Adrienne

So glad she has found the puzzle toy worthy of her attention! Thanks so much for the update. I am always here if you need any further help or have any questions, Best, Adrienne

Glad to hear surgery went well and that you have been finding the flirt pole useful! It sounds like she had some retained baby teeth extracted. Those can certainly hurt when our pups nip us as you're dealing with extra teeth (and baby teeth are needle-sharp!) on top of the regular ones. I wonder if the new behavior you mention may be linked to her teeth removal? Perhaps the soreness may cause her to lick and try chewing the walls. Did the vet send your pup home with any pain meds? Sometimes dogs may do so too if they are nauseous. If this is a new behavior, happening right after the surgeries, mention it to the vet. About the bully sticks, I think this is something you may also want to ask your vet about to play it safe. After the extractions, they may be too hard to chew on and we don't want to trigger any bleeding. As it happens with us, a blood clot needs to form and it can be quite delicate in the first days. So avoid her chewing anything sharp or hard until you hear from your vet. Best wishes for a quick recovery! Best. Adrienne

Hi Judy, Welcome to the forums, Lovely deck! It would be important preventing rehearsal of the weeing behavior on the deck or indoors. Going potty is intrinsically reinforcing and therefore, the more the puppy goes on an undesirable surface, the more he'll want to keep going on it. If this happens too often, we risk that he develops a substrate preference for going potty on these surfaces rather than the dirt area. Since you mention that going on the front strip is not practical for the future and your pup hasn't finished yet his vaccinations, I would therefore suggest sticking to the dirt areas if that's where you're planning for him to always go in his future. So if you want your puppy to learn to potty on dirt, you need to make it happen as much as possible on those surfaces, praising and rewarding so to create positive associations. Make sure the dirt areas are easy to access. While you're there, aim to train him to go potty on command. With time and consistency, if you take him out when the urge is strong, you should be able to establish a routine where he'll go potty right away once outside because of a strong reinforcement history. Here's how to train it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/ Keeping him on lead when you expect him to need to go would be important to prevent him from wandering back to the deck area. Maybe he's also going to the deck because he's trying to re-unite with you. I would therefore suggest literally walking him back and forth on leash on the dirt area (so you are with him) if you can and wait to see if he goes. When he does, praise/reward (hand feed a treat) and let him have some fun after ward in the yard. If he doesn't go, you can take him back inside, but watch him like a hawk in case he gives signs of needing to go. Keep him leashed to you or in a crate or small area nearby the door with unobstructed views and be ready to take him back outside on leash to try again in the next 10-15 minutes. Keep it up until he goes. Praise/reward when he does, and then unleash him and let him have some free fun, especially if he did number one and number two on the dirt areas. A few tips that come to mind: -Strategically placing some of his waste initially in the dirt area can help tell your pup the area is his "new bathroom." If your dog had an earlier accident in the house or on the patio, collect it if it was poop (or paper towels you used to soak up urine) and place it in the area. Your dog might smell it and learn to use this area from now on. -Make sure to clean messes on the deck and indoors with a good enzyme-based cleaner to prevent future accidents there due to lingering smells. With time, he should learn to go potty in the area without the need of the leash because it has become so rewarding to go there (he should follow you there first thing when you go outside with him, then he should gradually learn to go there with you at a distance when you tell him to go potty. However, something to consider is that things may eventually regress if you keep your pup outside eventually on his own unsupervised. When Nature calls, should he happen one day go on the patio or other area by mistake (like he got distracted or couldn't hold it anymore), this may cause a bad habit to establish. It goes without saying therefore, that it's best to accompany him to his designated area as needed, tell him to potty, and a praise and reward when you can, so to maintain the behavior strong. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions! Best, Adrienne

Awww, that's adorable, she looks so proud of herself! Other fun useful things that come to mind is closing cabinet doors (with paw or nose), pushing doors left ajar open wide for you when you are carrying groceries and your hands are full or pulling your socks off (once they are partially off so the dog has something easy to grasp-avoid if dog has little bite inhibition). Einstein enjoyed turning on tap lights with his paw. If that's something you would like to train too, there's a video on how to train it in the video archive.: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/ You'll need those little battery-operated push lights and once the behavior is fluent, you can then practice in the dark too!

Hi there! Welcome to the forums! Where are you planning to train your puppy? Has your puppy finished all the vaccinations and has the vet given you the green light to take him/her outdoors? At this age, we want to make sure your puppy is fully protected from infectious diseases. Have you already practiced recalls in the home? We want to start training this well in the home first before moving on off leash in a safely fenced, puppy proofed yard. Here is the section on training recalls: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/recall/

