How do I find the store I want and the door to the store.

Roll over, fetch, or shake. Use the clicker to teach new tricks to your dog by setting aside a few minutes for a training session right before feeding your dog. Do this every day, using a portion of kibble from each meal, and you’ll be well on your way to a fun and rewarding routine.

Lost and found. Your dog’s microchip is only as good as the information linked to it, so always remember to update your contact information whenever you move, get a new email address, or change your phone number.

Security checkpoints. Avoid using saddle soap or other leather cleaners containing glycerin on your leather harness right before air travel. When TSA swabs your hands to test for explosives or potentially dangerous substances, traces of glycerin may be left on your hands from touching the harness which in turn, may trigger a false positive test.

Change purse. Looking to store a few dog waste bags in your pocket, pack, or purse? Tiny little change pouches make fun and stylish carrying cases. Just fold each bag into a small, flat size and slide several into the pouch.

Pop-up Crate. Consider taking along a doggie pop-up crate in your backpack on your next trip to the dentist. Safely tucking your dog into the crate will keep your dog from going over to you or the dentist during a procedure, or picking up items like cotton rolls that can be accidently knocked off the dentist’s work tray.

Spa & fitness. Working out at the gym, or treating yourself to a massage? Consider bringing along a pop-up crate in your backpack to safely tuck your dog away while you’re otherwise occupied. It helps to protect your dog from being inadvertently stepped on or petted by nearby dog lovers.

Switch it up. Is your light-colored dog’s fur getting discolored from constantly wearing its stainless-steel collar? One way to avoid staining is to switch out the steel collar to another type of collar when you’re at home. Just keep your steel collar with your harness when not in use and be sure to have ID tags on both collars. Trouble getting those sticky, plastic doggy waste bags open? Just touch your dog’s wet nose or let the dog lick your fingers. Then hold the top edges of the bag near the opening between your moistened thumb and first two fingers. Rub your thumb and fingers back and forth until the bag edges slide apart.

On the go. Need an emergency water dish for your dog? Fill an unscented (and unused!) doggy waste bag with cool, refreshing water and hold it wide open while your dog gets a drink.

Tick trick. Use a sticky pet hair roller on your dog (or yourself) immediately after spending time in the woods or tall grass to remove stray ticks that may have climbed on during your outing. Your dog’s monthly preventative will kill ticks that bite the dog. But preventatives do not repel ticks. That means a tick could come indoors on your dog, and potentially drop off to attach itself to a nearby human.

Perfect Praise

Our friends from Guiding Eyes for the Blind remind us to think about the way in which we deliver praise to our dogs. According to the experts, if you use the same exact phrasing all the time when giving praise, this can create a problem. One of two things will most likely occur. The dog will develop a slow or low-level response to praise or in the case of food rewards, link the exact phrasing to receiving a food reward every time. We want the praise and food reward to hold value. By varying your praise wording it will help with keeping the dog working and responding properly. For example, Good Boy, that’s it, who’s my buddy, way to go etc.

Also, think about how you use inflection with your voice. By changing the wording, you have to concentrate more on what you are saying to the dog and how it is being delivered.

Finally, reward good response! If you reward weak or mediocre responses expect weak or mediocre work. If you reward good responses expect good work.

Remember to protect those paws! When dining out in a crowded restaurant, ask to be seated next to a wall or in areas with the least amount of foot traffic. (Sitting with your back to the wall not only makes it easier to protect your dog’s paws, but it can also help to minimize the noise for handlers who prefer quieter settings.) Another tip is to use your foot or pack to block others from getting too close to the dog’s paws. This also helps to keep your dog from stretching its paw into an aisle.

Maui Jim for the win! Hands down, Maui Jim’s polarized sunglasses made the top of the list on a recent Facebook request for the most preferred sunglasses for those with light sensitivity.

Letting go. One reader writes about a special ritual she performs when letting go of a guide dog. To start, purchase a small change purse with an ID window. Once you have the pouch, put your school ID card into the ID window and your dog’s working collar inside the zippered portion of the pouch. A tuft of your dog’s fur can also be placed in the pouch. Once filled, tuck the pouch in a drawer or in another place where it can easily be remembered.

