Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome back! I had asked you a few questions in regards to this behavior on the other thread here; I will be posting a few threads tackling this issue there, but if you have identified some trigger or when this happens on walks, we can do some deeper troubleshooting.

You're very welcome! Keep me posted. Best, Adrienne

Greetings, and welcome to the forums, In such a case, we would need to closely evaluate what is going on. Is this truly a deep guttural growl in an awakened state or some sort of grumble of the type of a dog who was just awakened from sleep and focusing on trying to get back to snoozing? Does she look at you directly as she's growling and then afterwards rolls on her back? Or does she just grumble while she moving on her back? What seems to trigger the behavior? In other words, what are you are doing exactly when you hear the vocalization? Are you just walking by? Or are you moving into bed and your movements awaken her and she is little annoyed? Is her bed on the floor or on the bed next you? Also, is she already sleeping by the time you go to bed? I would also consider if there are any recent changes in her sleeping patterns. Is she working more and getting less rest lately? Were there any recent changes in her life that could have stressed her out?

Hello and welcome to the forums, At this age, it could be simply play or he's not used to being handled. At this age, pups are not in the mood much for long petting sessions. Keep the petting short and sweet and aim to create positive associations for touch. Here are some guidelines: Please see the bite inhibition games to redirect biting and provide outlets: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/bite-inhibition-games/ Here is a guide on how to train puppies to bite gently: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/train-dog-take-treats-gently/ Here is a thread with handling exercises that can turn helpful. You would start by petting very briefly and lightly and feeding a treat, repeating several times, starting in areas your pups seems to tolerate more, and progressing at your pup's pace, taking baby steps. And this thread has many tips for dealing with nippy pups: If your puppy is mostly biting when you are petting him, I therefore feel it would belikely out of play or not being used to being handled. However, if you see the biting happening when your puppy is eating something or has a toy, and there is also growling or showing teeth, you may be dealing with a case of resource guarding which requires a different approach. And of course, avoid petting when your pup is trying to eat/rest or sleep as pups need to eat undisturbed and have un-interrupted sleep and we don't want to create negative associations with us nearby them during these activities. Hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

Oh, good! The medications should help reduce the peeing. Hopefully enough for you not to have to clean up too many messes. The body bands, I guess you are referring to the belly bands I have listed? If so, yes, belly bands can help with that, but you need to make sure that it is wide enough and secure enough to stay in place. Also, it would help to use a heavy-duty human incontinence pad (like overnight Poise pads or Tena pads) inside that are thick enough to absorb all of the urine. You would need to measure your pup's waist , right around the tummy area where the band will go, as your pup is standing to make sure you get the right size. If you have any specific questions, they are very responsive on their Facebook page. I was just in touch with them to ask about their sizing options for puppies of your pups' age. Here is their website: https://www.bellybands.net/ Keep me posted on how things go! Best, Adrienne

Thanks for the update, it's so terrible when they don't want to eat-makes your heart sink. Prednisone may hopefully get that appetite back. Although gets them panting and restless, but the increased appetite is a welcomed side effect. Worked like a charm in both my Rotties, Petra when she was diagnosed with spleen cancer and stopped eating, and Kaiser when he got enlarged lymph nodes and loss of appetite. Hopefully will work for your doxie too. Careful if the applesauce has xylitol-sugarless always raises my worry antennas! I am so sorry you are going through this. Hugs to you at this difficult time. I hope sweet Abbi bounces back with all the meds and care you are giving. Keep me posted.

Hi Kenneth, Welcome back! By "Weak bladder" I assume your vet means weak urethral sphincter? Were any meds prescribed? Was a urinary tract infection or prostatitis excluded? Poor baby, he is so young! I hope your vet finds a treatment option. I am thinking to absorb his pee, there can be various options (check with your vet on these).: -Using potty pads on his bedding. These should absorb to a good extent the urine so he isn't sitting in it by morning. -Ask your vet if it would be OK to limit water starting 2 hours before bed time. This way, there is less urine in his bladder overnight =less mess. -Belly bands for male dogs. Make sure to treat as cloth diapers, change and wash them frequently. -You can try some of those grids you can put on the crate where your dog sleeps on it and the pee falls down, but you'll need to be careful with your pups feet size. I have heard that some get their feet stuck which can be scary. I think Midwest makes some sort of grid that keeps a dog elevated so that pee falls down.

