Adrienne

Hi Russ, I foresee so much fur to make another Skye out of it next spring! About the excitement prior to the walk or just going outside for her run I can suggest two ways to tackle it: one is a short-term temporary management solution, the other is a more long-term permanent solution. Let's start with the short-term one. In this case, we're looking for a more productive, less damaging behavior to engage her in to replace the undesirable one. We often tell dogs what not to do, but that often leaves them with a "vacuum" meaning that they're still left with un-used energy and possibly frustration. On top of this, as you can attest, when your dog is too over threshold due to being overly excited, your "no" goes to deaf ears-and when our request goes to deaf ears, it risks weakening over time and becoming victim of learned irrelevance. So if this behavior tends to happen when you grab the leash or at a certain time because she's anticipating what is happening next, we can find ways to prevent it or re-direct it at its earliest onset. So perhaps, we can create a new routine. As a short-term management solution: One way to do this would be to send her out in the yard to burn off some energy. Rush towards the door and into the yard, enticing your dog to chase you so that she can burn off some steam in the yard. If you have a spacious yard, she'll have more room to stretch her legs and less risk of getting injured or knocking down items. Once outside, you can encourage your dog to sniff or engage in some other calmer, structured yet appealing activities. For example, you can encourage her to drain some energy by digging in a designated area or in sand box, or you can encourage a game of tug with a long tug toy or flirt pole that you can readily keep handy for this purpose. Once she's calmer, you can then ask her to sit and clip the leash on and take her on a walk/run. As a long-term permanent solution: If the zoomies occur contingent upon seeing the leash, and expecting the walk/outdoor time, it's important to prevent encouraging these hyper behaviors by accidentally reinforcing them. It sounds like her behavior is driven to rush you up into going outside, just as she's trying to rush you up when you are putting her game down. Here's how it often goes in many households with dogs, this is just an example, not necessarily your case, but just to give an idea: You grab the leash and your dog start pacing around as you walk towards the door. Then, you clip it on your dog as he's moving and possibly even jumping around. Next, you open the door as your dog is moving excitedly. Once the door is open, your dog pulls and continues pulling for the rest of the walk. While this may seem like a normal routine with a dog who is overly excited about walks, in reality if you analyze the whole situation you will notice how owners may have inadvertently reinforced every little chain of this behavior. To better understand this, consider that going outside is something that many dogs perceive as very rewarding, so every little thing you do that gets you and your dog progressively closer to his objective (that is the door/outside), will be reinforced. For example, by clipping the leash on when the dog moving and jumping around, you have reinforced moving and jumping. By opening the door as your dog moves excitedly, you have reinforced moving excitedly. By getting out the door with your dog pulling you strongly, you have reinforced his pulling forward behavior. By pulling on the walk, you have reinforced pulling as pulling gets your dog walking faster or reaching something he would like to explore. By doing all of this, one is basically reinforcing a dog's excited, impatient behavior. So here are several tips to calm a dog prior to a walk. Desensitize your dog to the leash. At random times of the day, start getting your leash from where you usually keep it and sit down. Keep it near you and pick it up at random times and put it down. Your dog may get excited when you do this initially, but at some point you'll notice he starts caring less. Desensitize to you walking towards the door with the leash in your hand. Next, start grabbing the leash and walking towards the door with it. Do this several times at random times. . Your dog may get excited when you do this initially, but at some point you'll notice he starts caring less. Train your dog to sit nicely when you clip the leash on. Learn to tone down the excitement by clipping on the leash only when the dog is calm and sitting. Walk Away From Undesirable Behavior: What if your dog gets up right when you are about to clip on the leash? In that scenario, turn around, and walk away. Rinse and repeat until your dog stays nicely put and calm. By doing this, you are informing your dog that his excited behavior make you move away, making the chance of an immediate walk less likely. Train your dog to hold a sit-stay as you open the door. Many dogs like to pull out as soon as you open the door, but this can be a tripping hazard and you don't want to be dragged by the leash out. Also, you may want to be the first to check things out outdoors, prior to getting your dog out so make this a new habit. Practice sit-stays first in areas with less distractions (like using the yard door), before practicing in front of the door you use to go on walks. Once your dog is able to hold a sit/stay reliably, make it a habit of you walking outside first and then inviting your dog to join you, by releasing him from the stay. Train polite leash manners. It goes without saying that training polite leash manners will also be important so that your dog learns that a loose leash is your accelerator (making you walk forward) and tense leash is your brake (making you stop or turn around the opposite way.) With all these polite behaviors reinforced, with time, you should notice calmer, more relaxed behaviors in your dog. Something worthy of mentioning is that if the zoomies happen often after meals, the food may be to blame if it's a high-glycemic carb food. Sort of like a child who becomes wildly hyperactive shortly after consuming a sugary food or drink. Nipping when giving the game Same goes with nipping when you are lowering her game. You are lowering and she tries to nip? You move the game away. She keeps on nipping? You walk away and even leave the room if she persists. Then you come back and try again. She behaves? You walk towards her and try to lower it down. She tries to nip again, you move it away. Ideally, you should have her game when she's sitting nicely for her game and then you once it's on the ground you tell her to "go!" You can do that as well with her food bowl. You get what you reinforce. I would also suggest impulse control and frustration tolerance exercises. More on these here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/ I hope this helps, let me know how things go. Send pats to fluffy Skye for me. Best, Adrienne

Hi Krysta, Welcome to he forums! Myself and many dog trainers often struggle with these videos of owners kissing and hugging their dogs (and my biggest pet peeve, children riding dogs as if they were miniature ponies) because they set a bad example. It's unfortunate, but many dogs don't share our love for such close interactions. Sure, many dogs will tolerate an occasional hug or kiss, and a few more might even enjoy it somewhat if they were conditioned to them from a young age, but the risks at stake can be high in a dog who we barely know or a dog we know who misinterprets our intent or just isn't comfortable with certain interactions. Puppies will bite noses as if our noses shouldn't belong there and while they can play "bitey face" with other pups, we can't afford that sort of game with our sensitive skin. I am glad you are finding targeting so helpful for your nippy pup. Targeting and carrying a flirt pole with me are my favorite approaches with young "crocopups." Yes, consistency and patience are very important. Puppies are a lot like children, they need time to absorb everything and we may sometimes fail to notice that change is actually happening in small ways. Perhaps the puppy isn't constantly biting any more but is engaging more and more with games we are offering, or there is a gradual, yet steady decrease in pee accidents around the house. Change takes some time to occur and some setbacks are to be expected along the way. After all, how easy is it for us to make changes in our diets, spending habits or time spent on social media? These are challenges many of us struggle with all the time. However, if we keep things positive and remember to look for those small victories, it all gradually adds up to big changes. Happy training and best wishes for a wonderful 2021!

