# Advice for Training to Behave in Stores?



## Faustroll (Oct 31, 2021)

Hi! Long story short, I live in a rural area with very few neighbors or parks that aren't empty, so stores that allow dogs are the only places I can consistently bring her to see new people. I've been bringing her to the same two stores every week since she was 3 months-old, and never had an issue. No accidents, quiet, obedient. She's 5 months-old now, and, over the last two weeks she has been getting a bit more vocal and excited in the stores. She's started barking (not a lot, though), trying to run up to people, and yesterday at the pet store she grabbed a treat off a display for the first time (which I of course ended up buying). 

I watched a video recently of a person training their dog in stores and they kind of just let them lead the way, sniff whatever they wanted, and even dropped the leash sometimes to train them to stay and come. Have any of you tried this sort of thing? 

I'm usually an overly worrisome person, so I usually keep her on a pretty short leash in stores because I don't want her to jump on people, chew on something, or get in anyone's way. When I walk her normally its always just us or maybe a couple of other people, so when she misbehaves I can just get her to sit and give her a treat, or just ignore her until she settles down. But in stores, I get nervous because I'm worried she's annoying other people or that I'm blocking people's paths, so I just end up pulling her to the side or picking her up to get out of the way, which I don't think are really teaching her anything at all.

Does anyone have any advice/experiences to share regarding training their dog to behave in stores? It feels a bit different than training in a park or some other open space, but maybe I'm just overthinking it?


----------



## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

I think that many of us have trained in pet stores. Normie and I walk through practicing heeling, sit/stay, and even wait as I walk away. 

But our big challenge is other dogs. I bring his favorite treats and use them to distract him. He wants to bark to get their attention (warning or invitation?) and we're working on that. I bribe him to look at me not them.


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Faustroll said:


> When I walk her normally its always just us or maybe a couple of other people, so when she misbehaves I can just get her to sit and give her a treat, or just ignore her until she settles down. But in stores, I get nervous because I'm worried she's annoying other people or that I'm blocking people's paths, so I just end up pulling her to the side or picking her up to get out of the way, which I don't think are really teaching her anything at all.
> 
> Does anyone have any advice/experiences to share regarding training their dog to behave in stores? It feels a bit different than training in a park or some other open space, but maybe I'm just overthinking it?


Faustroll, have you taught her the "sit" command? If so, a store is a perfect place to use it. If not, I suggest you work on it. And "sit" does not mean sit quickly and immediately get up. It means "put your little bottom on the floor and keep it right there until I release you". So you will need a release command. I use "free-free".


----------



## Faustroll (Oct 31, 2021)

Dianaleez said:


> I think that many of us have trained in pet stores. Normie and I walk through practicing heeling, sit/stay, and even wait as I walk away.
> But our big challenge is other dogs. I bring his favorite treats and use them to distract him. He wants to bark to get their attention (warning or invitation?) and we're working on that. I bribe him to look at me not them.


I usually walk around the store with Mephistopheles's favorite treat in hand, and that used to be good enough to keep her attention. But now that I think about it, maybe she's getting bored of them and if I switch up the treat/find new ones that she really likes that'll help! Mine doesn't seem to get too distracted by most other dogs in the stores or at the vet for some reason, but when we're walking outside and pass another dog, afterwards she will keep stopping and looking back at them and sometimes get upset (guessing she wants to play with them).



Johanna said:


> Faustroll, have you taught her the "sit" command? If so, a store is a perfect place to use it. If not, I suggest you work on it. And "sit" does not mean sit quickly and immediately get up. It means "put your little bottom on the floor and keep it right there until I release you". So you will need a release command. I use "free-free".


Ah. I usually tell her to "sit" or "down", then follow up with "stay" and when there's not too many people/dogs around she'll stay in place until I tell her "come". Not sure if that's exactly the same as what you're describing? When I'm just standing in an aisle she's pretty good about it too, but it seems like when we're waiting in line at the check out and there's people in front of and behind us I have a hard time getting her to stay seated or laying down. 
I think like a lot of dogs she's obedient in a controlled environment, and I think I realize my issue right now is mostly just a matter of getting/keeping her attention when there's a lot of stimuli around, haha. Guess I just gotta keep practicing!


----------



## TK9NY (Jan 6, 2017)

Puppies go through cycles. There will be ups and down. Days where they're Perfect, days where you can't help but wonder what you did wrong raising them. That's perfectly normal because puppies are still developing, they're still learning. Like children, they're going to have good days and bad days so don't get upset or fed up or anything with puppy OR yourself. 

The BEST thing for you to do is stick to whatever training methods you have been using and stay consistent with them, because switching things up will just be confusing for puppy. Stay consistent with your reactions, rewards, corrections, etc. It WILL eventually click. Go at puppy's pace, too. If you know something triggers behaviors you don't want, then take steps away from that place, person, situation and go at it from a different angle. Tackle it slower. 

