Adrienne

Awww.. that's so nice of you for offering to keep him! It's great that he's pretty chill when you leave, I still recommend though recording if you have the opportunity just in case. It can give you an insight on how he does once he hears your car leaving and he knows you have left for good. Some dogs can get more clingy/ anxious with changes in their lifestyles such as changing homes and routines. The urinating when you come home can be a form of excitement urination. Many puppies have this and outgrow it by the time they become adults, but in some cases it persists. Here's a description of it along with some general guidelines on how to tackle it-if that's what it is: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/urinating-when-excited/ Keep me posted on his progress and I am always here if we need to do some troubleshooting. Happy training, Adrienne

Great to hear that he's not getting into trouble. At 7, he has likely rehearsed these behaviors for some time, so it may take time to see results if this has been his way of life for the most part. If it's a fairly new behavior though mentioning such clingy behaviors to the vet can be important as sometimes as dogs get older that can develop some vision loss or hearing loss and that can make them more insecure and clingier. The exercises can be scheduled 2-3 even 4 times a day but without stressing the dog out too much (if he's barking it's often sign that we have progressed too fast and he's over threshold). Here's a read on threshold levels in dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ The Kong can be used for when one must leave for let's say 10-15 minutes (if that's how long it takes for him to finish it) so your sister will likely have to initially coordinate absences with how long it takes for him to finish. If she needs to leave the house, she can use a frozen Kong for a longer lasting treat, however, if he's suffering from actual separation anxiety when he's left alone, the problem is more complex and requires a much more comprehensive and systematic approach. Such dogs really struggle in getting used to being crated and have reactions similar to panic attacks when left alone. Important would be recording his behavior when he is left briefly alone (like for 15 minutes) and having a vet or veterinary behaviorist watch it to determine if that's what he's truly dealing with. I have recently posted some examples of general protocols for separation anxiety in a recent thread. You can take a look at what those entails by visiting below:

Congrats on your new property in Texas, how exciting! I have heard about many snake avoidance programs, but most that I know of use shock collars. We are talking shock collars here used at high levels to the point of the dogs startling and even yelping and jumping in the air (of course, the shock must be painful enough to train the dog to avoid the snake and leave a long-lasting strong impression). These sessions feature live muzzled and/or defanged snakes (with their fangs are clipped off) so to ensure the maximum safety while the dog is exposed to the real thing. Once the training is done, dogs must then attend refresher courses every now and then to maintain the negative associations. Of course, with the use of shock, although potentially effective, we need to consider the potential negative consequences and fallout effects. Like some dogs may come to associate the shock with other things such as the leash, a specific place or a specific person or they may even come to develop fear of innocuous things like a garden hose or sizzling noises. Now, there are some trainers that teach snake avoidance without the use of shock collars (I have occasionally referred some of my clients to a local trainer in Tucson who does). This trainer basically trains the dogs to "leave it" using fake remote-controlled snakes with the goal of then raising criteria to the point that the dogs eventually come to learn to signal to the owner the presence of the snake, but (and this is a big BUT) while there are claims that this training can still work with the dog when left alone in the yard, I wouldn't trust this training (or any type of training really) 100 percent enough to relax and feel safe. There is always that chance....Of course, the training is still worthy for at least some extra level of peace of mind on walks. One of my neighbor after a few negative encounters has finally decided to invest some money on erecting a rattlesnake proof fence and he has been happy with that. He had it installed by a company that specialized exclusively in that type of fencing. He told me he can now relax knowing that his dogs are safe in the yard as no snake can get past that. And of course, he relaxes too knowing that he can walk around and garden without stepping over some slimy critter! I have been struggling finding the snake in the picture you have posted. I see something that looks like one but just sort of a like a head buried under the leaves towards the bottom near the center. I'm the last person to ask about finding one though. That's not surprising because a year or so back when I was in the yard, I sat down on a log and talked on the phone one hour with my mom only to notice later there was a rattlesnake relaxing just a few inches in front of me! He must have heard the whole conversation! Then comes Einstein to greet me, and he doesn't see it either! Luckily Einstein was called away by my hubby just in time and I had to walk past a very tight space to get out if its way. Phewww....Luckily that's the only close encounter with one, we have seen far more scorpions than snakes.

OK, if it's barking to follow someone in the room it's likely some anxiety/ frustration we have two main options: 1) allow him access to all rooms if he's trustable enough (that would solve the issue from the get-go, but I assume that if he's not allowed in certain rooms it's because he either isn't fully potty trained or maybe he tends to get in some type of trouble (like chewing stuff, stealing stuff etc). If he's not fully potty trained yet, then it may be best to limit the full run of the house until he's better potty trained as being in the whole house can trigger accidents. If instead he tends to get in trouble, I would suggest removing as much things that he can chew/destroy/steal and always supervising him and training him to "leave it" and "drop it." The best indoor trained dogs are those who are supervised and trained to respect our belongings and certain boundaries with several verbal cues (leave it, drop it, off). However, even if we allow him to follow us around the home, we want to get to the bottom of the problem which is encouraging him more independence and to relax enough to cope with us being in another room without having to follow.. which brings to the next option. 2) Train him to cope with our absences. In this case, we can practice several trials of the door exercises explained previously. It can help to initially do brief exits only and add some positive associations with those such as: owner about to exit, tossing a 3-4 kibble for the dog to eat, exiting /closing the door and then after a few seconds owner coming back inside (always when the dog is not barking). Gradually, longer exits can be added by tossing a more kibble (like a handful of it so that the dog spends more time searching/eating) and then coming back after longer (always when the dog is not barking). If a person must leave for longer, a long edible safe chew or a stuffed Kong can keep the dog occupied (stuffed with maybe kibble mixed with some canned pumpkin, peanut butter so to allow it to stick inside the Kong). If the dog loves his kibble, his daily portions of his meals can therefore be used for these exercises rather than just giving them out for free in a bowl to be eaten within seconds. I like to keep to have the dog watch me prepare the Kong and then me placing it on a tall shelf out of the dog's reach so to build up some anticipation. Once the dog learns that we provide that great stuff every time we must leave, the dog may come to look forward to our absences. We still want to work though on fostering the dog's independence so this guide still applies: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/following-owners-around-house/ I am not sure what age your dog is, but if he's a puppy or young dog, these exercises may also help (the peek-a-boo game can be played hiding behind a door) https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-to-prevent-separation-anxiety-in-puppies/ The ideal crate size for potty training purposes allows the puppy enough room to stand, turn around and sleep on his side while in it, but must be snug enough that the puppy can't pee/poop in one corner and rest comfortably in the opposite side. If there is more room than that, the dog may feel more compelled to eliminate in it. It should be able though to fit a normal sized food bowl.

