Adrienne

The instinct to dig and search for critters is strong in this breed. As you may already know, Siberian Huskies come from Siberia where they were developed by the Chukchis, ancient semi-nomadic, reindeer-hunting people from northeastern Siberia. Back in those ancient times, huskies were primarily employed for help in hunting reindeer. Consider as well that, back in time, in the warmer parts of the year, when Siberian tribes had no use of sled dogs, huskies were sometimes let loose to go hunt for themselves. In those times, they would therefore likely capture and eat small rodents like voles and maybe even a few rabbits. With a history as hunters, learned over many hundreds of generations in harsh arctic conditions, it's therefore not surprising for huskies to have a strong prey drive. Prey drive in huskies is therefore a deeply ingrained instinctual behavior which cannot reliably be trained out. What you can try to do is train a strong response to the leave it and drop it command, starting in the home, then in the yard, and then practice on leash walking past temptations, using foods that are very valuable so to help your husky make good choices. You can find the section on training the leave it and drop it 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/ It also helps to provide outlets for instinctive hunting behaviors. It is important to offer the dog the chance to act out this natural instinct and drive. Brain games, food puzzles, treasure hunts, nosework, burying toys under sand, and the use of flirt poles can provide fun outlets for those strong instinctive drives. These games and exercises provide your dog legitimate alternatives to their undesirable prey behaviors. If you work on making these activities appealing and rewarding enough, your husky may prefer to engage in them with you and may be therefore less inclined to chase/search for prey. Hope this helps, Keep me posted! Happy training, Adrienne

Hi Jackie, I certainly understand how you must feel! To better provide a more accurate answer, can you please provide more info? -How old are your Labs? What sex are they? Are they both spayed and neutered? -Is this a new behavior? If not, for how long has this going on? -Where are they when this happens? On leash on walks, off leash on walks, at the dog park? at doggy day care? -What have you tried to far? -Have you noticed any common patterns as to when this behavior happens the most, and whether they seem to do this more with certain dogs? Thanks!

I am glad to hear you are wanting him inside more! When I hear this, I often deduce that a dog is better behaved and is more of a pleasure having him around. The dog is also likely bonding more and wanting to be more indoors with his owners rather than out on his own. This means a lot as it tells us the dog is finding more reinforcement indoors than outdoors. Kudos to you for a job well done! With an adult dog who has always used the outside to potty, the main problem is that dogs who are outdoors are used to going potty readily when the urge is felt. So being more indoors, would require him to learn to restrain himself and signal the need to potty by going towards the door. It is certainly doable, but requires careful supervision to watch him when he gets near the door so to open it in time to get him to potty outside. Installing a doggy door may help, although some dogs may need some time to learn how to use it. In general, we want to: -Always keep an eye on him in case you notice signs he needs to potty so to quickly accompany him. Signs may vary from one dog to another but may include a dog who was actively playing one moment and then suddenly wanders off, sniffing the floor, circling, appearing distracted, agitated, excited, or more active than usual, whining, walking towards the door. -We want to have a clear, unobstructed view of him at all times (nothing blocking the view) -We want to keep him in a room nearby the door so to readily take him out as necessary -We want to keep him on a feeding schedule so that he poops at specific times of the day and we can get accustomed with those times -We want to clean up any messes with an enzyme-based cleaner so to remove any traces of odor. -We want to avoid punishing for accidents as that only teaches dogs to eliminate when they are out of our sight (like under a bed, behind the couch). -We want to take him out frequently to potty and be out with him so to ensure he eliminates outside. If he eliminates (both poop and pee) we then know we can relax more when he's indoors until his next potty trip. -It is also helpful teaching a dog to go potty on cue, so when we send him outdoors he knows with time what we would like him to do. This takes some time to master, but it doesn't cost much to say simply "go potty" right before the dog eliminates every time he's taken outside. You can read on how to train this here:https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/advanced-potty-training/potty-on-command/ -More general info on potty training is described below. I know it talks about puppies, but the process is almost the same. He may struggle being crated if he wasn't ever crate trained, but if he is crate-trained, a crate can help in the process as it teaches the dog to hold it. He shouldn't be crated for too long though or for longer than he could hold it. And of course, with him being older, he won't need to potty as frequently as a puppy with little bladder and bowel control, which is a good advantage. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/7-secret-potty-training-strategies/ I hope this helps, Keep me posted on the process! Best, Adrienne

Hello and welcome the forums, When we train with treats, we do want to wean them gradually as they learn the behavior fluently. If we do this too early, in the initial stages of learning, we may interfere with the learning process and the dog may give up trying. So if your dog is performing the behaviors you have trained well, stop by the "polishing up training section," and read how to move from a continuous schedule to a variable schedule. The process is known as "fading continuous rewards" and can be found here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/polishing-up-training/fading-continuous-rewards/ Consider that if you stop giving treats or other forms of rewards completely, you risk that the behaviors extinguish. So it's important to maintain those learned behaviors with some goodies every now and then. Also consider, that you can provide other forms of food rewards (like kibble if your dog likes it enough when training in the home, why not put it to good use rather than giving it for free in a bowls?) and you can also mix in life rewards every now and them to reinforce desirable behaviors. You can read more about the use of treats and alternatives here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/use-treats-training-dog/

You are very welcome! I looked up the model of the car and it looks a bit high. I think some dogs struggle a bit also getting enough momentum to jump in and may not be comfortable if we are a bit in the way or interfering. With some hesitant dogs, I sometimes find that staying a bit behind them while holding them by collar a bit at a distance from the car and preventing them to jump in while a helper opens the door. This may build enough motivation for them to go in quickly once I release them. I like to say "up up!" excitedly as they go up so to associate the act of going up with the verbal cue which can come handy in the future. Of course, this may work well only with dogs we trust and know won't escape and go elsewhere when we release that collar! Keep me posted on how things go, and we can always do more troubleshooting if he's still struggling.

