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Street Walking Tips: How To Help Your Dog Deal With Noisy Street Sounds
In many cities, the street noises are endless. A construction crew breaking up asphalt with the reverberating sound of a jackhammer; trucks rumbling by; ambulances and fire trucks with sirens wailing; the hiss of bus doors opening and closing; street sweepers making a furious buzz along the streets - on and on, different noises come and go at any given time and on any given street.
Be observant as to how the different sounds of the city affect your puppy. If he becomes scared on a loud, busy street, then do him a favor and turn down the nearest corner to get to a quieter street. There is no useful purpose in subjecting your puppy to a bad experience. If you wish to acquaint your puppy with a busy street, walk him late at night or early in the morning when that street is less congested and noisy.
Some owners try to reassure their puppies verbally when they become frightened by different noises. I don't believe verbal reassurance is successful. Sounds in the city come and go within a second and your puppy is not going to connect your soothing words with the sound that frightened him a few seconds earlier.
If there is a long, sustained noise like a jackhammer on the street and your puppy is frightened by it, the best action you can take is to walk with a calm controlled movement. Give your puppy reassurance that you are controlling the environment. While the noise continues, go ahead and coax him along in an upbeat voice by saying, "Come on, boy, let's go," in order to get out of the noisy area as calmly as possible.
Street Tip: Watch What Your Puppy Picks Up!
In the city, it's common to see discarded food on the street. Alleys are filled with old food around dumpsters and garbage cans. Prevent your puppy from picking up food. He can catch a multitude of diseases. But don't get too panicky if your puppy does put an object from the street into his mouth. As long as he didn't ingest something, your puppy will be all right.
Gross as it may seem, your puppy will also be quickly attracted to other animal's excrement and it will be in his mouth in no time. Make it a point to navigate your puppy around such temptations and use the "Leave It" command, or "Drop It" if he happens to pick it up.
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