If the barking and whining is purely due to attention-seeking behavior, yes, ignoring is ideal for that type of barking. Of course, make sure that the dog is not communicating some important need such as alerting that the water bowl is empty or a need to go outside! So let's say, you're sitting and the dog comes to you barking in your face because he's bored/seeking attention/, that's likely attention-seeking behavior, unless there's something else going on. Attention-seeking behavior is fueled by... you guessed it....attention. And that includes, any type of attention, even attention of the negative type (like scolding the dog, moving the dog away). However, I am not a big fan of ignoring and that's it. I always suggest that if a dog is asking for attention, that we closely evaluate why. Maybe the dog needs more interaction (are the owners working long hours, feeding the dog and then sitting to watch tv for the rest of the night?) or maybe he has too much energy or maybe he needs more mental stimulation. We can certainly provide those, but ideally we anticipate and provide those to the dog before he even thinks about barking. Now, as mentioned, be warned, when you ignore an attention seeking dog who has always obtained some form of attention in the past, you'll likely get as mentioned an "extinction burst." The barking will get more persistent and more annoying (or he may even try something new) just to get attention. It's sort of like kids that when they don't get candy at the store, they start whining. And when they see whining doesn't work, they'll escalate to crying and screaming and putting up a tantrum (extinction burst). If we stick to our plan and don't give them candy when they ask for it, they'll learn to stop pushing it and the behavior will eventually extinguish, but if we give in though and buy it-even just that one time-, they'll always try to ask for candy because we have reinforced persistence. Now there is barking and barking. With the barking at the door, you are on the right track on getting that under control with your smacking sound. You can add training him to lie on a mat contingent upon the door noises for some more impulse control. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ So it would be "noise at the door" you make smacking sound, and then have your dog lie down on the mat with a tasty reward. The barking when he wants to get in a room, is that to follow somebody that's beyond that room? Or is it just that he feels like going there for some reason? Do you know what he does once he's let in that room? Does he maybe hear noises that attract him (like somebody opening the fridge or opening a bag od chips? This to evaluate whether there's some anxiety at play or just him wanting to have more freedom around the house. Careful with using a bigger crate if he's not perfectly potty trained: a larger crate may encourage accidents in it.

Hi Andie, This is a good question, and there is really no easy answer. I can leave you though with some "food for thought", so to say if you're interested in reading through some studies and research. These can be good points to discuss with your veterinarian at your pup's next visit. Sooooo....there is definitely some controversy in the veterinary field right now as to when the best time to spay a large breed dog is... Some still say 6 months, and some say as long as 2 years. In the past, when working for a veterinarian office, we were trained to recommend that all dogs be neutered before 6 months of age. We even had a list of all the benefits associated with spaying and neutering dogs at this time. This was back in time, when most US-based veterinarians who graduated, before 2000 or, a bit later on, in the early 2000s, recommended early spaying and neutering to promote responsible pet ownership. Nowadays, things are more complicated, but this is a good thing because it means that we know much more. Indeed, the more one is informed on a subject, the more it becomes difficult making a decision or making bold statements because one has a broader comprehension on how things can be impacted at a higher level. You may therefore get different answers based on who you ask and they may all have their own good reasons for their recommendations. Indeed, the age when to neuter a dog remains a subject of controversy even among professionals. For example, consider that some rescues and shelters may recommend early neutering because for these organizations, the pet overpopulation problem is the biggest ordeal. They see too many litters of puppies being born and unwanted dogs in shelters making it difficult to find them a home. Early spay and neutering is therefore one of their top priorities. Some veterinarians may still recommend 6 months of age because they were trained that neutering at this age can help prevent the onset of some unwanted behavioral issues that some dog owners may struggle with (urine marking, roaming, humping, etc), however most of these issue tend to subside once testosterone levels lower. And then we have studies showing that dogs predisposed to certain medical conditions should be neutered later rather than earlier. For instance, according to a golden retriever study conducted in 2013 by the University of California, Davis, it was found that goldens who were neutered early (earlier than 1 year) were more predisposed to cranial cruciate ligament rupture, hip dysplasia and lymphosarcoma. According to The Golden Retriever Club of America National Health Survey of 1998-1999, male goldens that were neutered earlier than one year of age were also found to be significantly taller and leggier than those neutered at over one year of age. This latter conformation may play a role in the development of orthopedic disease. This predisposition for joint issues in early-neutered goldens was further proven in an additional study. According to another study conducted by Benjamin L. Hart, Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers that were neutered before 6 months of age were found to have an increased incidence of one or more joint disorders by 2 times and 4 to 5 times, respectively. And what about cancer? Care must be taken in drawing conclusions in relation to cancer and the age of neutering. For instance, consider that neutered dogs tend to live longer, and therefore this increases the likeliness for a dog to develop cancer since cancer in dogs is more frequent at later ages. So lot's of considerations there and controversies among dog professionals and veterinarians. Some still say 6 months, and some say as long as 2 years. Studies though seem to suggest that it would be wise waiting till male goldens are over 1 year of age. Of course, that is, if you are willing to deal with urine marking and other things like that, but of course, these behaviors can be manageable with some training and/or management. I hope this helps! I would suggest to discuss your concerns with your vet to make an informed decision based on these several factors. If you are in the mood for it and want to dig deeper, here are some studies where you can find more information. Torres de la Riva G, Hart BL, Farver TB, Oberbauer AM, Messam LL McC, Willits N, Hart LA. Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers. PLoS ONE 2013;8:e55937 Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, Willits NH. Long-term health effects of neutering dogs: comparison of Labrador retrievers with golden retrievers. PLoS One. 2014;9(7):e10224. Glickman L, Glickman N, Thorpe R. The Golden Retriever Club of America National Health Survey 1998-1999 Spay-Neuter Considerations in Light of Recent Evidence: One Veterinarian’s Opinion 2016 Chris Zink DVM, PhD, DACVP, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVSMT, CVA University of Georgia. "Spayed or neutered dogs live longer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 April 2013. Best, Adrienne

You are correct. It sounds like he's struggling with being crated possibly because of negative associations with the crate. This because the crate has possibly been associated with 1) social isolation, 2) being unable to move around freely, 3) punishment since it sounds like he ends up being closed there only when he is in trouble. We have a guide on teaching a dog to love the crate by creating positive associations but this can take time, especially if he is older and a strong history of disliking the crate has been established. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/ In the meanwhile, it may help to keep the crate with the door open during the day and placing in there tempting things like comfy blankets, treats and toys and see if he'll "crate himself" on his own and nap in there voluntarily. Once you reach this goal, this is sign that the crate is starting to assume more positive associations and it can be used more effectively as needed (always give something tasty and preferably long lasting when crating him when he needs some chill time, so to maintain the positive associations.) Also, important is to take baby steps and close him for gradually longer times progressing at his comfort level. Behavior changes take place if we change our behaviors as well so its important to take an active role if we want to ameliorate the situation. On top of creating positive associations with the crate, it would be important to work on decreasing his clingy behaviors and attention-seeking barking. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/following-owners-around-house/ More than wanting to be the boss, this behavior seems to stem from underlying anxiety. He needs to learn to be more independent by taking baby steps. Also, consider that, dogs tend to repeat behaviors that are reinforced, and sometimes barking behavior gets inadvertently reinforced by well-meaning dog owners. The typical dog that barks for attention is often a dog who is bored, understimulated, and looking for something to do. If the moment a dog barks the owner immediately looks at him, talks to him, or get up to check what’s the matter, the behavior is reinforced. Dogs who bark for attention typically do so while they’re looking at the owner—and they’re usually hoping the owner will interact with them. Whether the owner scolds the dog for barking or reacts with warmth doesn’t matter, because any form of attention will do, even the negative type. So if this dog looks at your sister and barks, he’s likely barking to get his daily dose of attention. In such a case, it's important to provide more exercise and mental stimulation, and if possible (if not living in an area where neighbors may complain) ignoring the dog’s barking behavior, as any type of attention fuels this type of barking. This can be difficult to endure in the beginning but it gets better. Expect some extinction bursts to occur along the way (barking increasing or the onset of some other attention-seeking behavior) before the barking starts subsiding. It sort of gets worse before getting better. One method once can try is to get up and leave the room every time the dog barks, then come back and interact with him only once he’s quiet. If the dog barks when a person enters a room with the door closed, the person should try to come out only once the dog is quiet for at least 5 seconds. It can help to initially provide the dog with something tasty contingent upon the dog being left alone in case the barking behavior is anxiety-based.

