Environmental training is perhaps a phrase that speaks for itself. It simply means training your dog to handle different environments. Or rather, giving your dog experiences and impressions of stimuli found in different environments. Sensations, scents, sounds, and other impressions.

Dachshund explores cardboard box as part of environmental training. Effective training helps dogs become confident in different environments and cope with new impressions.

Creating safety through environmental training

Environmental training effectively prevents the development of fear. An properly trained dog is often confident in body and mind. They have prior knowledge and vast experience that makes them feel secure. They have gotten to know the the world under controlled conditions.

Environmental training: Puppies and older dogs

Environmental training effectively prevents the development of fear. An properly trained dog is often confident in body and mind. They have prior knowledge and vast experience that makes them feel secure. They have gotten to know the the world under controlled conditions.It is important to train puppies proactivly in different environments as it provides a good foundation for their mental and emotional development. A puppy that has not been correctly environmentally trained risks developing fears as an adult.Environmental training can also be a way to treat an already established fear as training of this kind can turn discomfort into ease. An older dog that has lived in isolation, whose life has not provided natural environmental training, can still be trained later in life. It is never too late for life lessons and development.

Explore different surfaces with your dog

Choose 8 different surfaces: Wood, moss and soil, concrete, sand, parquet, gravel, grass, rug, tin foil, or a cardboard box.Make sure the textures differ as much as possible so that your dog's paws and balance get new experiences depending on what they are treading on. Lead your dog over the materials, encourage her/him when taking on the challenge. If hesitation set in, wait, speak calmly and show by walking on the surface yourself. Ignore play rewards and treats as a lure. Let your dog get used to it all in her/his own time. Read "Environmental training done right" for more knowledge on habituation.·If you encounter uncertainty, offer your dog a treat when he/she dares to move forward. In the long run, you will benefit more from rewarding your dog for finding her/his own courage. Have a little patience, and it will happen sooner or later.

Discover new places with your dog

Choose 8 different places: Bus stop, football field, basement, car workshop, park, veterinary clinic, bathroom, pet store. Make sure the places you choose are safe for your dog to stay in. Let your dog explore the place on his/her own. Be present but do not disturb your dog's exploration. Let your dog broaden her/his worldview at her/his own pace.

Get your dog used to different vehicles

Choose 8 different vehicles: Car, bicycle, train, skateboard, bus, moped, trailer, tractor.Familiarize yourself with the above, take short trips or just sit on the side and watch. A few minutes are enough.Mark up: spanIs it difficult for your dog to find her/his calm? Then maybe the situation requires something other than environmental training. Or maybe your dog needs a little relaxing massage or a chew toy. Not as a standard solution, but as an aid for now.Over time, you want to see that the same vehicle can be used or present without distracting aids. Only then will you know that environmental training has had the right effect. Distracting treats have a way of blocking a dog's emotional presence, which we want to have present to progress in habituation.

Training your dog in different weather

Choose 8 different climates: Go out and do rewarding things in sunshine, rain, thunder, fog, frost, wind, heat, and snow. Do not shelter from bad weather yourself, and you will see that your dog will become waterproof and at ease in most climates.

Play with different toys

Choose 8 different toys: Bouncy ball, rabbit fur toy, squeaky toy, tug of war toy, ragdoll, football, puzzle toy, teddy bear.Be curious about the objects, play around with them, let them roll on the ground, chase them, and initiate play when your dog is engaged.

Get your dog used to different sounds

Choose 8 different sounds: Clattering pots, meowing cats (play on the phone), vacuum cleaner, neighing horse, laughing children, sirens, lawnmower, gunshots.Play the sounds or visit noisy places. Make sure the sounds are not too loud or scary. Moderate is key. Be unaffected by the sounds and ignore the noise so that your dog can learn to do the same.

Exploring different scents with your dog

Choose 8 different scents: Lavender, ketchup, lemon, blood, liver pate, soap, soil, dog (dog hair from a friend's dog).Present the scents on a lawn by spreading them out on paper plates or directly on the grass. Let your dog walk along the aromatic path and experience the scents.

Feed the dog in varying containers

Choose 8 different containers: Why not feed your dog in different containers: plastic bowl, ceramic plate, cardboard box, frying pan, puzzle toy, wooden bowl, on the ground, in a colander. The experiences develop your dog's tolerance, and new things will not be as scary.

Making time for environmental training: one challenge at a time

Do not go through all of the above in a weekend or so. Take one challenge at a time. Experiences need time to be processed before they land in the right place. So, take breaks during training and spread the training over several months. Best of luck. For more tips on environmental training, take a look at our article on Environmental training the right way! You can also read about how to socialize dogs the right way.

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