We have a dog. His name is Blog, incidentally, and he is a very sweet shih tzu that we have had since he was 2 months old (he is now 7 months old). As I said, he is very sweet, but he is NOT always very well behaved.
Dog behavior is a quality of life issue for human owners all on its own, but it’s compounded when you live in smaller quarters without a yard where you can just let your pup play and be out of your hair. A well-mannered, trained dog is simply
a necessity when it comes to living in a condo setting.
And Jude and I were having trouble with some of the basics. So much so, that I decided to call for outside help.
I did a Google search, found Fidelio Dog Works, and have since been very pleased with the results. I highly recommend the service, as it is extremely convenient for the downtown professional (the trainer will actually come to your house and work with your dog). We’ve seen an immediate improvement in all behavior, particularly “potty training.” After the first session, Blog could sit, lay down, and roll over. We are currently getting him to do the “Bang Bang, Your Dead” trick (as seen below. Blog can’t do the trick as well as the dog in the video…yet.)
But beyond my wholly uninvited recommendation for an excellent dog trainer (check the Yelp listing on them, I ain’t the only one drinking the Kool-Aid), I want to touch on the issue of how living in a smaller (for many of us) living situation with less outdoor access (at least for those who can’t walk our dog on Lady Bird Lake 4 times a day), makes having a pet in downtown, well…different than having a pet in other parts of the city. Not better or worse, but definitely different.
Downtown Reader, if you have a pet – what are some of the things you do to accommodate for the condo situation (i.e., doggy daycare, dogwalker, extra training, crating, etc)? Recommendations definitely welcome!
That is precious!!!