Bark Busters, World's Largest Dog Training Company, Offers Safety Tips for 'Take Your Dog to Work Day' on June 24.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With the 7th Annual "Take Your Dog to Work Day" approaching (June 24), Bark Busters, the world's largest and most trusted dog training company, today offered helpful tips for the estimated 36 million U.S. dog owners on how to prepare their dogs for the day and manage them during the workplace experience. According to event organizers, more than 10,000 companies will participate in this year's event.

"We celebrate this day in support of its creator, Pet Sitters International, and its sponsor, Iams Dog Foods. This event raises the awareness of the importance of the human-animal bond and supports the efforts of our local animal shelters," said Liam Crowe, COO of Bark Busters USA. "At Bark Busters, every day is Take Your Dog to Work Day."

The Australian founders of Bark Busters, pioneers in dog behavior, developed a natural training technique that uses the same communication methods -- body language and voice control -- that dogs follow as part of their instinctual pack mentality. According to Crowe, many of the tips his behavior therapists provide their clients are based on good common sense but have been well-tested during the company's 15 years of experience training more than 250,000 dogs worldwide. "When it comes to taking your dog to the office," added Crowe, "the key to a safe and successful experience is to prepare your dog in advance and to recognize problem situations before they happen."

He offers these pointers for dog owners planning on bringing their canine companions to work:

Items to Bring

--Recognize that this can be a stressful experience for your dog. It's an unfamiliar environment, which in itself will cause apprehension. Thus, bring something familiar -- a dog pillow or blanket -- to give the dog something he is accustomed to.

--Also, bring something to help your canine companion pass the time. Dog chewy toys (or bones) are good ideas.

--Be sure to bring food and provide the pup with ample water.

Situations to Avoid

--Don't leave your dog alone with other dogs. If you must leave for a meeting, isolate your dog in a closed office or have a dog-familiar friend sit in until you return.

--While your dog may be well-behaved, that might not be the case with others. Be observant of other dog's signs of aggressiveness. If another dog stares with its ears forward, has its hackles up, or growls aggressively, that's a clear signal of adrenaline in the system and indicates he is ready to attack.

--Diffuse any potential conflict by removing your dog from the area. Don't try to force unfamiliar dogs to "become friends."

Stopping a Dog Fight

--Obviously, the best solution is to avoid bad situations all together by closely monitoring dog interaction.

--If a dog scuffle occurs, don't lunge in and try to break it up by hand. Use the dog blanket you brought with you to the office and throw it over the heads of the fighting dogs. This will confuse the combatants long enough for you to pull them apart.

"Most dog owners simply accept the bad behavior of their pets because they don't know how to change it," added Crowe. "Learning how to communicate effectively with your dog in a language it understands, through voice control and body language, is the key to providing the leadership needed to have authority over your dog at all times."

Keys to Providing Good Leadership

--Dogs crave good leadership. If they don't get it from their owner, they'll take charge. That leads to bad behaviors, such as barking, jumping, aggression and pulling on the leash -- each examples of the dog taking charge. Dogs will challenge for leadership in the home -- and the office, just as a wolf will in the wild. The owner needs to win all challenges to demonstrate good leadership.

--Establish a clear leadership role with your dog before the office field trip. There are several ways to do so. For example, begin by ignoring all requests from the dog, such as nudges to be petted, or played with. To do so, break eye contact. Then, when the dog has "given up," call him back to you to be petted or to play. When he responds to you, versus you to him, he sees you as the leader.

--If your dog misbehaves, correct his behavior with a forceful, low-toned growl ("BAH") -- a form of communications that your dog can understand. As soon as he stops, offer pleasant, high-toned praise. He will understand his mistake and respect you as his leader.

--In the wild the leader always leads the pack -- physically. Establish your leadership by always leading your dog -- up and down stairs, through doorways, and especially on walks. Remember, the leader always leads. This establishes you as "top dog" and gains your dog's respect.

Bark Busters dog behavioral therapists, such as Liam Crowe, are renowned authorities in the area of correcting dog behavior. The Bark Busters' training system can successfully train any dog, even puppies. The company's natural training technique leverages the same communications methods -- body language and voice control -- that dogs follow as part of their instinctual pack mentality. About 80 percent of Bark Buster clients require only one two-hour home visit from a licensed dog behavioral therapist, if they continue with just 10 to 15 minutes a day follow-up exercises for several weeks. All training takes place right in the home where the problems generally occur. And Bark Busters' training is the only service of its kind that is guaranteed for the life of the dog. In every market where Bark Busters is established, a majority of veterinarians familiar with the technique recommend the company's services.

For more information about Bark Busters' training approach, call 1-877-280-7100 or visit www.barkbusters.com.

About Bark Busters

Bark Busters, the world's largest, most trusted dog training company, started in Australia in 1989 and came to the United States in 2000. Since inception, over 250,000 dogs have been trained worldwide. With 125 franchised offices in 34 states and more than 200 offices in six countries, Bark Busters is continuing its mission to build a global network of dog behavioral therapists to enhance responsible dog ownership and reduce the possibility of maltreatment, abandonment, and euthanasia of companion dogs. Bark Busters is the only international dog training company that offers a lifetime guarantee. Therapists will provide future sessions free of charge if problem behaviors recur, or if any new problems develop. For more information, call 1-877-280-7100 or visit www.barkbusters.com, where dog owners can complete a Dog Behavioral Quiz to rate their dogs' behavior.

NOTE TO EDITORS: To schedule an interview with a local Bark Busters Therapist (125 offices nationwide), please call Bill Marino at 303-988-5133 or visit www.barkbusters.com (on left, enter your zip code or state and click "Fetch.")