Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! Does this happen when he's in the home or outside? If outside, is he alone when he barks? Or with you? Do you know what noises seem to trigger his barking? And what he sees when he barks? Thanks

For the jumping, I like to carry a treat bag filled with treats or kibble in the initial stages of training so to reward desired behaviors. Remember, practice makes perfect, the more he jumps and bites and has fun, the more he'll want to engage in this activity, so we have to find creative outlets and make them far more reinforcing. Here are a few tips: -Use a baby gate. You can step over the gate as soon as the puppy jumps, and then return only when the puppy stops. Rinse and repeat as needed. -You can also try to train a "take". Simply, train him to go get a a toy on cue (and maybe even shake it!) by pointing at it for those crazy biting and jumping moments. It’s an easy redirection for those crazy jumping and biting fits which are usually excess energy. -As soon as he walks towards you, throw treats/kibble on the ground. When he starts hovering a few feet away from you waiting for the food, you can start rewarding for making eye contact. Maybe even introduce some Airplane games: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/ or targets: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/ - Train your pup how rewarding it is to sit and click/verbally mark and treat when you pup has "4 legs on the floor. " If you toss the treat to the floor a few feet away, you can wait till your pup turns back toward you and click and toss to the floor again before he reaches you. Rinse and repeat as needed. Here's a case study on rewarding for sits in a jumping dog: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/case-studies/02-maggie-assessing-jumping-behavior-desensitization/ Hope this helps! Best, Adrienne

Gotcha! So when you have to remove the leash, you can try some conditioning exercises where you practice first at home clipping and un-clipping the leash from the collar. It would go like this:you clip the collar on, you give a treat/kibble, you un-clip it and give a treat/kibble. Do this several times until your pup seems happy to have the leash clipped and un-clipped and will look for his treat rather than biting your hands. We may also though want to find ways to reduce the leash biting since this can be habit-forming. Since you know it happens coming back from a walk, you can try to distract him and engage him in a different activities making them extra rewarding so that he chooses these activities over playing tug with the leash. I will provide some tips for curbing this behavior. Often, when dealing with this behavior it helps to take a multi-faceted approach, in other words, we tackle it from different angles. It may also take trying different methods to see what works best. So here are some tips. -Divert With Treats: When you are on walks, you can divert your dog's attention by playing alternate games. The moment you notice your pup is about to bite the leash, divert his attention, and start tossing some treats on the ground; tell him to "find them!" This can be quite a fun game to play and rewarding if you use hard treats/kibble that he can chase around. -Divert with Targeting: hand targeting(or using a target stick) is an easy game to play with and if you train it fluently at home, chances are, once on leash in the yard, your dog may choose to engage on this activity versus tugging with the leash if you use high-value treats. However, your dog may go onto going back to leash tugging the moment you stop the targeting exercise, so you may need to do several reps in a row to keep his focus off the leash. Here you can find how to train targeting: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/ -Divert with attention-heeling: this may take some time to master, but is another exercise you can train and it can turn helpful in redirecting your pup to this rather than leash tugging. The best part is that you'll be training a great behavior that can turn helpful in many scenarios (e.g. when walking past distractions etc). You can find how to train attention heeling here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ -Be patient: You should expect a few "bumps" along the road. Your dog may revert to his old leash biting antics every now and then, but this is normal. If you persist in rewarding the alternate behaviors with high-value treats, you should see a gradual and steady increase in the desired behaviors and a gradual decrease in leash biting. --Let your dog carry something. Goldens can be very mouthy dogs and they may enjoy carrying things. Letting your dog carry objects (tennis ball, toy) while walking can help reduce the leash tugging behavior. -Change texture. Many dog owners have had success reducing leash tugging by slipping a long piece of PVC pipe over the leash as dogs do not like to bite hard textures. Another options is to invest in a chain leash or adding a lightweight piece of chain to the leash as dogs do not like to bite the texture of the chain.

Hi Monica, The command "down" needs to be added only once the behavior becomes more fluent. It seems like you may be missing some steps since you're still luring with a treat and asking her to down on command. To get there, you have to follow the guidelines explained in the course that you can find here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/lie-down/ So to recap: 1) you first lure with a treat doing the imaginary "L" as shown in this demo video and you click/verbally mark and give a treat the moment the elbows touch the floor. Repeat several times. 2) Next, you start fading the food lure. Basically, use the L-shaped hand movement to guide your dog into position as usual, but do so empty-handed (imagine you are holding an invisible lure) after having handled strong-scented treats. Your dog will probably still follow your hand, as it smells like food. The moment his elbows touch the floor, use your verbal marker or click the clicker and reward him with a treat you’ve kept hidden behind your back or in your treat bag/pocket. 3) Now it's time to add the command "down. "Say “down,” then immediately perform the L-shaped hand motion (or if you refined it, just a downward hand movement as I do in the video) with an empty hand as practiced. The moment your dog’s elbows touch the floor, use your verbal marker or click the clicker and give him the treat. After several repetitions your dog should anticipate your next move and lie down when you say “down,” before you even begin the hand signal. Give him plenty of treats the first time this happens! From this point on you can try leaving out the hand signal entirely. Just to clarify, in the video I say "hand gesture" to point out what I am doing, you don't have to therefore say "hand gesture". Just say down, followed by your hand gesture and click/verbally mark and reward. I hope this helps! Let me know if you need any further assistance! Best, Adrienne

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

Is this form of biting fairly new (meaning it started since you have started turning your back to him) or has he been overall nippy for some time? Is the biting mostly happening when you turn your back or does it happen as well at other times of the day in other contexts? If so, let me know in what contexts does the biting more commonly arise. Also, what methods were you using to stop jumping before turning your back? Just trying to determine whether you may be dealing with an extinction burst or just the regular puppy biting, which is very common in puppies of this age and sometimes exacerbates when puppies are cranky and in need of some sleep.