Hello and welcome to the forums! Fetch is one of those games that can get out of hand. It's surely a great way for dogs to keep busy and exercise, but it's easy to cross the line between a fit dog and a fanatic fetching machine on four legs. To tackle the demand barking at the business I would suggest the following: -Keeping all balls out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind. Stashing the balls in another room or placing them in a cabinet may help. -Getting the ball out only when your husband wants to play fetch. This would mean ignoring her initiative and requests to play ball. This may not be feasible in the office, as it would lead to temporary louder, more persistent barking (as a result of an extinction burst), but at home or in the yard do your best to ignore her requests. If your dog keeps insisting, get up and leave the room/area. Fetching games should only start on your husband's terms. -When in the office/business, she can be offered alternate activities to fetch that will keep her busy such as rewarding indoor games that provide mental stimulation. Stop feeding meals from a bowl and offer kibble in an interactive food-dispensing toy instead. Stuffed Kongs, Buster Cubes, Kong Wobblers, Snuffle mats, Licki-mats are just a few examples of food dispensing toys that will keep her busy for some time and hopefully quiet. -When playing fetch, use a cue to tell your dog when the game is over. You can say "game over" or "all done" as you in a matter-of-fact way put the ball away. After several reps, your dog should learn to disengage. -Train Lili some impulse control games. This will help her learn to better control her impulses and cope better with his frustration over time. Here are several: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/ -If she seems obsessed over playing fetch, take a break. Some dogs benefit taking a little break from playing with the ball (like a month or so) so they have the opportunity to explore other forms of playing and take a vacation from all the adrenaline (fetch is a game that raises adrenaline). Once the month is over, the ball can be re- introduced, but it can be offered in more productive settings such as for reinforcing trained behaviors. -Take advantage of your dog's ball drive. Use the ball as a reinforcer for calm, composed behaviors. Ask your dog to sit and reinforce it by tossing the ball. Ask your dog to lie down and toss the ball. If your dog barks, don't toss the ball. Hold on to it and move away. Fetch only happens when she displays calm behavior, like a sit or down and then you can toss the ball. -You dog at 7 months is at the peak adolescent stage, here is a read about what's going on during this life stage: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ For the noises, if they occur predictably, I like to use the "hear that" method if it's reactivity/fear based. You can find it in this article: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/ For door knocks, here is a guide: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/barking/doorbells-knocks-on-doors/ For barking at strangers on walks, this may help. I know it mentions neighbors but the process is the same with general strangers: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/barking-at-neighbors/ Prior to working on this on walks, you may find it useful working on seeing strangers walk by your property using this foundational exercise: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ and then prior to walks you can move to this from inside the car: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/barking-strangers-car/ It goes without saying that if the barking is due to reactivity towards strangers/aggression, it would be important enlisting the help of a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions or need elucidations on any of these, Best, Adrienne

Hi Lisa, Welcome to the forums! This tends to happen when treats aren't faded properly. In other words, the dog has come to associate the presence of the treat with the execution of the behaviors. With no treat in sight, no behavior. To tackle this issue we therefore need to gradually fade the use of treats. If you notice, in the obedience 101 guide there's mention of fading the food lure in several commands. It's an important step to do as soon as possible. Also, following the obedience 101 guide you'll find a special guide called "polishing up training" that goes more in depth on this: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/polishing-up-training/ And here is another guide, specifically crafted for those encountering this problem. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-listens-treats/ You will also find a guide on how to move from a continuous schedule (give one treat for every correct behavior) to an intermittent one (given randomly) here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/polishing-up-training/fading-continuous-rewards/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/use-treats-training-dog/ Of course, consider that we should never stop giving primary reinforcers such as treats completely otherwise we risk the behavior weakens and possibly extinguishes at some point. . Let me know how things work out for you! Best, Adrienne

Thank you for the update! Glad to hear things are back to normal. I think with time, if we keep up with creating positive associations (using treats) upon seeing them and smelling them during a group walk, with time, we may be able to change her emotional response and we may no longer get a growl, but more happy, relaxed body language. In behavior modification, it's important to watch that body language and prevent dogs from going over threshold. The goal is to obtain what's known as a conditioned emotional response. I know it can be annoying to pass a towel with old doggy smell on dogs who were recently groomed and smell great to us, but if that helps Harmonie better accept them, it may be worth it. It is interesting that she does not do this with Poppie and Max after they leave the house and come back and even if they are recently groomed. It could be she just feels more confident with the little ones or perhaps the little ones object to her sniffing by getting tense and she is pushy about that and growls to correct their reluctance and they growl back. There may also be something more subtle at play that we cannot detect, considering how dogs are so in tune with things.