In general anything that says it stops barking fast is something that suppresses the behavior and has to use some type of aversive, either shock, sounds or citronella spray. I know some vets who still recommend shock collars although many reputable behavioral organizations have position statements against their use. If the barking is due to him barking in frustration because he was getting bits of food, and now not any more, it should subside, but expect some extinction bursts along the way (barking increasing before getting better, or trying some new behaviors to get your attention). Even attention of the negative type (like looking at the dog, talking to the dog even to reprimand is considered attention, so it's best to totally ignore. We can set our dogs for more success though if we give them something to keep them occupied long enough for us to finish our meals. It's best to have this ready beforehand so that a dog doesn't try to bark as you prepare it. With dogs who bark as I prepare their meals, I tend to stop and go back to sitting until the dog is quiet again for some time and if they bark as I get up, I go quickly back to sitting. Then after a bit, I try to walk again towards the meal-preparation area. Quiet gets me preparing their meals faster, barking gets me back to sitting. After several trials, dogs catch on quickly learning that they better be quiet if they want me to prepare their meal. As pups mature and learn better impulse control and therefore longer stays, we can start gradually delaying the time we provide the food to keep them occupied, building up to where they will stay on the mat waiting for their food after we are done eating. Both my Rotties learned to go on their maps during our meals, lie there and chill/snooze until we were done and then we would give them a cookie (or healthy left overs suitable for dogs) to reward their patience. With time, it became a strongly established routine. As a management tool for pups who haven't learned yet to stay on a mat or in a designated area for long, it is also possible to use a tether as an extra tool to keep them put in one area. A tether is simply a short nylon-coated cable with sturdy snaps at both ends. For smaller dogs or dogs who won't pull and panic, one can simply loop the leash around the leg of a heavy table (of course one that won't collapse or break!).

Welcome to the draining, (albeit rewarding) puppy owning club! When I read about owners of pups of this age, I imagine circles around their eyes due to the lack of sleep and all the stress between getting pups out to potty so often, getting pups used to their crates, collars, leashes and starting training on top of that. And then, not to mention all the nipping! Kudos to you for managing to train sit, down ad stay in such a short time! Jennifer provided you with great tips there! Your puppy is very young right now and still has little bladder control. Last pups I had to foster at this age required two nightly trips around the time you are taking yours out. Then a week or two later, only one nightly trip was enough, and then another week only one early morning trip at 8:00 AM when he last night outdoor trip was at midnight (8 hours of sleep finally!) Accidents during the day are pretty normal at this age, your pup may want to hold it, but by the time he realizes it, pee is already coming out. Frequent trips, recognizing early signs, praise and rewarding outdoor elimination, and using the crate and right products to clean messes can help. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/7-secret-potty-training-strategies/ Just so that you are aware, consider that young pups may also pee when they are excited or a bit intimidated, but these are not really a potty training issue, but something emotional that tends to get better with time. You can read these types of peeing here so that you know what I am talking about: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/submissive-urination/ You can find various bite inhibition games here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/bite-inhibition-games/ and here is a guide to train pups to gauge the pressure of their bite: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/train-dog-take-treats-gently/ More nipping options and troubleshooting: Most pups don't like to be restrained for long at such a young age. Some can be touch sensitive if the breeder didn't handle them much. Your hands are perceived as what keeps him still and he may object to that. Try to make being restrained briefly as a positive thing. Look at the collar grab exercises described in the lower portion of the recall under "troubleshooting": https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/recall/ Here's a guide split into smaller steps: Collar Touches/Grabs Puppies may struggle with being grabbed by the collar especially if the collar grab leads to something unpleasant. It's therefore a good idea habituating puppies to collar grabs in case we need to get ahold of the puppy in an emergency situation. So work on this, equip yourself with high-value treats. Call your puppy show a tasty treat and slightly touch the collar while you simultaneously feed him the treat while you are touching the collar, then remove your hand from the collar the moment your puppy is done eating the treat. Repeat several times, collar touch/treat, collar touch/treat, collar touch/treat until upon touching the collar your dog looks at you for treats. Next, start raising criteria: slide your fingers gently under the collar, feed a treat, once done eating, remove your fingers from under the collar. Rinse and repeat until your pup seems happy when you slide your fingers under the collar. Next, gently hold the collar with your hand and feed a treat, once done eating, remove your fingers from under the collar and release. Rinse and repeat. Next, grab the collar and gently let your pup walk a step while you feed a treat, once done eating, release. Rinse and repeat. Next, grab the collar and gently guide your puppy towards a treat you are holding in your other hand. Once done eating, release. Rinse and repeat. Next, call your pup from a distance and when he arrives, grab the collar, make him walk a few steps and feed a treat. Once done eating, release. As seen, the goal is to make great things happen when the pup's collar is touched. Same with petting and holding the pup, create positive associations with touch by feeding a treat when petting and holding and then stop petting holding when the pup is done eating. Treats happen contingent upon being pet and held. Repeat several times until your dog appears more comfortable with being touched. Then you can gradually progress to petting and holding for longer by gradually adding duration. You may then raise criteria and try to progress to petting and holding and giving the treat right after a few strokes of petting or holding rather than at the same time being pet/held. Work at your pup's pace, if at any time you are petting/holding and he tries to bite, it's likely because he isn't ready for that length of time or intensity of touch. Consider that pup can also get nippy when they are cranky and in need for a nap. Take a few steps back in the process and resume from there. Hope this helps, Let me know if you have any more questions or need more help. Best, Adrienne

I have wondered whether the bark buster devices with high pitched frequencies are worth a go? I assume that the devices you are describing are meant to emit sounds that are uncomfortable to dogs so to produce a startling effect that will deter them from barking. Despite being advertised as painless (some compare its startling effect to the reaction to hearing a smoking alarm in humans), one must consider its effects on the dog. Sure, the dog may not be hurt in a physical way, but the animal can be impacted at an emotional level. If you are planning to use a high-frequency device to stop your own dog from barking, consider that using a device to instill fear in a dog is not a good way to train. It may lead to undesirable consequences that can be far worse than the barking itself. Yelling or punishing a dog for barking can often lead to the opposite effect. Rather than quieting the dog, it often results in more barking. And if, by any chance, it does succeed in quieting the dog, there can be potential negative side effects such as the dog becoming fearful of the owner, the dog getting more and more anxious and possible afraid of being alone (noise phobias have bee associated with separation anxiety), or even developing chronic stress that may lead to health issues. The fact that startling sounds can have a negative impact on dogs is something that has been known for some time. A study dating back to 1990 proved that ultrasonic sounds were aversive to dogs, triggering dogs to react aversively and with apprehension. So it is my belief that suppressing barking by using punishment devices doesn't do any good as barking is a form of communication. It stops the noise, but doesn't address the underlying emotional turmoil. What if the dog barks because lonely, frustrated or under-stimulated?. What if, he's anxious or fearful? By addressing the underlying emotions behind a dog's barking, one can address the issue at the root. This allows us to solve problems without the fallout associated with aversive tools while also working on a better relationship.