Here's a demo on sit: Here's a demo of lie down through luring featuring Einstein when he was younger

You are very welcome. I post videos every now and then as time permits, things just get very hectic at times between work, studies etc.. I put together the drop it demo. I hope it helps clarify:

Thank you for the extra details, they are very helpful! With this type of behavior, I think it's important ruling out possible medical problems just to play it safe and exclude this possibility. Since you mention the behavior is worse at night, for instance, the vet may inspect the eyes to rule out PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) which is not uncommon in toy poodles around the age of 3 and 9 years old. Other conditions to rule out are internal pain, liver disease, kidney disease and infections. Sometimes neurological disorders may be at play. Some dogs may suffer from sleep disorders as well. REM behavior disorder is a condition where paralysis of motor neurons during the REM stage of sleep fails to work. The end result is violent motor activity during the REM stage of sleep. Dogs with this condition have been reported to run into walls and even bite and attack objects or people around them. This can be another factor to exclude if the behavior occurs mostly when he's sleeping. And then we can have simply dogs who have stronger startle responses. A dog may be dreaming and suddenly awakening him may cause him to startle causing instincts to kick. The startle response may vary in intensity. We may have dogs waking up, lifting the head and looking around and perhaps getting up to follow the owner or just go back to sleep. Many dogs sleep by their owners' feet on purpose so to be awakened by their owners' movements and stay informed about their whereabouts. Some dogs may lightly startle upon being woken up, but their startle responses don't involve aggression. The dog may perhaps yawn (not because he's tired but more because he got startled) and then go back to sleep. Then some dogs may be grumpy when awakened from napping, and any touch may evoke an episode of growling or snarling. While these dogs may "use their words," there is always a risk for escalation and a potential bite. And finally, some dogs may act aggressively and go straight to a bite, skipping all the warning signs. These dogs may be startled to such an extent that there is no thinking involved. The reaction is highly instinctive with little thinking involved. These dogs react first, think later. Obviously, this can be dangerous depending on the size of the dog and level of bite inhibition. A pronounced startle response may occur in dogs genetically predisposed to be that way. Interestingly, research has shown that fearful responses to certain stimuli or situations can be passed from a generation to another. Not to mention, the impact of stress on developing puppies when they are still in the womb. Research has shown that, when the levels of mother dog's cortisol are consistently high, some manages to seep through the placenta reaching the developing fetuses. When this happens, puppies "learn" that the world is a scary place to be and their bodies develop an appropriately tuned stress system and metabolism. Prenatal stress in mother dog may therefore lead to permanent alterations in their brain structures. Such puppies will be predisposed to anxiety and will incapable of coping and adapting to threats they may encounter throughout their lives. Even if a dog is born with good coping skills, the environment in which a dog is raised can also play a number on a predisposition to startle. If a dog is frequently bombarded with stressful triggers and events, he will eventually reach his breaking point. Just like the game tetris, where pieces stack on top of each other up to a point where they will collapse, when dogs are overwhelmed by daily stressors, they can have a more pronounced startle response and go into fight or flight mode Such dogs lead highly stressful lives and may be in deep need of restorative sleep and a calm environment so to not be excessively over threshold. So these are just several possibilities. Tackling this issue therefore requires finding the underlying cause and addressing it correctly. So here are a few ideas that come to mind: - I would start off with a medical evaluation to exclude medical causes mentioning to the vet that the behavior seems more pronounced at night. A veterinary behaviorist though may be your best bet if you are lucky to have any of these professionals around considering that they can exclude medical conditions and then go on to assessing the behavioral component. --Very important is to avoid punishing the dog for biting or attempting to bite. This will only exacerbate the startling response as the dog now feels additional stress. -It is best to keep dogs who are nervous when being awakened in a designated area away from too much action (in a crate, x-pen or behind a baby gate) so they don't get startled too often and can get restorative REM sleep undisturbed. -Prevent rehearsal of the problem behavior. Repeatedly startling the dog and exposing to noises risks not inducing habituation, but rather fosters hypervigilance, exhaustion, and increased anxiety. So dogs as such benefit from a sort of "cortisol vacation" where they are kept away from triggers for some time and get to finally relax. -While we want to avoid direct exposure that frightens and causes further stress we can work on exposing to triggers in a way that isn't overwhelming taking baby steps. This is accomplished with behavior modification using desensitization paired with counterconditioning. For example, to tackle the fear of noises, you would start exposing to low levels of the noise in a way that your dog is under threshold and pairing the sound with high-value treats. Here is an example of a protocol for dogs fearful of noises: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/ -For barking at triggers at home, you may find the look at that exercises helpful: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ -If we can get calmer behaviors around these triggers, we may also reduce stress and its associated startle response if that's triggered by stress rather than medical conditions, a sleep disorder or a neurological condition. These dogs benefit from a multi-faceted approach along with possible calming aids (over the counter calming supplements/prescription meds from a vet). -While it's a good idea to announce yourselves, but since you mention he reacts aggressively as well if the person he's sleeping with moves, the stakes at risk are too high, so the best option is to provide him with his own place to sleep (in a crate, x-pen or behind a baby gate) so all family members are safe, so that he doesn't get to rehearse the behavior and so he can be stress-free to a good extent. -To address the issue directly, it would require the intervention of a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation. Methods used may vary. For example, owners may be instructed to repeatedly announce themselves (in a least noisy way initially to keep dog under threshold) and then toss a super high-value treat as they move nearby, in hopes of creating a positive conditioned emotional response (+CER) so that rather than dreading people approaching when he sleeps, the dog comes to look forward to it. If feasible, and if your dog is a good candidate based on the professional's assessment and level of response (and safety, based on history or biting, level of bite inhibition-dog may wear muzzle), this can progress to where the dog is talked to to announce our intent, then is touched very lightly (by hand or by a treat tossed on the dog or through a gentle touch with target stick if using hands is too risky) and fed a tasty treat. Touch-treat, touch-treat for several trials and many reps with several setups organized every now and then for maintenance. Of course, these are just examples. Your behavior professional should find the ideal protocol based on your dog's individual situation. On a side note, a dog I had over not too long ago for boarding and training which had moments of startling severely when awakening from sleep, she didn't growl or bite though, just moved suddenly like a jack-in-the-box toy and this reflexive behavior gradually dissipated to disappear from her behavior repertoire after tackling her anxiety on various levels (hear that method, brain games and training to increase her confidence levels, a predictable routine, exercise, no full exposure to triggers). I hope this helps! 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.

