You know that everyday life between cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and the like is not always easy if you own a city dog. Crossing streets safely and the numerous stimuli that affect your dog in the city represent a significant challenge for both four-legged friends and two-legged friends. Here are six tips for dog owners in the city.
Traffic lights, loud noises, many feet, and strange dogs – the number of four-legged friends in German cities is increasing. In many places, green spaces and parks are virtually overrun with dogs. In the following, you can read what you can do as a dog owner to make urban life more pleasant for your city dog.
- Know rules and regulations
The prerequisite for keeping a city dog safely is knowledge of the rules and regulations that apply to the area where you live. In Germany, free cities, municipalities, and municipalities set their own rules for keeping dogs, which you should know to avoid fines. For example, there is a leash requirement in one city and not in the other. If in doubt, find out more about the municipal laws from the public order offices.
- Follow the road rules consistently
If you want your city dog to obey the rules about crossing the street, you need to be consistent. For example, even if there is no car in sight, you should stand on the sidewalk, look left and right and then give the sign, as you learned in dog school or from the dog trainer. Standing still until you get your signal to go must be a vital ritual for your dog—regardless of traffic.
- Avoid crowded paths
Of course, pedestrian traffic in a city cannot always be avoided. However, your dog will be happy about every parallel street that is not as heavily used and driven on as the central pedestrian zone. Joggers, skaters, children playing, and hurrying shoppers can all be stressful for a cold-blooded kid—if you can avoid it, avoid slaloming through strangers’ legs.
- Does the dog have to come along?
Every dog needs species-appropriate, sufficient exercise – including city dogs. However, you should choose the type of walk in the city well. Dogs are not allowed in many buildings such as supermarkets and then have to wait outside. Although you can leash your dog in front of the shop, this is pure stress for most dogs. Therefore, a city dog should learn from an early age to be able to stay at home alone when you have to go shopping or to the hairdresser. You can find more about leashing while shopping in the guide: “Put the dog on a leash in front of the supermarket? Better not.”
- City dogs need a piece of nature
At least once a day, your dog should be able to enjoy the benefits of nature, romp around, play, and sniff out natural smells. Find out about parks, forests, free-running areas, etc., in your area – your dog needs a break from the city streets. There may also be an excellent dog park that you can visit with your sofa wolf. If in doubt, ask other dog owners about good natural playgrounds.
- Encounter training with the dog
In the big city, it can often happen that you meet other dogs on narrow streets. To avoid barking and dogfighting, your dog should be trained in dealing with other dogs. Encounter training, for example, is a valuable way of preparing your dog for strangers of the same species.