Hello and welcome back, The behaviors you are reporting sound concerning, especially since he's biting. Hopefully he has good bite inhibition, but even if so, we don't want him to rehearse this biting behavior. Firstly, because the more a dog rehearses a problematic behavior the more it puts roots and establishes. Secondly because every time we try to forcibly take something away from a dog we are giving him a reason to bite and proving him we are not trustworthy, and thirdly, most likely before you are grabbing the item he is sending you some subtle distance-increasing signals (stay away signals), but these are being missed so he's put into the position of having to resort to more evident signs of aggression leading to him reverting more quickly to the more offensive strategies to alleviate perceived threats. In other words, it's important to not put him into the position of having to resort to biting, while also preventing access to things he shouldn't have and teaching him that we are trustworthy when he has access to something. Unfortunately, dogs don't understand that when we are removing something potentially dangerous from them we are doing it for their own good. From a dog's perspective we are simply stealing a treasured item from them. For sake of comparison, when a dog has access to a valuable resource such as food, it's like us carrying our wallet in our front or back pocket of our pants or in our handbag. We keep our wallet as close to our bodies to protect it and the only person who would think about grabbing it is likely a thief. We would never expect our neighbors or even our close friends to start opening our purse and getting money from it. For many of us, we don't even allow this freedom to our family members! So here are some general guidelines on how to manage this issue and prevent rehearsal, but to tackle this issue directly you will need the intervention of a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification. Implementation of Management Management is often overlooked when it comes to dogs who grab things they shouldn't. Management simply entails keeping things your dog shouldn't have out of the way. So in the home, you would keep foods he shouldn't have out of the way and you would keep the trash can out of reach (or you would invest one with a lid). In the yard, you would regularly inspect it and keep it clear of tempting things such as food remnants or carcasses of animals. On walks, you would steer clear of things your dog may be attracted to by always walking your dog on leash and scanning roads so that you can walk away from the path where there are temptations. While management sounds like a no-brainer thing and doesn't seem to accomplish much in changing the behavior problem, it actually accomplishes many goals. 1) It prevents your dog from rehearsing the grabbing-things-he-shouldn't-have behavior. 2) It keeps your dog safe as ingested things can be toxic, cause choking or an intestinal blockage 3) it keeps you safe since some many dogs will feel compelled to bite when in possession of a perceived resource and us trying to forcibly remove it. In an Emergency Situation It goes without saying that many dogs will strongly object if we must forcibly remove something from their mouth. Prying open their mouths, pulling it out or trying to remove anything from their hold will only make matters worse. This especially tends to happen when we haven't established a base of trust through fluent responses to drop its and leave its from an early age and maintained them with routine trainings, but it can also happen when we haven't practiced with things that are high in value enough or when a dog finds frequently tempting things and we are not around, and they may therefore naturally and automatically feel inclined to think that anything they find belongs to them and will object if we attempt to remove it from them. If therefore grabbing the item out of the dog's mouth is counterproductive, how can I get something out of a dog's mouth without him biting me? This is a good question. There are fortunately some ways around this problem. The first way is the fast method to use in case of an emergency situation. This method comes handy for when your dog has gotten something he shouldn't have and you want him to relinquish it, but as safely as possible. So if your dog stole something he shouldn't have, you can do the following to safely retrieve the item. Find something edible that is higher in value than what your dog has. Think about something your dog loves and drools for and that is safe for him to have. Maybe it's a bully stick, a pig's ear or his Kong stuffed with something tasty such as some smelly canned dog food. Whatever it is, keep it always handy so that you can reach out for it at a moment's notice. Make noise with the wrapper, open the fridge, unlock the jar storing his favorite bone. Chances are, he'll prick his ears and watch you carefully. Let him clearly see what you are doing. At this point, your dog may drop the item he had in his mouth voluntarily to come see what you are doing or he may approach you carrying the item in his mouth to check what you are doing. Once you have the item in your hand, let your dog see it, and as soon as you notice interest, walk past an open door or baby gate, toss the desired item and as soon as he's past the door/baby gate to go get it, close the door/baby gate between you and your dog so that you can safely remove the object. This method works well because on top of getting your dog to voluntary relinquish the object, you are also teaching him the art of "fair trading." In other words, instead of dreading you coming his way when he has a possession in fear of you pulling it out of his mouth, rep after rep, he looks forward to it because he has learned that you always have something better to offer. What to Do on Walks If you are on a walk and your dog happens to grab to something from the ground, you can do something similar. Make it a habit of carrying in your pocket or in a treat bag one of the highest value foods your dog enjoys so that you can offer it at a moment's notice. Your dog should rapidly drop whatever he picked up without much thinking involved. If you are offering the right type of food, this should be a no-brainer decision and he'll drop without hesitation. Training the Dog to Trust If you have forcibly removed items from your dog in the past or your dog hasn't learned the perks that come from learning leave it and drop it from the get-go, not all is lost. You will have to though work harder on convincing your dog that you are no longer a threat and that you will actually add things or swap things for something better. This is mainly done through behavior modification, using desensitization and counterconditioning techniques. Training the drop it and leave it command can turn helpful too, but in the case of a dog who is resource guarding already, it requires a more gradated, systematic approach incorporating some elements of behavior modification versus the regular way of training it. For this very reason you'll see how in the drop it section it reads "Some dogs may be reluctant to drop items they are possessive of. If your dog shows signs of aggression such as stiffening, growling, or showing teeth, please stop training this exercise and consult with a professional." It is therefore fundamental for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification to enlist the help of a qualified dog behavior professional, such as a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) or an Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB). Unfortunately, keeping him in a separated area where he can't have free play after the fact won't do much in terms of him learning from his earlier behavior. In order for dogs to associate a behavior with a consequence it needs to happen immediately. On top of this, any type of punishment applied to resource guarding is a cocktail for disaster because it will further convince the dog that we are not to be trusted. You can read more about resource guarding here: and here: I hope this helps, Let me know if you have any questions, Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance.

You are very welcome! A weekend away at the groomer is quite some time. They will smell very different too. When working for a vet, we used to have a similar issue with pets attacking other pets that had recently seen the vet just because they smelled "different." In such cases, it helped to pass a towel where the pet seeing the vet normally slept over their bodies to allow them to re-assume a more familiar smell. This is something you can try as well as there's likely some scent issue at play. I would start by proceeding straight for the walk rather than letting them meet in the driveway. This because we want them moving and walking to get a sense of "togetherness" and then proceed to praise/reward for looking at them and then sniffing their behinds taking a gradual approach. Watch for signs of tension. If things look tense on the walk or when returning home while you still have them on leash, it may help to keep them separated for a while with the use of a baby gate so to get her gradually used to seeing each other. This gives them a cooling- off period, and your twins may be a bit stressed from the groomer too and may need a little time too. I know when talking about breed standards, we think about show dogs, but breed standards are like the bible to dog breeders. It gives them guidelines to ensure their breeding stock have the correct temperament for the breed and conformation to avoid passing down hereditary traits which can have an impact as well on dogs kept as companions. Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog is acting aggressively, please seek out the in person-guidance of a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation.

You are very welcome! With rescue dogs it tends to get better with time once they feel more at home and follow our guidance.