Hi there, Welcome to the forums, It would be important in a case as such evaluating carefully whether we are dealing with truly protective behavior or whether something else may be going on. For instance, one important distinguishing factor would be whether he is simply reacting from being startled when lying down and sleeping or about to fall asleep or whether he is truly resource guarding people/acting protective. This differentiation is important considering that the way this type of issue is tackled will vary based on the underlying trigger. For instance, we would expect that a dog who is prone to acting protective of a family member in general would do so regardless of whether he is lying down or standing or being walked etc. We would therefore expect to see this behavior also when he is fully awake and bright and alert. Does your dog fit this picture? Does he display aggressive behavior when he is fully awake such as when he is standing nearby a family member? Also, does he show show aggressive behavior exclusively towards strangers approaching or even familiar family members? Another important piece of information is whether he may be protective of sleeping areas. Does he ever act aggressive when he is laying down but no family member is nearby him? Finally, do you see a recurrent pattern of him exhibiting this behavior only when he is laying down and being asleep or half asleep? Thanks for the additional information.

So perhaps it started with the not wanting to go out in the cold /rain (many small dogs are this way, they don't like to walk on puddles, wet grass etc and getting their coat wet) and the pushing may have created a negative conditioned emotional response ( -CER) triggering the reluctance to go out on his own. I would stop the pushing, and take baby steps in creating a positive conditioned emotional response (+CER) to going through it. Shaping can come handy here, but unless your dog is familiar with a clicker, I would stick to a verbal marker so not to add any other stress to an already delicate situation. Shaping consists of reinforcing successive approximations of the final behavior. The hot and cold game is an example of shaping since you use your verbal marker and give your dog a treat each time he advances toward the cone, looks at it, sniffs it, or interacts with it in some way. You can see this game here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/hot-and-cold/ So in the case of the doggy door, we would verbally mark for walking towards it, then sniffing it, then poking at the flap, then inserting his head a little through, then a little more and then you can lure him through with high value treats once he starts moving the flap on their own. Once he seems happy again to go out, we need to stop luring though and we start placing super smelly treats scattered around the yard (initially right by the doggy door outside). Place these treats around when your dog doesn't see you, it has to be sort of a surprise. You need to be very generous here when it comes to treats/foods, so invest in heavy artillery, think in terms of steak, low -sodium organic hot dogs, tripe treats. Using the door has to be the best thing ever! We also need to consider that if your your dog wasn't going out due to snow right outside of the door or puddles, it may help building a shelter over the door and conditioning the dog to wearing a jacket and snow boots so that the issue is tackled at the root.

You are very welcome! Nacho is a very cute name! Kongs are very popular because they can be sturdy, and the the best thing is that, not only Kongs can help dogs eat less fast, but also provide mental stimulation allowing dogs to work for their food.

You are very welcome! Lots of praise and rewards happening contingent upon the new dog coming close is good. Keep me posted on how things go in the long run, Best, Adrienne

You are very welcome. It's good news that your boyfriend's dog gets along with dogs at the park, this certainly ameliorates the situation as likely he'll apply his good communication skills with your other dogs. Keep me posted on how things go. I am always here if you need support or have questions. Best, Adrienne

You are very welcome. If you just started training leave it, consider that it takes some time to master, especially with puppies who have little impulse control and who explore the world with their mouths. So lots of practice with a variety of items, in a variety of places, always making sure to reward with treats/foods that are higher in value. So once you have a fluent response in the home, when you are out in the yard, and you see he is occasionally approaching a rock with the intent of grabbing it, practice with leave its and toss him a treat to catch the opposite way or if it happens on walks, hand feed him a treat for leaving something. Grass eating is very common in dogs. Both my Petra and Einstein were occasional grazers and enjoyed some fresh grass given the opportunity. Problems in general start when too much is ingested as your vet pointed out. Unfortunately, our beloved Einsten passed away last summer. He was 11 and a half which was a great age for a Rottweiler. I don't have footage with him on this task, but I have a video demo done with a lovely Pomeranian who I had the pleasure of boarding and training recently. I hope this helps you get an idea. I will see if I can upload a "drop it" demo soon. Happy training!