Hello and welcome to the forums, The fact that she was timid and leery from such a young age possibly tells us that there can be some genetics at play, or perhaps the pup has endured some negative experiences and/or the breeder failed to properly socialize the pup. In any the case, the past is the past. Slow and steady wins the race with these fellows. Important is to avoid some overwhelming exposures such as the ones you have described at the dog park. Too many dogs ganging up against her is too much too handle. Exposure to multiple dogs can be counterproductive at such a delicate stage where she is feeling overwhelmed and defensive. This leads to exacerbating things rather than ameliorating them. I know many dog owners would love to have their dogs go to dog parks and mingle with other dogs, but these aren't the best places for remedial socialization. Sure, for people socialization yes (too many dog owners chit-chat rather than watching their dogs) but many dogs struggle in dog parks due to rude, bully dogs. On top of this, we need to consider that dogs aren't monitored well and it's easy for dogs to become stressed and defensive if things aren't interrupted in a timely manner. So it's all a matter of baby steps. You have identified two circumstances that she does well with: at the groomer's and on walks while on leash. This can provide a good starting point. You can find a dog she can walk happily with (at a comfortable distance) and try to create a bond by scheduling fun and rewarding routine outings where you can further work on creating positive associations -more on this below. Do this several times and look for what is known as a "positive conditioned response." In other words, watch her carefully for happy signs of anticipation upon seeing this other dog from a distance and getting ready to go on a walk. This can be a happy tail wag and joyful expression in the eyes. At 12 months, your dog is at the adolescent stage, an age where dog-to-dog interactions also tend to change. You can read more about this here :https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ So here are some general guidelines for remedial socialization. The most important guideline to follow is to provide structured socialization in controlled settings so that your puppy develops more confidence being around other dogs. -Avoid Overwhelming Situations Very important is to not put the dog in overwhelming situations. This only stresses them out more and may turn avoidance/fear into defensive behavior where the dog will feel the need to defend herself by barking, growling or even biting. Rehearsal of these behaviors can quickly put roots and become the dog's default way of interacting with any approaching dogs. If somebody approaches with their dogs towards your dog, do not feel bad. Explain you are working on training your dog and be an advocate for your pup, turning away and walking her in the opposite direction (as you feed some tasty treats). -Watch the Body Language What is considered stressful or overwhelming is ultimately from the dog's perspective not ours. Let your dog be the judge of what is too much for her. While dogs can't talk to inform you what is fine for her and what is not, you can grasp how she feels by simply looking at her body language. Here are some important signs to watch out for: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/signs-fear-stress-dogs/ -Slow and Steady Wins the Race Dogs need to be gradually introduced to other dogs in very controlled settings. The goal is to keep the dog under threshold so that she doesn't feel stressed. Baby steps are required, progressing very gradually always following the dog's comfort level and body language. In behavior modification, the term "desensitization" is used to depict such gradual, systematic introductions. It aims to make dogs more comfortable around other dogs, without overwhelming them. More about this here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ Important is also keeping dogs under threshold as much as possible: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ -Create Positive Associations In behavior modification the term "counterconditioning" is used to depict the process of creating positive associations with other dogs. Ideally, it should be used along with desensitization, so that puppies are exposed in gradual, systematic settings while changing their emotional responses. Here's more on counterconditioning: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ There are several methods based on counterconditioning. One is offering treats when a dog appears and stop giving treats when the dog is out sight. This exercise is based on Jean Donaldson's Open Bar/Closed Bar method: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/ This is done several times, with the goal of noticing a conditioned emotional response. In other words, the dog looks forward to seeing the other dog because so many great things happen. Another good exercise is Leslie McDevitt's "Look at That Dog" exercise. In this case, the puppy is simply fed tasty treats for just watching other dogs walk by at a distance from which the puppy feels safe and comfortable. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ This can be started by watching other dogs walk by across the street from an indoor's window, from a car window with the car parked nearby a pet store. It can then progress on walks and then even watching other dogs play at the dog park from a distance. A variant of this exercise using a clicker is known as "click the trigger." You simply click the clicker and feed a treat every time your dog looks at a dog. -Remedial Dog Socialization Classes (aka Reactive Rover Classes) Once your dog seems more comfortable walking with dogs or seeing them, hopefully once the pandemic is over, it may help to enroll in a remedial dog socialization class. This can help build on what your dog has learned and can involve closer interactions if your dog seems fine or ready with that. Look for classes held by a force-free dog trainer committed to using positive methods. Inform the trainer about your dogs' struggles and work with your trainer in creating structured set-ups for remedial socialization. Your trainer may match-up your dog with suitable 'teacher dogs' who can help build some confidence. -Always use caution! A disclaimer is warranted here, since you mentioned intervening to prevent any dogs from getting injured. Try your best to avoid putting your dog in overwhelming situations such as going to dog parks or being around dogs off leash. This can lead to fights with other dogs and redirected bites when well-meaning dog owners get in between trying to separate the dogs. A plan should be in place for separating dogs without having to physically get in between (such as using loud sounds -air horn, can with pennies- spraying water). If your dog shows aggressive tendencies, consult with a dog behavior professional (DACVB, CAAB, force-free dog behavior consultant specializing in aggressive behavior consultations). This is important for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification. Hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

You're very welcome! Another little tip that can help is taking the top on the Wobbler off and showing your dog that it holds goodies, so that may motivate him to paw at it and nudge it around.