You are very welcome. Keep me posted on how things and go. I am always here if you have any questions or need any further assistance. Best, Adrienne

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

Anxiety when left alone in the car: Desensitize your dog to being left alone. The good thing about anxiety in the car is that usually one doesn't leave for too long. So this works to an advantage. To help your dog cope, you would therefore have to start with very brief absences (like just 1-2 seconds) and keep coming back making sure to not cause your dog to go over threshold. You can read more about threshold levels here; https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ In your dog panics the moment you close the car door, you may therefore have to just start by walking around the car and entering it repeatedly before progressing to leaving out of sight. Repeat several times until she seems comfortable with that. Then gradually increase criteria, by increasing distance a bit, maybe walking in a larger circle around the car and then coming back. Once she's OK with that, you can start walking farther away in one direction, but then coming right back. Then move on to briefly being out of sight for a second but coming back. Important: Keep increasing gradually distance and duration, but make sure to also mix in shorter and briefer absences into the mix so that your dog doesn't panic because she senses the increase in difficulty. Create Positive Associations When you work on desensitizing your dog to your brief absences, it's also important to create positive associations with them, by giving your dog some super duper high-value treats to give while you leave. Make it clear that the treats are given contingent upon your leaving. Ideally, it may help if your dog is trained to start eating when you tell her it's OK to. Simply place the treat in front of her, move away and right before going out of sight, tell her it's OK to start eating. Estimate how long it will take your dog to eat the treat and strategically come back when she's done eating (alternatively remotely monitor her). As you make your absences slightly longer, you can try giving treats that are slightly bigger or that take longer to eat. For example, a stuffed Kong or a Lick mat smeared with some peanut butter or canned food may work out. If your dog is too stressed to take treats, then that means she's too over threshold and you'll have to split the exercise into easier steps. Take a few steps back and make your absences shorter until she's fine with that before increasing the level of difficulty. At some point, you may be able to go to a store to make a quick purchase and come back to a dog who is relaxed and just finished enjoying a goodie. Graduation time: go to a drive-through. Once your dog gives signs of tolerating your longer absence it's time to pat yourself both on the back and celebrate on your next outing. Go with your dog through a drive-through and get yourself and your dog something high value like a burger (if it's safe for her to have that). Let the burger release the tasty aroma for the drive and build your dog's appetite anticipation. Then eat your burger nearby your dog letting her watch you and making her hungry. Then go run your errand in a store and give your dog the burger only (or a portion of it) to eat while you're away. Use remote monitoring: to further kick things up a notch and know how your buddy is doing, invest in some remote monitoring gadget to watch how your dog is doing while you are in the store. This offers you the advantage of knowing when you can return. Nowadays, technology has gone a long way. There are even great cameras that allow you to talk to your dog and even deliver goodies while you are away. One such camera is the Furbo camera, which has rave reviews from many dog owners. Consider Calming Aids. There are several calming aids on the market that can help dogs who are anxious about being left alone. Here are a few ideas: Leave your dog with an article of clothing that smells like you (even better, a bit stinky, so check your laundry basket). Leave your clothing only if you're absolutely sure your dog doesn't ingest it or eat parts of it. Play some calming music when you must leave the car. There are several CDs made to calm down dogs. Through a Dog's Ear, is one of them. On top of calming dogs down, music can help buffer outside noises. Try a calming shirt. These are snug-fitting shirts meant to apply pressure to various pressure points, creating a sensation similar to swaddling a baby. A popular brand is Thundershirt which can also be used to treat car anxiety and separation anxiety. Experiment with pheromone-based aids. These are synthetic versions of special chemicals that helps calm and soothe dogs. You can find them under the form of sprays (spritz some on your dog's blanket prior to car travel) and collars. Consider calming supplements. Some mild cases may benefit from some calming supplements that are sold over the counter. Examples include Vetriscience Composure, NaturVet Quiet Moments and Zesty Paws Calming Bites. Moderate to severe cases may require the intervention of a dog behavior professional. It goes without saying that in some cases, the anxiety be just too much and the dog may refuse food and be unable to relax no matter how hard we try. Seeking the aid of dog behavior professional such as board-certified veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) or a Certified Applied Animal Behavior Consultant (CAAB) would be important. These professionals can guide you through the correct implementation of behavior modification and may also prescribe medications to help lower your dog's threshold so that it becomes easier to work with them.

Scared when the car moves: Often, rather than suffering primarily from anxiety, dogs get scared in cars secondary to car sickness. Often car sickness and motion sickness go hand in hand, leading to a chicken-or-the-egg dilemma (dogs can even have a combination of both!), but often behind a case of car phobia is a case of car sickness acting as the leading culprit. Dogs are naturally prone to car sickness because their sense of balance in their brain is much better than ours so they become particularly susceptible to the motion of cars. Puppies are particularly predisposed to car sickness, and many luckily outgrow it with help, but not all dogs outgrow it as they mature. Also, dogs who have never been in cars or very little may be more prone to car sickness. Since your dog is rescue, we really don't know how often she was taken on car rides, so it may all be new to her. Dogs prone to car sickness tend to salivate excessively, lip their lips, yawn and drool. They may also pace, pant, shake, and swallow often, and some even manage to vomit. What makes things particularly challenging though is, as mentioned, the fact that dogs who are primarily anxious, also tend to drool, pant, shake, whine and pace when stressed, so often it is not possible to entirely distinguish one case from the other. In general though, dogs who are motion sick tend to feel better once the car stops moving although it may take a little bit of time to feel better. Other dogs may be anxious in the car due to being noise sensitive and may act fearful upon hearing car honks, the sound of traffic and even the clicking turn signal. Some dogs are scared of rumble strips and speed bumps. And then, some other dogs may be afraid of their insecure footing, like when you use the brakes and your dog doesn't expect it. This is often an issue in dogs who are scared when the car moves. Attention should be paid on whether dogs anxious in the car appear to act fearful of specific stimuli or situations they are exposed to when in the car. Of course, dogs may also have fear of a combination of things/situations and the fear may generalize from one thing to another leading to a form of generalized anxiety. And then, there are dogs simply anxious in the car because they associate it with going to unpleasant places or being left alone. Dogs have a very strong perception of things and many dog owners swear their dogs know the way towards the vet's clinic and the way towards the dog park. When turning towards the vet, these dogs start panting and shaking, when turning towards the dog park, they start acting excited with happy anticipation. In dogs fearful of being left alone, they may associate being in the car with being left alone if this happens frequently enough. As seen, there may be several causes for dogs acting anxious of car rides. Treating the anxiety therefore varies based on the underlying cause. Below are some general tips that tackle various underlying causes of fear of car rides in dogs. For motion sickness. If you suspect motion sickness, avoid feeding your dog at least a couple of hours prior to the car trip. Vomiting is more likely to happen when your dog travels on a full stomach. Motion-sick dogs may benefit from breathing some fresh air. Keep a window lightly cracked open, can provide relief. Schedule frequent stops to help your dog feel better and avoid roads with too many bumps and curves. Motion sick dogs may also benefit from antinausea medications. You can ask your vet whether it may be worthy doing a trial to see if it helps. For anxiety due to movement of the car: For anxious dogs, scared of cars moving, you may need to implement behavior modification using desensitization and counterconditioning. You can read about these two behavior modification methods here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning This mostly entails taking baby steps in a systematic way while also creating positive associations. Here's an example; Start by allowing some fun time in the car while it's stationary. Give toys and treats and then end all the fun once your dog is asked to go out of the car. Rinse and repeat several times. Eventually, turn on the car, while offering some high-value treats and lots of praise. Stop feeding the treats, once your dog is asked to get out of the car. Progress gradually to driving the car for just a few seconds while a helper feeds treats or gives the dog a fun toy. Gradually increase the length of these trips, but randomly mix in some short trips as well. If, at any point, the dog shows signs of anxiety, the process should be halted and the exercise must resume at a level the dog was able to tolerate and gradually built from there. Consider that behavior modification may take weeks or even months of daily training to see results. Calming aids may be helpful for anxious dogs. We will see more on these in the next post about fear of being left alone in the car. For severe cases, it is best to consult with a dog behavior professional. Behavior modification is delicate work, if we don't do things correctly, we risk exacerbating things. Therefore, behavior modification for safety and correct implementation should be conducted strictly under the close in-person guidance of a professional in the field such as a veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) or certified applied animal behaviorist (CAAB). These professional can also prescribe meds to help the dog be calm long the process. The help of a dog trainer using force-free behavior modification focusing on desensitization and counterconditioning and with extensive experience on anxiety can be enlisted as well (although cannot prescribe meds, but may refer to a vet for that.)