There are many ways to stuff a Kong. If your puppy is new to it, make it easy to empty at first by just putting a bit of kibble in it and then putting some pieces of mashed banana on top or cookie to keep the kibble inside. This is to make it easy for the puppy and learn how to use it. Then, we can move on to freezing. For freezing a Kong, you can start by measuring out a portion of your pup's ration, placing it in a bowl, then pouring water over the kibble, completely submerging it. Let the kibble soak the water for about 30 minutes. It should swell up and get soft. Then scoop it up, and place it into the Kong. You can seal the top shut with a spoonful of peanut butter, (make sure it's not the sugar-free type and therefore it doesn't contain the sugar-substitute xylitol which is toxic to dogs!) cream cheese or wet dog food and finally place it in a ziplock and freeze it. Once frozen, remove from the ziplock and serve it. It can get a bit messy so best to serve on tiles or other washable floor and inf in the crate with some towels under. Here you can find more Kong recipes: https://www.kongcompany.com/learn/stuffing-recipes

Your puppy is adorable, and I am pleasantly impressed with the level of care you are providing this pup with. He is certainly starting on the right paw and this level of dedication will shine through once he matures. Saying the word "potty" before he goes is an excellent way to get him started to potty on command, which will come handy in future when you may need him to rush up or go potty in a new place. With puppies, we need to find toys that are appropriate for their teeth and that portions cannot be chewed up. In all honesty, I feel that there is no entirely safe chew toy for puppies or dogs especially when left unsupervised, but there are many safer than others. Nylabones may be too hard and may break off in pieces. To keep puppies busy and distracted when left alone, a Kong stuffed with some goodies is a popular choice. Kongs are more resilient and puppies will spend time in dislodging the contents. I looked up the website you provided, and it looks like they do have them in stock. Here are Kongs made purposely for puppies: https://www.fressnapf.de/p/puppy-kong-l#s

Hello, Welcome to the forums. Every time a new dog is added to a home there is a good amount of stress going on. The new dog will likely be insecure in his new environment, as he doesn't know how to fit in relation to the other dogs, and on top of this, he needs to adjust to new sounds, sights and smells, not to mention new routines. On the other hand, the resident dogs are expected to accept an "intruder," a dog who they don't know well and who may be a potential competitor as to getting food, attention, access to sleeping areas. For Nala, the stress may be highest, considering that dogs who tend to resource guard are often on edge and hyper-vigilant. Weighing 106 pounds and with a history of biting, the risks at stake are high. Yet, we can never make predictions. It could be that Spot, being small and belonging to a breed known for being tenacious and strong willed, may have gotten so much in trouble for not backing down. It could be that your new dog may be more mellow and not willing to engage in a fight and may give the right signals of: "ok, ok, that food is yours, I will move away and pose no trouble, big girl." But then, maybe not. Only time will tell. In any case, we would need lots of management, possibly even micromanaging things to make sure there is not much to fight about if your boyfriend's new dog happens to pose a challenge to Nala. Then again, we might not know much about him and how he may interact with other dogs if he was always "the only dog" living with your boyfriend. He could come to see your Jack Russell as a challenge and then he may team up with Nala against him. So many possibilities and outcomes can take place when we put several dogs together, and things tend to get more challenging when we have two dogs and add a third dog. Because your dogs have a history of getting into fights and now a new dog is being introduced into the home, and on top of this, there is also the arrival of a baby, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of working with a dog behavior professional for safety. When dogs tend to fight, it is easy to become targets of redirected bites if we happen to be nearby or attempt to separate the fighting dogs. This is a risk for all members of the household. On top of this, when we deal with behavior problems involving aggression, we often need to implement behavior modification more than training, especially initially as we aim to change the emotional response and this requires a plan in place based on individual factors. A certain level of skill, a good eye and delicate judgement calls are often needed based on careful observations and assessments. So I will be leaving here some reading material to look over, but these are just examples of work and meant to be conducted under the guidance of a professional: Here are some tips for introducing new dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/introduce-dog-new-dog/ Here are several threads on dogs who resource guard. You may find it interesting seeing how there may be different dynamics going on and a variety of prognostic factors and ways to tackle it with the help of a professional: For getting dogs used to a baby, you may find these article helpful: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/get-dog-used-crying-baby/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/get-dog-used-crawling-baby/ We must also consider that some dogs tend to get protective as well when owners are pregnant, so we need to watch carefully for signs of tension. I hope this helps! Feel free to post if you have any particular questions. Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog is aggressive, please use caution and consult with a dog behavior professional for in-person coaching, safety and correct implementation.