Oh no, poor Abbi! Went through something similar with my Rottweiler Petra when she was almost 11. She started not eating well, and then we did an ultrasound and she had a growth on her spleen which was putting pressure on the stomach making her full fast. On top of this, she was also anemic. We had to give her small meals so she wouldn't feel that annoying sense of fullness. I also had to tempt her with different foods. This seemed to work but only momentarily. What she would eagerly eat one week, was refused the following week. What I think was happening is that she developed taste aversion. Petra would be enticed by new food, but as nausea or a sense of uncomfortable fullness set in, that food would become associated with the unpleasant sensation so she would no longer like it. A new food would then be offered and this situation would repeat over and over again until we exhausted several food options. To further complicate things, switching her over foods creating diarrhea so I had to use very easy to digest foods that wouldn't upset her stomach. We went through a pasta and grated cheese phase, a boiled chicken phase, a boiled fish phase and then we went through a meat-based baby food (types with no onion or garlic). Then she stopped wanting all of that. I did a trial of Entyce but didn't help much. We saw an oncologist who did a CT scan and she was found to also have nodules in the liver. So oncologist said to put her on prednisone to increase her appetite and that worked well although temporarily. She had to take a lot of pills and it wasn't easy. If Abbi was prescribed Flagyl (metronidazole) that pill is notorious for having a bitter taste and it is difficult to disguise the bad taste. I can share here some strategies, but please check with your vet first because some foods may not agree with her or should not be fed or the meds she takes should not be opened. -Cheese Balls In this case, I would roll up my dog's pills in slices of American cheese and closed the edges so the pill is undetected. This works well with most dogs, but at times, the cheese may unroll in their mouth and the dog may detect the pill. Afterward, they may get finicky and will not even want the cheese anymore because they associate it with the bitter taste. As a better option, I then tried making cheese balls. I just came up with this idea one day, as I was about to pill a dog I was boarding and sent him out briefly to potty with the cheese in my pocket. Being almost 100 degrees as it often turns out to be in sunny Arizona, the cheese softened to such a degree that it was the consistency of play-dough. I placed the pill in the middle and made a tight ball. We then did a bit of training exercises, and he was rewarded with the cheese balls, which he readily ate. So if you want to try cheese balls, leave the cheese out of the fridge for some time, and warm it up keeping the sealed slices between your hands. That should do the trick to make it as soft as play-dough. Note: There are some medications that shouldn't be taken with any dairy products such as cheese. This info may be on the label or accompanying medical leaflet, but not always. Ask your vet before trying this trick. -Hot Dogs Most dogs won't turn down hot dogs. In this case, you'll need a big enough chunk to hide the pill. Remember: Should the dog to detect the pill, he may lose trust and then become suspicious of any future tricks you may try. I'll share a trick on how to prevent or remedy this, should this happen, shortly. So back to hot dogs: This works well for dogs who will just gulp down the hot dog, no question asked. However, the disadvantage is that often parts of the pill may stick out the hot dog, which will be readily detected. You can't make hot dog balls like with the cheese, so hot dogs may or may not work out. -Meatballs In this case, you can soak some dry kibble in water and then grind it up until you can make some "meatballs" you can hide the pill in. If you feed raw, just make a meatball with ground meat. Another option is to use some canned food to make the meatball or some meat-based baby food with no onion or garlic in it mixed with some ground kibble to make it more dense. You can get creative here and use anything your dog likes, grind it up and then add the ground kibble to get the right consistency. For a special touch, roll the meat balls in the ground kibble. -.Creamy Textures Foods with a creamy texture can also help camouflage a pill and transform it into a tasty treat. In this case, we're talking about things like peanut butter, plain pumpkin and cream cheese. Veterinarian Karen Becker also suggests using coconut to hide pills. These work well because they are sticky, so it's hard for the dog to separate the pills from the creamy texture. Most likely, the dog will just take it all together and gulp the whole concoction down. One of my friends said the only food that worked for her dog was wrapping the treat in Braunschweiger (liverwurst-type stuff). This spreadable organ meat apparently ranks high for stinkiness. Note: If you use peanut butter, make sure to avoid the sugar-free versions made with xylitol. Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs! -Opening capsules For this option, make sure you read the medication's label and instructions carefully, and if in doubt, ask your vet. Some medications should not be crushed, and capsules should not be opened as they can do harm this way. If your vet gives you the OK to crush the pill or open the capsule, you can sprinkle it on your dog's food in hopes she just eats it all. However, consider that you may lose a pill this way if your dog refuses to eat her food and that he may leave some food behind and this will prevent him from having the full dose he needs. A better option is to mix the powdered pill with the dog's canned food. Most dogs love canned food and since the canned food is sticky, it will be difficult to separate any pill particles from the food. In my dog's last days, the only way I could get her to take her pills was opening the capsules, mixing them in with meat-based baby food with no onion or garlic and smearing it on her gums as she would lock her teeth. - Pill Pockets Alternatively, you can try pill pockets. These are sold at the vet's office or at your favorite pet store. They consist of hollow treats in different flavors that can be filled with the pill and then closed. There are pill pockets made for capsules and pill pockets made for tablets. Flavors to choose from consist of Chicken, Peanut Butter, or Hickory Smoke. When Your Dog Discovers You're Hiding Something So your dog was always great in taking pills well hidden in some cheese, and now, suddenly, she casually discovers that there's a pill inside. If so, she may start getting all suspicious carefully sniffing the cheese as if he lost trust. To help overcome the problem, you can try to give her several pieces of cheese in a row WITHOUT the pill. Start with small pieces that your dog can visibly see there's nothing inside. Then make them bigger and bigger, and then shape them as if the pill was inside. Once she's taking these, then casually add the piece of cheese with the pill inside, immediately followed by one without it. Giving a piece of cheese immediately after the one with the pill, will help her gulp the pill down in her eagerness to get the next piece of cheese. It doesn't hurt to do this exercise sometimes if you have a dog who gets suspicious every now and then. Give like five treats in a row, and then randomly mixed in give one with the pill followed by one without it. If your dog is used to you tossing treats as a game, toss her pill hidden in food as well. Many dogs are so eager to catch the food that they'll just swallow quickly in hopes of continuing the game. If Your Dog Is Sick and Won't Eat This is when things get difficult. One option is just that, forcing the pill down. In this case, you'll kneel down at your dog's level and hold the muzzle with one hand upwards facing the ceiling. With the other hand, you'll pry the mouth open and push the pill as back as possible. Afterwards, massage the dog's throat to encourage swallowing. Praise and pet your dog to reward her. It's very important to check if your dog actually swallowed the pill. Some dogs are artists in this and will hide the pill in their mouth and spit it out later when you're not looking. Alternatively, you can employ a pill popper. This tool is simply a sort of syringe that will deliver the pill without the need to stick your hands in your dog's mouth. There should be videos on YouTube on how to use these. Another option is to contact an apothecary, a compounding pharmacy that formulates and dispenses pharmaceutical products. They can turn bitter pills in tasty delicacies. When we had clients at the vet's office I used to work at, with finicky dogs and cats, we referred them to a pet apothecary. Some had many lip smacking options. For instance, Pleasant Hills Apothecary in PA offers over 100 flavors just dedicated to animals! I hope sweet Abbi will get some appetite back! Keep in touch with your vet on what type of foods you can try and options on giving her pills. With Petra, seeing specialists helped us a lot to make best decisions and get the support we needed. We first saw an internist and then an oncologist once she was found to have cancer. They were always happy to help even when I called them with questions.