OK, once again thanks for the details, very helpful. Here's just a recap of all the info you provided, so to skip this, just go straight to the bold part. So we have 4 year old Jack Russell mix that you rescued 6 months ago. She jumps in the car willingly but is scared when it moves. Paces, pants, drools. Never vomits. When you leave her in the car to go into the grocery she becomes very destructive and has torn the seat cover, chewed the seat belt in half, and always escapes from her harness which you tether her to the seatbelt for safety. She also acts like a caged animal - following a set path from the back seat to the front seat then down to the front seat floor back to the front seat and back to the back seat over and over. You recently put her on a “run” in the backseat for safety but now she cries and cries. She does slightly better if somebody is with her and she seems to relax ,but will cry and squeal the whole time you're inside the store. At home, she is anxious when left alone and becomes very destructive. She is very anxious in the crate and you have been trying to desensitize her. In the crate she is rather quiet in it until you go out the door. She is less clingy now, but still wants to keep an eye on you. So I am seeing a variety of issues here. I am afraid that we may dealing here with a possible case of separation anxiety. Such dogs tend to act clingy when the owner is around and their anxiety may start building up when they start noticing early signs that the owner is about to leave the house. Such anxiety is not typically seen too much in cars because in many cases, dogs are kept in cars for very brief periods (like the time to pay at the gas pump or grab a soda) however, with dogs who won't tolerate being left alone even for just a bit, and if we happen to leave dogs in a car for longer periods of time, this can eventually poison the feeling of safety often associated with being in cars and brief absences. Dogs with separation anxiety also tend to struggle with being crated. They associate it with owners leaving and when in a panic-like state being closed in a crate can increase their sense of helplessness. This doesn't apply to all dogs, but many do seem to struggle. So it can be that the car moving is just a predictor that you will eventually leave, just as closing your dog in the crate before leaving the house predicts your absence. Because separation anxiety causes dogs to be in a panic-like state, this may be the reason why you are struggling in desensitizing her to it. It has assumed too much of a bad reputation and when your dog is in it, she's too over threshold to learn. Dogs who tend to panic in crates due to separation anxiety, sometimes can be more prone to learn to be alone if left in a more open confinement area: a dog-proof area where you can practice leaving her alone very gradually. However, there are other possibilities as well to consider. It could be that, on top of having anxiety of being left alone, your dog may also happen to have car anxiety. To test this theory, you would have to take her on frequent car rides without ever leaving her alone for some time and see if her anxiety decreases over time, sort of like dogs who are crated when we are always right next to them versus when being left alone. After some time, they tend to learn to no longer fear being crated because it loses some of its negative reputation. Some dogs may also show anxiety when the car moves if they're suffering from some motion sickness. I know you said that your dog never vomits, but sometimes drooling can be a sign of nausea. Nauseous dogs tend to get anxious. Sometimes the car ride is too short or smooth to make them vomit, but they are nauseous nonetheless. However, to further confuse things, drooling is also seen in dogs who have separation anxiety, so it would be interesting to know if your dog also drools when you leave the house and she is left alone. A good way to assess a dog for separation anxiety is recording the dog's behavior when left alone . The recording doesn't have to be long (usually 20 minutes will do) and it can give you an insight on what your dog is doing when left alone. Ideally, you should be able to remotely monitor your dog while you're out just so you can come back quickly in case she starts getting in trouble or destroying things. You can then show the most revealing parts to your vet for help of a diagnosis. Many vets are trained to some extent in treating separation anxiety because they often prescribe anti-anxiety meds for them and work along with behavior professionals. Medications don't typically work alone but must be used along with behavior modification. If your dog doesn't drool at home, but in the car does, your vet may also prescribe some anti-nausea pills if he suspects there's some motion sickness as well at play. So I will be following up in my next post with some tips for addressing the anxiety when the car moves, the anxiety when she is left alone in the car and the anxiety when she is left alone at home. These are three issue that may require three different approaches, but you will need to have a recording and a talk to your vet to make sure to get an accurate diagnosis. Separation anxiety is often nicknamed by behavior professionals "the great imitator", because it can mimic a variety of other things. For example, Jack Russell are notorious for acting destructive when left alone, but this often occurs just out of their great needs for mental stimulation and frustration more than true anxiety.

Thank you so kindly for the extra details, they are very helpful! I am adding some of the other details you added in your other post and your answers so far so I can have full access to al your specific situation. "I rescued a 4 yo jack russell mix 6 mos ago. She is a wonderful pet but becomes fearful when in a moving car. She did not appear to be afraid to get into the car-just jumped right in- but becomes very anxious when it starts to move. She acts like a caged animal - following a set path from the back seat to the front seat then down to the front seat floor back to the front seat and back to the back seat over and over. I have put her on a “run” in the backseat for safety but now she cries and cries. Any suggestions?" 1) Does she seem to cope better if somebody remains with her in the car when you go to the grocery store? She my be slightly better if someone else remains in the car. 2) Does she also pace, pant and drool when you must leave her alone in the house? Is she very clingy to you, following you everywhere? Have you been crating her when you must leave the house and she has been struggling with that? She is so anxious when alone in the house that she becomes very destructive. I have been desensitizing her to the crate but she still has a long way to go. I have been following your method. She will stay quiet in the crate unless I go out the door of the house. She is less clingy than when I got her but still keeps a close eye on me. 3) Has she always acted this way since you got her? Even before her knowing you would go into stores? Yes. She has been this way since I got her. 4) Does she ever vomit in the car? Never vomits 5) Does she seem to relax if you drive somewhere and you stop the car and stay in the car with her? Yes 6) Is there a way to not leave her alone in the car? Like can she stay with a family member at home of can somebody come with you and take her for a walk as you go grocery shopping? I have had a sitter come to stay with her at home occasionally and she is fine with the sitter - but that is $$. Yesterday I gave her leash to a friend while I went into a restaurant to order food and she squealed and jumped the whole time I was inside. I live alone so there are no other people here to care for her. I will shortly provide some insights and suggestions based on the info provided. Thank you for your patience.