You're very welcome! Best, Adrienne

You're very welcome! Best, Adrienne

Thanks for the extra details, they are very helpful. So we are looking at two senior dogs of 9 years old, and on top of this, with some medical conditions. These are likely dogs who have been set in their own ways for some time, and who have had their own routines and therefore, the puppy is perceived as a disruption. Think grandma dealing all of a sudden with a boisterous toddler with no manners who is driving her nuts. Here's the thing, in older dogs, a puppy may not cause a "rejuvenating effect" as one would hope. Often, these dogs just want a quiet retirement and the same routines. If they have medical conditions, such as arthritis, they may feel even more motivated to growl/attack because it may be painful to remove themselves from the puppy. Play may be the last thing they may be interested in. Dogs with Cushings may also become more protective over food and can have mood swings and irritability. However, the good thing is that, in general, with time, many dogs eventually get used to (or better say tolerate) being around the puppy at some point (as long as the puppy doesn't act too boisterous) once the whole novelty factor has worn off and the stress has subsided. It sounded like indeed, everything was starting to go smoothly- until recently. You mention indeed "they tolerated him just fine until recently. My pup is 4+ months old and the other dogs have gotten increasingly more aggressive and vicious towards my puppy. " This is not surprising. As puppies get closer to being an adolescent, the older dogs may perceive the puppy as more of a threat. The puppy license which grants some forgiveness is taken away. This takes for a good part place at an olfactory level. When the puppy is young, he rolls over and pees to tell the older dogs that he's just a puppy, indeed, the chemistry of the pup's pee tells the older dogs that puppy is just young and therefore socially illiterate and means no harm. However, things change though as the puppy matures. Dr. Ian Dunbar explains that testosterone levels tend to rise in the male pup's urine when the puppy reaches four to five months old, peaking at ten months and then falling to adult male levels by eighteen months of age. Dunbar then goes on to explain how older dogs react towards this change, revoking the puppy license to misbehave, as if the older dogs were saying "Let's educate the young fellow right now, while we still can." And sure enough, most adult dogs (especially males) start to harass developing male pups to put them in their place before they become a significant challenge on the social scene." So this *can hypothetically be* what is happening here. I don't know when you had your puppy neutered, but consider that testosterone levels in puppies once neutered falls about a month or two after the surgery. It is a slow and gradual decline versus a one-time thing. However, not all is hormonally driven. Behavior changes can occur just because the puppy is getting bigger, possibly pushier and more confident (and thus perceived more threatening to an an older dog). Your pup is now approaching the doggy adolescent stage, a time when several changes take place just as it happens with human teenagers. It's not unusual for such changes to happen and it can feel alarming at times. Studies have shown that doggy brains undergo rewiring during this time, sometimes resulting in problematic behaviors. You can read more about this stage here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ And then there may be breed predilections at play as well. For instance, if there is truly Pry blood in the mix, consider that this breed can act pushy towards other dogs because these dogs were bred to think independently and some may not get along with dogs of the same sex as adults. GSD may too struggle at times with same-sex dogs. Good compatibility is important and this is not something easy to predict. In some cases, just like marriages, things work well, sometimes they do not. Nobody is at guilt here, there are too many variables when it comes to interactions among dogs sharing a household. So I will be posting some general tips and ideas, but I think options may grossly fall under these: 1) Strict management-meaning that all dogs are separated to prevent mishaps (baby gates, exercise pens). This can be challenging to implement (a baby gate can be left unlatched, the puppy may bark because he wants to play with the older dogs, older dogs may not enjoy being closed when they were previously free). 2) Less strict management meaning that dogs are free to move about but all sources of conflict are removed (toys, food) and triggering circumstances are prevented from occurring (puppy is not allowed to interact with the older dogs) and all dogs are always supervised and trained to respond fluently to verbal cues (especially for respecting boundaries). 3) A combo of management, training and behavior modification- management to prevent rehearsals of troublesome behaviors, training to have dogs under verbal control and behavior modification to change the underlying emotions of the older dogs. 4) Re-homing the puppy or moving into a new place with no other dogs (unless proven to be more compatibile (e.g opposite sex, younger)- this is the worst case scenario where nothing works and a behavior professional has assessed the situation and found it to be in the best interest of all dogs. These following tips below may help ameliorate the situation, although no guarantees can be ever made on the outcome of training or dog behavior modification (no ethical dog trainer/behavior consultant should provide guarantees). -Provide outlets for the pup's energy. Walks, brain games, training and play with other dogs he gets along with. The puppy should not rely on the older dogs for play if it is not welcomed. This because, an older dog may have a hard time telling the puppy to stop and with the pain of arthritis or other medical issues, the older dog may not be much in the mood for play. A growl that is not effective will cause the older dog to escalate. See the ladder of aggression: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-dont-bite-blue/ A puppy should therefore not be constantly pestering an older dog that just wants to relax and conduct a laid-back life. -Consider that there need to be boundaries set by the humans as part of the equation. The older dogs need to feel safe from intrusion and therefore the puppy needs to be taught manners (boundaries) to avoid conflicts. So training is a must. -Train your puppy to respond fluently to some important cues. For instance, train him to "leave it" when he approaches the older dogs who want to be left alone. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/ Train him to go to his mat :https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ Train him to come to you when called: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/recall/ When giving treats to reward make sure they are given away from the older dogs to prevent resource guarding. You can buy some time by creating a "bridge," for instance, you can mark the desired behavior with a verbal marker such as yes! that informs the pup he has done right, and then the puppy must follow you to a safe zone where treats are handy (like on a shelf behind a baby gate where he can eat his treat knowing that no other dogs see him and develop hard feelings (yes, studies have shown dogs feel jealousy). Older dogs in general feel calmer once they see that the puppy is well trained and under good voice control. The puppy at the same time learns to respect the older dog's wishes and this is also a great lesson in impulse control. Some of my client's puppies learned the best skills from my Rotties when they turned older. They learned to respect a growl and not by pushy because if our dog's growled, we quickly followed up with our request to leave them alone. This helped them avoid future bad situations in their interactions with other dogs. -Teach your puppy to seek you for play so that he doesn't keep pestering the older dogs. -Make sure your puppy has had some rest as tired puppies can be particularly cranky and more likely to misbehave. -Always reward calm behavior that your puppy displays. Take notice when he willingly decides to lie on a mat, when he stops trying to bother the