How do u train a puppy to be calm in public places

[mfld]

My toy yorkie is in training to be my ESA. I have a big issue that I don't know how to tackle. When we go out in public if he sees kids, animails, or a few select people he starts to shake bark and cry. I am not sure how to approach this situation. I am thinking that maybe I should try calming pills. I don't know forsure just a suggestion. What do you think?

 

[bnr32fan]

@mfld To clarify, emotional support animals don’t need special training to be an ESA. They’re not service dogs who are trained to perform tasks to mitigate the handler’s disability, and they don’t have public access rights the way service dogs do. They are just dogs that provide emotional support to an individual at home.

The only access rights an ESA has is being allowed in housing that doesn’t ordinarily allow pets. They are not allowed in stores, restaurants, or other public places that don’t already allow regular pets.

 

[ramfel]

@mfld Invest in basic obedience training if you haven't yet. If you have, it really boils down to doing your homework in those areas. However, don't expect to have any success in those areas right away. If you can't get your dog to be reliable at home, there's no reason to expect them to be reliable in more stimulating arenas.

 

[nathanbmajor7]

@mfld You train impulse control. Easy exercise: have dog sit and stay. Once they can do that place a treat on the floor beside their path to you. Call dog past the treat and reward with double treats and praise for coming to you instead of going for the treat on floor.

Always start with short easy to succeed exercises and set them up to succeed. Practice calm at home when there's stimulation before expecting it outside.

 

[kyfisher1]

@nathanbmajor7 I trained impulse control by having a treat on the floor in reaching distance and if they went for it, I take it before they could. If they leave it, they get the treat. from there we moved toward the training you mentioned.

 

[nathanbmajor7]

@kyfisher1 Agreed. It's hard to explain the process but that's where you start.

 

[davecb]

@mfld

My toy yorkie is in training to be my ESA.

An ESA just gives you housing rights for places like rentals. That's it. Nothing else.

An ESA has no rights in public, more than a pet dog would.

If you and your dog live in an apartment, you can ask your landlord for reasonable accommodation. In return your landlord can require documentation from your medical provider that in their opinion an ESA is needed by you.

Again, your toy(sic) Yorkie being an ESA has nothing to do with this:

in public if he sees kids, animails, or a few select people he starts to shake bark and cry.

that's a training issue but it has no bearing on your dog being an ESA.

And again, you can't decide your dog is an ESA unless you've talked to your landlord. Until you ask for accommodation and provide any documentation from your medical provider, you have a pet dog. If you live in a single family house, your dog is a pet, as there is nothing that being an ESA provides for that situation.

 

[mfld]

@davecb I do have documentation from my medical provider

 

[carrietw]

@mfld An ESA does not have public access rights.

 

[mfld]

@davecb I am not sure I signed him up for ESA they said I could take him anywhere but he can't fly with me. So please inform me if I have false information from US Service Animails

 

[davecb]

@mfld US service animals is a scam. I’m sorry you gave them money. Their National Service Animal Registry Database is not anything that’s real.

 

[davecb]

@mfld

I am not sure I signed him up for ESA they said I could take him anywhere but he can't fly with me.

That's wrong. An ESA has housing rights ONLY. If they told you that an ESA could go anywhere, they didn't tell you the truth.

Their web site states:

If approved, you will receive your letter the same day and you will have the peace of mind that you and your ESA are protected under the Fair Housing Act.

There's nothing about public access. My guess is you conflated ESA with service dog, and their web site was not about to dissuade you from that.

Even if you HAD purchased some bogus service dog stuff from them, your dog would still not be an actual service dog. He would have to be solid on public access (which he isn't) as well as task trained. Being a good pet is not really a task in this case.

So please inform me if I have false information from US Service Animails

You do.

Again, do you live in an apartment or a dorm? If you do, then you can ask for accommodation for an ESA. That's not always a gimme, even with a letter from a medical provider. You'd have to read this.

 

[radikal]

@mfld I'm sorry people are being rather coarse. And thank you for wanting to train your dog to be good in public. That's important no matter what role your animal plays.

Additional rights may depend on what state you're in. For instance in California you have the right to bring your ESA dog to work in certain circumstances. A google search should give you the info for your state. You will want to check several online sources as some info may be outdated. If the info you find is confusing and contradictory then contact your state representative and ask for help finding correct information.

 

[deangelo]

@mfld Sounds like he is barking due to afraid and nervous, you have help him gain confidence around people and things, let him socialize more slowly, start with people you know but your dog is not familiar with, or people in you neighborhood. And if he is food driven, let them give him some treat you prepare, so that he has a positive impression of stranger.
My puppy tend to bark when people or anything coming towards her, but I keep bringing her out for walk everyday, she will slowly familiar with sound around her, if she get too nervous, I will take her away from that place,, I always allow stranger try to play with her, she will reluctant initially, but I let her choose to continue or go away, she will slowly open to it, my girl is food driven, so that's help also, now she allows everyone to pet her, and won't even afraid of big bus drive pass her.

 

[kimberlystambaugh]

@mfld OP getting roasted lol. Seriously tho, I hope you don’t put the puppy on pills instead of training

 

[mfld]

@kimberlystambaugh Oh no I will definitely train

 

[kyfisher1]

@mfld i suggest if you want a service animal, which it seems like that's what you truly want, you need to hire a professional and the dog must pass a test to be registered.

If you want an emotional support animal, then yayyy you have one already and you get as much support at home and that is as far as it goes.

 

[mfld]

@kyfisher1 Ok ty

 

[jaenalyn]

@kimberlystambaugh The only thing more annoying than ESA-havers is ESA vs Service Dog vs Pet Dog explainers.

 

[airamnire]

@mfld Use food. Food can not only reward behaviors we like but it can also lower arousal levels and help bring them back into a thinking headspace.