It's great that he's behaving mostly well in the car. In many dogs excited to go to dog parks/day cares, the excitement tends to gradually generalize to other situations preceding the excited event sort of like dogs with separation anxiety who go from getting anxious when the owner leaves to getting antsy the moment the owner gets ready to leave, even several minutes prior. It certainly helps that you are taking him often on car rides, even if to some boring places. If the overly excited behavior starts when you're pulling in the parking lot, then you have a little less to work on, which would mean getting ready to park only once he's calmer. In a case as such, I would therefore drive several times around the parking lot until he's calmed down and stop and park only then. If he gets excited when I park, I would start the engine again and go around a few more times. Then, I would also wait to get him out until he's calmer. I would practice pretending to opening the door. If he rushes towards the door as soon I approach, I would move away from the door. I would rinse and repeat until he's calmer and not approaching. I would then open the door slowly, ask him to sit as I clip the leash on. Now that he's safely leashed, I would practice keeping the car door open (telling him to stay) and having him jump out only when told so. This is an impulse control exercise that can be practiced already at home in a calmer setting. It's good to have dogs jump in and out of cars on cue. I like to have them also sit when I open the car door, and hold a stay as I unclip the leash and then tell them "ok" to jump in the car. And then I ask to sit and stay as I put the leash on and use the cue "out' when they need to jump out. Then I would follow with the leash exercises, walking him around and "Premacking " the leash: loose leash makes us walk closer to the building, tense leash makes us go the opposite way. If he would take treats despite the excited state of mind, I would also provide those on top of moving closer to the building for a double whammy of reinforcement (if I walk on a loose leash, not only will I get closer to the building where there are all my friends, but I will get some tasty treats along the way too!-Pulling?That gets me nothing instead. " Of course, dogs don't talk rationally like this, but they go by associations. Yes, walking him on those days he doesn't go is excellent as you have less pressure and more time to dedicate. A popular saying among owners of dogs competing in sports is "practice as if you were competing and compete as if you were practicing. " In other words, if you put in the effort and time on those days he isn't going to day care but pretend as if he really has to go there walking nicely (preferably even with the help of a friend acting as a daycare employee), that day you need to really take him there, you should have most work cut off for you. Other ideas that come to mind: -You can try different walking gear if he is very strong and the type of dog that pulls a lot. For instance, you can try using a front-attachment harness (leash that clips to the front ring or double-ended leash that clips back and front -like Perfect Fit harness) or even a head halter (although this may require some acclimatization) and see if that can more quickly reduce his pulling along with your training. --You can try parking close to the facility so that he's not dragging him/her all the way. -You can try to ask if the facility is OK in letting you drop your dog off in front of the building. He may pull indoors, but at least he's not rehearsing excited behaviors from the car and you can then take over training the indoor portion once this COVID19 thing is finally over. -You can try walking him to a back door of the building so that he associates this door with a more composed entrance. Dogs live by associations, so a back door has a less strong reinforcement history attached. I feel tough that ultimately training him is the ultimate best option starting from when he gets hyper in the car. These are impulse control skills that will turn handy in many other areas, making our life easier e.g getting dogs to go in and out of cars calmly and not pulling under distracting environments. Although ideally, we want to work in low distractions areas at first and gradually increase the level of distractions. Going to daycare ranks probably highest on your dog's hierarchy of distractions, so this is why practicing in other areas and on days he's not going, can work as an advantage.

You are very welcome, Keep me posted on how things turn out. I am always here if we need to do more troubleshooting. The Brain Games are on this page below. There is an obedience course 101 prior to that that can turn helpful for some brain games (some games require dogs to know how to sit or stay etc), however, not all games require training or if your dog is already trained, you can just scroll down to the brain games section. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/ And here is the main menu if you need to find anything else: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/ Happy training! Best, Adrienne

Thanks for the extra details, they are very helpful. So, further tips to manage this behavior that come to mind based on your information. Options to keep her away from the area: -If she's on the rather smaller size, like a beagle, then there are now some extra tall baby gates meant to contain some rather big dogs. You would have to look one with vertical bars so dogs have nothing to grasp on to climb over. Some dog owners have had success mounting on top of the baby gate one of those partitions from a crate. -You can have her wear a leash tab (short leash) that you can grasp as soon as you hear a truck and take her to a farther area and practice creating positive associations with the truck sounds feeding her goodies. -I think there are some cool technical tools lately that allow you to know in advance when a person or vehicle is approaching your property in advance (it emits sounds) so that you can prepare. Other options to reduce sounds: -White noise machines, like fans. -Dogs reactive towards noises can be trained to wear noise-cancelling headphones, such as Mutt Muffs -Upon hearing the truck, teaching her to follow you to the farthest room and close the door for a treat/kibble while somebody else gets the package. In some mild cases, a dog can be trained over the weekend (when no trucks stop by) or if there are some gaps on orders, to respond to the smacking sound. The briefest time it took me once was one and a half day for mild barking, although some barks occurred on occasion, but they extinguished gradually. If you have delivery trucks passing by at a distance to other neighbors you can also practice outdoors with your dog on a leash or long line. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ It is good that your dog doesn't react much when anywhere but the main room. This means, you have a way to keep her under threshold and gives you a starting point, in other words, you can keep her here for those times when you cannot actively work with her. About the concerns for giving treats/chews for the frequency of the deliveries, I hear you. We don't want to give her too many calories, but we have many options to reduce caloric intake while keeping her busy during those couple of minutes while also creating positive associations. -For instance, when trucks come by, we can provide a stuffed Kong filled with a portion of her kibble and maybe some other healthy goodie mixed in to keep it interesting (like some plan canned pumpkin, some peanut butter or mashed banana). Kong website has many recipes. -We can just smear a bit of peanut butter on a Licki-mat, which makes it take long to clean up. -We can toss her a portion of her daily allowance of kibble if she loves it. Toss it the opposite direction of the door so that she gets farther away. -Upon hearing the truck, we can teach her to follow to the farthest room for a treat/kibble making it a fun game. If she's unable to eat or disengage, that means she's too over threshold and we would need to troubleshoot more on how to lower her arousal. Disclaimer: Some dogs when very aroused/frustrated may bite. If your puppy or dog is showing aggressive tendencies or is very aroused/frustrated, please play it safe and consult with a dog behavior professional (DACVB, CAAB) for safety.