adult dogs, when he shows good impulse control. -If there is resource guarding, keep all resources out of the way. This may be easier said than done when sharing a home with room mates, but it's crucial to avoid conflicts. So no more food or toys around to limit problems, also considering the last incident between the older dogs. Careful also with crumbs, and things that can be perceived as toys. Feed dogs in separate areas and do not give toys when they are spending time together. With nothing left to guard, management, therefore, helps prevents rehearsal of the problem behavior and works as well as a stress-reduction strategy. -Encourage bonding. There are activities that can be particularly bonding among dogs. One of them is parallel walking (one handler per dog with dogs at a distance they are comfortable with each other) or even hikes. -If your home is open plan, baby gates may not be an option for some rooms, but you can gets exercise pens or extendable pet gates to keep dogs separated as needed '(ensure they are sturdy and suitable for the size of the dogs). Keeping your puppy in an exercise pen provides the older dogs the luxury of having a quiet place to retreat to that is puppy-free. -Ensure that the older dog's health conditions are managed properly. Health issues can certainly make older dogs grumpier and create a lower threshold for aggression. Arthritic dogs may benefit from pain meds and dogs with Cushings should be managed well. -Behavior modification can help, but this will require the in-person intervention of a behavior professional for safety and correct implementation. It would involve to some extent what Jennifer has described, creating positive associations with your puppy through desensitization and counterconditioning in an open bar/closed bar method. In desensitization, one takes small baby steps in exposing the dog to its triggers in a systematic, structured way so that the dog does not react fearfully to the stimuli and is able to take treats. If you overwhelm and flood a dog exposing him/her to full intensity situations, you risk sensitizing him, which means you make him more reactive and more fearful/aggressive. To learn more about desensitization read here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ In counterconditioning, the goal is to change a dog’s emotional response by using treats or anything the dog finds rewarding. The moment the dog sees the threatening stimulus at a distance where the dog is calm, he/she is fed treats, the moment the threatening stimulus disappears, no more treats. The goal is to make it clear that great things happen when the trigger is in sight. Read more on desensitization here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ When we create positive associations and work diligently taking baby steps, we must ensure the dogs are under threshold: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ and we should aim to create what's known as a positive conditioned emotional response: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ Here is a read on Jean Donaldson's Open Bar/Closed Bar method: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/ For instance, if an older dog doesn't want the puppy near when he's being pet, one can do the following exercise under the guidance of a dog behavior professional: -A helper holds the puppy on leash and practices walking the puppy at a distance, while the older dog is being pet. Every time the helper moves with the puppy towards the older dog and the older dogs sees the puppy, the older dog is praised and fed high-value treats. When the helper moves the puppy away and the puppy is no longer in sight, all the praising and treat delivery abruptly stops. The goal here is to clarify that great things happen contingent upon the puppy approaching. From dreading your puppy near, the older dog may be more tolerant or even look forward to it. This technique is based on Jean Donaldson's Open/Bar Closed/Bar method. The same can be done with other scenarios an older dog may struggle with. For instance, if the older dogs are a bit nervous when the puppy walks by, they are fed tasty treats as the puppy walks by, always aiming for a conditioned emotional response, where upon seeing the puppy walk by the older dog looks forward to the treats. Once the puppy has walked by, no more treats. For safety, all dogs should be leashed and given some distance from one another if prone to resource guarding. The behavior professional can help create these setups with safety in mind and ensure that the older dogs remain under threshold as much as possible. -The older dogs seem like they would benefit from a stress-reduction program. All sources of triggers should be removed, and if not possible to be removed, at least they should be reduced as much as possible. Calming aids may help (pheromone-based sprays, collars or diffusers, calming supplements etc). -A plan should be in place in case a fight should ever occur. A loud noise can help such as using a maritime pocket size air horn or clashing two pot lids together. It's a good idea to have these always handy. Some dog owners have success ringing a doorbell. Touching the dogs to separate them should be avoided as it can put owners at risk for redirected bites. These bites are generally not intentional but more due to the fact that dogs who are fighting are over reactive. All household members must be adept in recognizing early signs of a fight about to happen so to redirect at a moment's notice (leave it, smacking sound https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/) -if one is too late, the dogs may be too over threshold to respond. You asked: "does that mean I just have to accept that Gus can never be downstairs, can never interact with my roommates and I’m just going to have to crate him anytime I’m ever out of my room just so the two older dogs can sit on the couches by themselves?" This is a difficult situation. Your puppy shouldn't pester the older dogs, and the older dogs shouldn't be in the position of having to repeatedly correct the puppy over and over. A growl should mean that the pup should stop and back off. Yet, your puppy is likely dying to play and it's natural as that's what young puppies do. Find suitable playmates for your puppy so to maintain his socialization skills with other dogs. Drain that energy. However, consider that as puppies reach a certain age, they may start getting picky over who to befriend or they may no longer get along well with some types of dogs (as you have read in the adolescent dog article). It's important to respect that, and don't force interactions the dog isn't pleased with. At the same time, the puppy may mature and become more confident as he grows and he may start challenging the older dogs and things may deteriorate further. This can happen, although not always. It is difficult to predict how things may turn out as interactions among dogs sharing the household can be complex as there are many variables involved (personality, age, stress-coping mechanisms, medical issues, breed predispositions, behavioral issues, owners' commitment). Once again, it's like marriages, who can ever predict which marriage will persist and which one will end with a divorce? For sure, this relationship has had a rocky start, but not all is always lost. I have seen older dogs get calmer as they pups mature-although I must admit I have also seen cases where things deteriorated further. I hope this helps. Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dog's behavior against you.

Thanks for the extra info. I will be working on your questions based on the info provided and will be posting some tips shortly.

Awesome! Keep praising just in case, to keep him motivated and reward as needed just to keep him motivated and boost his confidence.

That's great to hear! Keep up the great work!

It depends. To truly know how she fairs with separation, it would require recording her behavior when she's left alone and then watching it. If in doubt, having a veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist watch the recording can help provide a closer insight on how she is coping emotionally when left alone and whether she may be truly dealing with separation anxiety. I always recommend leaving the dog in the crate with something valuable (like stuffed Kong) to keep the dog happy and busy.