You are very welcome. Please use extra caution and always make safety top priority. When trading, use a door or baby gate as an extra precaution to separate yourself when you need to collect food bowls or something your dog chewed on so that you can close the door/baby gate once your dog walks past it. Also use a muzzle if you are concerned your dog may bite. We have a video here in the archive on how to muzzle train dogs. 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 your dog's behavior as against you.

With the bowl on the ground, use caution as well when it's time to collect the bowl. Some dogs guard empty food bowls as well. I would aim as well to create a positive conditioned response to picking up the bowl by tossing a treat or some extra kibble the opposite way as you go to collect it. I find it's better to overdo than underdo with these things.

When you mention using a long lasting high value treat to throw in the opposite direction so we can get whatever it is she is chewing on, I am just concerned that we will be on this never ending train of trying to find something better than what she has. Is it okay to give her something that is still higher in value but is not as long lasting? Well, the purpose is to create a strong impression that we are the providers of great things, and that if we need to take away, we offer something that is far better. For sake of an example, back to eating out, imagine you are at a restaurant complaining about a steak not being as rare as you hoped for. The waiter apologizes, takes your steak away and returns with a much smaller steak albeit it's rare as you hoped. You may say nothing at first, but you may feel disappointed. If this happens often enough, a day may come when you may have had enough and get angry or stop dining there. I say this because after some time, if the trade isn't fair enough, the dog may come to learn that it's not worthy giving up the long-lasting chew and the dog at some point may instinctively move towards the treat and then make a sudden about face and decide to go back for the long-lasting chew with the risk of biting if you're right about to pick it up. So I call it the art of "fair trading". It may sound complicated but it really isn't. Like if your dog chews on something, you can have something higher in value that can last somewhat long versus gobbled up in a second always ready so that you can swap. If a dog is chewing a shoe that isn't edible by any way, you can even swap that for a dog treat that you can cut up in various pieces so that your dog has to go on a little treasure hunt which adds durability and gives you time to retrieve the swapped item. Of course, it also helps to keep things that a dog isn't supposed to chew out of the way, so that we don't have to swap too often 😉 Yup, until she is more trustworthy, keeping separated when your nephew is over is the best approach. We don't want any accidents to happen.

Should we try to leave her bowl on the ground and do the walk by treat drop? We've done this in the past and it seemed to work, but then it got worse again so we stopped and started holding the bowl. Please note that placing treats in the food bowl was just an example of the work I do with puppies mostly those young ones who have no history of resource guarding or very mild signs so to teach them that great things happen when I approach them while eating. With dogs with already a history of resource guarding, who threaten to bite or who are older, I will toss the treats as I walk by as any type of approach near their bowls (even a hand approaching to add treats) can be perceived negatively as if we were instead trying to take away. Holding the food bowl puts you too close for comfort and your hands on the bowl can be perceived as your intent of really wanting to keep possession of the bowl and its contents. It's sort of like a waiter reaching for and holding on to your plate when you are trying to finish a delicious steak. It would make you eat faster so that he doesn't take it back while all sorts of bad things may cross your mind (rude waiter, I haven't finished my meal yet, let me finish in peace!). Here is a quote I often use for owners or guarders from a respected veterinary behaviorist: "“We should be advising clients against poking and prodding a dog while eating. It may help to tell clients that messing with a dog’s food bowl when he is trying to eat is like somebody messing with your plate or petting your head when you are trying to eat dinner. Nobody likes that. However, you may be more tolerant, maybe even look forward to the person approaching if you know that the person was going to give you a small bowl of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy ice cream every time approached.”— Dr. Albright, veterinary behaviorist I know there is a strong belief that dogs who guard stuff are trying to be in control, so called "alphas" and that these dogs must submit to us, but resource guarding is no longer considered an issue of a dog who wants to be alpha. After the dominance myth has been debunked, we know that dogs who guard bowls are actually dogs who are anxious and insecure around resources. They come to see us as enemies and holding their bowls or petting them as they eat, only confirms to them that we really have an intent to take things away. So for safety, please no touching your dog or touching the bowl anymore. That only makes your dog rehearse the problematic behavior, and the more it's rehearsed, the more it puts roots and establishes, confirming that you really have an intent to take her food away. So if you want to work on this issue for now as a stating point, leaving her bowl on the ground and tossing treats as you walk by at a distance she's comfortable with can be helpful, but you'll need to make sure that you gauge her carefully and keep your distance from her and ensure she is always under threshold as much as possible. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ You want to aim for a positive conditioned emotional response, rather than tension. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ The more she reacts, the more you are communicating to her that you are a threat and this sets you back in any progress made. For extra safety, erecting a baby gate in between you and your dog can help protect you in case she may feel threatened enough to react. Consider that working on anxiety, aggression requires behavior modification more than just training, so there are greater margins for error if done too fast or sloppily, and more risks, therefore I always recommend for safety and correct implementation to consult with a behavior professional who can provide in-person coaching and assistance. Hence why I always post disclaimers and suggest dog owners work along with a professional.

