A free-for-all open house helped owners to address behavioral challenges in their pets
The event addressed several canine behavioral issues including bonding, separation anxiety, biting, aggression, fussy eating, howling etc.
“It is never too late to train a dog. Dogs have inborn curiosity. So, pet parents should use this curiosity to train them subtly. Pet parents are always anxious about whether their training tactics are having a positive impact on their pets or if is it leading to other behavioral issues. Many pet parents face the issues of separation anxiety or aggressive attention-seeking behavior where they do not know how to handle the situation. Correct guidance and training by professionals can help build a stronger bond between the pet and its parent. At Wag-Ville, our experienced professionals always try to understand the root cause of the issue to help the pet parents overcome their problems and strengthen their bond,” said Subhadra Cherukuri, Founder, Wag-Ville.
Addressing some of the key issues brought up by the pet parents, the professional trainers at Wag-Ville individually discussed each problem giving scientifically proven training methods to address them. “Separation anxiety is one of the most common issues that pet parents face. Separation anxiety should not be mistaken for bonding. Separation anxiety comes when the dog is constantly looking for comfort from their owners. For the dogs, their pet parent is the entire universe. Hence, while we are training our dogs, we should also give them ‘away time’ to build their independence. If it is important to give them your time and attention, it is also important to ignore them at times, so that they know when to expect pampering and when to fend on their own,” she added.
Wag-Ville delved into the various handy tips and advice that are used to imbibe discipline in pets. According to research, it takes 3000 consistent repetitions for a dog to learn the action associated with the sound. In other words, while training a dog, one needs to repeat the same word and actions consistently for the pet to follow the command.
Taking about the importance of exercise for pets, the trainers said, “Every dog breed is genetically conditioned to work as a guide hunter or guard dog, etc. according to the purpose they were bred for. Now that these breeds are kept as ‘pet dogs’ they don’t have any work in an urban setup. Thus, there are two things that we need to keep in mind. When you take a dog as a pet, it is important that they are given an opportunity explore the world in a way they like. Secondly, we need to give them a certain amount of work and challenges in the form of sniffing activities, play fetch, etc. for their mental and physical stimulation and maintain the overall health of your pet.”
Keeping pets in gated communities or residential apartments also has its share of issues where other residents are not comfortable around pet animals. Having a well-trained dog becomes very essential as pets not just become a part of a family but also a loved member in the community.
The trainers also conducted insightful demonstrations with dogs and their owners. Through these sessions, they provided valuable insights into understanding the dogs' behaviors and effectively addressed each issue, offering practical and tailored solutions to pet parents.
Taking about several cases of pet aggression and biting in public, Subhadra said, “Animals should not be feared but be raised as a part of society. For this, it is very important to reach out to a trainer who can assess the triggers of an animal and train them for their behavior. This work will involve some effort from the trainer and the dog owner, but it is possible to make a change that can lead to a huge positive transition in pet behavior.”
Wag-Ville is a dedicated pet care facility aimed at strengthening the bond between pets and their owners. The company offers a wide range of professional and safe services to ensure the well-being of pets.
Wag-Ville hosts these Open House programs once a month, free of cost, and open to any dog owner to attend. Please follow them on Instagram @wagville_india for updates.