Hello, and welcome to the forums! It would be difficult to train them at the same time, especially if they haven't received any training as of yet. This is because training requires giving each dog lots of individual attention, especially initially. You will need to pay attention to what the dog does, concentrate on his/her progress and possibly carry several items in your hands (treats for luring and then rewarding, a clicker -if you use it). On top of this, you need to focus on the dog's body language for signs of motivation, eagerness or tiring or stress and two dogs may sometimes compete and get in the middle or even fight when there are treats involved. I know you said that you can't separate from training, but can any of these options be possible? Being small dogs, some options may be easier. -Can you have a helper hold one dog/keep it busy while you train the other dog? -Take turns crating one dog leaving him/her with a chew toy or long-lasting edible chew to keep him/her busy? -Take turns putting on dog in a x-pen or indoor play pen leaving him/her with a chew toy or long-lasting edible chew to keep him/her busy? -Tethering one dog (a tether is a short nylon-coated cable with sturdy snaps at both ends one end that can be attached to wall-mounted hooks) and giving something to chew on while you train the other? Make sure to always supervise a dog when tethered and give your dog something to keep occupied. -Attaching the leash to a heavy sturdy object, like the leg of a kitchen table, coffee table or heavy chair? This may work with smaller dogs. Simply wrap the leash around the leg, and thread the clip end through the handle loop and clip the leash to the dog. Avoid doing this if your dog is prone to pulling away or panics. Always monitor closely of course and give your dog something to keep busy (chew toy, edible chew). Never leave dog unsupervised. -Keeping one dog in a dog carrying bag/ dog sling carrier on your lap while you sit down and train the other? Make sure to occasionally reward the dog in the carrier every now and then. -Erecting a baby gate to keep one pup busy in one area while your train the other? -Since your dogs are small, placing some boxes or tall furniture to create a separated area? -Can you train one dog in a small room like the bathroom while the other stays out? -You can try keeping one dog leashed to your belt, but you may find that the non-trained dog may try to repeatedly get attention, so you may have to find a way to keep him/her busy and/or use some type of visual barrier. If you sit on a couch, you can sit at the end and use your legs to block some visual, but if you find yourself being repeatedly interrupted by the other dog, you may need to find some other solution. Whatever option you use, make sure to provide the non-working dog with a safe chew toy or food-dispensing toy to keep him busy while he waits his turn for training. And always keep on eye on the non-working dog if tied up/tethered for safety reasons. Hope this helps, Happy Training! Best, Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! Is he jumping while he's walked on leash or is he actually jumping up and grabbing/ biting the leash as he's walked? Have you noticed any triggers on walks when this happens? Like seeing other people/dogs, at the end of the walks/ beginning of the walk?

Oh, that's so great! Kudos to you for helping him out in overcoming his fear. It can take a lot of patience and baby steps. He may need to learn to to paw at it and nudge it. The barking is likely an "extinction burst," his way of wanting more. With an extinction burst, it may happen that, in the midst of the barking, at some point he may get a bit creative and come up with some way of getting more food by pawing at it or nudging it. Some pups can learn by imitation, such as watching you gently nudging it and getting treats/kibble out. It helps to fill it a lot which makes the food come out very easily. Careful if it's much bigger than him in not making him startle as it bobs around-it's easy at times to undo progress. Create positive associations with its movements by tossing kibble/treats as it moves. Perhaps doing some targeting exercises using your hand, then a sticky note on the ground, then sticky note nearby the Kong and then on the Kong if necessary may get him there. When he pushes it with his nose or paw, make sure to be quick to reward him with some treats if none come out. Toss them near the Kong in hopes he thinks it's coming from there rather than from you. In any case, targeting is a great exercise for instilling more confidence in pups who may be wary of certain things. Once the sticky note has reached a sense of familiarity and a history of rewards, I find it easier to acclimate them to novel objects by sticking it to them which creates a sense of familiarity. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/ Sometimes adding some really smelly treats in the Kong Wobbler can help some pups overcome their hesitancy and increase their motivation.

Hi Jim, Welcome to the forums, Often times, with this kind of barking at night, the culprit is some type of critter. Many critters are nocturnal and can make sounds that we cannot detect. A dogs hearing range is significantly superior to ours. In fact, the dog’s hearing range is twice as wide as the human’s hearing range. To be more accurate, according to Louisiana State University, humans can hear sounds between 64-23.00Hz while dogs can detect sounds between 67-45.000Hz. Why can dogs hear sounds that are inaudible to us though? Is there some evolutionary advantage? The answer is yes. This is in due to their predatory heritage. Dogs indeed are capable of detecting the high-pitched sounds made by small rodents such as mice and rats- both animals that were part of a dog's ancestors summer diet. On top of this, dogs can also detect the high-frequency sounds emitted by bats. So it might turn insightful inspecting the walls, under the deck, crawl spaces and attics for signs of critters. They may often leave some signs such as chewed up areas and waste. Sometimes, a professional may be needed when the critters are hiding inside inconspicuous places, that are difficult to look at. These experts may have special tools to detect critters. Another possibility are distant sounds, such as perhaps an animal nearby the property, or maybe your neighbor's dogs going out for a potty break or some neighbor coming home from work or maybe closing a door. In such cases, it may help to keep the dog away from windows, in a room farthest away from noisy areas, and use some type of white noise to buffer sounds. For instance, it may help in some cases using a television, radio, or blowing fan to muffle noises so he can’t hear them as easily. Here are some other possible causes for dogs barking at seemingly nothing: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/barking/nothing/ The barking at everything can be suggestive of an anxious dog who feels threatened most of the time. These dogs may struggle to relax. If you can identify some sounds that trigger his barking, it may be helpful working on the 'hear that" method for reactive dogs. This can also help boost his confidence as sounds come to predict something great happening versus something worrisome. With time, you may start seeing signs of happy anticipation. It is covered in the following guide: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/ For the barking at neighbor dogs and people walking by the road, it may help to do a similar exercise to the "hear that method" described above, but this time adding some visuals, so the dog gets fed tasty treats when he actually sees people or dogs walking by. It can help to start the exercise from a window if you have one overlooking the road, before actually taking your dog outside. Then you can progress from the door area, the porch if you have one and then closer to property line. Going very gradually. If the dog ever barks, it's sign he's not ready for that level of exposure yet, so you'll need to take a few steps back and practice more from a lower level. Very important for this exercise is ensuring your dog is under threshold, something that is done initially by keeping the dog on leash and at a distance from the triggers. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ To succeed with this method though, it would be important managing your dog as much as possible. In other words, he shouldn't be let out on his own as he'll likely bark and this allows the dog to rehearse the problematic behavior. The more rehearsal, the more the behavior puts roots. The more a behavior has been ingrained, the more time and effort is needed to work on it. So it would be important to accompany him on his outings, and keep him on leash, so that you can help him make good choices. More on this method here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ In general, dogs who are kept in the yard for most of the day will grow bored or may become more reactive and will feel compelled to bark at everything. Barking at everything can raise their stress hormones and these hormones circulate in the body for some time and make dogs more propense to startle and become reactive to the minimal sounds. Dogs who are kept mostly indoors (in quiet households of course!), may be less propense to barking because the home buffers the sounds, and they often find some more productive ways to entertain themselves and we can help them keep busy and feel more relaxed with play, training and brain games. I hope this helps, Let me know if you have any questions, Best, Adrienne