Hi Judy, I think this type of barking is tackled in the barking section because it falls more under begging behaviors. We have a begging section here with some tips: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/begging/ If you want him in the room with you, you need to make absolutely sure that no food falls from the table and that any family members are entirely on track with the rules. Keep your chairs nicely tucked in, ignore the dog and make sure no crumbs or other stuff ever fall from the table and that your pup never gets to jump on a chair or stand up towards the table to lick or steal stuff. Keep the chairs always tucked in under the table to prevent opportunities. This form of barking when ignored is prone to going through an extinction burst (behavior increasing before decreasing or even the addition of other new behaviors) so hold on tight to your rules of ignoring your pup when you are eating. Wear ear plugs if needed. If you have neighbors and live in a tight-knit neighborhood, your best option may be keeping him busy while you are eating by training your dog to go on a mat and giving him a long-lasting treat (like a frozen Kong) or keeping him behind a baby gate. Boundary training like Jennifer explained can help too, although you may be stuck with a dog who still barks behind that boundary, so you may find it helpful to to give him something to stay occupied.

Hi Judy, If he is going to all these great places and is happy to come back home, I don't see why he would decide to turn stubborn for no rhyme nor reason and refuse to get in the car. I suspect there may be more to it. It may be that there's some component of the going in the car that he's not totally comfortable with. It could be he doesn't like to be lifted (as they get heavier it's easy to struggle with it and they sense it) or maybe isn't 100 percent comfortable with you placing his front paws on the step or lifting his bottom up. It could also be he didn't like that stranger lifting him up that one time. Or maybe one time he slipped a bit or wiggled a lot and didn't feel his body much supported and that was perceived as frightening. I know dogs who cringe and play hard to being picked up just because of their bodies not being well supported and them fearing it. Anything that may look quite irrelevant to us, can be quite a big deal with some dogs. And springer spaniels in general are quite sensitive dogs overall, so chances are, some component of getting in the car he isn't too OK of. I think it may help to increase his confidence into willingly jumping in the car so that you don't have to help him in. You can try following the steps outlined in the below article by practicing with a couch at first and then progressing to teaching him to jump on the floor of the car (move the seats back for extra room) rather than the actual seat. I always recommend checking with a vet should the dog have some type of pain or orthopedic issue that may impede them from jumping up comfortably. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-getting-car/ Other strategies that come to mind is having a helper hold him on the leash while you open the car door and place something your dog really loves and that he doesn't get often to tempt him. Then have the helper see if he would willingly jump in the car. If he doesn't, then you can start the car engine, and give him another opportunity, and then just leave with the car (even just a ride around the block) to teach him that he has lost a great opportunity. Then, you can rinse and repeat and try again, to see if he has learned his lesson. This strategy is similar to what many people do with dogs who refuse eating their meals due to being finicky. They'll place the food bowl down and if the dog doesn't eat within a few minutes, the food bowl is removed, and only offered again at next meal time. Rep after rep, the dog gets hungrier and learns to seize the moment and eat so to not deal with another lost opportunity. If you go to your sister's house, you can also try to use her dog as an example if she jumps enthusiastically in the car. Let him watch her with what ease she jumps in and out with no problems. Many dogs learn best by watching other dogs. When you arrive home, if possible, you can try parking your car in your garage and then get out of the car and see if he'll jump out to follow you voluntarily inside the home. No dogs like to be left alone, so he'll likely gain the courage to jump out. Always be ready to praise and reward for showing signs of confidence, no matter how small. These dogs need every ounce of encouragement. Keep me posted on how things go, we can always do more troubleshooting if he's still struggling.

Hello and welcome to the forums, With inclement weather, the good thing is that brain games can be mentally stimulating (some claim they can be even more tiring than exercise on its own). On top of brain games, nosework and clicker training can also be great ways to tire out a dog on those rainy, snormy days. Usually, dogs who will listen only when treats are involved simply think that treats are the part of the equation and therefore have become overly dependent on their presence. In other words, over time, the presence of food may become the actual cue to perform the behavior and if you present the food when your dog has repeatedly refused to obey your verbal or visual cue, this will reinforce the belief that the sight of the food is the actual cue to perform the behavior. This is why it's important when using treats/food, to fade out their sight as soon as possible. You can read more about the whole ordeal and process here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-listens-treats/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/polishing-up-training/fading-food-lures/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/use-treats-training-dog/ In regards to resource guarding, I personally use the same method when needed to remove something from a dog that is prone to guarding, but I add a few extra safety steps by tossing the high-value food the opposite direction past a baby gate or door so that I can close that door/baby gate once the dog is past it allowing me to safely remove the item. On top of that, I ensure that the high-value treat is always much more valuable than the item left behind while also considering durability. I often see trainers use a single treat, to remove a bone, but in my opinion the dog is not totally satisfied with the trade (the dog eats the treat and goes back looking for the bone or appears distressed), so I try as much as possible to trade a long-duration chew like a bone that has been consumed for the most part, with something durable as well such but offering more to eat such as a bully stick or stuffed Kong. To answer your question: how do you train a dog using treats without enabling the food aggression tendencies? The answer is that it depends on the extent of the problem. Is she ever guarding food that you have on you such as in your treat bag or pockets? Or does she guard only when she is in full possession of them? If it's only when she is in possession of something, the issue is mostly a matter of trust. The dog doesn't trust us being close to them because they fear losing access to such items. So when they growl or snap when we are removing a food bowl, food wrapper or chewed toy, we are only confirming their fears, exacerbating the issue. We can therefore only increase trust by showing to them repeatedly that, not only it's not our intent removing the item, but that we are actually thinking of adding stuff or trading something by providing something 10 times better. This concept takes time to sink in in dogs who have rehearsed resource guarding for some time, but after several reps we may start seeing changes from body tension to a happy face or tail wag. Once we gain this response, it's important to keep it up and practice several rehearsals of happy additions and trades every now and then for maintenance. For instance, with puppies, I like to make it a habit every now and then of nonchalantly walking by the food bowl and adding some goodies to the point of creating a conditioned emotional response. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ For some serious guarders, I will keep my distance and toss the goodies towards the food bowl as I pass by rather than placing them in the bowl directly. As I do this, I always monitor for signs of the dog going over threshold which tells me that a few steps back need to be taken.: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ For some dogs who are too hyped up about treats, we can also try using their kibble instead and see if this mellows them down a bit... just enough for them to still be active participants, but without getting too overly stimulated by it. I can see how your trainer may be concerned about puzzle toys making her worse as we have food and a toy combined, however, there can be ways around this. For instance, rather than filling them with treats, we can fill them with kibble if your dog perceives kibble as lower value and we can provide such toys behind a baby crate. We can then trade them for something else once the dog has emptied them (which should reduce its value) while using the method described above (using higher value treats and a door/baby gate for extra safety). Of course, check with your trainer on this though as I have not personally assessed your dog so I don't the extent of her possessive behavior. You can read more threads on resource guarding here: Recalls can be somewhat of a challenge sometimes with Pyrenees and Pry mixes. I don't know what percentage of Pry she has, but these dogs are serious workers and want to ensure everything is OK outside. They are bred to be independent thinkers. They are not though *dominant* in the way we may think: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dominance/ They are for the most part smart, independent thinkers who need to be convinced that what you are asking them to do is in their best interest. “Because I said so” won't cut it with this breed. This is a breed that therefore has you thinking outside of the box. The goal is working together to find a common ground – a positive, trusting relationship. With the recall, you may need to take baby steps to create a strong reinforcement history which makes your recall music to her ears. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/recall/ Start indoors. With a Pyr I had, we practiced indoors a lot at first and the best reinforcer for her was giving her a treat and then letting her out to explore to do her own thing of checking the perimeter of the fence and marking. If you are calling her to come inside from outside, this may be perceived as punishment rather than reinforcement because she feels that she has important things to do outside such as checking things out. At 9 months, your dog is an adolescent, and therefore we can see several changes during this time. Important is to keep up the training, socialization and keeping that brain and body active. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ Pry are also roamers and need a securely fenced yard, I don't know if you have this or are planning to get a fenced area, but the instinct to roam is strong in these dogs. Keeping her on a long line may be a good compromise for now. A long line is a sort of long leash that comes in various measurements and can be found for dogs online or an alternate version for horses in tack stores that can be used for dogs as well. I hope this helps, Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be happy to go more in depth. Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: behavior modification for resource guarding 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.

