The most common cause of traffic accidents involving dogs is situations where the pet unexpectedly finds itself on the roadway and gets hit by a car, claims dog trainer Vladimir Golubev.
“This is especially relevant for dogs living in urban environments. Dog owners should exercise maximum caution even in their own yards, not allowing their pet to run out of the entrance and not letting them off the leash near the road,” adds the expert.
He emphasizes that dogs should only be allowed to walk off-leash in designated areas. “Under no circumstances should you allow your pet to roam freely near the road,” notes the specialist.
To teach a dog to safely cross the road, he recommends training the pet with at least two commands — “Stop!” and “Next to me!”.
The first command is necessary to stop the pet before the roadway. “When you say this command, the dog should stop and wait until the owner starts moving. To practice this, train your pet in a park. Say the command ‘Stop!’. At the moment the dog stops, praise it for the correct action. Then continue the walk. Gradually, the pet will understand what it is being praised for and will demonstrate the desired behavior,” explains the expert.
After that, he recommends moving on to the command “Next to me!”. “Lead the dog through the park next to your chosen leg at a pace that you set. At this moment, praise the pet and reward it with a treat. Then during such a walk, say the word ‘Next to me!’ and continue to reward the dog. Do not use these commands on the roadway until the pet learns to stop and start moving next to you on command,” comments the dog trainer.
Before crossing the street, he advises stopping the dog with the command “Stop!”, and then, when the traffic light turns green, start moving by saying the command “Next to me!”, so that the pet moves across the crossing next to you at the right pace.
If the dog accidentally breaks free and runs away, the owner needs to know how to act and what command to give to avoid an accident. In such situations, knowledge of the following commands is useful:
– “Come to me!” — in case of a dangerous situation, this will allow you to call the animal to you;
– “Next to me!” — this command will help control the dog's movement;
– “Stop!” or “Stand still!” — this command is very useful in critical situations when the dog's immobility helps avoid dangerous situations, for example, when a car or cyclist suddenly appears.
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