You are very welcome! Hopefully he'll start going potty more and more on walks once over the initial hurdle. The more he goes outside, the better, as dogs are creatures of habit. Sticking closer to home may help if he is anxious. I have a guide below on how to help clingy pups become more independent, but you are right that the pandemic doesn't make things easier. It would be important therefore working on getting him gradually used to being left alone so he's not caught unprepared that day your work schedules may be back to norm once the pandemic is over. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-to-prevent-separation-anxiety-in-puppies/ Here is a guide to help a dog get more comfortable and less anxious in going outside: shttps://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-going-outside/ And this is to raise confidence: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-build-confidence-insecure-dogs/ Tackling these issues early is important.

You are very welcome! Your dog is very lucky to have landed in such a loving home. Dogs as such can be a lot of work in progress, but it's rewarding watching them gradually bloom. We have a guide here on dogs who follow owners around and tend to be clingy: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/following-owners-around-house/ Drooling can certainly be a sign of separation anxiety, but it sounds like she recovered once she understood that she wasn't totally alone. Dogs prone to this require as well a combination of desensitization and counterconditioning where they are gradually exposed to brief absences and undergo positive associations with those. I am posting some separation anxiety protocols I have been using for some time. Of course, these are just general protocols as each dog may need an individualized plan and some exercises may need to be split into smaller steps. One of the most challenging parts of separation anxiety behavior modification is that it requires management when the dogs aren't in "training." This means that to "protect" the hard work and preventing dogs from rehearsing the problem behavior absences should be avoided during the behavior modification process. In other words, if you are at the point in the process where your dog can successfully remain calm in a room for 15 minutes in your absence, you may need to hire a pet sitter or have a friend stay with your dog if you need to stay away for longer. What Will Be Needed? First of all, patience, determination and consistency. Helping a dog suffering from separation anxiety is not an easy task. Many dog owners wonder how long it will take and there's no easy answer as each case is different. The more a dog has been rehearsing the problem and the more severe it is, the more work may be needed. Severe cases may require the addition of medications and the assistance of a professional as some dogs are just anxious at any time of the day on top of during owner absences. Interactive toys, treats, food, a mat, baby gates and some technological gadgets such as remote monitoring devices and/or automatic treat dispensers are used in the exercises. Although optional, the use of these technological gadgets come extra handy considering that they allow to monitor dogs remotely so to evaluate whether it's a good time to raise criteria or whether a dog is being pushed too hard. A safezone will also need to be established. This safezone is the dog's confinement area where the exercises will be performed. For comfort, it is best to use an area that is central to family activities such as an office, kitchen or living room. Dogs who enjoy their crate, exercise pen or playpen and love to lounge in it, can have it placed in the safezone as long as these enclosures remain open as some dogs with separation anxiety suffer from concomitant containment phobias. A safezone should be blocked out by a baby gate or in homes with open-plan layouts, a super wide gate may be needed. Tier 1: Protocol For Dogs Who Follow Owners Room- to- Room One thing many dogs suffering from separation anxiety share is extra clingliness, so much so, that many dog owners have started to nickname their dogs "Velcro Dogs." These dogs follow their owners from one room to another and like to sleep by their owners' feet so to be the first alerted when their owners are about to get up and walk around. This component of treatment for separation anxiety in dogs needs its proper protocol since it would be non-productive starting practicing outdoor absences if these dogs aren't even able to tolerate brief absences within the home. The goal of these exercises is to gradually build on distance until the dog can be left in a room while the owner is in another. On top of these exercises, it's ideal to encourage these dogs to sleep at night on their own bed or mat and sleep there as well during the day (rather than sleeping constantly on the owner's lap, glued to the owner's body or at the owner's feet). Note: some dogs are particularly attached to one person. To start the exercises easily, it is best to start with the person the dog is less attached to and then progress using the person the dog is attached to. Step 1: The first step entails having the dog to be able to relax and cope without following their owners everywhere. These dogs need to learn to perform brief sit/stays or down/stays on a mat or other comfy place while the owner walks around, but initially remains always in the dog's sight. Initially these sit/stays and down/stays should be very brief for just 1-2 seconds while the owner just takes a step or two away in various directions and then returns to reward. Criteria is then raised with the owner just walking a few steps away (3-4) and then returning to reward. Gradually, distance and duration can be added, but it's important to make sure to not make increases in time and distance predictable as dogs will soon come to predict this increase in difficulty and may grow incrementally anxious. To avoid this, mix in shorter (less time) stays and closer stays (less distance) frequently. For example, 2 second stay, then 4, then 3, then five, then 1, then 4, then 6, then 2 etc or 2 steps away, then 1, then 3, then 4, then 1, etc. Distractions at some point can be added as well. Clap your hands as you walk away, count to five out loud, turn your back to your dog, lift your arms, walk around your dog etc. If your dog ever breaks the stay just say a casual "oops" and send your dog back to the area where he was asked to stay. Resume the exercise, this time making it a bit less difficult before progressing to asking for more. Many clingy dogs follow their owners every time they get up from sitting. If your dog gets ready to follow you every time you are sitting on a chair or couch, and you put your hand on the arm rest or put down the remote, practice sit/stays and down/stays as you repeat these actions over and over. Then increase criteria, and start to get up repeatedly from your chair/couch/. Then get up and take a few steps and may be even walk around your dog and go back to sitting. These exercises should be done until fluent and the dog appears totally relaxed and no longer eager to follow. End the sessions with a jackpot of treats. Step 2: Gradually increase distance/duration. With longer duration, it's best to request down/stays to prevent tiring. Take more steps away (from standing or sitting) and for gradually longer times and start going out of sight. Ask your dog to down/stay on a mat as you briefly get out of view behind a wall or door for a split second, then return and reward. Repeat several times as you gradually mix in shorter absences and longer absences and shorter distances with farther distances, making sure to not allow you dog to detect an incremental pattern of difficulty. You can mix in brief errands too such as opening/closing a closet, grabbing a beer from the fridge or closing a window as long as they don't cause you to be out of sight for too long. These exercises should be done until fluent and the dog appears totally relaxed. Always end the sessions with a jackpot of treats. Step 3: Increase more the distance and duration. Install a baby gate, hide several treats around the enclosed area, send your dog there and have your dog explore his new confinement area and find the goodies. Leave the baby gate open for a couple of days so that the dog can freely visit and discover goodies in there. Next, practice briefs stays as you get in and out of the baby gate and return. Stay always in sight. Gradually increase the time you stay out as always mixing in briefer stays with longer ones, but not more than a minute in length. At some point, get out of the baby gate and start preparing a stuffed Kong