Hello and welcome to the forums! Ellie is a smart girl! To tackle her repeated sitting, you can try the following: -Don't let her see the treat. Hide it in your pocket, sit down and when you see her standing, just ask her to sit. She'll likely readily comply. Praise and rewards when she does. -Ignore her voluntary sits, reward her sits only when asked to. -Once she sits, praise and toss the treat so that you "reset her" and she's back to standing giving you the opportunity to ask for another sit. -Anticipate her by being quick. You know she's about to sit? Beat her up to it by asking her to sit before she does it. To tackle her sit when asked to come: -Be quick and reward her the moment she approaches you by lowering your hand and and hand feeding the treat or you can toss the treat before she has the opportunity to sit. -If you want though to have a recall with a sit (I know many want this), call her and try your best to say "sit" before she does. In regards to her sitting even before you make the hand gesture, it sounds like she's a step ahead and has figured every thing out, so yes, you can certainly just say "sit" before she sits and when her bottom touches the floor, praise and reward. Happy training!

Ahh, I understand! When my dogs were sick and wouldn't eat, I would offer them something tasty and then I was in your same spot. It took some days to get them back on kibble by putting the bowl down and keeping it there for 10 minutes, and if they didn't eat it, I would remove it and only offer it again at the next feeding. Usually by 2 times, they would learn to eat right away after feeling more hungry. However, it's important to check with a vet before doing this as some medications (especially pain meds like Rimadyl and Metacam) need to be given on a full stomach. The swallowing the kibble like that can be just his way of eating, but next time you see the vet ask if his bite looks OK. I say that, because a dog I had for training and boarding some time back used to drop treats a lot and would gulp down her food like there was no tomorrow. Turns out, this dog had an "overshot mouth" where the top teeth extended over the lower ones (see picture below) which caused pain when eating so she would just inhale her food within seconds. Not saying your dog has this, just worthy of ruling out! There are food bowls for dogs who eat food fast such as the Brake-Fast bowl for dogs (and many newer models), or you can organize treasure hunts or feed his Kibble in a Kong Wobbler to slow him down- once the vet gives the OK to have him moving more freely around. With large dogs, we want them to eat slower as they can be swallowing too much air and this leads to annoying burping, gassiness, bloating and even life threatening stomach torsions (GDV) in deep-chested dogs. Glad to hear he's made friends with Mr. Hoover!

It would be truly wonderful if dogs could share to the extent humans do.. it would make our lives much easier! Every now and then on Youtube we see videos of owners raving about their dogs sharing bones and food bowls. As endearing as this can be, sometimes there are very subtle signs of impending trouble and even if things seem to go well overall, there's always that chance that things may change at some point. Close supervision for alterations is always a must. "Humans may prefer sharing food widely, but this is not the case among canines," points out Adam Miklosi in the book: "Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition." Here's the thing: from an ethological point of view, the protection of food is a typical behavior that has been observed among a dog's ancestors, the wolf and that has perpetuated into the dog most likely because it's an adaptive behavior (that ups the chances for survival in case of scarsity). David Mech who studied wolves during the summers of 1986 to 1998 on Ellesmere Island, Canada, described an ‘ownership zone’ around the wolves' mouth, or within lunging distance, which was respected by others. Sure, dogs aren't wolves, but they retain several traits, albeit they may have modified with time. With domestication, breeders and then owners mostly control access to food food distribution. However, often dog owners struggle with their dogs having squabble albeit innocent over resources such as toys, food and bones. That's understandable considering our culture. Sometimes though dog owners may become intolerant of one dog repeatedly taking things from the other or guarding and he or she may reprimand such dog for guarding stuff from the other and for dogs refusing to share. Such unrealistic expectations though can risk making things much worse. "The expectation that dogs should inhibit this behaviour is either anthropomorphic or it assumes that this behaviour has been selected against during domestication. However, even in the latter case, many dogs need to be trained to show temperance," further points out Miklosi. "Dogs, being predators, come programmed to guard resources that are crucial to their survival as part of their behavioral inheritance from their ancestor, the wolf. Some of those resources may be in short supply at certain times of year or in certain environments, and are therefore valuable," says dog trainer Grisha Stewart. "Socially skilled adult dogs don't normally take things from each other by force. If it's in your zone it's yours until you relinquish it. These rules are not instinctive or innate. Dogs have to learn them. "points out Alexandra Semyonova. Of course, while dog-to dog guarding may be acceptable to certain levels where it's mostly communication and respect for personal spaces, we certainly though treat dog to human resource guarding differently, in terms of addressing it even if it's very subtle such as just a growl or a dog rushing to grab the resource as we're walking towards it. Early intervention in key. This doesn't mean we should ignore dog-to-dog guarding, we just need to constantly monitor it to ensure things don't escalate and no dog is emotionally impacted as it can come to harm both parties (the dog who lashes out is most likely always stressed due to compulsive thoughts of losing the resource, the victim dog can become stressed being about even innocent things such as just walking around and breathing). So the options to manage resource guarding are always these: strict management to prevent rehearsal of troublesome behavior (feeding food, treats, toys, bones or anything dogs seem to fight over in separated areas using crates, doors, exercise pens, extendable gates and baby gates. Cleaning up as much as possible, e.g. removing empty food bowls, pieces of bones, stuffing from toys and crumbs. Training obedience cues fluently e.g. training all dogs to respond promptly to leave it, go to your mat, down, smacking sound, and come so to redirect dogs at a moment's notice from each other as needed so to avoid conflict. And of course, enlisting the help of a certified veterinary behaviorist/behavior consultant for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification (desensitization and counterconditioning mostly to obtain that lovely +CER https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ Yup, good things happening contingent on the presence of the other dog/animal. Treating resource guarding among dogs/animals who share the same home can be complex and requires years of practice, skill, careful observation, and the institution of safety measures. In some cases, meds may be needed along with behavior modification to pave the path to cognitive changes that evoke a better state of learning.

