Dog owners can experience stress when taking public transport with their four-legged friends. The behaviour of dogs can often be unpredictable, thus, owners are compelled to take private vehicles to avoid unpleasant incidents. What can be done to make travelling with a dog safer and more enjoyable? In Hannover, Germany, the local public transport company ÜSTRA offers professional training for dog owners, in cooperation with a dog school.
The aim of the training is to help owners and their dogs to gain confidence in crowded situations, practicing how to wait at the bus stop and how to get on and off the vehicles safely. Furthermore, the trainer will help owners in real situations, showing them how to behave in unexpected circumstances without losing control. It is particularly important that dogs are taught a few small commands to ensure they keep focusing on the owner's movements and orders during the journey, thus making it an enjoyable experience.
The requirements of participation for the dogs are a minimum age of six month and good social behaviour. Furthermore, a part of the revenue generated with these trainings will be donated to the animal rescue of the Hannover fire brigade.
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Germany