Hi Cheryl, Every dog is different, so there are no set rules written on stone. I feel puppies are learning with every interaction with us so they are perpetually in "training." Play is training. Resting is training (when pups sleep they are consolidating the things they have learned). Walking is training and even learning to be away from you is training. Embracing all these life events as training opportunities is incredibly beneficial in helping a puppy develop behaviors we want. Because let's face it: by encouraging good behaviors from the get-go, we can avoid the hassle of fixing bad habits that over time become more and more challenging to overcome. Consider that most dog behaviors stem from instinct and learned behaviors that have a history of reinforcement. Anything that the puppy finds rewarding will strengthen and repeat. So if your puppy finds chewing on the drywall rewarding, you can bet he will be drawn to chewing on it more and more. However, what happens if you offer an interactive toy that is fun to chew on and hides some goodies inside? Your puppy will likely find that far more rewarding and will forget about the drywall-at least for a while. So yes, help your puppy make good choices and you'll be rewarded too with desirable behaviors. So training happens more often than we think, it's just on a more passive level, but it's training nevertheless. I think with the surge of separation anxiety happening with this whole pandemic ordeal, it's important to foster in dogs the notion that good things happen when they are away from us too. So it's good that Shiloh enjoys sitting in the sun chilling out every now and then. We all need to do chores sometimes (and have a break from our dogs) and it's good if we can provide our dogs with safe independent activities when the need arises. Several types of brain games are good activities to offer dogs when we need to step away for some time. They foster independence and engagement that doesn't involve us directly. As with many things in life, the golden way in between is the way to go. We don't wants dogs who are overly clingy and we don't want dogs who are overly independent.

Hello, and welcome to the forums, Great question! Generally, dogs are good enough in understanding that when the leash is off, they are granted more freedom, whereas when the leash is on they are expected to stick close-by. Indeed, many service dogs have demonstrated the uncanny ability to discriminate between when they are working because they are wearing their vest, from when they are off-work because the vest is off. Many dogs can also differentiate between short leashes and longer leashes. With the short leash they know to heel, with the longer leash, they know they can roam a little farther. If you want to provide a little more clarity, you can certainly say "free!" when you remove the leash on your property so that your dog associates removal of the leash with moving more freely. And when you put the leash on, you provide feedback every now and then as needed such as slowing down or stopping if your dog happens to pull forward or praising her for not pulling. You can also remind to "leave it" if there's a temptation on walks and reward it with a tasty treat for complying. This just reminds the dog that there are certain expectations when the leash is on. Consider as well, that when a dog is on leash, the dog is going to have to exert some great level of restraint (dogs can no longer sniff around, walk at a faster pace), so I feel it's important to reward good behaviors as we catch them and not take them for granted. I feel it's also important so that we can create a strong reinforcement history with us that gives some advantage over all the environmental reinforcements (sights, smells, adrenaline, pleasure of romping freely) dogs gain from off-leash walks. With on property walks off-leash, I feel it's also important to have a dog responsive to leave its and recalls, and I find it helpful as well to every now and then, reward any voluntary check-ins: that is, I carry treats in my pocket or treat bag and give them to the dog should he/she decide to come near me every now and then. I feel that this helps reinforce a dog minding us despite all the smells and distractions and it can also help build our bond. Happy training!

Digging up the yard; We have a section that covers this. Because digging is instinctive in dogs and many dogs love to dig, we can often find a compromise such as creating an area where dogs can dig to their heart's content. I love to use sand and bury dog toys in their designated digging area. This can work well if your dogs aren't prone to guarding toys. It would be important finding out why they dig in the first place. If there are critters in the yard like moles, it would be important finding safe ways to have them move out. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/digging/ For potty training, I would need more info. Is your 7-month old mini doodle spayed/neutered? When are the accidents happening? Like when you approach him? Pet him? Come back home? When he's playing? When he greets your other dogs? What type of accident mostly? Pee or poop? What are you using to clean the accidents in your home? Is he/she peeing on certain surfaces? Has he/she seen the vet for this to exclude medical problems? We have a potty section here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/7-secret-potty-training-strategies/

