For a lot of dogs, being in an elevator can be a very frightening experience that may cause sudden reactions.
Exposing your fur baby to people, other pets, and other dogs while he is still a puppy is a good practice for him to socialize and get along with others; it can also be an indicator that he will be able to grow to be a well-adjusted dog in whatever environment or situation he may encounter.
Puppies that are poorly socialized tend to handle new experiences and unfamiliar situations and scenarios with great fear rather than sparking their curiosity, these behaviors can be related to dogs that are afraid of elevators.
Once your dog has already ridden an elevator and developed a fear of it, it would be hard if not impossible to make him ride again and forcing him will not improve the situation in any way because he will be more terrified and it will just leave you even more frustrated. The best thing that you can do is to help your dog alleviate or cure his fear.
Here are some simple step-by-step guides on how you can calm your fur baby’s fear when riding inside an elevator:
It is important that you should do this while your dog is paying attention so he knows that he will be riding in an elevator and he will not be shocked once you let him go inside.
2. Give your dog treats and praise him when entering the elevator
Once the elevator arrives it will create a sound that may shock your dog and cause him to growl and be scared. Give him verbal praises to assure him that everything is okay also; give him treats that he likes so that he will be in a good mood. These treats will help him cool down any negative association that he will make due to the noise the elevator brings.
3. Walk your dog calmly into the elevator
Once the elevator door is open, walk him calmly and lead him inside the elevator. You can also give your canine buddy’s leash a gentle tug to encourage him to follow you and come inside the elevator with you.
To keep the elevator door from closing, you should press the “door open” button then spend a second or two inside the elevator with your canine buddy to familiarize him then calmly exit together.
5. Praise your canine companion
Once you have exit the elevator, praise your dog for a job well done and give him treats as well. By doing those, he will feel that he has done a great job and that he made you happy.
6. Repeat the sequence
Once you have done the first five steps successfully it is now time to get him used to it. You can repeat the first five steps several times until he is much calmer when entering and exiting the elevator. Once you have established the first five steps, you can now move on to the next steps.
7. Practice with longer intervals.
Bring your canine buddy once again inside the elevator, but this time wait for a longer period of time before you exit together. Work your way to make him stay inside for longer periods inside the elevator and every time you exit, reward him with verbal praises together with treats.
Enter the elevator once again, then the next thing that you can do is wait for several seconds before pressing the “door close” button. You have to be ready because your dog might suddenly panic once the elevator door closes. If he didn’t panic that much, praise him again and give him his reward treats.
9. Repeat the sequence
You can now repeat the steps up until you close the elevator door. Repeat it until your dog is calm and comfortable when the elevator door closes. Do not forget to give him treats and praises each time he does it calmly. These treats can help remove the anxieties that he is feeling.
10. Take the elevator up or down
Once you have established his calmness with a close elevator door, it is now time to go to the next step which is taking the elevator up or down one floor at a time. Again, get ready because your dog might react negatively towards this movement. Try and do your best to keep him calm until you reach the next floor. Praise and reward your dog if he stayed calm during the ride.
11. Try feeding your dog
You can also consider feeding your canine buddy a meal while inside the elevator. This way he won’t be occupied by the moving box that he is in. Your canine buddy can give his attention to his food instead of his fear of being inside the elevator.
12. Bring in another dog with him
If you think your dog needs more encouragement when riding the elevator, you can always bring another fur friend with him. You can do this along with the other tips stated above.
Having another dog that is already calm being inside an elevator may be the right move so that your canine buddy will see that there is no harm when staying inside the elevator and this might bring him the right encouragement to be calm and comfortable.
While you are helping your dog to cure his fear of elevators, you should also be aware that he will always look up to you for signs and clues during this process. You do not want to give him the impression that he should really be afraid of elevators so you should be careful the entire time.
You will want him to see that you are calm and confident when riding inside an elevator and hope that you can pass that confidence to him as well. Also, always use your regular voice and avoid using a pitchy tone.
If your canine buddy is still not comfortable and is still in fear during the first trials, do not favor his fear and continue working to remove his elevator fears.
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