Hello and welcome to the forums, This is a very common problem often seen in dogs going to dog parks and day cares. Your dog is young, so this place is super exciting to him and he's just very over threshold. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ It doesn't help that this daycare employee may give him attention and allow him to pull her to get inside. But I am sure his arousal is already getting over the top starting from the car ride (or even earlier like when you go grab his leash at home) and building up more and more as you approach the daycare. The problem with this is that this requires work and the daycare staff may not have the time or will (or even the proper educational skills) to do it. Unless your daycare is ran by dog trainers who are willing to help with the problem, I am afraid it would be hard to see any progress if this continues.. This because there's not much you can do once your dog is in full super-duper excitement mode (his brain is just not there) -BUT, there may be some things we can do on our own although they may be quite inconvenient and time consuming if we don't have much time, however the return in investment may be worth it all in the long run, considering that, if your dog keeps pulling like that, the behavior will likely be destined to generalize to other occasions, such as him wanting to pull to meet and greet other dogs or people on walks . Firstly, it may help to invest some time in making the car ride less exciting if the behavior begins once he's in the car. An astute strategy to tone down a dog's excitement is to take him on several car rides without going to places your dog loves. In other words, take your dog on frequent car rides where you just ride around the block-destination nowhere. Take different routes every time, but never go anywhere exciting for some time. Do this until your dog starts acting calmer in the car (make sure to praise your dog for being calm, but use a calm tone to avoid exciting him!). You want to obtain a neutral conditioned emotional response where your dog thinks of car rides in terms of "Meh! Nothing special happening here!" After ward, once he's calmer you can start taking some roads that lead to the daycare but then turning early and going back home. Rinse and repeat several times. Now, some dogs need baby steps before they can go on a full car ride around the block being calm. So if your dog's excitement gets over the top when he hears you turn on the car, turn it on several times a day without taking him anywhere. Wait for him to calm down. Next, turn the car engine on and walk your dog toward the car and then take him back inside the house. Do this several times, until he grows bored of this too. Then progress to turning on the car, walking him there and then letting him climb inside. Let him stay there with you until he calms down. Then take him back inside. Then once he's calm start your destination nowhere trips. Couple of Tips: Once your dog is calmer in the car, start providing him with calm activities to engage in while being in the car. For example, try providing him with a stuffed Kong, Licki-Mat or long-lasting chew to gnaw on so he focuses on this rather than pacing back and forth. -Sometimes, your best bet is to simply manage your dog's environment so that your dog doesn't get to rehearse the problem behavior (like pacing in the car excitedly). In this case, you can crate your dog and possibly place a blanket over the crate so as to reduce visual overstimulation. A crate is also important considering that a dog who moves freely in a car can pose a big danger to drivers or in case of an accident can become projectile. Dogs like yours benefit greatly from the Premack Principle: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/premack-principle/ The Premack Principle is therefore at its core a method where you reward your dog for exhibiting desired behaviors. The Premack Principe is also known as Grandma's Law, simply because it's based on the philosophy of "eat your broccoli first, and then you can have ice-cream." So how does it work in this case? After your dog has grown bored of going on trips around the block, start increasing the length of his trips (always ending nowhere) and then at some point start approaching the day care, but be ready to turn (until safe to do so of course) the moment he acts hyper again. Repeat several times until you can park at the location and let your dog out only if he's in a calm state of mind. In this case, you are telling your dog "we can have fun (ice-cream), but only when you act calmer (broccoli)." So you finally got to the day care parking lot with your dog in a calmer state, congratulations! At this point, a nice walk can help drain some energy and I suggest letting the day care know in advance that you'll be practicing for some days in front of their building-just so they know why your walking by so often. I would practice walking towards the building on a loose leash and doing attention heeling. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ If he pulls, you stop walking or even turn and walk the opposite way. It may take a long time initially to walk a few feet, but if you are consistent, you'll start seeing results. I would also practice walking around the building several times and walking back and forth by the entrance. As often as your pup's excitement starts wearing down because he never enters. Once he's calmer, you can praise and then reward him with some long-lasting treat to eat on the car ride back home. Then, on the big day do the same thing. Let the staff know that rather than having day care come get your dog you'll be standing just out their building so at least he won't have to drag the daycare attendant all the way. He might just pull a bit inside but at least he didn't get to rehearse the whole excited behavior in the car, then to get out and then when he's walked all the way to the building. You can always work more on that component once this whole COVID19 ordeal is finally over. If you want to further work on this, if you have a friend that you can enlist for help, you can have her pretend being the daycare attendant and practice her approaching your dog with a leash. You'' have to brief her ahead of time to know what to do exactly. So ask your dog to sit and if he sits, she can place the leash on. If he fails to sit she says "whoops! and turns away and pretends to leave." Rinse and repeat several times until he understands that he'll get ice-cream only after eating broccoli (sitting). Once the leash is on, your friend will apply your same rules. If he pulls, she makes an about turn, if he walks nicely he gets to get closer to the building. Then you can see if your dog is able to apply this to the real daycare attendant and maybe you can ask her to do the same routine for a little bit-hopefully so! Some other tips that come to mind: -To prevent frustration, split the exercises in smaller, attainable steps and reward each little piece of progress. These small, short sessions help your dog succeed and build tolerance as you progress. I would also suggest working more on his impulse control frustration tolerance at home. Many times such overly excited behaviors generalize to other situations such as acting impatient upon seeing the leash, acting impatient upon seeing other dogs on walks and acting impatient upon being fed etc. Here are several impulse control games: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/ -At 7 months, your dog is now at the adolescent stage, a time when they have boundless energy and needs for mental stimulation. Keep that body and mind busy (brain games!). https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ -Train your dog also to be less excited at the sight of the leash. Grab the leash several times of the day and just place it next to you as you watch TV or read a book. Do this several times a day. When your dog relaxes, give him a treat. I hope this helps, Happy Training! Best wishes, Adrienne

Let's see what else we can try then, but may need some more info. What breed is your dog? To understand right, your grandma doesn't want any music playing? Does your dog like her kibble or what you feed her daily a lot? How long does it usually take for the truck to arrive and leave the package? Can delivery guys call before arriving? Do you happen by any chance to have the same delivery staff over and over? With deliveries so frequent the biggest downside is if the dog cannot be prevented from rehearsing the behavior or at least reduce the saliency of the triggers. Practice makes perfect. Also, if the dog is so frequently stressed, most likely her stress hormones are repeatedly circulating leaving little time to recover in between which increases arousal forming a vicious cycle. But we have several other options still to lower her threshold.

You are very welcome! Are you feeding some goodies (even kibble if he loves it) as you're putting the harness on? This can help, even if you use kibble- if Shiloh likes it enough. Here's just a demo video on how you can work on habituating to a harness. Notice though how the harness she had required her head to go through a loop, while now there are easier ones to put on like some that the dog just steps in. If you think he may be associating the harness with something unpleasant (like car rides) it can help to break up the associations such as putting on the harness and feeding him his meal, then taking it off, or putting it on and then going on a walk rather than a car ride, or putting it on just to do some fun training or a play session. All good stuff to counteract some negative associations. At the same time, we want to aim though to make the car more pleasant. You may need to go on brief rides around the block while somebody plays with him/ feeds him some peanut butter to lick off and keep it fun and brief. About the dog park, just a head's up to be very, very careful. There are many stories of dogs having negative encounters there, and why I often feel that play dates with compatible pup/dogs may be a better option. Even better puppy socialization classes with other puppies/adult teacher dogs held under the guidance of a dog trainer. A simple Google search will show why many dog trainers are against dogs parks. Here's some info coming from the Association of Professional Dog Trainers: https://apdt.com/resource-center/dog-parks-good-bad-ugly/ Keep me posted on how things go with his training, you are a very dedicated owner and he is lucky to have you! Happy training! Adrienne

