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Hi Jessica, Welcome to the forums, When dealing with dogs who chew and ingest things, a multi-faceted approach is needed. Firstly, management, which is often something that is overlooked. That is, dog-proofing the home and yard making any objects and things around that dogs may get into inaccessibile. Think of it like toddler-proofing the homes keeping things up high and our of reach and locking cabinets/closing rooms where there are knick-knacks the toddler may get into. We can make our life easier by creating dog-proofed areas and fencing them off if out the yard, or baby-gated areas if in the home. This can make the project of dog-proofing large areas much easier and manageable. At the same time though, we want to have a back-up plan that allows us to tell dogs to leave things that we may have accidentally forgotten to remove or that may have appeared despite our best intent (think a dead bird in the yard) or maybe something tempting on a walk. In this case it's training two specific cues: that is, the leave it and drop it command. You can find how to train these cues here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/drop-it/ With multiple dogs living the home, yes, I find it is best starting to train each dog individually. It would be quite difficult practicing when the other dogs may get in the way and try to steal things left and right. Then, once each dog has mastered the cues at a fluent response level, you can then practice adding the distraction of another dog working up to the level of being able to then practice group leave its (and drops as necessary) as long as all dogs have proven to be responsive and not prone to resource guarding. Of course, make sure to also provide your dogs with suitable and safe items to chew so that they can fulfill this need and don't forget about exercise and mental stimulation as many dogs who chew and ingest things are often bored and are looking for ways to entertain themselves and fulfill their natural scavenging/foraging instincts. Happy training!

Let's just start off by saying that the whole "Alpha dog" theory has been proven to be based on wrong assumptions. I know there should be an article on that in the library of this course which can explain way better than I can. I notice you are saying that she responds differently to you than she does to your partner, but in my experience this is only partially affected by your relationship to the dog and more so by your way of responding to the dogs behavior. You talk about pushing her off and telling her no and to us humans it's clear that you clearly do not want your dog to behave that way. To your dog however it's attention and the pushing her off may even feel like play to her. If you first give her attention and play and then all of a sudden put her in a time out, which does feel like punishment to her, she is most likely only going to be confused. I notice this difference in our Belgian Malinois as well, who is a pretty mouthy dog because of his breed. My partner handles the situation much like you do and will often end up with bruises because the dog gets more excited, thinks he is being played with and goes over his threshold. On the other hand I rarely get nipped because I take away all attention when he uses his teeth to interact with me and will put him in time-out without further attention if he carries on. And with a dog that is often described as "only has one owner" I can say that there is definitely a difference in relationship between our dog and my partner and our dog and me, but that is based on a lot of factors but none of them being "who he respects as a leader". I would however keep an eye open for Adrienne's reply because I think she can help you along with some solid advises on how to handle your specific situation.

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! I am happy that you have made the choice on working on your puppy early rather than later on, 150 pounds later. This approach is great for starting on the right paw. I have a guide on using dog nail clippers, which technically requires a similar approach, but there are some variances to keep in mind, so I will be posting some steps here. With using a Dremel we need to work on several levels: 1) getting the pup used to having paws handled, 2) getting the pups used to the sound of the Dremel and 3) getting used to the sensation of the Dremel grinding the nail. I had to add another level for my dogs: getting used to the smell. Both seemed bothered by the smell of the powder being released upon grinding their nails more than the grinding sensation itself. Sometimes I had to place myself in between to prevent the fine powder from reaching them as it often irritated their airways and made them sneeze. The methods I use are based on desensitization and counterconditioning, paying attention that the pup is not sent over threshold. 1) Make it a habit of touching/rubbing each paw (don't forget in between the toes!) and delivering tasty treats. Paw touch-treat, paw-touch treat, paw touch-treat. Do this often enough that your dog comes to associate the paw touch with treats, leading to what's known as a positive conditioned emotional response. In other words, upon touching the paw, your pup looks happily up to you in anticipation of the treats. 2) Make the Dremel your dog's best friend. Let your pup get used to seeing it around. Don't just get it out when your dog needs a nail trim. Keep the Dremel behind your back and then show it to your dog. Every time he sees it or sniffs it, give a treat. Then put it behind your back again once he has finished eating the treat and repeat several times, aiming once again to obtain a positive conditioned emotional response. 3) Help your dog get used to the noise. Turn the Dremel on and feed a treat, then turn it off when your pup is done eating the treat. Rinse and repeat. Noise-treat, noise-treat, noise-treat. Once again, look for that happy, anticipation response. Gradually, bring the Dremel closer to your pup's paw, but no touching. If he acts scared at any time, take a few steps back, splitting the exercise into smaller steps (present it farther and work at the distance until he seems comfortable before moving it closer). 4) Start making contact with a nail. You will likely need a helper initially. Make the Dremel (turned on) touch the nail and have a helper feed him a treat while you do this. Once the dog is done eating the treat, remove the Dremel. Rinse and repeat. Once again, aim for that positive emotional response. If your dog acts scared at any time, take a few steps back, splitting the exercise into smaller steps (maybe have the Dremel turned off initially until your pup seems comfortable before turning it on). 5) Once your dog seems comfortable, you can start feeding the treats on your own after each trimmed nail. Trim one nail, then once done feed a treat. Trim another nail, then once done feed a treat. Remember to go slow. Don't make those nail trims a tedious job during which your dog is wincing every time a nail is trimmed. Try doing just one or two nails a day and make it a fun, rewarding and upbeat activity! Once your dog is relaxed enough, you can even try trimming the nails when your dog is resting, giving a treat every now and then to reward compliance (I never take that for granted!) As seen, it may take several steps to create positive associations with nail trims. This is because many pups aren't very comfortable having their paw handled. The process may require some adjustments (going back a few steps before moving forward) if we notice any signs of being uncomfortable, but the good news is that if we go at the pup's pace, we can progress to the point of the pup growing to accept nail trims, and in some cases, even being relaxed enough to nap through it!