Thank you so kindly for these extra details, they are extra helpful. With a pup that does hand targets, gets the treat and then comes back to bite again, I am thinking that several things may be happening: 1) The treats are not valuable enough 2) The desire to bite hands is so strong it surpasses their desirability of treats 2) The hand target response isn't reliable enough to get several reps of it 3) The dog is too over threshold to cognitively function (in other words, the dog is in a too hyper state to think clearly enough to respond to our cues). Here are some possible solutions based on the above possible issues: 1) We can try to using higher value treats and see if that makes a difference (you are concerned about calories, so you may need to look low-calorie treats such as Zuke's mini naturals etc. ask a store clerk for other types). 2) We can try using a target stick rather than our hands to train targeting. In lieu of a target stick you can use a long wooden spoon or a ruler. If he wants to bite those, you can try something metal like the end of a metal spoon (most dogs dislike chewing metal) 3) We can work more on targeting using objects until getting a very fluid response and then gradually work our way to using our hands. 4) We need to provide more exercise, training and mental stimulation to gain a calmer mental state. The angry behavior sounds like rough, out of control play. That butt up posture is a play bow, which is a meta-signal intending that anything that follows although rough is play. I would suggest not going into another room with her biting all the way as this reinforces the biting. It is fun for them to tug at our clothes and body parts as we move away because of "resistance." In other words, the more we move or pull back, the more they'll want to attach and bite. Being motionless may help, but it can be quite impractical when the biting is so hard. So here are some other things that come to mind: -Since she's is small and can only reach so much when you are walking, you may find it helpful wearing tall rubber boots like Wellington boots. Many pups grow tired of biting these as there's not much to grip. -Try carrying a flirt pole with you (this is toy that looks like a fishing pole with a string ending with a squeaky toy) and wiggle it as soon as she approaches you. Let her latch on it and create some resistance to encourage her to tug at it and have fun. Drag her gently around. -Toss a ball the opposite way as you move away -Toss a treat or kibble the opposite way as you move away. Take baby steps when teaching her to wear her harness and collars if she tends to nip some much your hands. You can find a guide on habituating a dog to wearing a harness here: And here is a guide on putting the leash on: Attaching the Leash Start by creating positive associations with the leash. Just as with the collar, hide behind your back and then present it, feeding your puppy treats when he looks at it and sniffs it and then once he's done inspecting it, place it behind your back and no more treats. Next, start getting your pup used to the sound of the clasp. Keep the leash behind your back, then make the snapping sound of the clasp and feed a treat. Clasp sound/treat, clasp sound/ treat, clasp sound/treat. Next, proceed to attaching the leash, give a treat, then unclip it once your dog is done eating it. Rinse and repeat. The leash snapped to the collar should become a cue that a treat is coming! Once your dog gets used to this, snap it on before mealtime and then unsnap it once he is done eating. Next, have a helper snap the leash on feed a treat and then you call your dog to you with him dragging it and give a treat. Unclip the leash when he's done eating. Rinse and repeat. Next, further raise criteria. Snap the leash on and hold it, walk a few steps ahead and call your dog to you, give treats when he reaches you. Try to avoid pulling your dog harshly on the leash considering that this will create negative associations with its use. Teach your pup to give into the leash pressure rather than resist it. Sit on the couch and if he moves away, gently put pressure on the leash and show him a treat so that he learns to give in to the pressure. Praise and reward. Start walking your pup on leash. If your pup lags behind or pulls in another direction, coax him to catch up and keep walking by showing a treat. The moment the leash becomes loose when he catches up, praise and reward with the treat. More on leash training here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ I am sorry, but typically we don't expect to see much behavior changes after spaying in regards to energy levels or biting. We mostly see changes in hormone-based behaviors such as escaping the yard in search of a mate or urine marking (mostly in male dogs). She will be rather calm the day of surgery, but then it's quickly back to being hyper. Your vet will give you instructions on limiting her exercise the first week or so after spaying, so make sure to plan on quiet activities for those days. Some vets may also prescribe sedatives for very active pups. Keep me posted on how things go! Best, Adrienne