Hello, Welcome to the forums. These cases often require a multi-faceted approach involving management along with some level of training and behavior modification. First off though, lets take a closer looking into the dynamics and why this type of behavior occurs in the first place. Here's the thing: just as it happens with dogs who bark at the mail man, dogs who bark at delivery trucks come to believe, that, it's thanks to their barking that these delivery trucks eventually leave! Well... we all know what's really happening instead. In reality, it's not like the delivery truck is really retreating specifically because the dog barks, it's just that the driver happens to have to leave and continue his route as always-but dogs instead seem to perceive things this way. Therefore, day after day, a dog's barking will keep persisting, and the more the dog barks, the more the behavior becomes ingrained and more difficult to extinguish. Actually, the barking with time may increase in intensity and may start happening earlier and earlier such at from quite a distance. It's as if the dog was saying to the trucks, "What part of my message are you not getting? Go away! I just said go away! I'll keep on barking until you leave and if you don't, I'll bark louder and will go to plan B." So let's take a closer look into how this type of issue is tackled. Management. Management involves making the behavior less likely to occur by removing access to the trigger (hearing the delivery trucks/ seeing packages) or at least reducing its saliency. Management helps prevent rehearsal of the problematic behavior, which as mentioned, left to its own devices, is prone to putting roots and becoming more and more established. Following are some ways to make the barking less likely, while we plan to work on behavior modification and training. Therefore, management should always be implemented when we cannot actively work on the behavior in a systematic way. Block visual access to packages. If your dog engages in frantic barking at the sight of packages, it's important to prevent her from seeing them. You can apply temporary window film to your door's windows, pull down the blinds or draw the curtains closed or simply block off access to the door area. For example, you can simply keep your dog in a room where she cannot see outside or erect a baby gate so she stays far from the door. Another option is to use an indoor extendable gate for dogs to block off the area. Keep your dog indoors. If your dog is kept outside in a fenced yard for prolonged periods of time where she gets to practice the barking behavior, it's important keeping her indoors as much as possible and keeping her busy with more productive behaviors such as training, walks, brain games. The fence marks the perimeter of your property making your dog more likely to act territorial towards triggers. Buffer the sound. If your dog reacts to the sound of delivery trucks passing by, you may find it helpful to buffer sounds by keeping the radio or T.V. on in hopes of masking these outdoor noises. It also helps keeping your dog in an indoor area more distant from the road. Behavior Modification Management doesn't really go to the root of the problem, but it paves the path for a successful plan because as mentioned, dogs are prevented from rehearsing certain behaviors. Behavior modification instead entails actively working with the dog at a gradual pace (desensitization) while working on creating positive associations (counterconditioning) with triggers that the dog is struggling with: You can read more about desensitization and counterconditioning here: You can read about these two behavior modification methods here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning With these in mind, the goal is therefore to initially expose to lower audible levels of delivery trucks driving by (from a distance from the road, with some background noise to buffer the sound) and gradually increasing the intensity of the sound (less buffering, then closer to the road), while also creating positive associations with this sound. You can also try to record the sound the delivery truck as it passes by one day and practice with that initially presenting it at a lower volume. Read on here how to do this using the "hear that method:" https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/ Training Now, once we have exposed our dogs to low levels of their triggers, and gradually increased intensity, while creating positive associations, we may have calmer dogs which opens the lines for training. Here's the thing; when a dog is too aroused by a trigger, his/her cognitive functions tend to lower, making it more difficult to get them to pay attention to us. In technical terms, when a dog is too aroused by a trigger to pay any attention, he/she is said to be "over threshold"-you can read about threshold levels here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ So training wise, it's ideal to train your dog an alternate, incompatible behavior to the barking behavior. If your dog tends to bark at the sound of delivery trucks, you can train her to engage in an alternate, incompatible behavior such as training your dog to lie on mat where she will receive some super-duper yummy long-lasting goodies (that you'll keep readily handy so to give at a moment's notice and just for this purpose) that she can enjoy, hopefully until the truck is gone. With her lying down (dogs are less likely to bark when lying down) and her mouth busy, she should feel less tempted to bark. With frequent repetition and when implemented correctly, your dog should therefore come to look forward to the truck arriving due to all these positive associations! Here's how to train a dog to lie on a mat: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ Another helpful exercise is training her to go look at the package left by the door and come to you for a little treat. You can do this by training the "look at that exercise" only that, instead of looking at triggers passing by from the window, you will practice with your dog looking at packages! So you can train this by just placing packages out there at several times of the day-and initially not right after the delivery guy has come as your dog will likely be too over threshold to listen. Here is how to train it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ So after several reps and fluent responses, it would be time to chain the two behaviors together: 1) upon hearing the delivery truck coming, you'll have your dog lie on the mat with a long-lasting goodie that takes her sometime to consume:( think, bully stick, stuffed Kong, large cookie) 2) once the truck has left (and when your dog finished the goodie) you can guide her to go "look at the window" then make your smacking sound and give her several treats tossing them on the ground the opposite way (even kibble may work once she's calmer) as you go get your package -if safe to do so-that your dog can't escape. If your dog may escape of you're still struggling in controlling her, it helps to keep the area by the door blocked off by a baby gate/extended dog gate. A few words of caution: -Avoid touching your dog such as grabbing her by the collar or pushing her away when she's barking/aroused as dogs who are aroused by outdoor triggers may sometimes be so over threshold that they may instinctively bite when touched. -If your dog is unable to focus on you and follow your directions, she should go a few steps back in the process until she's calmer- and unti then- should not be put into that same situation until she has shown signs of being more composed. If at any times, she ever shows signs of aggressive behavior, please consult with a dog behavior professional. The use of antianxiety medications along with behavior modification and training may help some dogs that otherwise wouldn't be able to succeed. I hope this helps, Best wishes, Adrienne Disclaimer: Some dogs when very aroused/frustrated may bite. If your puppy or dog is showing aggressive tendencies or is very aroused/frustrated, please play it safe and consult with a dog behavior professional (DACVB, CAAB) for safety.

Glad to hear you have been able to help him catch up, practice makes perfect! Keep me posted on his progress. Best wishes for a wonderful 2021! Adrienne

That's for the details. OK, here's the thing: there are several models of harnesses on the market nowadays and some are meant to have a leash in front only, some only for the back and some for both front and back at the same time. The ones crafted for both front and back attachments like the Perfect Fit Harness, or Freedom harness often come with a double-ended leash meant to allow the leash to be simultaneously clipped to the front and back. Normally, I suggest to clip the leash to the front (or front and back) when dealing with a dog who pulls or we are concerned may pull-BUT in your case, with the leash right in the front of him, pretty much dangling in his face, biting the leash may be too much of a temptation. Indeed, for dogs who bite the leash, often dog trainers will suggest to use a harness and attach the leash to the back ring (so it's less tempting as it's out of the way), BUT-in this case, untrained dogs may feel more propense to pull because 1) it puts the dog more of in an "in front" position, and 2) it can encourage untrained dogs to throw their full body weight into pulling on the lead. If you watch huskies pulling sleds, indeed, you'll see how they wear harnesses hooked at the back so to allow more pulling power. So let's do some evaluations: 1) if we pick to place the chain leash on the back ring, there is a possibility we *may* have in part solved the leash biting because it's farther away from the dog's mouth (out of sight, out of mind) however, we may be a bit more disadvantaged in teaching a potentially strong and large dog not to pull, yet one may argue that training is the ultimate answer regardless of the tool used. After all, training, along with gentle guidance, patience and time is what ultimately stops pulling regardless of what gear is being used (I am a fan of training dogs to walk nicely without even wearing the leash and collar in the first place by practicing first at home, then moving to a safely fenced yard before then going on walks with gear on). So this can be an option if we are absolutely really, really consistent in our training, and we always provide positive feedback for when the dog walks nicely and provide feedback when the dog pulls (by stopping asking dog to come back into heel position to resume walk, turning the opposite way) 2) if we pick to place the chain leash in the front ring, we have some more control because it decreases the effectiveness of pulling by turning the dog's body around. However, as mentioned with the leash right there this may increase the leash-biting so we need to consider that. 3) If we use a double-ended leash, this makes it easier to maneuver the dog around as needed. In other words, the back attachment disperses the pull over the dog's entire body and therefore avoids excessive strain on one area of a dog's body which would be uncomfortable and the front-attachment converts any forward motion into an arc back towards the handler. This works best for very strong pullers and dog owners a bit at a disadvantage (large, powerful dog, with an owner that is petite, senior, disabled etc) So.... in this case, we need to choose the lesser evil. If your puppy is blank slate and doesn't pull yet, you can try to the back ring and see whether you can get the leash out of his mind which gives you the opportunity to get him to focus more on training. If the leash biting is temporary due to teething, it may just be a phase. However, if the training isn't very consistent or as he develops he starts learning to put his weight on it and you struggle to hold him because he's tempted by smells and meeting other dogs, you may be tempted to put the leash in the front ring, but here we risk that he may revert back to leash biting-which can turn particularly problematic since when a behavior resurfaces after some time, it tends to become more ingrained. However, if the chain leash is soothing to him now because he's teething (maybe he likes it because it feels cold for bit?), there are chances that after the teething stage is over it may no longer appeal to him and he'll be less propense to bite it-but we have no guarantees of this, it could be he may retain the positive associations with it and become the exception dog who happens to likes to bite on chain. If your puppy is already pulling or you are concerned about it, then you can place the leash on the front ring or both front and back and use a double-ended leash, and take advantage of the better control, but you'll have to find a way to stop the leash biting. Sometimes, pups who leash bite a lot in the home/yard, may start focusing less on it once outdoors as they focus on other things, but often though leash biting continues and may even start occurring as a way to "vent" from anxiety/frustration and now we have a bigger problem if initially it was just part of play. I am attaching a little cheat sheet I created a while back on ways to tackle leash biting, so you can see the various options and see if you have already tried most (please note that basket muzzles are only for severe cases, not you case) I am missing one option which is using taste deterrents (like Bitter Apple Spray0 to spray on leashes, but there are too many dogs who seem to care less about them and it can be messy. There are some leashes made of steel cable, but they turned out to have not great reviews due to breaking apart (the handle mostly). I haven't included there also training which means distracting the pup by asking several steps of attention-heeling with a tasty treat at high level, that surpasses the leash in value (in other words, the treats attract the pup more than the biting the leash as dogs can't bite the leash and eat at the same time).. For teething your pup may enjoy cold things, like the frozen washrag trick you can read about here; https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/chewing/ There are also puppy teething rings and toys meant to be frozen. Some dog owners provide frozen fruit such as strawberries or bits of banana. The goal is too sooth those gums and also provide outlets for chewing so that leash is tempting. Hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