Hello and welcome to the forums, I will be providing info about the three issues you mentioned. I will start by the issue number 1, cat chasing. In a household of 3 young dogs and a cat, things can quite challenging, because 3 dogs loose together will form a sort of "group mentality" and they'll all want to join in the fun of chase. Most importantly, with group chasing, there are higher chances for mishaps such as risks for injury or predatory drift. It's therefore imperative to protect your kitty as much as possible, from not just potential injury but also to ensure her emotional wellbeing. Just this past summer I had to work on a case with a beagle who pestered the household cat, he never really hurt the cat, but the poor cat was terrorized of moving freely around the home. She would have to check when he was around to just use her litter box or go to eat. She moved very slowly and lived most of her life walking on shelves, tables and tall chairs. Any time the beagle saw her, he would chase her and try to mount her. I really felt for the poor cat! So to tackle this sort of issue, there is an easy way, and then there is a more involved way that will require training and time. Firstly, let's take a look at the easy solution, that is management. Management is important because it prevents your dogs from rehearsing the problematic behavior (chasing), and it also helps keep your cat relatively safer. Here are some management options: Provide Your Cat With a Safe Area It's important for your cat's comfort and safety that she is provided with a safe place to retreat that is out of your dogs' reach. There are several options to provide such areas that can help you keep your cat away from your dogs. You can for instance, erect a pet baby gate or some indoor pet fence options. Several cat owners split their homes in two areas using such barriers; the cat area and the dog area. Some of these options you may need to adjust adding some additional barrier to prevent your cat from fitting through the bars if you want your cat to stay in a specific area of the home permanently, but there are also some models that can allow cats to fit through them, while dogs cannot, so the cat is free to come and go from the area as she pleases. These latter can work well in cases where dogs aren't really interested in harming the cat and where pet owners can always monitor interactions. Another option is to provide cat trees, cat window perches and condos that are high enough to be out of your dogs' reach. Whichever the means of separation used, it's important to ensure your dogs have no way to jump over, chew thorough or dig under these barriers. This means you will have to monitor these enclosures to ensure they remain effective. If you need to leave the home, it's better to be safe than sorry and keep your dogs enclosed as well with sturdy crates and kennels, which provides a double level of protection. By keeping your cat out of reach, your dogs aren't allowed to rehearse chasing behaviors over and over. Left untreated, cat-chasing behaviors can quickly risk becoming your dogs favorite pastime, and that for sure is not a good hobby. Not to mention, the more dogs rehearse chasing behaviors, the more ingrained the behavior becomes and this makes it more difficult to work on. Chasing is a self-reinforcing behavior in dogs that is ingrained and instinctive. The main advantages of management are therefore that, you won't have to invest much time, your cat can finally feel more secure, your dogs don't get to rehearse problematic behaviors, and if the barriers are sturdy and secure, your cat is also kept safe. The main disadvantage is that, it doesn't do much to tackle the underlying behavior, it fails to give you back-up plan should management fail (many management plans fail eventually for instance, a door or baby gate is left open, a cat escapes etc) and it requires a starter investment cost to cover for the cost of the chosen type of barrier. A Word About Calming Aids for Cats Many cats can become stressed when living with dogs. Separation alone can cause most cats to feel better, however some remain stressed just by seeing/hearing dogs on the other side. If your cat is stressed, you may also want to provide some calming aids. There are several pheromone--based products such as Feliway or Comfort Zone, which are products that mimic a chemical that cats are known to emit through special glands on their faces when they are feeling calm. There are also several over-the-counter supplements that can help calm down nervous kitties. Examples are products containing l-theanine. Now, to the more involved option. The more involved option requires that, you keep your cat safely separated from your dogs when you cannot supervise and as well when you cannot train. Training dogs to stop chasing cats requires a good level of impulse control (which can take time), on top of this, you will need to train each dog individually, unless they are already under good voice control as a group. Training to Stop Chasing a Cat This training requires that you teach each dog individually, and then once your one dog is under good voice control, you can add another dog as a distraction and then you can progress to having all three dogs together. If your dogs guard food from one another, please consult with a behavior professional for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification. Here are three of my favorite methods: Leave it One of the most effective ways to train a dog to stop chasing is the leave it cue, you can find how to train it below. You will have to keep your dog on leash at a distance from your cat in the initial stages of training. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/ Leave it, basically tells your dog "stop trying to engage with whatever is tempting you". It can be applied to many circumstances where you need your dog to stop in his tracks, for instance, it can be used to tell a dog to not pick up something that has fallen to the floor, or it can be used to tell a dog to not move towards a distraction. You can therefore use it if you notice your dog/dogs are thinking about chasing your cat. Before practicing with your cat, it may help to practice with some intermediate distractions such as practicing leave its with a flirt pole, or a helper dragging a stuffed animal shaped like a cat around attached to a string. To work well, it's important to say "leave it" in advance before the dog is too focused on chasing. Look into My Eyes Another method for stopping dogs from chasing cats is to train a very solid response to a smacking sound made with my mouth that tells the dog to pay attention to me. This can work well with dogs with intense predatory drive because many dogs seem to respond better to a sound we make rather than voice. As with leave it, you will have to train this to all your three dogs. Here is how to train it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/look-into-my-eyes/ You can then practice this exercise in more and more distracting areas such as in the yard, then watching things pass by your window: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ Once you have a nice response, you will have work around the cat, but with your dog on leash and at a distance from the cat. This is to keep the dog under threshold. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ * If you are concerned about your dog potentially breaking loose from your grip on the leash and injuring your cat, by all means, let him/her wear a basket muzzle. It never hurts to add an extra layer or protection and play it safe. If at any time your dog isn't responsive, it's likely because he's too close to the cat (and, therefore, not ready for this level of distraction yet) or the treats you are using aren't high-value enough. Go back a few steps, increasing distance temporarily, and try increasing the value of the treats if your dog seems disinterested. Going to a mat All dogs can be trained to go lie on a mat at specific times when you perhaps may want your cat to be around a bit and you want to keep your dogs all in an area and engaged in some other activity. In this case, you can give your dogs something tasty to enjoy on their mats. Ensure your cat though never goes near them as many dog will resource guard food from cats. Also, keep the mats at a distance from each other to prevent food guarding between your dogs. Here's how to train it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ A disclaimer is warranted here. Dogs and cats may seem to get along at times, but accidents can always happen at a moment's notice. Always supervise your pets and make safety your top priority. Even among dogs, fights may occur in presence of a cat due to redirected aggression. It's a good idea to have plan to separate dogs in case of a fight (keep an air horn handy, two pot lids to slam together for a startling effect,a bucket of water, etc). If your dogs guard food from one another or show other types of aggression, please consult with a behavior professional for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification.