In regards to Harmonie's behavior towards your other smaller dogs, this can be part of her growing up and reaching social maturity (a time when in many households dog-to-dog interactions tend to deteriorate somewhat)-but it could also be your dogs getting older. I know you say that she doesn't do that to Poppie, but maybe it's just easier for her practice this behavior on smaller dogs versus larger ones for now. On top of this, sometimes it can be that dogs sharing the same household are so in tune with each other that they may detect something is amiss, even earlier than we may notice (or the dog shows visible signs) and Pry are known to have a strong attention to details so it could she's picking up something. Even if there's not much going on health-wise, sadly, it's not uncommon for younger dogs to start challenging older ones as they start sensing them slowing down or weakness. It could also be that Tigger is sensing Taffie's vision issue and feels her vulnerability and is protecting her and Harmonies doesn't like that. There can be several dynamics going on. A younger dog may start challenging older dogs by pinning the older dog down or even blocking the other dog's entry into the house or preventing passage through tight passageways or corners. Sometimes, aggravating factors are a loss of hearing or vision or a touch of arthritis, which prevents the older dog from giving out appeasement signals or moving away as they normally would, which can cause younger dogs to escalate. It's unfortunate, but in general, one episode often means another will follow, so this type of behavior tends to become a pattern. It is reassuring though that this seems to be mostly noise, with your smaller dogs not apparently being emotionally impacted much, but we need to still heed with caution. It is possible for just noisy interactions to just let them be, but there are too many stories of dogs being allowed to "sort things out" on their own, eventually getting ugly and we never know when or how this may happen. There is a big size difference between your dogs so that's something to consider. On top of this, things tend to go more smoothly when other dogs don't object to the younger dog's "challenges." A growl back may escalate things rather than a dog who gives leeway or gives appeasement signals to avoid conflict. On the other hand, there can be some other dynamics going on. Dog-to-dog interactions can sometimes be quite complex and requires some close observations to identify what may be going on. Sometimes, what looks like something may be something else. Perhaps, that a different scent may be at play. Maybe some time back you took your small dogs somewhere and they smelled different and from that day on, she feels like she needs to check them out. Maybe your older dogs are now objecting to being checked out in such a pushy way. Some dogs will tolerate a brief sniff as a meet and greet but longer sniffing and standing over may be objected to, leading to a squabble. I feel that in circumstances as such, it may be best to take steps from preventing the behavior from occurring in the first place if possible. Things that come to mind are the following: -You can try to re-introduce your dogs when either one has headed out, with a walk outside in neutral territory rather in the home. So if Harmonie was out, let her stay with you out on leash while a helper takes the small dogs out on leash as well and starts walking, or if the two dogs were out, have them wait outside and take Harmonie out and start walking. Keep some distance. Parallel walking may work well (you have your Pry on one side, a helper walks next to you with the smaller dogs on the other side). Feed your Pry treats every time she looks at your smaller dogs and have your helper feed treats every time your smaller dogs look at your Pry. The walk can work as a stress-releaser and may take away that sudden impact of meeting again inside the home. It can also help create positive associations since you are feeding Harmonie treats for looking at the small dogs. You can then walk them back, perhaps making them greet in the large yard (with more space rather than tighter quarters) hoping that things have de-escalated by then. -You can see if having her sniff them from behind while she is on leash and the small dogs are on leash works to help reduce the "novelty factor". In other words, at some point, have a helper have your small dogs walk ahead and your Pry behind and let her sniff their behinds. Frontal meetings can be perceived as confrontational and this can help reduce some conflict. Feed her a treat when she sniffs them, and have a helper feed a treat to the small dogs when they are sniffed. -Always supervise your dogs when they are together in the home. Have a plan in place should a fight occur. You may need to interrupt it, but it is best not to get in between fighting dogs to prevent a re-directed bite. Options to separate include using a small air horn, ringing the door bell, using buckets of water or a water hose, banging together two pot lids. -Avoid corrections. I am sure you are not doing this, but I always point it out for any readers. As tempting as it may be to correct your dogs from growling, this is communication and dogs "using their words." If we suppress the growling, the dogs may go straight to a bite. -Consider behavior modification through counterconditioning and desensitization. You will need to enlist the help of a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation. An example may include throwing a party and letting your Pry feel like she won the lottery every time your twins make their appearance through the door. When your twins are then taken out again, no more treats. This is to clarify that good things happen contingent upon the twins entering. This is best done initially with the dogs on leash and one helper for each dog. It goes without saying that if these issues seem to escalate or you notice them happening more and more, your best bet is to separate the dogs and enlist the help of a dog behavior professional for an in-person assessment and recommendations based on observations and your dog's behavioral or medical histories. Ideally, look for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist or a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. I hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

In regards to grooming, this thread has some behavior modification general guidelines for dogs reluctant to having their ears, paws and eyes cleaned. Of course, use a muzzle if concerned or enlist the in-person help of a dog behavior professional if you are concerned about any possible biting. And here are some tips for making bath-time more pleasant. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-water-bathing/ I hope this helps! Will be posting about the other issue in my next post in the next few hours. Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog is acting aggressively, please seek out the in person-guidance of a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation.

Thank your for the additional details, they are very helpful. And thanks for posting her picture, from the fluff ball she was she is now an adolescent. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ Gotta love that adorable face! I am sure she's having a blast on your farm! I will start by tackling her leery behavior. Her behavior towards strangers sounds quite typical for the breed. They are typically a rather reserved breed. Bred for solitary work guarding sheep in the mountain valleys with little or no human guidance, Pry are quite independent thinkers with a tendency for figuring things out for themselves. When meeting new people, they may therefore act quite reserved, compared to other dog breeds that can be very outgoing. Of course, this is just a generalization. I know some that are very friendly, but things seem to start changing a bit as they reach social maturity. This reserved, slightly aloof demeanor though shouldn't be confused for shyness or fear. They just seem to need some time to warm up to people. The fact that she allows one of your friends to pet her may attest that. It could be she's just being a bit discriminative on who to befriend, but as long as there is no fear or aggression, but just being aloof, I wouldn't be too concerned. I would ask people to respect that and not force interactions if she's not up to that. With your guests in the home, she seems to be checking them out and then perceives them as no threat and and all is good. A good sniff and watching your response as well seems to reassure her. These dogs are very attuned to their owner's emotions, so she may know it's all good as well from how relaxed you appear. Once che has drawn her conclusions, she can then relax and maybe even nap (or pretend to). I don't think there is fear there. If you want to though, you can try having your guests/strangers on walks drop treats as she goes sniff them. This may just prove to her that they come in peace and can help create positive associations. Maybe this can give her some incentive for a littler warmer greeting in the future if you'd like, but she may also just eat the treat and leave, and care less-whatever. So it seems like over all, she's just being reserved. According to the American Kennel Club standard, although this breed may appear reserved in the show ring, any sign of excessive shyness, nervousness, or aggression to humans is unacceptable and must be considered an extremely serious fault. -If you therefore notice any signs of fear or aggression, then it would be important to intervene. On top of being reserved, Pry are often described as being very alert and attentive of their surroundings. As livestock guardians, they have to pay a lot of attention to their environment often distinguishing between situations calling for action and those posing no threat. They may not be very fond of changes or surprises, but mostly because of their protective/territorial nature. They are normally quick in noticing something being amiss more because of their attentiveness than fear. They seem to want to be on top of everything and know what's going on. I heard dog owners sometimes report their Pry noticing right away if they happened to move something from its regular spot. This change would trigger close investigation and perhaps even some circling and barking until they feel it’s not a threat. They have very sensitive hearing and can detect outdoor sounds even with all your windows closed in the house and the TV and air-conditioner running. Their alertness to some unusual sight or sound may cause them to ignore you as they are totally focused on investigating it until they feel -it's all good. This alertness though should not include much fear. Ideally, great Pyrenees should not act fearful or overly hesitant or nervous of new situations or people or sudden movements or noises. According to the standard for this breed, "The Great Pyrenees is confident, gentle, and affectionate. While territorial and protective of his flock or family when necessary, his general demeanor is one of quiet composure, both patient and tolerant. He is strong willed, independent and somewhat reserved, yet attentive, fearless and loyal to his charges both human and animal." Fearless, confident and courageous are therefore desired traits in these dogs. " Now you mention: "Could have been something prior to her time with me - I do recall she was very shy and scared when I first brought her home." It could be possible that her breeder hasn't worked too hard on selectively breeding for confidence. It has been proven that a fearful disposition can be passed down genetically from a generation to another. There is a growing concern with backyard breeders mating dogs with little consideration other than making some quick money. Also concerning is the practice of some farmers who place their 6 to 8-week old pups with livestock from such a young age with the purpose of inculcating a strong desire to protect. Doing so though can be counterproductive as it deprives young puppies from important early socialization and human handling which can lead to a pup who bonds very strongly with livestock, but grows excessively afraid/suspicious of humans and all the normal sights and sounds of a home, regardless of the parents' temperaments. Overall, it is good though that once she gets startled she investigates the source of her fears and then recovers rather quickly. More concerning are dogs who are fearful and avoid whatever they fear, running away to take cover and have a long recovery period.