that can be easily unstuffed in just a minute or so. Place the stuffed Kong behind the baby gate where your dog can see it and smell it and cannot get it. Your dog should try to get the Kong. Wait for a little bit of frustration to set in such as your dog trying to paw it or whine. Grab the Kong and give it to your dog as you remain in view at a distance behind the baby gate for 1 minute. Return inside. Repeat, reloading the Kong again making it more challenging to unstuff and then less challenging, so that you can increase the the time you stay out as always mixing in briefer stays with longer ones. Try to return when you know your dog is just about to finish unstuffing his Kong. Step 4: Start incorporating the treasure hunt game, using a portion of your dog's meals as outlined in the course. Have your dog sit/stay or down/stay as you get a portion of your dog's meal allowance and hide the kibble around. Have your dog watch you in anticipation and then as you leave the room and release your dog. Allow your dog to hunt as you are briefly out of sight. Return and repeat the exercise hiding the remaining portion of your dog's meal allowance and leaving as your dog goes on his hunt. As always, gradually increase the time you stay out of sight, mixing in briefer stays with longer ones, but not more than a minute in length. Alternatively, in lieu of the treasure hunt game, you can stuff a slow food dispenser such as a Kong Wobbler, Buster Cube or regular Kong with the kibble and let your dog work on it while you are away. At some point, start delaying your returns a bit so that your dog has finished hunting or eating from the Kong but doesn't appear to anxious about running out of food and being alone. Tier 2: Protocol for Uncoupling Pre-Departure Cues Dogs are masters in reading body language and learning all the cues that culminate into our departures. It's therefore not surprising when they start acting nervous when dog owners get up, have breakfast, and then put on makeup, shave, brush hair, put shoes on and grab the keys. These are all pre-departure cues that put dogs on high alarm, as these cues have been chained one to another and associated with departures. Uncoupling these associations requires some work. The work encompasses desensitizing to the pre-departure cues and breaking up their associations with the departures. These exercises are done when not leaving the home. Make sure that you therefore have time set aside for this. To start, compile a list of behaviors you perform normally when going to work or head out and identify the ones your dog seems to react to. Then, place them in order chronologically, starting with the one that is farthest away from leaving the house. You will then work on exposing your dog to these behaviors starting with the first and then chaining them one by one until the dog becomes uninterested in them as they lose value due to them no longer leading to departures. For instance, if your list looks something like this: put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys and walk out the door, your exercises will look something like this: (please note, sit on the couch/watch TV is an example, you can do many other things that your dog associates with you being home like knitting, washing the dishes etc.) Put on shoes, sit on the couch, watch TV (when you sit down and watch TV or read a book or go prepare a meal, do so for a few minutes each time) Put on shoes, grab briefcase, sit on the couch, watch TV Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, sit on the couch, watch TV Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, sit on the couch, watch TV Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door slightly, close door, sit on the couch watch TV Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, then back in, close door, return, sit on the couch watch TV Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, sit on couch, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door (with you outside), quickly reopen door, close door, return, sit on the couch, watch TV. Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, sit on couch, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door (with you outside), lock the door, unlock the door, return, sit on couch watch TV. Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door, lock the door (with you outside), and increase duration of staying outside gradually, but for no more than half a minute (always mixing in shorter absences in the midst of longer ones), then unlock the door, return, sit on the couch, watch TV. Note: If your dog seems upset by any of these behaviors, you may need to split them further. For example, if your dog is doing well up until you start opening the door (like you catch your dog whining), then, you may want to split the action of walking to the door in further segments (e.g take a few steps towards the door, return, sit on couch, then, walk to the door and stand in front of it, return, sit on the couch, then, walk to the door and touch the knob for a split second, return, sit on the couch, then walk to the door and open the door a bit for a split second, return, sit on the couch. Do this until the door can be successfully opened without the dog worrying about it. Tier 3: Exercises by the Door Monitor your dog for signs of distress These exercises are more difficult, and therefore, require dogs to be very well proficient at the previous tier level. Dogs should therefore have reached a point where they are fine with being left alone for up to half a minute as the owner stands behind the closed door. Because these absences are longer and more distractions are added (car engine starting), it helps to provide some high-value long-lasting goodies for the dog to consume such as a strategically stuffed Kong with layers (e.g a layer of cookies stuck at the bottom, kibble mixed with peanut butter, a cookie stuck midway, canned food, another cookie at the top). For longer absences, on top of a Kong, an automatic treat-dispenser set to release treats at frequent intervals can turn helpful. When providing goodies to consume for these absences, it's important to provide them as well while you are at home to prevent them from turning into a pre-departure cue signaling to your dog you are about to leave. At this point, it may also be important to use some form of remote monitoring so to assess how the dog is doing and keep tabs on progress and/or setbacks. Body language should be carefully assessed. Anytime a setback is noticed, it means that one must work more on a lower level until the dog is perfectly comfortable with that level. For example, if the dog becomes anxious upon being left alone for 8 minutes, more time should be spent practicing at lower times. Increments should be done in seconds rather then chunks of minutes always mixing in briefer times to make the exercises as variable as possible. Build the time gradually up to 30 minutes if possible. Arrivals should always be no big deal. Ignore your dog as you walk in and just go straight to the couch. Example of exercises: Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door, lock the door, start car engine, then unlock the door, return, sit on the couch, watch TV. Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door, lock the door, start car engine, spend a bit of time in the car, then unlock the door, return, sit on the couch, watch TV. Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door, lock the door, start car engine, move the car a bit ahead and then back into parking space, then unlock the door, return, sit on the couch, watch TV. Put on shoes, grab briefcase, grab keys, walk towards the door, touch the door knob, open the door, take a step out, close the door, lock the door, start car engine, drive the car around the block and then back into parking space, then unlock the door return, sit on the couch watch TV and so forth. Gradually increase more time spent away, mixing in shorter absences. A Word About Treatment For Separation in Anxiety in Dogs It's important to consider that slow and steady wins the race in behavior modification. It will take time, commitment and determination to attain results. The goal is to get a dog to be calm and reward that. Setbacks are always possible during behavior modification no matter how well planned the program. To reduce the chances of setbacks, it is best to perform separation anxiety exercises with the help of a professional for in-person evaluations and coaching. Once the dog appears calm in the safezone, it's time to generalize the behavior and practice in other areas of the house and with other family members. Hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