Hello and welcome to the forums! I am glad to hear that he has gotten better with wanting to take the big responsible for home security. I am sure he must feel a good sense of relief in knowing that you are appreciative of his watchdog capabilities and that you let him know that everything is fine after you check things out. In regards to the issue you are facing, it sounds like he needs more training on this level. We usually do not allow off leash freedom to dogs until they are very reliable in not taking off and interacting with people or things unless we give them OK to (which should be perfectly under stimulus control after lots of training). The fact the he returns to you only 70 percent of the time is a further proof that he isn't yet ready to deal with this form of distraction and is over threshold. To answer your question, we may never really know what he thinks exactly when we call him back and reward. Chances are, he just thinks he's being rewarded for coming back to you, but it's also true that dogs also learn through associations other than behavior/reward contingencies and can chain one event to another, so it could be he may also come to think "every time I go towards a person and bark, and my owner calls me I get rewarded, I should keep doing that." A similar issue can happen with dogs who jump, and then we ask them to sit and reward the sit. Are we rewarding them for sitting, or is the dog being rewarded for jumping up and then sitting when we ask them to? For some dogs, it seems like the latter occurs, as they quickly learn to perform behavior chains of jumping and then sitting in expectation of the treat. So if you see your dog running towards people, barking and then sort of looking at you in hopes of being called in hopes of his reward, it could likely be this scenario is taking place, but he may also be looking at you in hopes of getting out of a sticky situation (which is rewarding too). For the jumping and sitting chain, we usually solve this by asking the dog to sit before the dog even has a chance of thinking of jumping. This therefore avoids that the jumping has any chance to partake in the chain. Other options are to only reward sits that aren't preceded by jumping or adding a delay so to confuse the dog and forget about the undesirable behavior performed before. My preferred strategy is prevention as it prevents the dog from rehearsing the problematic behavior not allowing it to put roots. So I would suggest a compromise if we want our dogs to have some freedom to romp around in parks and have some fun, but without engaging in undesirable behaviors (which may also startle the other party- I know, I know, your dog is small and adorable, but to some people small dogs can be scary ankle biters no matter how cute.. ugghh). So I would suggest keeping your dog on a long line (long leash around 15 feet or more often sold in horse tack stores), which accomplishes the following: 1) prevents your dog from rehearsing the problem behavior 2) prevents other people possibly getting upset 3) allows your to work more on recall training (practice recalls on the long line despite distractions rewarding with high-value treats) 4) allows you to work also on behavior modification (creating positive associations with lone men without a dog, if that's what triggers him). In such a case, I would work on Look at That as soon as you spot somebody that may trigger him from a distance until you get a conditioned emotional response (dog looks up at you for treats rather than reacting). You can start practicing this from windows and them upgrade on walks on a regular leash and then at the park upon spotting certain men. Here's how to train it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ I hope this helps, Let me know if you have any questions, Best, Adrienne

