elevator rides. If you’re a dog, one second you’re facing a solid shiny wall and then you have to go into a small space, followed by the feeling of falling but you can’t see out of the box. Scary! Luckily, most dogs get over their fear of elevators pretty quickly because they realize fun things await after the ride. If your dog is a pup whose first ride was traumatic, you can imagine that just the sight of those elevator doors opening might trigger an unpleasant association. So what’s a high-rise doggie owner to do? If you have a secure balcony, you can create a temporary potty with either real sod or a synthetic grass patch. This way, your dog doesn’t have to go down the elevator every time he needs to relieve himself and you can begin working on overcoming his fear of the elevator independent of needing to take him down the lift. Then, at least one time a day, you should take your dog into the elevator and feed a high-value treat (like boiled chicken) without actually going anywhere. That’s right, you’re going to get in, feed him a treat, and then get out and go home. Make sure to praise your dog and get excited once you’re out if he successfully rode the elevator with confidence. It won’t take very long before your dog gets excited to get in. Remember, it’s your job to protect your pup, so be his trusted partner and always help him work through fears in a positive way!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dee Hoult, CPDT, CDBC, is the CEO of Applause Your Paws, South Florida’s largest privately owned pet dog-training company, and Miami’s top user-rated dog-training company on Yelp.com.