If you're going to a pet friendly store, put puppy in a "in training" vest and be prepared to stick up for yourself and puppy. Someone gets annoyed because you've stopped to redirect puppy just say "Sorry, she's in training, give me one second and i'll be out of your way." If someone wants to say hi, start with "Puppy is in training, she's not allowed to jump, let me just get her calm first" or if you don't want them to because puppy is too riled up or nervous just say "Sorry, she's in training (or she's working) she can't socialize right now."

If you know the store you'll be in well, you can also pick routes that allow you to step to the side out of the way when you or puppy are overwhelmed or need to re-focus. Large aisles or aisles with barriers you can step behind (clothes racks, benches, etc). 

Keep an eye on puppy and keep outings short. The longer you're out the more likely puppy is going to wind up over stimulated. Keep your own emotional state in mind as well. If you become frustrated or upset, puppy will react accordingly. If people around you are being stupid then leave. Read the situations so you can set puppy up for success. 

Limerick is at the barking stage too, he's also around 5 months. If he hears people, bark. Sees people, bark. Dogs, bark. Fire hydrant, bark. Leaf bag, bark. Reflection, bark. And he's loud. Sometimes it's just a puppy thing, sometimes it's because he's startled, sometimes it's just because. Ignore the barking, reward when puppy focuses on you. When you're just standing around and puppy barks, puppy is probably bored. Limerick will bark if we're in class and it's all talk no action. I immediately start doing something with him. Nose touch, spin, etc. Something to engage him. He stops.

Stores are great places to work on commands/behavior/training/etc. But you DO have to be respectful of shoppers and staff. Make sure places are pet friendly, and that there is enough room for you to do your thing without annoying shoppers. If puppy becomes too rowdy, remove puppy to avoid confrontation. I, personally, would NEVER do any "off leash" work in a public setting - too many variables. Even if you let the lash drag, all it takes is a second for dog to be off and out of reach. A long leash would be better if you want to do some distance work. 

We regularly go to places like Lowes, Jo Ann Fabric, Petco/Petsmart, Tractor Supply, and so on.


----------



## Faustroll (Oct 31, 2021)

TK9NY said:


> Puppies go through cycles. There will be ups and down. Days where they're Perfect, days where you can't help but wonder what you did wrong raising them. That's perfectly normal because puppies are still developing, they're still learning. Like children, they're going to have good days and bad days so don't get upset or fed up or anything with puppy OR yourself.
> The BEST thing for you to do is stick to whatever training methods you have been using and stay consistent with them, because switching things up will just be confusing for puppy. Stay consistent with your reactions, rewards, corrections, etc. It WILL eventually click. Go at puppy's pace, too. If you know something triggers behaviors you don't want, then take steps away from that place, person, situation and go at it from a different angle. Tackle it slower.
> If you're going to a pet friendly store, put puppy in a "in training" vest and be prepared to stick up for yourself and puppy. Someone gets annoyed because you've stopped to redirect puppy just say "Sorry, she's in training, give me one second and i'll be out of your way." If someone wants to say hi, start with "Puppy is in training, she's not allowed to jump, let me just get her calm first" or if you don't want them to because puppy is too riled up or nervous just say "Sorry, she's in training (or she's working) she can't socialize right now."
> If you know the store you'll be in well, you can also pick routes that allow you to step to the side out of the way when you or puppy are overwhelmed or need to re-focus. Large aisles or aisles with barriers you can step behind (clothes racks, benches, etc).
> ...


Thank you very much for the advice! This is super helpful and its always easy for me to forget how young she is and that she's still growing and changing! 
I definitely forgot to think about how long the last outing when she acted up a bit was. We had walked around a park for 20 to 30 minutes then I brought her into Tractor Supply and she had only been there once or twice before, and she definitely could've been getting tired already. I'm also someone who gets stressed/anxious very easily, so its funny how my puppy has really forced me to try to remain calm for both our sakes.
I definitely try to be as conscientious as possible in stores. Maybe too much so sometimes, but honestly its just because there's been dogs/owners that have annoyed me a bit in stores and I don't want to be that guy, haha (though raising a puppy of my own has made me empathize with those people a lot more).


----------



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Faustroll said:


> But in stores, I get nervous because I'm worried she's annoying other people or that I'm blocking people's paths, so I just end up pulling her to the side or picking her up to get out of the way, which I don't think are really teaching her anything at all.


I think this actually _is_ teaching her something. It’s teaching her that her human gets very worried whenever strangers appear. Depending on her temperament, this could lead to reactivity.

I would consider spending time outside the stores instead. Sniff around the perimeter on a nice loose leash and then sit out front at a distance that you’re both comfortable with, treating for calm and letting the occasional person say hi.