Hello and welcome to the forums! We want to make sure we don't release the treat when he's actively biting otherwise we'll be reinforcing the biting. We have a guide just for this, please see link below. You may have to start with gloves if he bites to the point of drawing blood until he grasps the concept. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/train-dog-take-treats-gently/ Also, if this happens a lot (missing the treat), when he sees the vet next time, just to be sure, have the vet check his mouth just to ensure his bite is developing properly. A dog I worked with once who would miss a lot had a slight overbite. It could also be though just that he's young and a bit clumsy. Hope this helps, Keep me posted, Best, Adrienne

Sounds like a plan! You are very welcome. Many dogs are more reactive towards seeing people behind a fence, window or in a car, but are then fine when meeting them in other areas. Certainly, having seen people before versus total strangers can make a difference. With window barking, barking on walks there may be some component of fear, territorial/protective behavior or some type of barrier frustration going on. With a low threshold, you may have to find that 'sweet spot" where she sees a stranger from the window but without getting so overwhelmed by barking. You can do this by increasing distance from the window (I use the leash in this case) or maybe placing her on a table or furniture where she's high enough to see people passing by without feeling too compelled to react. Try to be quick initially, catching her right before she has the chance to bark, like as soon as she sees somebody you make your smacking sound and present food in front of her nose. After several trials of this, you may have a chance for opening up a window of opportunity to get started. You can then practice more, tossing the treat away from the window so that she also gets some exercise. When you are in the kitchen, it can also help training her to go to her mat. So let's say, you catch her going towards the window? You can make a smacking sound and offer something to enjoy something good on the mat that keeps her busy for some time. With time, she may come to enjoy this routine and sticking to the kitchen area more than the window. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ The look at that exercise you do from the window can turn handy as well on walks. You would walk her at a distance from where she's under threshold and make a smacking sound and feed her treats contingent upon spotting a person. Now, with a small dog it may be a bit difficult bending down repeatedly, so it may help to drop the treats or you can use crouch down at her level and just let her watch people walking by creating positive associations in a open bar/closed bar fashion. : https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/ It also helps to do brain games, fun sessions of positive training and impulse control exercises to help her gain more confidence, bond with you more and keep herself busy in more productive ways. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/ Keep me posted on how things go. You may have some setbacks here and there, but with management when you cannot train, and positive associations and reinforcement for looking at triggers without barking, and keeping her brain busy, there should be a reduction in the barking behavior over several days. Happy training, Keep me posted on how things go! Best, Adrienne

Sounds like a plan! Keep me updated how it goes. Happy training! Best, Adrienne

Hello and welcome to the forums, I am happy to hear that your dog has improved a lot! In regards to the behavior at the house/garden, consider that, when dogs are left to their own devices, they are often put into a situation of making poor choices. For those times when you are not around, I suggest keeping your dog confined in a safe area in the home (like inside an exercise pen or behind a baby gate). Here's the thing; practice makes perfect and we don't want our dogs to rehearse problematic behaviors as that is how they put roots becoming more difficult to extinguish. In regards to the behavior when you stop talking to people, often this is due to boredom or attention-seeking. Normally, we should turn our back to a jumping dog and walk away if the dog still jumps at our back, but being with her on leash, it's difficult to leave and leaving is ultimately what she wants so we may reinforce the jumping this way. In a case as such, it can help to pre-empt this behavior by providing the dog an activity to engage in while we chit-chat. You need to give her an activity to engage in before she thinks about jumping. Here are some ideas: -You can keep a tug toy in your pocket and get it out when you chat. You can do some tugging with her to keep her busy. -You can do a treasure hunt game as you talk. Drop several treats to the ground and tell her to "find them!" -You can ask several hand targets in a row: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/ -You can make a hand-made Kong. I use this method when I need to keep dogs busy. Just have some treats in your pocket/treat bag and old them in your fist as your dog gets to try to get them out by licking from the top. See picture. Keep your chats with people brief initially so to help your dog succeed. When I deal with this issue, I tell them my dog is in training and we need to keep things short. Also, keep her at a distance from friends so it's harder for her to try to jump on them when you briefly talk. Here is a guide for enthusiastic greeters: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/approaching-people/ Hope this helps! Let me know if you have questions and keep me posted! Best, Adrienne

my main concern is that when I leave the house he knows I'm about to go and he won't take anything ... not even a wing tip which he loves. so he leaves them till we get back and sits at the door crying and howling for ages (minimum 30mins) then he stops and just sits right at the door whining. I want him to learn how to occupy himself but I think he's just really scared that he will be left again. The strangest thing is that when I go for a shower or to the toilet he doesn't care that I'm gone will just sleep or chill out somewhere but as soon as i go to the bedroom he will cry till i open the door (he does sleep in the bedroom at night in the crate with no door on because he's still not sure about that part). If he's not eating, that's often a sign that he is too over threshold to be comfortable to eat. A wing tip may be too big for him to chew at the moment, it may help to start with some easy-to- eat smaller treats for now and split the exercises in smaller steps. This may or may not be separation anxiety. To know what you're truly dealing with, you will need to record his behavior when you are away and show it to your vet/veterinary behaviorist. He or she can then evaluate it and based on the findings, may suggest behavior modification, possibly with the help of medications to bring him to a calmer state so that behavior modification can be started. I will be posting some material on some general examples of protocols that you can familiarize with if this turns up being sep. anxiety. Every dog though may need a personalized program. 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 can be 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. I hope this helps! Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or dog is showing aggressive tendencies, please play it safe and consult with a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation.