Consistency is Key

Our friends at Guide Dogs for the Blind remind us all that consistency is crucial in communicating clearly with a dog. Dogs do not understand inconsistent rules or expectations. After experiencing initial confusion or frustration, dogs can actually become indifferent or anxious towards someone handling them inconsistently. For instance, allowing a dog to jump up on you when you have on old clothes means to the dog that it is always okay to jump up on you . . . even when you are in your best clothes. Dogs do not understand that a certain behavior is okay only “some of the time”. A random reprimand would not be fair, and unreliable signals from you may result in your dog “tuning you out”.

Dog hair hints. When away from home, groom your dog in the hotel bathroom where the excess hair can be easily wiped up with a few facial tissues. Using a dry Swiffer cloth from home works even better. Just keep the cloth tucked inside a resealable plastic sandwich bag and store with your grooming tools when not in use.

Stinky dog breath? Spread a bit of doggie toothpaste with a dab of coconut oil over the grooves and soft bristles of a lick mat to “brush” your dog’s tongue. Getting rid of the bacteria can help to freshen up your dog’s breath. Mobility babble. When going about with another guide dog team, it can help if the handler in the lead “talks to” or praises the guide dog a little louder and a little more often to provide audible cues for the team that is following.

Thinking outside the box. Looking for something a bit more stylish than wearing the same old standard treat bag from one day to the next? Try attaching your treat pouch to a purse or pack. Or you can get creative and explore non-traditional solutions like using the outer pocket of a crossbody slung over your right hip, stashing treats in a lululemon unisex belt bag, or wearing a wrist band with a zipper pocket.

Tired of wrestling with doggie waste bags when out picking up after your dog? Before heading out, simply open the bag up while you have two hands free and tuck it away for later use. If you want to prepare a bunch of opened bags in advance, a cute little tote bag hung on the back doorknob, or on a hook in a nearby closet makes a convenient storage space. The tote can also be used to store the dog’s leash or a relieving belt.

Human medications can poison your dog. Consider Keeping your medications and vitamins safely tucked away in a bureau drawer where they cannot be accidently knocked onto the floor by humans or cats. When ready to take your meds, hold the bottle over an open drawer when removing pills. This helps to ensure that any dropped pills will fall into the drawer, and not on the floor for your dog to consume.

Planning a visit to museums, galleries or other tourist attractions? Call in advance to see what resources are available for visitors who are blind or low vision. Googling the destination to learn all you can about the places you intend to visit can also enrich your experience.

Tired of rideshare drivers dropping you off at the wrong house, workplace, or other frequent destination? Consider showing drivers a photo of your preferred drop-off point to make it easier for them to find. Following along with your GPS can also help.

High and dry? Many airports have free bottle refilling stations after you go through security so bring along a few empty water bottles and fill up! This makes it easier to stay hydrated on the plane and after landing, you’ll have plenty of water to share with your dog.

Give your Memory a boost. Set Alexa up with a monthly reminder to give your dog its heartworm and flea/tick meds. Setting the alarm time right before your dog’s breakfast helps to ensure that you’ll be home when Alexa sounds off with the reminder.

Looking for an easy way to locate the handle on the back door of an arriving vehicle? Start by listening to the sound of the car engine as it pulls up to help determine which direction the vehicle is facing. Use this sound to help guide you to the back half of the vehicle. Then reach up your fisted hand to touch the window and then slide it toward the back until you reach the door frame. Move your fist down and on to the door to find the handle.

Road salt and sand. Encouraging your dog to romp in uncontaminated snow after returning from a messy wintertime walk can help to remove harsh substances from your dog. However, trotting on wet sidewalks and roadways kicks up a lot of spray and sand so once inside, be sure to finish cleaning off the dog’s belly, legs, chest and in between its toes.

Save space. For those who feed their dogs in the bathroom, switch out the liquid hand soap for a mild dish soap that can be used for cleaning both hands and dog dishes.