You are very welcome, Keep me posted on how things go. Best, Adrienne

OK, so for pups reluctant to going potty on walks, we need to boil down to what the exact issue is so to tackle it correctly. You have already excluded one, which is not being afraid of pottying in front of you since he goes with ease with you in the backyard. That leaves us with a few other possibilities. So I'll try to cover all basis. Here are few tips that come to mind: -Try to walk your puppy the first thing in the morning if your puppy is crated at night. Mornings after crating we are sure the puppy needs to go badly, so we have a higher chance for success in getting them to potty on walks. -Walk until your puppy goes. I know how exhausting this can be. I have been through this and it can be very frustrating. I had to once walk a dog for one hour and a half straight to get him to potty on leash as this dog was being trained to be a service dog and I had to train him to go potty on leash and then on command. Now, your puppy is very young, so a walk this long can be too tiring and he'll certainly need to go potty sooner, so just stick to a little walk and then just stand or find a place to sit down and let him be. Choose the spot wisely: look for a quiet spot where there are not many rocks or stones or other tempting stuff or distractions. -Try bringing inside a ziplock bag a cloth you have used to soak up a little bit of his urine from a previous mess he had in the home. Place the cloth on the ground and see if sniffing it can help encourage him to recognize the area as his new bathroom. Alternatively, place some of his previous stools in a bag and place them there and see if works. I know this sounds yucky, but it can help some dogs who need to recognize a new area as their new "bathroom." -If your puppy is scared of things on walks that may inhibit him from going potty. Many puppies find the outdoor world scary. This is because they are small and feel vulnerable possibly they instinctively don't want to leave traces around. Try chilling in front of the house rather than walking away from the house and then slowly work on increasing distance as your puppy gets more comfortable in going potty outside of the home/backyard. -Avoid areas where other dogs go potty. Your puppy is young so ask your vet when it's safe for him to frequent areas where there are other dogs or where other dogs potty. This is because young puppies who haven't completed their shots are vulnerable to infectious diseases such as parvo which can be transmitted by exposure to other dog feces. On top of this, some puppies may be reluctant to potty where older dogs have gone potty. -Don't go back inside until he goes potty. By taking him back inside after walking, your puppy may be learning to hold it so to go inside. We need to break this cycle. Be patient, he is just a puppy, he can't hold it forever. It gets better if we can get over this initial hurdle. So try to stick to your plan. -Keep the leash loose so that your puppy has space to wander a bit away from you and feels a bit more free as some dogs feel restrained by a leash. Even better, invest in a longer leash (like a 10 or 20 foot long line) and let it drag behind him so he doesn't even realize it is on. -Bring a tug toy or a flirt pole on walks to keep him busy. Activity such as play distracts puppies from other things on walks and movement makes puppies more likely to potty. Letting the puppy chase you around a bit can also help things moving. -Take your puppy on a walk after his meals as puppies have a gastrocolic reflex that makes them more likely to potty after eating. - Praise lavishly and reward with a tasty treat once your puppy goes potty on a walk. -Take your puppy to the same area he has used every time as that will help establish it as his new potty area. -While you're at it, aim to train your puppy to go potty on command: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/ -For the rock eating, aim to train your puppy the leave it and drop it command they are found here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/drop-it/ If you ever have to absolutely go back inside before your puppy has gone potty on the walk, keep him on leash (you can attach the leash to your belt or loop it around your waist) and stick by the door so that you can watch him and quickly take him out at the first sign of him trying to go potty. Once he relaxes, he may think to potty so be super ready to go out fast. I hope this helps! Keep me posted on how things go. Best, Adrienne

Hello and welcome to the forums, Changing behaviors that fall under aggression or anxiety involves to a good extent more behavior modification that training. With behavior modification we aim to work on changing the dog's underlying emotional response. The earlier a behavior is caught, the better chances to work on it productively, compared to behaviors that have been rehearsed by the dog over time. It is also important to prevent the dog from rehearsing troublesome behaviors over and over (barking, lunging etc) which allows these behaviors to put roots and become more and more difficult to eradicate. So it is good that that you are seeking help for something that just happened yesterday compared to something your dog may have done for a good part of her life. It is also good that you placed her in the crate and covered it with a blanket so to reduce the visual stimulation and keep her calmer. First of all, let's consider your dog's age. Your dog is at the age of 2, is at the peak doggy adolescent stage, a time when several changes take place just as it happens with human teenagers. It's not unusual for changes to happen and it can feel alarming at times. Studies have shown that doggy brains undergo rewiring during this time, sometimes resulting in problematic behaviors. You can read more about this stage here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ Now, it sounds like your dog may not be used to seeing your husband wearing a hat and carrying a ladder. Hats are known to be a trigger for many dogs because they change our shape and carrying a ladder can also make us appear quite odd too as it changes our silhouette. The fact that your husband was outside made him even appear more threatening, as she likely didn't recognize him until he walked inside. Some dogs are very quick to react and think later. Fear of hats and other accessories is covered here, in case you would like to get a sense of how it must feel to a dog to see us wearing them: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-people-wearing-hats-accessories/ This type of reaction benefits from a combination of desensitization and counterconditioning: In desensitization, one takes small baby steps in exposing the dog to its triggers in a systematic, structured way so that the dog does not react fearfully to the stimuli and is able to take treats. If you overwhelm and flood a dog exposing her to full intensity situations, you risk sensitizing her, which means you make her more reactive and more fearful. To learn more about desensitization read here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ In counterconditioning, the goal is to change a dog’s emotional response by using treats or anything the dog finds rewarding. The moment the dog sees the threatening stimulus at a distance where she is calm, she is fed treats, the moment the threatening stimulus disappears, no more treats. The goal is to make it clear that great things happen when trigger is in sight. Read more on desensitization here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ When we create positive associations and work diligently, we may come to create what's known as a positive conditioned emotional response: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ What if a dog won’t take treats? Most likely, this is an indication that the stimulus is too scary and the dog is over threshold. It's therefore important to keep the dog as under threshold as possible. Here is a read on threshold levels in dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ An exercise that may turn helpful in a case as such as is the "Look at that game." As you can see, the game combines desensitization and counterconditioning, by keeping the dog at a distance from the trigger and feeding treats when the dog sees the trigger from a safe area. You can read more on this method here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ Now a disclaimer is warranted here. Behavior modification comes with risks. A dog who is reactive may bite when touched or even with little to no provocation. This is referred to as a "redirected bite. " On top of this, behavior modification requires good observational skills to ensure the dog is under threshold and several judgement calls/quick interventions may need to be often taken so to gauge when one can progress to the next step or when a few steps back are needed. Not to mention, very reactive dogs that leave little space for finding an optimal distance to work under threshold, may require prescription medications to allow them to cognitively function enough for behavior modification to 'take" and be fully effective. This is why when a dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping) for safety, it's important to consult with an experienced dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Here is a general guide on dogs who bark at doorbells and knocks on doors: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/barking/doorbells-knocks-on-doors/ And a case study on a behavior modification protocol I used for a dog who barked when a particular person entered a door: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-barking-someone-enters-room/ I feel that reactivity cases as such require treatment because often such reactive dogs are overly stressed dogs. Powerful stress hormones circulate in their bodies each time they react, and this makes them have a sensitive startle response and they tend to respond in an exaggerated manner. These dogs are subjected to trigger stacking and need a cortisol vacation with less exposure to their triggers, and when they are exposed, it must be in such a systematic way so to not overwhelm and for the purpose of creating positive associations. The leash aggression you describe sounds like barrier frustration. Affected dogs are often playful with other dogs off-leash but bark/lunge/growl due to frustration of not being able to meet with the dogs. Of course, this is just an assumption, as only by seeing the behavior in person and gaining a thorough history can one "diagnose" a certain behavior issue with almost certainty. You can read more about barrier frustration here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/barrier-frustration/ I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions. Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dog's behavior against you.