Hello and welcome to the forums, Chasing cars can be problematic for various reasons. What makes dealing with dogs who chase cars off leash particularly challenging is that off leash dogs are provided with more freedom to perform the behavior anytime they want. Off-leash dogs who get a taste of the habit may therefore become soon addicted to it, so much so, that they'll linger around the areas where cars pass by just for the purpose of chasing. The behavior is highly reinforcing because to a dog's eyes, he is often successful in chasing the car away from his property. Generally, the closer to home, the more confident or motivated the dog feels to chase the cars. As the cars move away from the perceived property, the dog is less eager to continue the chase. Not because the dog is tired, but simply because he has lost motivation or enthusiasm. Car chasing, in this case, is often triggered by territoriality and/or a need to feel safe by sending intruder, stranger cars away. Car chasing in dogs may also stem from play, as a way to release pent-up energy and out of some type of modified prey drive. Dog breeds bred for herding are often seen chasing cars as a result of their innate predisposition to chase and round up fleeting objects just as they would do with herds of sheep. Because chasing cars is highly instinctual and self-reinforcing, going against nature can be challenging and the only 100 percent successful way to tackle the situation is by preventing rehearsal of the problem behavior. This entails some sort of confinement and some options are listed below. Preventing the dog from being at large in the first place is, therefore, the safest action, especially considering that every time your dog chases cars he risks being injured being run over and those driving the car can get injured too if they suddenly swerve to avoid him. Dogs kept free to roam also unfortunately tend to get into trouble, engage in other self-rewarding behaviors (such as chasing wild animals, barking at people, killing small livestock, eating various things etc), not to mention, are at risk from being harmed by outsiders or stolen. There are various containment systems for dogs nowadays that can be used in lieu of an actual fence. Here are some of them: -Outdoor Dog Kennel An outdoor dog kennel is simply an enclosed area usually made of chain. It's meant to provide dogs with plenty of room for exercise and play in the great outdoors, while also keeping the dog safe and out of trouble. Outdoor dog kennels come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with many ranging from 6'H x 4'W x 4'L to 4'H x14'W to 6'L or even more. Some models allow customization, so that you can make them as small or big as you want. All you need to do is invest in panels and assemble them together. Look for models that offer a sunscreen cover to protect your dog from the summer heat and harmful rays and a safety latch to ensure your dog won't escape. For extra security, you can also anchor the kennel to the ground. Costs for kennels vary based on models and size. Expect to pay anywhere from $150 to $700 for the largest sizes. -Outdoor Dog Pen and Gate A dog pen and gate can also be assembled to keep your dog contained. It can be used to section off areas on your deck, patio, and lawn. You can find a variety of brands and models made of different materials such as steel and iron. With some models, you can connect more than one playpen together to cover a larger area. For safety, look for models made of heavy duty material and with multiple-lock features. Prices may range based on size and can be anywhere between $200 and $500 for the best outdoor options. -Tie-Out Cable for Dogs A tie-out cable for dogs consists of a long cable that gives your dog freedom to move around without being tethered to your hand. Cables may vary from 15 feet to even 30 feet. There are currently two different tie-out systems for dogs: stake tie-outs and trolley tie-outs. As the name implies, stake tie-outs require that you use a steel spiral stake that's embedded deep in the ground for a secure hold. Once the stake is securely embedded, all that remains to do is attaching the cable to the stake. Trolley tie-outs provide more room to romp around. They are made of two cables: one that runs above either between trees or special posts, while the other attaches to an overhead cable through some hooks and clamps. A pulley allows your dog to happily romp from one end to the other with less chances for getting tangled. It works similar to a clothesline. Very important is to ensure that the tie-out is crafted specifically for dogs of your weight and size. Supervision is always recommended as no tie-outs are entirely-proof. Stakes can work their way out, trolleys may snap and dogs may get tangled. On top of this, consider the risks of other dogs/animals or kids or people approaching your dog. The costs for tie-outs vary in general between $40 and $150. -Long Line A long line is like a long leash that is often used for horses who need to be trained and exercised. You can find them horse tack stores, but nowadays more and more places sell them specifically made for dogs as well. A long line is typically made of nylon and is advertised to be used for distance training, training dogs a recall, going on hikes, camping sites or for hunting or for simply letting dogs romp around the yard or your land. Unlike tie-outs, in order to use a long line, you will need to hold the other end of the line. Costs of long lines vary based on materials and length and can range generally between $15 and $40. -Training Finally, another option to keep your dog outside when you don't have a fence is to train a very fluent recall off leash and teach your dog some boundary training. It's important though to emphasize that no dog training can be ever 100 percent effective, so a day may come where your dog may not come to you when called for various reasons, such as, you haven't trained to a certain level of distraction, you call your dog too late (once he already took off) or windy conditions muffle your voice over long distances. Also, you must always be there with your dog when he's off leash and you must always pay attention to him. Therefore, make your dog's safety your primary concern. In other words, keep your dog on a long line if you live near an area with cars and traffic (or other types of danger) and if your dog may pose a danger to other dogs or people. And always be there with your dog. Here are some tips for training dogs a strong recall and here is a brief guide on how to boundary train a dog. You can use the initial part of the hot and cold game to get your dog used to targeting cones. Place flags/traffic cones in the the area where you don't want your dog to cross over. Let your dog outside while on leash and let him approach the flags/traffic cones. The moment he approaches the flags/traffic cones, tell him "leave it" (here is a guide on how to train your dog leave it) and hand him a treat to reward him for leaving the flag area and moving towards you. Repeat several times. Start adding distance. In other words, stay at the very end of the leash and walk him again towards the flags. Once again, tell him to "leave it" and praise and reward him for walking towards you. Repeat several times. Add more distance by this time taking him out on a long line (long leash up to 15 feet). Practice more leave its as they occur, always praising and rewarding accordingly. Add distractions of different levels now past the flags. Start with small distractions such as a plastic bag or a ball. Then you can increase difficulty by placing over the boundary some kibble or a toy made with rabbit fur. Say "leave it" when your dog goes too close to the boundary with an intent to trespass. Make sure that you reward with treats/ foods that are higher in value than the items left. Give several in a row to leave an impact on your dog. Be consistent. Train this for several reps a day and only once your dog is very fluent and reliable in his response (usually after a couple of months), you can then start training this off leash. Accept that a day may come when your dog may walk past the boundary, this is not surprising and it also happens with invisible fences. The best thing though is that your dog won't be afraid to return in the yard (as dogs who are kept in invisibile fences do) and may actually look forward to return thanks to all the positive associations of being there. Please note: If your dog ever trespasses the boundary, this means you have worked at a distraction level he wasn't ready for. Call your dog and practice more at the level once again using the long line. -A Word About Invisible Fences Invisible fences consist of underground wire set around the perimeter of an area and a collar equipped with transmitter which provides a signal (under the form of shock) to deter the dog from advancing towards the perimeter. Although invisible fences are very popular nowadays, they come with several risks that need to be outlined. First of all, with dogs who love to chase things, their arousal levels may be so high that they'll just run right through the shock without flinching. Secondly, invisible fences may contain dogs, but they won't do anything to prevent other dogs, animals, people or children from entering their territory. This may put the dog at risk and people at risk if your dog doesn't do well with people entering his property. Thirdly, there are cases where dogs may become traumatized by invisible fences. Some dogs start becoming fearful of being in the yard and some even won't potty any more outside. These dogs are referred to as '"porch sitters" by those in the industry. Not to mention, countless dogs once they escape from an invisible fence will be scared to return back in fear of the shock. Animal control is very well aware of this phenomenon as they often see stray dogs wearing their collars lingering around their properties but too scared to return. Because of these risks, more and more dog trainers no longer recommend these fences. The Bottom Line As seen, there are various ways and methods to keep a dog outside without fence, but it's important to emphasize that ultimately nothing beats a good old-fashioned sturdy traditional fence that your dog cannot dig under, climb over or break through. I hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

Sounds like a plan! Yes, for sure taking baby steps and not moving forward until your pup seems comfortable at the previous step, can help for cases as such. Make sure to check with your vet when it's safe for your pup to go on walks as young pups can be vulnerable to infectious diseases such as parvo. Keep me posted on how things go! Best, Adrienne