You are very welcome! Let me know if you need any further assistance. Best, Adrienne

Hi Susan, Welcome back! I certainly remember Harmonie and the lovely pictures of her you provided me some time back. Couple of questions for you: Is she leery mostly towards strangers? And if so, when? When you meet them on walks? When they come to your home? What happens before she acts leery? Are the people making eye contact? Trying to pet her? What other things make her act insecure? Are your 12-year old mixes showing signs of aging? For example, mobility issues? Eye sight problems? Are they spayed/neutered? Do they seem emotionally impacted by Harmonie's behavior? For instance, after the stand off, do they act scared of her or cower or pee, or do you notice any changes in them or does everything go back to normal and friends as before? Thanks!

Oh no, you are not a failure, it's just that these singleton pups are not the easiest to raise and you have had her for only 2 1/2 months. Puppies can be a handful on their own, and it can get exhausting as they are so full of energy. They need training and lots of mental stimulation. On top of this, she's nearing the rebellious adolescent stage. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ I think we need to do a little troubleshooting, to see what may be happening exactly. So if you are doing targeting, is she biting the hand you are offering to target, or is she actually targeting it, you then give her the treat/kibble to reward her, she eats it, and then she comes back to bite your hand rather than re-target it? With Jazz up and settle, if it's working for a minute or two I'll take that as progress as long as you are getting a little respite from what sounds like constant biting. Maybe try to keep it brief, do it just for a minute, than ask for a final sit and then toss her 4-5 kibble and leave the room as she goes get those. However, you mention she is getting angry. Can you explain more in detail what is happening exactly? Is she still choosing to bite you rather than play with the toy and then sit and earn a treat? Where is she biting you? It sounds has a tendency to get in a hyper aroused state very easily. She would surely benefit from some impulse control and frustration tolerance exercises incorporated into her daily routines. Have you started implementing those? https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/ Being a Yorkie, and therefore loving to chase, I think she may benefit from playing with a flirt pole. This is a simple toy they sell for dogs that looks a bit like a fishing pole, it has a sort of rope and attached is a toy that often squeaks. With very nippy pups, they are a life saver for me. I keep it always on me, either around my waist or over my shoulders so that I can unwrap it at a moment's notice and redirect any attempts to bite to playing with it. Pups who would attach to my pants in hopes of being tugging and get dragged around, would attach to the toy at the end of the flirt pole and play with that instead. Yorkies are full of energy, they are feisty and they love to dig ( the word terrier derives from the Latin word "terra" meaning dirt as they were bred to dig), so provide her with a place to dig to her heart's content and try burying some of her toys there. Keep her mind busy with brain games. Try some tug toys made with real rabbit fur. The more you can keep her busy with toys, brain games, food dispensing puzzles (Kong Wobbler Buster Cubes, Snuffle mats and Lick mats) the more she should seek interaction from these rather than through you. Believe it or not, when dog owners tell me "my pup is in full biting mode when...." I feel relief as noticing when a behavior tends to be worse gives us some power. We come to expect it and can therefore take steps to control it. So if she's particularly hyper after napping, be ready to take her out in the yard, maybe organize some treasure hunt games: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/elementary/the-treasure-hunt/ Provide her with a place to dig. or offer her the bottle game: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/high-school/the-bottle-game/ I would stop feeding her from the bowl and use up her daily ration of kibble for training and brain games: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/adriennes-picks/top-5-dog-feeding-toys/ Not sure if you have any organizations near you, but she may have fun with earthdog trials. Thank you for providing me with more details. Based on your responses, we can do further troubleshooting.