Thank you for the extra details, they are very helpful! I will try to tackle several of the issues you have reported. Please find your statements in bold and my observations under them. "I'd like toys to be a good method of training because he's adopted so there's a lot of work to be done in regards to training." Since you mention there's a lot of work to be done, I am assuming that you may want to skip food because you are concerned about calories. However, there are many ways around this. One of my favorite is using kibble. We feed kibble to our dogs every day and give it to them for free in a bowl that is consumed within minutes. Many people see kibble as nutrition, while I see it as a wasted opportunity for reinforcement. Just think that within a bowl of food, you can have as many as 30 to 50 or more opportunities to reinforce desired behaviors. So if your dog likes his food, you can use that for training, at least in the home where there are not many distractions. Treat-wise, there are many treats out there on the market that are low calorie. If you visit a pet store, store clerks may be happy to show you which ones are low calorie among their vast assortment of training treats. Zuke's mini naturals is a popular choice with each treat being less than 3 calories. On top of this, consider that you don't have to use whole treats. Many dog owners are often amazed when they see how many pieces I get out of a regular chew treat. With some chews, I can get as many as 10-15 smaller pieces and each piece can be used to reinforce a desired behavior. We also have the option of using low-calorie healthy foods for training such as small pieces of apple (with no seeds), small pieces of baked sweet potato, small pieces of banana, blueberries, plain boiled pasta, and canned plain pumpkin (not the pie type with all the added spices!). Finally consider, that although there may be many things to train, you'll have to split sessions into several short intervals during the day so it's not an all day ordeal. Even if you were to use kibble for training, you'll often find that you have several left overs from his daily portions and you can use that for some fun brain games. Toys can work well for certain types of training, but often it works best with dogs with a strong play drive. It sounds like from your description, he has been somewhat reluctant to play, so toys may not rank too high in his hierarchy of reinforcers. We have been teaching him biting inhibition and he has since improved drastically with how quickly he snaps. but he still will snap if its something he's really scared of... like the ear drops that the vet prescribed for him. With snapping for eye drops, if this is something you will have to do for extended periods of time, you can work on creating positive associations with it. Fear of eye drops often happens because they feel the water in the eyes and perceive as an odd/aversive event. They don't understand why it happens and nobody can tell them it's for their own good. You can try splitting the action into smaller steps and create positive associations with that. This can be done through behavior modification using desensitization and counterconditioning. You can read more about how this works here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning A behavior mod program for this may look like this: -You hold the eye drops behind you back and then show your dog the bottle and feed a treat. Once he's done eating the treat, you put the bottle away. You then repeat this same action several times, until you obtain a positive conditioned response (he gives signs of looking forward to seeing the bottle because it means treats are coming). -Next, you hold the eye drops and move the bottle towards the side of his face, while a helper feeds him a treat. Once he's done eating the treat, you put the bottle away. You then repeat this same action several times, until you obtain a positive conditioned response (he gives signs of looking forward to seeing the bottle because it means treats are coming). -Next, you show a super high value treat but don't give it to him. You hold the eye drops and move the bottle towards the side of his face, while a helper feeds him a treat. Once he's done eating the treat, you put the bottle away. You then repeat this same action several times, until you obtain a positive conditioned response (he gives signs of looking forward to seeing the bottle because it means treats are coming) -Next, your helper shows your dog a high value treat and make him eager to have it. You hold the eye drops and move the bottle towards the side of his face, and pretend to put the drops in very briefly while the helper feeds him the treat. Once he's done eating the treat, you put the bottle away. You then repeat this same action several times, until you obtain a positive conditioned response (he gives signs of looking forward to seeing the bottle because it means treats are coming) -Next, your helper holds several high-value treats in his hand (5-6 small pieces are enough) and makes your dog eager to have them. He then keeps the treats between his fingers high to tilt his head upward and let him try to release them from his hand. You hold the eye drops and move the bottle towards the side of his face, and this time for real put the drops in one eye while the helper feeds him the treats several in a row. Once he's done eating the treats, you put the bottle away. --Next, your helper holds several high-value treats in his hand (5-6 pieces are enough) and makes your dog again eager to have them. He then keeps the treats between his fingers high to tilt his head upward and let him try to release them from his hand. You hold the eye drops and move the bottle towards the side of his face, and this time for real put the drops in the other eye while the helper feeds him the treats several in a row. Once he's done eating the treat, you put the bottle away. If at any time your dog seems uncomfortable, it's a sign you are progressing too fast. Take a step back in the process and work until he's comfortable with that, before moving forward. For safety, I would suggest muzzling since he threatens to bites. On walks he takes treats but not always as i think he gets in the zone with the motorbikes and wants to get them. but working on that and he is progressing slowly. What method have you been using for this? And for how long? He sometimes resource guards certain food and toys but it also improving on the toys quite well. I am able to put my hand on the toy right next to his nose and tug at it and he will not bite me. and if he does its a play chew and then he licks me. He won't "drop it" on cue just yet With dogs who resource guard, we need to tread with caution and practice trading. I wouldn't suggest putting your hand on the toy and tugging on it as you may be sending him the message that your intent is to take the toy. I would suggest aiming more on trading. You can read more about the process here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/overprotective-of-toys/ Here are some forum posts on resource guarding:

I know that feeling when we hear the first growl. I'll never forget one of Einstein's first barks at me the first time I wore a hat. We missed getting him used to people with hats being that when we was pup it was late winter in Arizona and not that cold to warrant wearing hats. Of course after that, I made great things happen every time I wore a hat (and had helpers do that too) and we got over that first hurdle. Next time, I heard his first growl at a vet who checked his eyes with an ophthalmoscope. Having a vet get so close to his face with a big eye (ophthalmoscope) must have startled him. He was diagnosed with myopia that day so maybe his vision was a bit off and made him react before thinking. But you know what happened next.. I purchased an ophthalmoscope from Ebay to practice on mock eye checks and then always made sure he was fed some tasty food while the vet checked his eyes in the future just to keep things positive. It's always good to catch things early!