I agree with you that dogs can learn from other dogs. Einstein learned quickly raised leg urination upon seeing my father in law's collie urine mark and Petra once saw me training this collie to do steps of attention heeling, but he would sort of raise his head high trying to snatch the treat every few steps and next thing I know, Petra is doing this same upward movement after just one trial of watching him and she never did this before! When potty training puppies, I always had my Rotties show them where to pee in the yard and they must have done it with such an exemplary satisfactory look on their faces that pups caught quickly and started peeing in the yard like champs. Recent research has also have found evidence that suggests that dogs can engage in social learning which includes the ability to observe the actions of other dogs and imitate them to learn new behaviors. So much so that Claudia Fugazza, a dog trainer in Italy and her colleagues have discovered that not only can dogs imitate other dogs, but they can also imitate people. Fugazza therefore crafted her own " Do As I Do protocol" and even wrote a book on it. Back to your case though, I think if this is a new behavior, we must also consider all the recent changes Abbi has gone through. Abbi can smell differently from being at the vet, Abbi is now super hungry and Abbi may appear weaker to her household companions, and these changes in state of health can sometimes cause some unexpected changes within a group of dogs living together. So I think we should factor in these changes. I have seen this even with my dogs. When Petra was weaker, for the first time ever in her life she got in a rather serious squabble with Einstein. By serious, I mean of the type that for this first time ever I had to almost intervene because things were getting rather intense. What happened is that Petra had some food in front of her that she didn't seem like she wanted to eat, and Einstein must have noticed that, so he decided to try to snatch it from her. The moment he decided to try to approach the food he was met with loud barking and teeth snapping in all directions, and Einstein who normally would have backed away when she was healthier, this time was barking back and they were both at it. It was ugly to hear and watch. Lesson learned: Petra was weaker, but just because of that, she wasn't willing to allow Einstein to have a free pass and give up her food to him. No way- even if she didn't want it. But Einstein must have felt that with her being weaker, he could have taken that chance and acted bolder than he would have usually done in the past. So from that day on, I made sure that Einstein wouldn't approach when Petra had food (he always responded well to his go to mat cue) and if she didn't eat it within a certain timeframe, I would remove it so to not institute in her a need to feel tense and propense to guarding. Petra was always propense to guard things from Einstein, most of her life. When she had a valuable item such as a bully stick, she would go to her spot and Einstein better not approach. That was fine, Einstein respected that. Indeed, they were fed bully sticks at the same time, so this was never an issue, if he finished first and I would see him approach, I would redirect him back to his mat. If for some reason though he would approach her, he knew better not to mess with her as Petra was very serious about boundaries when in possession of something valuable. Here's the thing: When Dog A guards food and Dog B respects that, usually there is no problem. Sure, it's not fun to see dog A growl and act protective, but it's still ritualistic aggression, dogs using their words to avoid real conflicts. Problems start when for some reason Dog B decides to act bolder and push things further. It may not always be that dog B gets bolder though, that may just be our perception. It could be also that, as dog A gets older or weaker, he or she may may no longer communicate effectively as before and gives mixed messages that cause dog B to get in trouble. For instance, Petra would normally grab her bully stick and walk far from Einstein to eat in peace, with her head hovering over the possession. Instead, when sick, she would rather stay in one spot and place her head on her paws and appear to nap and act disinterested. Einstein might have taken that as a sign that she was not interested in the food so he may have felt more compelled to 'test the waters" than he would have in the past when she was more actively guarding. So I think we must consider the recent changes. Abbi is more hungry than usual, on top of this, steroids can cause behavior changes and Gertie must be sensing she's getting weaker, and this whole ordeal creates tension, and changes are difficult in dogs who have shared the household for so long. So I think strict management may be the safest option at this point since you're sort of between a rock and a hard place considering that Abbi may not be feeling well and her threshold for aggression may have lowered. On top of this, Gertie may be sensing weakness and these are such subtle changes that, even though we can certainly work on changing the underlying emotions, it may be difficult to change these physical/behavioral changes (both due to illness/aging and side effects of meds) and perceptions.

