At Canine Karma Training, we recognize that Covid19 is a trying time for everyone, including you and your dog.
The virus has us changing our routines, and the ways that we live and work, and that extends to our relationship with our pets. But even in these times, there still a lot of value in getting your pet coaching and training services that will improve his or her life in your household.
To that end, we now offer Skype training sessions as an option for staying safe and still teaching your dog new tricks. We’ve seen our Skype training sessions work really well, and one of the silver linings is that you don’t have to truck your animal to our location if you happen to have a doggo that’s ride-averse for any reason. On the other hand, if your pooch loves a good ride, you can still get the pup into your car and just drive around a little bit!
Here are some tips for Skype use with animals.
Good Lighting
For best results, you want to keep the light between yourself and the camera. This helps to avoid some of the drawbacks of backlighting and keeps showing off your pup’s good side. Some of our pups are pretty vain! Just kidding. You’ll also want to make sure that the light is angled correctly so it’s not blazing into your dog’s face.
Evaluate Sound Input
Although some dogs use Skype fairly well, experience has shown that some of them get fairly agitated by background sound. That's especially true if you have cats and dogs on the other end of the line, yelling (yowling) or making noise in the background.
Remember that your dog is sensitive to sound input in particular ways, and plan accordingly.
The Role of Smell
If you're Skyping with your dog from somewhere else, don't be disappointed if he or she doesn't recognize you in a videoconference!
Some dogs rely highly on their sense of smell, so they may not recognize a trainer or owner by virtual session. However, that doesn't mean they can't use Skype or be trained over Skype. Some have found that dogs are, as a whole, pretty effective communicators over Skype. The bottom line? Skype is often much better than nothing at all! Your dog may even enjoy getting together online as a way to break up the monotony of a day mostly spent at home. Our dogs get a bit of cabin fever just like we do, so don’t forget the daily walks, as much as possible, and of course, safely!