You're very welcome!

Hi Susan, This sounds like very anxious behavior. How often do you take her on car rides on average? I responded to your question on this on Dec 17th, with some further questions. I was trying to get a few clues in hopes of differentiating whether this can be a matter of anxiety of being in the car versus a possible anticipatory fear of being left alone. Have you seen that? Thanks for the extra details.

Hello, and welcome to the forums, I would like some more info to better assess the situation. When he is at the off leash dog park, is he lunging in an aggressive way? What happens when he does this to other dogs at the park? Does he have a history of getting along well with dogs? How long have you had your dog? Is he neutered? Does he bark or growl as well when he's on leash? When he drags you on trails or other places, is it only when he sees other dogs? Or is it constant pulling? Thanks

At 10 weeks, your puppy is in full nipping stage and this is rather normal behavior. These pups have lots of energy (although they need frequent naps) and they tend to see us humans as their favorite playmates. Not surprising, since, just prior to joining our homes, they used to play all day with their siblings, and we are just the next best thing. Because we move around, they often prefer us over a toy that they see often and is rather static (unless we move it around). Thank you for providing info on when you most often observe this behavior. Knowing when a behavior is likely to happen offers a good advantage: predictability. This gives us some power and control over the behavior. Nipping Outside when puppy has finished peeing You mention this nipping tends to happen often when you are out with him and when he has finished peeing. Many dogs get a little hyper after potty and in the yard. I would therefore be prepared when your pup is taken out. In such a case, I would ensure that after he has finished peeing you praise and reward him with a treat and make this a new habit. This encourages also outdoor elimination, and while you're at it, you can even start training him to go potty on cue: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/ Once he eats the treat, then you can encourage him to engage in some engaging activities that use movement. Have these activities ready so that you can intervene before your puppy even starts thinking about nipping. For instance, you may find it helpful using a flirt pole. A flirt pole can be a life saver during the puppy nipping stage. It looks like a fishing pole, and is basically stick with a toy attached at the end. Puppies love to chase this around. With young pups, I always make sure to carry one around my waist or over my shoulders so I can use it to redirect pups at a moment's notice from undesirable behaviors such as nipping or trying to chew or chase things around while providing them an outlet. Or alternatively, you can try tossing a ball, tossing a handful or kibble to hunt for or blowing some bubbles-yes, there is a bacon-flavored bubble machine made for dogs, but you can go with a cheaper version, the Dog Incredibubbles. Puppy Biting when being carried If the biting occurs when you are carrying him, this can be a handling issue. In other words, the puppy isn't used to being picked up and bites the arms, hands to be placed down. Fixing this takes a bit to work on, so for the time being, it may be best to encourage your pup to follow you around in the meanwhile. Here's the thing: if the puppy bites us as we're holding him, if we place him back down, the puppy will believe his biting behavior worked, so it will become habit-forming so he'll bite and bite more upon being picked up (or he may even play hard to catch at some point). . In these cases, young puppies benefit from a program involving desensitization and counterconditioning. The goal is to take baby steps (desensitization) and create positive associations (counterconditioning). You can read more about these behavior modification techniques here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ Very important in behavior modification is to ensure that the puppy is kept under threshold as much as possible. Here is a read on threshold levels in dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ Here's an example of a behavior modification protocol using desensitization and counterconditioning for a puppy who doesn't like to be picked up: This is not meant to be done all in one day but at the puppy's pace and gradually. The puppy is approached and offered a treat. This action is repeated several times. This is helpful because a puppy who doesn't like to be picked up may feel a bit tense when approached. This action is repeated several times, until the puppy seems comfortable with this. Next, the puppy is approached and a hand is placed under the puppy's chest and a tasty treat is fed while the hand is there. Once the puppy finishes the treat, the hand is removed. This action is repeated several times, until the puppy seems comfortable with this. Next, the puppy is approached and a hand is placed under the puppy's chest again and is fed a tasty treat while being slightly lifted off the floor. Once the puppy finishes the treat, the puppy is lowered down to the floor and the hand is removed. This action is repeated several times, until the puppy seems comfortable with this. Next, the puppy is approached and a hand is placed under the puppy's chest again and is fed a tasty treat (or a helper feeds him) while being lifted more off the floor as the other arm is placed under the puppy's back end to support him. Once the puppy finishes the treat, the puppy is lowered down to the floor and the hand is removed. This action is repeated several times, until the puppy seems comfortable with this. Duration is added. The puppy is now picked up and fed several treats in a row while up in the arms as the owner takes a few steps. Once the puppy finishes the treats, he is lowered down to the floor again and no more treats. The fun ends when placed down. A verbal cue is added(I like to use "up-up-up!") just prior to picking up the puppy that informs him the intent of being picked up and undergoing the whole chain of behaviors. The puppy is praised and rewarded with treats while up in the arms and the owner walking around. Dogs like routines, they like knowing what is coming so alerting them of our intent to pick them up makes them more relaxed rather than being startled by somebody suddenly swooping them up from nowhere. If at any time you notice a puppy is struggling with any one of these steps, it means that we must split them into smaller sub-steps and not move to the next step until he is fully comfortable with the previous one. Nipping when playing fetch This can be due to overstimulation or the puppy just tiring. If this happens after several times of playing fetch, it may be best finishing the game before the puppy gets to that point. When dogs reach this aroused state, they start losing control of their jaws and they may bite more or harder than usual. I would keep the games of fetching the sock brief for now so to not get him to that tipping point and also to prevent rehearsal of the problem behavior. You can end the game with a last toss of the item you are using to play fetch and then offering him something tempting to chew on to calm down. He may also benefit from being taught to hand target as an alternate way to interact with hands. The moment you see him approaching your hand with the intent to bite, ask him to target your hand and reward him by tossing a kibble. Here is how to train it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/ Alternatively, you can ask him to sit and toss a kibble to catch as a reward. Here's how to train sit: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/sit/ And here are some bite inhibition games to teach him to modulate the pressure of his bites: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/bite-inhibition-games/ Consider as well that pups can get particularly nippy when they are cranky and in a dire need of a nap. It may therefore be worthy providing him with some quiet time. Give him an edible chew or stuffed Kong to enjoy in the crate or play pen or on a mat. You can also offer a Kong Wobbler filled with a portion of his daily ration or a fun bottle game. He'll need a small bottle for this and make sure to remove the label and caps. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/high-school/the-bottle-game/ If he loves his kibble, I would put him to work to it with a variety of brain games/training using that exclusively. Look up the treasure hunt game, muffin game, ball pit game. The main goal in getting a pup to stop biting hands, arms, clothing and legs is to teach them that it's boring playing with them because there are far better forms of play out there that don't involve human body parts. So try to move less as movement and our reactions to the biting attracts dogs the most (wear light gardening gloves in the initial training stages and cover your ankles by tucking your pants in your socks or wear tall boots ) and make your toys move more. Wriggle them, toss them, provide toys that release food. With their strong urge to bite and play satiated with other forms of play and mental stimulation, puppies should eventually outgrow the habit of chasing legs/hands. We generally aim to have most nipping reduced by the time a pup is 5-6 months. You may have to try several of the above options and see what works best. Redirection to a rewarding food-dispensing toy or game should be moderately easy at this age if these activities are made rewarding. Teaching an alternate behavior is also important because pups cannot misbehave if they are busy targeting our hands or sitting! It may take a bit of time to teach these alternate behaviors fluently, but it is sure worth the time and effort. By providing outlets for his energy and needs for mental stimulation, introducing him to some basics of impulse control (through training) and reinforcing appropriate behaviors, you should eventually start seeing a decrease in the biting behavior. Keep track of it so to measure whether things are getting better with time. Finally, once again, consider that pups tend to get worse at nipping when they are cranky and in dire need for a nap. If you notice a time where your pup is super nippy, consider enclosing him behind a baby gate, in a play pen or crate with something valuable to chew. This is not to punish him, but simply to give him the opportunity to calm down and relax. So avoid grabbing him (even if just by the collar), getting angry or frustrated otherwise he'll risk playing hard to catch, or risks associating the crate with punishment, when it needs to be a pleasant place. Simply say 'crate" as you toss some goodie inside. More on this here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/ Chances are, if you provide a quiet area, he will chew and then happen to fall asleep for a well-needed nap. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions. Best, Adrienne