It's very frustrating when there are inaccurate weight readings, let alone mismatches of medical records and test results! Reminds me of when I once boarded Einstein when he had Valley Fever and the attendant forgot to give him his fluconazole meds for his entire stay. I gave them a bottle of 10 pills and he came home with a bottle of 10 pills! Ironically, I boarded him in a veterinary hospital because I felt he would get better care due to his illness so I paid extra just for the extra peace of mind of having medical staff attending to him. I was so angry at that time! Thanks for sharing the picture, Abbi looks comfy and that's what counts. She's surrounded by those who love her in familiar surroundings and it's great that she's in no pain and that she still has an appetite. With Petra, our oncologist reassured us that she would not be in pain, but that she would just start getting gradually weaker, but I still kept pain meds on hand and luckily our main vet was happy to prescribe those just in case. We really never needed them fortunately, but it was reassuring to have them on hand just in case. My vet was also on call should her condition have gotten worse and it was reassuring knowing that she did house calls. Her illness was made of many normal days initially and then some ups and downs. It was emotionally draining as we were often worried about what the next day brought around the corner. Nights and weekends were worrisome because our home is in a rural area and the only emergency vet open at those times was almost 2 hours away. We decided though to make the most of her time and so we pampered her a lot (Einstein seemed to understand fortunately). To change subject completely...I love donut beds especially for smaller dogs and great idea on using pee pads to catch water bowl messes!

Hi JuliePetrie, And welcome to the forums, Jennifer provided a nice intro into the type of behavior modification often used among dogs who are struggling with a new addition/resident dog. So to gain a better insight of your situation, can you provide more info on the age/sex of the older dogs, their breed, whether they are spayed and neutered, your puppy's breed and whether your puppy has been spayed/neutered or if you are planning to do so in the future? Do you an exact age for your puppy? I am trying to determine whether he's about to turn into a teenager.... Do these two older dogs ever play with each other? Do they get along perfectly fine? Do they guard items from each other (like toys, bones, sleeping areas?) Have they ever played with your pup or showed signs of being OK with the pup? How was their relationship up until now? Is the growling new recent behavior? Do they have any medical conditions? When the larger dog has gone for your pup's face/neck was there an actual bite, or a threat to bite? Has he ever made teeth contact with your puppy? Does he act this way only when the pup shows appeasement behaviors (rolling over)? Also, does the home offer the possibility of erecting some baby gate to keep your pup separated from the older dogs? Thanks for the extra details.

Last time I asked my veterinarian her opinion about what she considers a long durable chew, she told me she only trusts Kongs. Kongs, the popular hollow toys made out of tough rubber are sturdy enough to withstand powerful chewers, although some potent chewers can still occasionally break these apart so supervision is always important. The Kong Xtreme type was specifically designed for the toughest of chewers. Putting some peanut butter on the inside of the Kong and then freezing it makes it a long-lasting chew as the frozen peanut butter encourages them to lick and chew and this can take some time. I haven't counted how long it takes for the average dog to finish it up, but there are some techniques to make Kongs last even longer by placing food in layers that are difficult to dislodge. When I have a dog that needs to be kept occupied for some time, I also use a Kong Wobbler, opening it up and adding a portion of the dog's kibble in it and then I also add some large pieces of dog cookies or treats that come in strips so that these block the kibble from coming out too easily. Once the kibble is finished, the strips or cookie parts won't come out because they're larger than the hole, but the dog may try for some time which keeps them busy. The dog is then extra happy when I come to the rescue and open it up for them and release the trapped goodies.

Hello, and welcome to the forums, Herm sprenger makes a variety of collars, but in general, they are known for producing prong collars. Prong collars are something I do not personally recommend. The reasons for this are several, here are a few: - A prong collar is a corrective device. In other words, it's meant to work by creating an unpleasant sensation around the dog's neck (the prongs "dig" into the skin). There are two mechanisms of action: active correction (directly from the owner) or passive correction (indirectly). Active correction takes place when the owner deliberately delivers a correction by yanking the leash when the dog is showing signs of "misbehaving." The yank is given contingent upon the dog performing an undesirable behavior. Passive correction takes place when the dog pulls on the leash, in other words, the dog receives an "auto-correction" since upon pulling, the strain on the leash causes the prong collar to tighten around the neck. When a dog therefore lunges towards other dogs, one may deliver a correction, or the dog may get an "auto-correction". -Potential fallouts. In the case of a dog pulling and getting an autocorrection or a deliberate correction from the owner, one would think that the dog associates lunging with the pain and therefore, should stop lunging. But there's more into that. First of all, depending on the dog's pain threshold/situation (when dogs go through adrenaline surges as it happens during fight or flight) they may have reduced perception of pain/discomfort), this may or may not result in reduced pulling behavior. Secondly, lunging is simply an outward manifestation of internal turmoil. Correction after correction, the dog risks learning to associate the presence of other dogs with the pain of the collar, with the potential for further increasing reactivity. Fixing pulling and lunging behaviors with corrective tools therefore risks increasing anxiety and aggression. Board-certified veterinary behaviorists Dr. Soraya V. Juarbe-Diaz explains, “I can stop any behavior, but I am more interested in teaching my students, animal or human, to choose the behavior I want them to perform because they can trust me, because I do not hurt them and they are safe with me, and because the outcome is something they enjoy. Mistakes are inherent in any type of learning — if I continually frighten or hurt my students when they get something wrong, eventually they will be afraid to try anything new and will not want to learn from me any longer." -Physical results. The negative repercussions explains why Austria and Switzerland have banned the use of prongs and why many dog trainers, behaviorists and veterinarians are concerned about their use. Veterinarian and thyroid expert Dr. Jean Dodds claims that prong collars can easily injure a dog's thyroid as well as the salivary glands and salivary lymph nodes. So what tools do I recommend for dogs who pull and large dogs? In general, I prefer front-attachment harnesses. Lately, the Perfect Fit harness has received rave reviews among dog trainers along with the Balance Harness and the Ruffwear Front Range harness. Another option that may work for some dogs are head halters, although these need an adjustment period (to get the dog used to wearing it). And of course, it should never be forgotten that training is the ultimate answer for training dogs to walk nicely. Only training, along with gentle guidance, patience and time is what ultimately stops pulling. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/