Hi there! Welcome the forums. You are on the right path in creating positive associations with the collar and the leash, but it sounds like your puppy can benefit from more baby steps. The reactions you are seeing are not abnormal, they are simply the result of your pup recognizing there's a foreign body encircling her neck and reacts strongly so to try to remove it. Just like a horse wearing a saddle for the first time, puppies will react to the feeling of a collar and will try anything to get it off. Common reactions are whining, backing away, bucking, rolling on the ground, rubbing against surfaces and scratching at the collar. These reactions, if we think about it, are natural and adaptive. It is normal to react when we detect something that shouldn't be on our bodies. Some puppies though may develop sheer panic in response to the collar. These puppies benefit from a gradual, step-by-step approach using baby steps during the introductory phase. Here are some tips: -Choose collars that are lightweight and comfortable. It helps to initially have the collar on a bit loosen, but not so much the puppy can grasp it with his mouth. Avoid putting on tags until your puppy gets better used to wearing the collar. Don't put the leash on right away, give your pup a few days to get used to wearing the collar. -Another good way to get a puppy used to a collar is to distract her while wearing it. The more your pup is distracted (and engages in pleasant activities that keep the pup's brain focused), the less attention he will pay to the collar. There are several ways to distract your puppy and crate positive associations. Here are several: -Take baby steps. Put on the collar, feed several treats in a row, then take the collar off, hide it behind your back and no more treats. Repeat several times, gradually increasing the time the puppy keeps it on. -The above exercise can be further split in further steps. You can use praise and treat for looking at the collar, then sniffing the collar, then for having the collar placed on the neck unbuckled, then for placing the collar around the neck unbuckled, and then finally buckled, ending with a jackpot of treats. -Provide your puppy with a long-lasting treat or toy she has never had before while wearing the collar. I like to use a long piece of rabbit fur that the puppies can tug to their heart's content. -Take your puppy outside in a safely fenced area. The distractions of the great outdoors can help distract your puppy and be less inclined to paying attention to the collar. -Have a play date with another puppy (that is also vaccinated for safety). Make sure you use a breakaway collar so that the collar will snap off in case one pup gets his mouth stuck in the other puppy's' collar. -If your puppy loves to eat meals, put the collar on your puppy right before mealtime and keep it on during the meal. Then, remove it the moment your puppy is done eating. With time, the collar will become a predictor that food is coming! Just like a bib for babies! -If your pup likes to be in the car, take her on a fun car ride to distract her from the collar. You don't need to go anywhere special, just around the block a few times if she isn't prone to getting motion sick. Have a helper sitting with her in the seats behind to praise and give treats (and for safety to prevent her from going to the driver's areas) so to make the car ride even more fun. -Be patient. It takes time for puppies to get used to wearing a collar. However, with time, they'll get used to the feeling and care less about it. -Once your puppy gets used to wearing the collar, your next step is acclimatizing your puppy to collar grabs and teaching her to give in to pressure, which paves the path towards introducing the leash the first time. Touch the collar and give a treat, then hold the collar with your whole hand around it and give a treat, then hold the collar and let your pup walk one step and give a treat, and then practice holding the collar and letting your pup walk a few steps towards her meal. Let go and have her enjoy his meal. -Now, that she has adjusted to wearing the collar, we can start attaching the leash to the collar (give a treat when you attach it) and teaching your puppy to "give in" to leash pressure. You can try this exercise: Sit on the couch while she is wearing her collar and leash. Gently tug a bit on the leash and at the same time show her a treat from your hand. The moment she gives in to the leash pressure moving in direction of the kibble, praise and give her the treat. Rinse and repeat several times, until she gives signs of knowing that she should give in to the pressure rather than oppose to it. Then, try this same exercise standing up. Walk a bit away from her and gently tug a bit on the leash and show her the kibble from your hand. The moment she gives in to the leash pressure moving in direction of the kibble, praise and give her the kibble. Next raise criteria, and start showing the kibble in heel position next to your knee. Follow the instructions in this guide: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ -If at any time during these exercises your pup appears uncomfortable, split the exercise into smaller steps or go back a step to find her comfort zone and restart from there. Feel free to post here if your pup seems to be struggling with any of these steps and we can split things further for her comfort. -Last but not least, puppies often are bothered by the ID tags once attached to the collar. There are ways though to minimize the jingling such as using an elastic band to attach them to one another or investing in a dog tag silencer. Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any further questions or if your pup seems to be struggling with any of these steps. Best, Adrienne