Hi Cheryl, I certainly remember the leash issues you were facing with Shiloh! I am glad that you are seeing some improvements with the harness. Make sure to keep creating positive associations with wearing it. I use a very systematic approach with this, often feeding a treat/kibble when I clip the two connection points as dogs seem to worry about this part. And then I give another treat/kibble when clipping on the leash-although with some fearful dogs, I keep the leash attached to it already so no need to further clip on the leash. I am surprised he still chews the leash even if it's made of chain. Is he really chewing the chain? Or is this a leash with some parts made out of a different material and he is somehow still getting to the non-metal parts? Also, does he chew it persistently or does he chew it and then stop after a bit? In other words, is he giving any signs of not liking to chew on it compared to the regular leash? About the harness: what model do you have? There are many makes and models nowadays and they may all work a bit differently. Some harnesses are meant to be clipped on the back, some on the front, and then some offer to clip simultaneously to both back and front and often come with a double-ended leash.

He seems to be doing well. I like how he sits back and waits when you give attention to your playmate, that's very nice. He deserves praise and some recognition for being so patient!

Hi Cheryl, This is not easy to predict as there may be several variables. Dog behavior may never be totally static on several fronts and there may changes depending on individual circumstances. For instance, take both genetics and the environment in which he is raised. Genetically, shepherds/shepherd mixes may be prone to forms of play that mimics their natural herding instincts to herd, which includes: staring, stalking, and chasing. Some of these dogs can be also quite controlling, something that not all dogs are willing to tolerate. Some breeds under the herding group may enjoy nipping heels. Hence, it's important to monitor for signs of a playmate getting tired of having their movement controlled. The environment, can too a play a role. If young puppies get to play with other puppies (like in a controlled setting e.g. puppy classes), they may refine more their bite inhibition and may learn to play more gently and adjust their playing styles with specific pups. Bully pups sometimes are put with older puppies or suitable adult dogs, who can act as "teacher dogs," which will teach the pup in a firm, yet, gentle way to modulate their play style to a more acceptable level. In controlled settings, where there is careful monitoring and recognition of when play gets out of hand, pups can also be given routine breaks when they engage in inappropriate play as often as needed. As puppies tire, they may also start sometimes behaving inappropriately and both parties may benefit from a break. In general, as long as both pups are having fun, it should all be good. One should though always monitor the body language of the dog being chased or pinned repeatedly. Are the ears back? Is the tail between the legs? Is the chased dog trying to hide? Does she seem uncomfortable when cornered or when the other dog is in her face? If so, chances are good she isn't enjoying the interaction, but sometimes, things aren't cut and dried as desired, or one may not be able to interpret body language accurately. There is one way easy way though to find out whether what looks like a "victim dog" is feeling really intimidated and not comfortable in a specific play session. All it takes is to get ahold of the "instigator" for a few seconds and observe the "victims'' behavior. Does she seem relieved and try to leave, or is she looking for her playmate and tries to re-engage him play? If the latter takes place, most likely she enjoys this type of play and is just coming back for more. I take it as a good sign that Shiloh never tried to jump on her, nip at her etc. and that he play bowed and barked and ran back and forth etc. It seems like he was inviting her and testing to see whether Chloe wanted to play, and it seems like he did well in reading her intent to not play, so much so, that he decided to play fetch with your granddaughter. If he would act pushy though and Chloe is trying to make him stop and he doesn't stop, then you may want to intervene. Large pups and smaller pup play always needs careful supervision. Large pups need to play gently, engaging in what is known as "self-handicapping" in other words, they should adjust their play style to match the smaller pups. Not all pups are naturally skilled for this, but when they are, it can be quite endearing to watch. Now, behavior in dogs is never static, there are always chances for changes. For instance, as pups grow and get close to become adolescent, they may become more bold and pushy in their interactions. Then, as they reach social maturity around 12 to 36 month of age several dogs start getting standoffish, some to the point that they may no longer get along well with other dogs or may no longer tolerate certain things from them. And this is fine too- and we may just have to come to accept that, just like people, there are dogs who like to mingle and party, while others prefer to read and sip on a cup cocoa in front of a crackling fireplace 🙂

You are very welcome. Keep me posted!