Hello and welcome to the forums! To get her to lie down without the treat, you can try several of these options and see what works best: -You can try to handle some smelly treats and pretend as if you are holding the treat, but you'll just be doing the hand motion empty handed. Once your dog lies down, you praise and reward with a treat you have hidden in your other hand or in your pocket. -You can gradually shrink the size of the treat making it protruded less and less from your hand so that at some point, you can fade it out completely. -You can do several reps quickly in a row with the food showing, and then in the midst of all this, do one rep without the treat visible (feed it from your other hand). Then, the percentage of treat-less reps should be increased gradually. You can find this covered in this section: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/polishing-up-training/fading-food-lures/ Treats (and any other forms of rewards) should never be stopped completely otherwise we risk extinguishing the behavior. Just like us, who work to get a pay check, they'll need some type of reinforcement to keep motivated and keep going. The good news is that, once a behavior has been taught well, and the dog performs it fluently, we can start moving from a continuous schedule to a variable one. This means, from giving a treat for every single correct sit or down, we can start giving a treat for every 3 sits or 3 downs and then for every two, then for every 4, etc. We should always praise though when we don't give treats so they know that have done right. On top of giving treats occasionally, we can then also introduce life rewards (like asking a dog to sit before allowing him to do or providing things he finds naturally reinforcing, for example, asking a dog to sit before being let out https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/college/open-sesame/, asking a dog to sit before we toss a ball, asking a dog to sit before we pet him, asking a dog to sit before we attach the leash to the collar etc. More on this here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/polishing-up-training/fading-continuous-rewards/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-listens-treats/ I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions, Happy Training! Adrienne

It's an unfortunate bump along the road this injury, which can create some setbacks in his socialization and training, but hopefully he'll be soon be on the mend. Important is to ensure he doesn't get injured any further which can further prolong things-and we don't want that. I hope he heals quickly and well so that he can go back to where he was. When you take him out to potty on leash, try your best to work on polite leash manners. Try to keep his interest on you to reduce pulling and reinforce that. With dogs who dislike vacuums, the key to putting an end to this age-old battle is to take a step- by -step approach and get your pup to associate the vacuum with good things, like super duper tasty treats! This process, therefore, involves desensitization and counterconditioning. Desensitization simply aims in presenting the vacuum in forms that are less intimidating, while counterconditioning entails creating positive associations. Here is a read on desensitization: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ Here is a read on counterconditioning: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ You need to make it a goal of making sure your dog doesn't go over the threshold. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ If your dog at any time in the process appears uncomfortable or refuses to take treats, you need to go back a step or two in the process, taking it more gradually before progressing further. Don't advance to the next step until your dog is fully comfortable with the previous one. In some cases, you may need to create some intermediate steps. Here's a quick rundown of the type of work I use to get a dog acclimated to the vacuum. Set the vacuum in the middle of the room (turned off of course!) with your pup but keeping him far enough away so that he doesn't get antsy. Feed him some treats for a few days for just looking at the vacuum so he begins to associate the vacuum with the tasty treats. You know a strong association is made when you notice a CER, Conditioned Emotional Response (a happy look on the dog's face as he looks at the vacuum and then glances at you as if saying "great a vacuum, now where's my treat?") Next, lay treats around the vacuum, letting your pup approach as they feel comfortable to snag the goodies. Praise your dog for acting calm and eating. It’s all about getting them in a new mindset of the vacuum equals great things! Third, start to move the vacuum back and forth (while turned off) feeding tasty treats with each movement. Now, your dog should be getting the hint that the vacuum isn’t such a dastardly villain after all, but can turn into a friendly treat dispenser! Once the movement stops, no more treats. Repeat several times until you notice once again a lovely CER. Fourth, turn on the vacuum in another room while a helper feeds your pup treats for listening to the sound of the vacuum. When the vacuum shuts off, no more treats. Repeat several times until you get again a CER. Note: If your dog is super scared of the vacuum's sound, try playing a YouTube video of vacuum sounds starting at a low volume and feeding treats before moving to the real vacuum's sound. Turn on the vacuum in the same room where your dog is. Again, have a helper feed your pup treats for being good listening to the sound of the vacuum. When the vacuum shuts off, no more treats. Repeat several times until you get a clear CER. Toss your dog treats while you turn on the vacuum and move it in your dog's presence while still maintaining some distance. Careful here as when you add motion and sound, you are combining two highly arousing triggers. The goal is to have your dog learn to start looking for treats rather than attacking the vacuum. When the vacuum turns off and stops moving, the treat fest ends. Repeat several times. Add duration. At some point, once your dog is calmer, train your dog to lie on a mat https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ at a distance and give him a durable treat (stuffed Kong, bully stick) to enjoy while you vacuum. Once he's done eating the food, stop vacuuming. This will teach him that great things happen while you vacuum, and good things end when you're done. Taking this process slow and steady (several days of repetition on each step) will get your pup comfortable with the vacuum so the war will reach its peaceful conclusion and eventually, you can get him to lie down elsewhere and occupy himself while you get the house cleaned up--after all, that dog hair ain’t gonna disappear on its own! It also helps to keep the vacuum around as much as possible. Rather than putting it away in a closet, keep it in plain view so that your dog gets used to seeing it. After seeing it sitting there for some time, he'll start realizing that Mr. Hoover is nothing major to worry about. If you place some treats around the vacuum, it will further convince him that he's a friend rather than foe. About the getting in the car issue, we have a video demo on how to teach a dog to use a ramp (you may need to help him or have a helper assist to ensure he doesn't fall off) https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-your-dog-to-use-a-ramp/ The reluctance to get in may be associated with his current orthopedic issue especially if this is a recent issue. There's also an article about dogs who won't get in the car but you will have to wait for him to heal to start training him how to jump into the car. Consult with your vet on when you can start having him jump in the car unassisted. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-getting-car/ Sadly yes, even just three meals of grilled meat is enough for dogs to cause them to turn their head to their kibble. With Petra, my female Rottie, as a pup, a few meals of canned food when she had a tummy issue was enough for her to decide to turn her nose away from kibble and she went on strike for a couple of days. My question though is: why have you given him three meals of grilled meat in the first place? Was he struggling with eating in these days and you needed to entice him to eat something?