If you do venture inside, keep it short and end on a good note. Try to avoid tension in the leash, relying instead on “Let’s go!” u-turns and shuffling backwards with a jollying tone. Mix up the treats so your pup never knows what’s coming next.


----------



## Faustroll (Oct 31, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> I think this actually _is_ teaching her something. It’s teaching her that her human gets very worried whenever strangers appear. Depending on her temperament, this could lead to reactivity.
> I would consider spending time outside the stores instead. Sniff around the perimeter on a nice loose leash and then sit out front at a distance that you’re both comfortable with, treating for calm and letting the occasional person say hi.
> If you do venture inside, keep it short and end on a good note. Try to avoid tension in the leash, relying instead on “Let’s go!” u-turns and shuffling backwards with a jollying tone. Mix up the treats so your pup never knows what’s coming next.


Thanks for the advice! I don't know if it makes a difference but I meant that I pull her aside/pick her up when people come by only when she's misbehaving and blocking the way (when she keeps jumping towards someone/running in a circle around me), not just every time a person walks by. But you're definitely right that it is out of nervousness/impatience and is still teaching her something, but not a good thing.
I definitely need to work on not letting nervousness/stress get the best of me for both of our sakes. The u-turn thing is a great idea! I do that a lot with her outside but I often forget about that when we're in the store.


----------



## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

I did lots of training in stores, mainly hardware and auto.
A couple things I found helped: I usually had his usual treats mainly, but always a couple extra special treats for more difficult situations, like standing in line.
I always went with the thought in mind that I might have to abandon any actual shopping, which meant less stressing about the line (that was hardest for us too).
My boy is a standard, so picking up is not easy, instead I asked him to sit and used my body to block him from jumping at something interesting.
I also had the same experience that he started reacting around 5 months. 
I started going only at really quiet times, so that he could practice good behaviour, and then slowly eased our way back to busier places/times.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Training is training wherever it takes place and no matter the final goal there are common elements including but not limited to: having the ability to have your dog pay attention to you over distractions, not soiling the location, not having reactive behaviors to other dogs, etc.

As to the train in the store video where the dog wandered about sniffing and disengaged from the handler I think that should be a video of don't do this. It isn't training for anything useful in public, but sounds like foundations for nosework.


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I prefer to train in stores without food when my puppy is just beginning, this reduces distractions. Stick to a quiet time and area. Focus on training, not shopping. If you are lucky and your pup is cooperating and the store is quiet and not too distracting you might be able to shop and pay for something. Have your priorities set to what puppy needs and if they can’t behave, leave. Come back later to shop without the puppy. The careful work you do early on training will reward you with a dog that’s a pleasure to shop with later. You are rushing and pushing beyond your puppy’s ability. Everyone makes this mistake sometimes and it’s okay. Refocus on training short sessions with and engaged working puppy.



Faustroll said:


> I'm usually an overly worrisome person, so I usually keep her on a pretty short leash in stores because I don't want her to jump on people, chew on something, or get in anyone's way. When I walk her normally its always just us or maybe a couple of other people, so when she misbehaves I can just get her to sit and give her a treat, or just ignore her until she settles down. But in stores, I get nervous because I'm worried she's annoying other people or that I'm blocking people's paths, so I just end up pulling her to the side or picking her up to get out of the way, which I don't think are really teaching her anything at all.


Instead of lumping issues together, work on the separately…. What are all the independent steps you can train? Work on the 3Ds separately. … distraction distance and duration. Not all at once. train in short periods and stop on a high note before your dog gets bored or tired. Include treats,praise and playing with a toy to vary the reward. 

Work on attention , have a cue, start at home and work up to more distracting environments 

Train petting by staying near an area with people you can ask to pet your dog with the understanding you are training. Explain what you want them to do, how to approach, where to pet etc. and either you or they have treats to reward. Do this many places such as a park, near stores, people you meet while walking before going inside a store. 

Practice what to do with blocking aisles. Start at home in the kitchen moving your dog into where you want them to sit… move around the house, then outside then slowly work to inside a store. Move from least distraction to more distraction.

Work on a sit stay for waiting in line and paying at home … slowly build up duration before adding distractions 

walking with a grocery cart will have to be trained inside a store or maybe outside. Pick a quiet area with space, no food etc 

You are correct picking her up is the wrong solution and can lead to other issues. 



Faustroll said:


> but it seems like when we're waiting in line at the check out and there's people in front of and behind us I have a hard time getting her to stay seated or laying down.


She’s not ready, too young.. train sit stay at home and build up duration then add in distraction of being in a store. Shop without your dog until your dog is ready 

I would never leave my dog off leash inside a store. I did bring a long leash to practice recalls in a store.

I never let my dog sniff in a store, there’s nothing to be gained. Either they will be sniffing where other dog’s pottied and will want to pee mark, or they will find food/treats attractive and ,as you experienced, help themselves. In a store their focus is on you. Outside for a potty walk is where they can sniff.


----------