Yup, as I pointed out, the more a problem behavior is rehearsed, the more it puts on roots hence the importance of keeping a dog as much under threshold as possible. The car rides and look at that window work are good foundation exercises. Keeping him under threshold will also reduce stress, as every time a dog attacks or tries to attack, cortisol floods the bloodstream and it leaves dogs in an hyperreactive state leading to trigger stacking. Giving him a little "cortisol vacation" for some time can prove beneficial. Brain training and its mental stimulation effects on the brain and body are often underrated. Many dog owners report their dogs get more tired after brain games, nosework and clicker training rather than loads of exercise (which often ends up increasing a dog's fitness, requiring more and more exercise). I am excited to hear Brenin will be starting Treibball, I think he'll have a blast! Your dedication in working with him will certainly bring lovely results. Keep me posted, and as always, I am here if you have any questions. Happy training! Best, Adrienne

This depends on what method you are using. Is this in reference to the any of the above techniques I have suggested? If so, which one are you currently working on? Or are actually giving her a treat every time she stops biting without asking her to perform an alternate behavior such as to target your hand or sit? If you are asking how to end a session, for instance, if you ask her several hand targets in a row and then want to end the session, it may help to toss a ball or several tiny treats across the room in the oppositive direction as you walk away or you can ask for a last sit or hand target and reward her with a long lasting goody such as a stuffed Kong or safe edible chew you have held handy in your pocket or treat bag so that she'll keep occupied on that as you walk away. Being a Yorkie, she might also be interested in playing with a flirt pole to keep her mouth occupied. With nippy pups, I keep one around my waist at all times so that I can redirect intents to bite at a moment's notice.

Hello and welcome to the forums! Nine-week old puppies can certainly be started on some basics such as sit and some simple brain games such as those found under the pre-school and elementary section. Occasionally, with very young puppies you may stumble on some who are a little bit unsure about treats, but i find that they tend to quickly catch on after a couple of days. If your 9-week old pup has no problems eating her food though, I wouldn't expect much of a problem. At 9 weeks, the attention span is very brief, so it's quite normal for pups to get distracted from something else. Sometimes they may not even notice the treat unless it's right under their noses. Training sessions at this age should be very brief, always ending before the pup grows bored or gets distracted. In general no longer than 5 minutes for now, or even less, if she seems to struggle and her attention span seems very brief. Something we also need to consider is possible fear. At 9 weeks, puppies undergo a fear period, so if she gets startled by things moving or distant noises, she may not be relaxed enough to pay attention to a treat. Plan to train indoors in a quiet setting, this can make a difference. Here's a read about fear periods in pups: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-periods-8-10-weeks-6-14-months/ Yes, you can certainly have other family members train her (it's actually recommended!), but make sure you are all on the same page when it comes to cues used. In other words, use the same words or gestures for cues/commands so to be consistent and avoid confusion in the puppy. You can then have your family show you the finished product and they can then coach you on what you need to do exactly (have them initially standing next to you) so then you can take over and start doing the same. Hope this helps, Let me know how things go and if you have any other questions! Best, Adrienne

Hello and welcome to the forums! Can you please describe in what exact circumstances your puppy has shown to be *very* aggressive? Is it when he is in possession of a toy? When he's eating something? When he's awakened from deep sleep? When he's touched? Are you physically correcting him when he does something he's not supposed to do? What have you been doing so far when your puppy bites and jumps? How does your daughter interact with the puppy? How has she been reacting when your puppy bites and jumps on her? Sometimes puppy play can appear very intense and sometimes even aggressive, when they're simply engaging in rough play. They may like to attach to our clothing, pull on it and growl as they tug on it. Their teeth are very sharp and can easily injure our skin if they haven't learned to inhibit their bite. It would be important differentiating puppy rough play from true aggression. So the more details you can provide about his body language and circumstances in which you observe the very aggressive behavior would be important. In the meanwhile, please manage the situation by limiting interactions with your child that lead to scars and bleeding. Keeping him on leash can hep, although it may lead to frustration after some time. If possible, erect a baby gate so that your child and puppy have their own areas.

Hi Sian, The behavior you are describing sounds typical of herding dogs. Many herding dogs have undergone strong selective breeding for the exaggeration of the "orient >> eye >> stalk /crouch>> chase and sometimes "nip" component of the canine predatory sequence. For instance, when border collies herd a flock of sheep, they may be often seen eyeing (basically staring at the sheep to control them) and crouching down towards the sheep carrying their head low, hindquarters high, and tail down. Just like staring, stalking and crouching helps control flocks of sheep because it mimics predatory movements. After stalking, border collies will go into action employing a variety of herding styles such as rushing to the front of the flock to turn or stop the sheep's movement or gather them into a group so to move them towards the shepherd. Even though many herding dogs are no longer used for herding to the extent of before, the strong instincts to herd are often alive and well in these dogs, to the point of them wanting to eye, stalk and creep up towards anything that moves and captures their attention, and often this includes other dogs, vehicles and people. Because other dogs often are unsure about what the other dogs' crouching down means (is the dog doing so playfully? or is he trying to attack?) they are often put off by this behavior and react uncomfortably. Not to mention, that several dog may object to being stalked and having their movements controlled by another unknown dog which may lead to squabbles. I suggest therefore keeping him on lead so that he doesn't get to rehearse this problem behavior as the more it's allowed, the more it puts roots. On top of this, we don't want any other dogs or people getting injured in trying to separate the dogs. You also want to keep Brenin under threshold as much as you can on walks. Often this entails giving your dog distance from other dogs so that he doesn't feel the need to engage in the problem behavior. Therefore work on finding that sweet spot where he isn't overwhelmed by other dogs being too close and where he's more responsive to your cues. Here's a read on thresholds: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ Part of this work entails always scanning the environment looking ahead. When on walks, therefore pay close attention to your surroundings and work on maintaining that distance. If another dog is approaching and you cannot give your dog enough distance, make an emergency u-turn. Here's how to train it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/emergency-u-turn/ You also want to train Brenin an alternate behavior to engage in. Since many herding dogs are naturally predisposed to wanting to stare and he's doing well heeling, this may be a good time to start to practice attention heeling while walking when another dog or joggers passes by. You will need to work at first from a distance where he is under threshold and then move gradually closer to the distractions. A good starting place to practice is start some groundwork is the Look at That Exercise where you have him respond to your cues when watching joggers or other people walking their dogs by your window (you can even enlist volunteers for this). Once you obtain a strong response, you can try working from the front door and then doing distance work on walks. Here's the look at that exercise: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ It also helps enrolling sheep dogs in some fun canine sports to provide them with some outlets for their ingrained herding behaviors. In particular, herding trials are great as these dogs get to do what they were bred for, but if there are no livestock in your area, the sport of Treibball (where dogs get to herd large balls) can be equally satisfying. You can also find some herding balls for dogs online that your dog can play with in the yard. I hope this helps, Let me know if you have any questions, Best, Adrienne

