Calm On the Go

My dogs and I enjoy going to new places together for dog training classes, demonstrations, park walks or competitions.  It's always an adventure for the both of us.  I've noticed the more places we go and have good times the less stressed they are about taking on something new.  That's all about socialization in a positive way!

For dogs who are more unsure of new places they may not have received a lot of positive social experiences at a young age or have had bad experiences at some point in their lives.  That makes me very sad because there are so many fun things for them out in the BIG world.  Granted not all dogs need to be socialites, but for those who might enjoy it and need some help doing so there are lots of good ideas and products available to help them overcome some of those fears.

One way I like to help dogs with this is through K9 Nose Work® classes.  The dogs learn so much from this positive experience where nothing bad happens, they get to use their awesome nose and learn something new.  A challenge some have though is sitting in a crate or car without their owner with them.  They've never had to be put in that situation.  Even dogs who LOVE searching, the down time alone can be stressful.  

Then the thought came to me "What if those dogs could be helped by listening to calming music?"  There are great CD's made by Through a Dog's Ear that I highly recommend, but for those sitting in a car it might be a burden to have the car running just to play a CD.  So I started thinking and researching of a way to solve that challenge.  

Here is what I came up with: 

       1. Dig old Walkman out of the closet.

       2. Purchase a portable speaker system (iLuv makes a cool one)

       3. Purchase a Through a Dog's Ear CD for calming

                *4 AA batteries are needed, too.

Voila!  Now you can play music for your dog without using the car battery and could tuck the CD player and speakers under a seat so Fido doesn't think they are for chewing!  This could also go with you at a hotel, in a crating area at a training or trial facility or wherever your dog needs some calming music.  

Note: Do try to use it at other times than just in times of stress so it doesn't become a cue to being stressed, crated or left alone, etc.