Hi Marco, Welcome to the forums, Going potty in the backyard is good! Your puppy is very young and accidents in the home are not unusual, however, we want to try our best to minimize them as much as we can. If your puppy doesn't go potty on walks that tells us that he is able to "hold it" for some time, which is good, although we want him to to go in the right places. Since you mention your puppy goes potty in the backyard, I am assuming that by not going outside you mean going potty on walks? A puppy being reluctant to potty on walks can be that way due to various reasons such as: -The puppy being distracted by other things on walks (such as wanting to eat stones and other stuff as you mention) -The puppy being anxious on walks (dogs tend to potty when/where they feel safe) -The puppy not recognizing a designated area for going potty (pups like to often go potty in familiar places that already have their scent) -The puppy not being used to going potty while on leash (many dogs are just more comfortable off leash as they can freely sniff and circle) -The puppy being afraid of going potty in front of the owners (often occurs when they were startled or punished for going potty in the home by owners or previous breeders) The peeing on the lamppost you describe in your previous dogs sounds more like urine marking, which usually starts after the age of sexual maturity, which is around 6 to 12 months of age. If you are looking for more exact statistics consider that a study on urine marking in dogs revealed that urine marking started as follows: 10% started urine marking at 3 months of age, 20% started by 6 months, 40% started by 12 months, 70% by 1 year and a half, and 90% by 2 years. Urine marking is the deliberate act of urinating for other purposes other than physiologically emptying the bladder. When male dogs urinate, they often lift their rear leg on vertical items and dribble just a few drops of urine. The purposes for marking may be various, but the most common is to leave a "business card" or better, "pee-mail" for other dogs to smell. The urine is therefore left for the other dogs to inspect. The other dogs perceive a lot of information from these drippings, such as the dog's sex, age, rank, sexual availability and more. Female dogs in heat may urine mark more frequently prior to their heat and while in heat, so to inform nearby males about their sexual status. Intact males dogs may also mark more when there are female dogs in heat nearby to communicate their presence. It sounds like though your puppy is also having accidents in the house. To help your puppy learn to potty more in the backyard I would suggest the following: -Praising and rewarding when he uses the backyard. We want to communicate to your puppy that this is the best place to go potty so to make it his preferred area to potty. -If your puppy doesn't go in the back yard or on walks, watch him like a hawk for the next few minutes. The good thing here is the predictability. You stated "After minutes back inside, he pees or scratches the backyard door whining to go do his stuff there." This gives you power. So right after the walk, maybe keep him still on leash or just nearby the unlocked door so that you can quickly escort him outside and praise and reward him for going there. -Keep your puppy on a feeding schedule (this makes for more predictable outings). -If your puppy is nervous going potty in front of you, try to take him out and not look at him directly, maybe spy on him as you hide behind a bush, but be ready to praise and reward with a tasty treat for going. More troubleshooting ideas can be found here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/puppy-peeing-after-coming-inside/ I hope this helps, Let me know if you have further questions and keep me posted on his progress. I am always here to do any further troubleshooting if the problem persists. Best, Adrienne

Hi Jackie, Please see my reply to you in this previous thread:

Hi Jennifer, Gertie looks nice and comfy! I always wanted a swimming pool for my Rotties. Petra would have benefited from swimming after tearing her ACL. I just pinned this thread, thanks for the suggestion!

You bet! Happy training! Best, Adrienne

That's great! Thanks for the update. Keep it up!

Thank you for the extra details, they are very helpful! The unicorn is cute too:) In general, I don't recommend giving off lead privileges to dogs until they have a track record of being under perfect voice control and not getting into any type of trouble. Here's the thing, humping is a behavior that some dogs may tolerate, but it's one big provoking factor for dogs fights. According to a study conducted by Tami and Gallagher in 2009, excess mounting led to aggression 85 percent of the time. It may be just a matter of time that your dogs may encounter a dog who will not tolerate this behavior and may respond aggressively getting into a brutal fight. Here's the thing: dogs are very routine-oriented beings and when they rehearse behaviors over and over, they get stuck into their habits and practice makes perfect. When dogs therefore get to rehearse problematic behaviors over and over, it can become quite habit-forming and eventually it may become their default way for them to want to interact with other dogs. While we know that humping in dogs may be just a form of play or a way to release stress in situations that may be a tad bit overwhelming, it starts getting problematic when the humping becomes a pushy behavior and a dog becomes fixated on interacting with other dogs this way, especially when the other dog on the receiving end is objecting and trying to make the other dog stop. In general, with humping behaviors directed towards other dogs, the earlier the behavior is tackled, the better the outcome. A dog who has rehearsed the humping behavior for years is going to be more difficult to tackle compared to a dog who has just started. On top of this, a dog who will not redirect from humping (like upon being called) may be too far gone to really listen and redirect so could end up being attacked when the dog on the receiving end has had enough and decides to take the matter in his own "paws" so to say. Consider that the behavior can be self-rewarding so avoid allowing your dog to rehearse this behavior over and over as it can become quite habit-forming. In such a case, therefore, I feel it would be important to prevent the behavior from happening. This can be done through management (no more off leash encounters for now). This doesn't mean your dogs should no longer socialize with other dogs, it just means that you can provide socialization in more structured settings that prevent over arousal and self-reinforcement. For instance, try less overstimulating exposures such as organized walks with other dogs all on leash, hikes or small play groups with dogs who help the humper self regulate or dogs your dogs have never tried to hump. A good trainer may sometimes have some good teacher dogs who will not allow humping, but who do so without using real aggression other than the more subtle, ritualized forms. He or she may also work with your dogs, praising and rewarding in a timely fashion when they engage in any no-humping behaviors (this method is known as differential reinforcement of other behaviors). We can certainly train these dogs to be more under fluent voice control, but this requires some time in training along with very careful monitoring. One would need to recognize pre-humping behavior in a flash second (like that glaze in the eyes) and redirect at a moment's notice with super fast speed. As tempting as it can be to simply pull the dogs off, every time they hump other dogs, I have found that this method risks backfiring. By pulling the dogs off without dealing with the underlying issue, the dogs risk getting more aroused and frustrated A helpful training cue may be "leave it," but again, it's important to give this cue at the earliest signs your dog is about to hump. If you give it too late, your dog may not be able to listen. This may be difficult to accomplish though if you have both dogs off leash at the same time. Here is how to train leave it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/ Some dogs though seem to respond better to a smacking sound rather than voice, so it may be worthy trying to train a super reliable response to that as well. Here is the guide for that: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ Some dogs may respond to timeouts, especially when the behavior has a brief history (recently started). Many doggy day cares use this method. Dogs wear a short tab (very short leash attached to collar) and every time the dog is about to hump, he is taken to a quiet and boring timeout zone. Some dogs owners do this for a few times (like three strikes and you're out), and if the behavior persists, the fun is all over and the dog is put on leash and leaves the area. However, this method has also its negatives, like I wouldn't used it with dogs who have done this for some time, I feel this can create frustration and even aggressive responses in some cases. It can also make dogs learn to play hard to catch over time. So I prefer early redirection with the dog automatically removing himself from the situation because a leave it or smacking sound means something more rewarding than humping is about to happen. I hope this helps! Last but not least, consider that sometimes humping behavior may stem from underlying medical issues such as localized allergies and irritations. It may be unusual for both your dogs having this, but worthy of mentioning to have most basis covered. Let me know if you have any other questions! Best, Adrienne