Hi Sian, You are doing a great job with your lovely Brenin and you are being paid back for all the wonderful dedication you have provided this lucky rescue with. I will be checking out your new thread shortly. Thanks for the lovely update and congrats! Best, Adrienne

Hi Debbie Libengood, Welcome to the forums! Kala surely sounds like she's having a feast! Here's the thing, when dogs find food or a tasty morsel unattended, they automatically think it is fair game just waiting for somebody to appreciate. So as opportunistic beings, dogs will eat whatever comes their way, and that includes scavenging the trash bin in the kitchen or surfing the counter top. With a tall dog like yours, it must certainly be very tempting to easily smell and find little treasures at her nose level. With cases of countersurfing, we often need to take a multi-faceted approach, tackling it from different angles. This often entails a mix of management and training. Management is mostly applied when we cannot train (or when we cannot supervise our dogs), and then we can strategically organize set-ups for those times when we can train. Management simply means taking steps to prevent the problem behavior from occurring. This is often underestimated, but there are many advantages in using management. 1) it prevents rehearsal of the problematic behavior. Every time a dog grabs something from a counter top or dresser, the behavior is reinforced, causing it to put to put roots and establish. Think of it as being addictive as playing the slots at Vegas. If we often play the slots and win a prize, we are more likely to want to play again and again. 2) it keeps our dogs safe. You may never know what your dog may get into. Baker's chocolate left unattended on the table and consumed in modest quantities can lead to an emergency veterinary trip and a dog who swallows socks may end up on the surgical table. Management therefore prevents rehearsal of the problem behavior and helps keep our dogs safe. Management may therefore entail the following: -Keeping the counters always immaculate and clear of food so that your dog's almighty nose won't feel tempted. -Keeping any table tops and dressers free of knick- knacks and things that she may feel tempted to grab. -Erecting a baby gate. It is not easy to keep tables and counters always free of food (especially in homes with children). By erecting a baby gate, Rover doesn't get to visit the kitchen with all its wafting smells and temptations. Out of sight, out of mind! -Keeping your dog in a room where there is nothing tempting to grab, leaving only legit things she can have around (like her toys). Training aims to teach the dog better impulse control and resisting the temptation of stealing things. Training in this case requires firstly working with very mild temptations and gradually raising criteria up to reaching the most tempting things. Here are some tips: -Train the leave it and drop it commands. This can prove to be even life-saving if your dog is about to grab or has already grabbed a potentially toxic food or something she may chew on and risk an intestinal blockage. Make sure to practice this even when you are at a distance from tempting items and always reinforce by giving your dog something much higher in value (from your dog's perspective, not yours!) than the item left/dropped. Here is how to train leave it and drop it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/drop-it/ -Train an alternate behavior. We often tell dogs what not to do and invest very little time in telling them what to do. Since, most likely, your dog counter surfs when you are busy preparing your meals, if would be helpful to teach your dog to lie on a mat and turn that into her favorite surface to receive goodies. This way, your dog/dogs will eagerly go there when you're cooking and you have established a desirable routine. Praise and reward your dog with treats (or safe people foods) given at various intervals so that your dog holds her stay there. Here is how to train a dog to lie on a mat: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ I would also aim to provide outlets to your dog's natural "foraging" behavior. You know, that big desire for dogs to scavenge/look for food and stuff? You can provide outlets for this tendency with several brain gams such as the treasure hunt game, muffin game, bottle game and with food dispensing toys such as Kongs, Kong Wobblers, Buster Cubes, Snuffle mats and Licki-mats which you can fill with your dog's kibble/canned food to keep that brain busy. With no more food left around the counter when you are not around, a fluent response to the "leave it" and "drop it cues," food being fed contingent upon your dog lying on the mat, and outlets for natural scavenging behaviors, with time, you should see a reduction in your dog's counter surfing behaviors. Here are some extra reads about this topic: For the jumping when you are preparing her meals, some exercises for better impulse control/frustration tolerance may work. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/ She jumps on you as you prepare her food? That makes you move away. She sits? That makes you walk towards her and even put the bowl down. She tries to jump on you again? You retreat. Only her calm behaviors make you advance and feed her. Impatient behavior makes you slow down and even move away. If you keep at it and establish a new routine of food being served only contingent upon her sitting calmly, she'll soon get the message! Hope this helps, Happy training! Best, Adrienne