Your 4-month old Golden retriever must be adorable, post pictures if you have a chance! I am glad to hear he is doing so well in learning new commands and can perform them in different settings. That's very nice to see in a puppy so young! The principles of potty training 4-month old puppies are basically almost the same as younger pups, the only difference is that they should be able to hold it for longer. They still can though have accidents every now and then. We usually expect puppies to be close to being fully potty trained by the age of 5 to 6 months, but some pups may take longer, just like with kids, they all seem to mature at different times. My Rotties were fully accident free once they reached 7 to 8 months. It is said that a dog is fully potty trained once he has had no accidents for at least 2 months. I can share several tips to help your puppy learn to poop outside more consistently: -Puppies may get easily distracted when we send them outside. With so many different sights, sounds and smells, it is easy to get side-tracked! This means your puppy may forget all about pooping considering that there are so many interesting things to explore. After all, who feels like using the restroom at Disney World when there are so many fun things to do! Unless, there is urgency, one will likely hold it for less amusing times. While a puppy acting distracted outdoors (when he should focus on going potty) may seem annoying, consider the positive side: if your puppy gets distracted and won't go, this is often a sign that he is becoming capable of holding it a little more, which paves the path towards successful potty training. So if your puppy starts chasing butterflies, goes on a sniffing adventure or starts playing with rocks the moment you send him outside, most likely he won't poop because there are too many fun things to do! It may therefore help to keep your puppy on leash and walk him back and forth in his potty area. Do this for some time, and if no poop is produced within a few minutes, walk your puppy back inside the home for a while and watch him carefully for signs he needs to potty (sniffing, stopping from playing, circling, crying, going to the door). You can keep him crated or under your direct close supervision nearby the door during this time. Try not ot leave your eyes off him. When you recognize any signs, promptly escort him to the door and take him out once again on leash. -When your puppy goes potty, praise and reward with a tasty treat (held in your pocket or treat bag) and let your puppy off leash for some fun. We want to make it fun and rewarding going potty outdoors and pave the path for an outdoor preference. -Place some previous poop in your pup's designated outdoor potty area so that your puppy knows that this area is his bathroom. -If your puppy poops inside, make sure to clean his accidents with an enzyme-based cleaner. This helps remove a good part of the smell. Failure to do so may cause your puppy to poop in your home because certain areas smell like poop making him think that's his bathroom area. -Avoid punishing your puppy or getting frustrated or upset for having accidents in the home. This can lead to puppies who hide to poop and are reluctant to poop in your presence. Simply clean the mess and evaluate how you could have prevented this from happening in a proactive way. -Keep track of when your puppy is more likely to go potty. Often, puppies need to poop first thing in the morning and many dogs poop after meals as they have a gastrocolic reflex. So start taking your puppy out after every meal, so you can heighten the chances for him to learn to associate going outside with the act eliminating. -Aim to train your puppy to go potty on command. This can help speed up the process and if you are consistent, your puppy will learn to associate going to the yard with pooping. You can read how to train this here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/ -Keep track on when your puppy poops each day and try to keep him on a feeding schedule so that time your puppy has to poop becomes predictable. Puppies at this age can soon be fed twice a day (morning and evening), ask your vet when that's fine. -Ask your vet about a good food for your puppy. Some low-quality foods may cause bulky stools and increased frequency of poops. -Don't take your puppy to poop and then bring him right away back inside. This will teach him that all the fun ends when he poops. Instead, once he poops, praise and reward and let him spend some fun time outside. I hope this helps, Let me know if you have any further questions, Best, Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! It is not uncommon for dogs to eat rocks. It is more common in puppies, who just like babies, are more oral, and therefore like to stick things in their mouths as a form of exploration. As puppies grow, they eventually grow bored of this behavior as they become more interested in other things such as pee mail, rabbit poop and tasty blades of grass. Most dogs are attracted to rocks because they simply like the texture and feel of them in their mouths. These dogs enjoy the act of chewing on rocks and feeling the clicking of rocks against their teeth. Sort of like some people like to crunch on ice. Sometimes, dogs may show an interest in eating rocks when they are suffering from abdominal pain or nausea. If your dog started wanting to eat rocks out of the blue, then there are chances your dog may have a desire to ingest rocks as way of "purging" himself. Abdominal pain in dogs can be caused by all sorts of problems such as inflammatory bowel disease, gastritis, pancreatitis, colitis, presence of parasites and so on. So this may be worthy of mentioning to the vet just to exclude this possibility. Pica, is a medical term used to describe the ingestion of non-food items. It usually has some compulsive, addicting component to it. Dogs with pica may eat the oddest things such as sticks, drywall and dirt. When rocks are the main item digested, it is called "lithophagia." Pica has been attributed to a variety of underlying causes. Pica has been said to stem from nutritional deficiencies (in the case of rock eating, it may stem from an iron deficiency) or dogs may just develop it as a way to garner attention (dogs who are lonely and feel neglected enjoy attention, even if it's attention of the negative type), to release anxiety or frustration or just to obtain stimulation from the environment. Once again, a vet visit would be important to rule this out. Most likely, your pup's rock eating is just part of leisurely, esplorative activity, especially if he's not acting sick and doesn't seem too obsessed about it. However, we may want to discourage this activity considering that dogs who chew rocks on a routine basis may wear down their teeth (even to the gum line in serious cases!) and may suffer a broken tooth. On top of this, dogs who swallow rocks may develop scary complications under the form of intestinal disorders and even a blockage if the rock is large enough that it can't be vomited back up or passed along with feces. Of course, whether an ingested rock turns out being or not a major problem depends to a great extent on the size of the dog. A stone ingested by a small dog or puppy has a higher potential to get stuck somewhere in the stomach or intestines. Blockages occur when items lodge somewhere along the dogs digestive tract. Affected dogs typically start showing signs such as not eating, nausea, vomiting, lethargy and abdominal pain (prayer's position). Preventing dogs from chewing and eating rocks is therefore paramount for a dog's health and well being. As the saying goes "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." So how do we tackle rock eating in dogs? Here are a few tips: As mentioned, have your dog pup see the vet and mention this behavior just to play it safe and to exclude any physical or nutritional problems. And of course, see your vet if your dog ingested a large rock for his size or is showing worrisome symptoms possibly suggesting a blockage. If possible, avoid walking your pup on trails where there are rocks (this may not be feasible depending on where you live) or try to walk at a distance from them so they are out of reach. Make sure your pup is exercised and provided with plenty of mental stimulation (brain games!). The goal is to create an interest in working for meals and providing food puzzles, which satisfy a dog's desire to search and scavenge for stuff. On walks, bring along some toys or treats to redirect him. For puppies, make sure the chew toys and treats are designed for puppies of their age. Make sure to rotate your dogs' toys every now and then so that your dog doesn't grow bored of them. Look for toys of different textures. Train your pup the leave it and drop it commands. These are life saving commands that every dog should know. Here you can find how to train them: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/drop-it/ Finally, a high-fiber diet can help since these can increase bulk and reduce some of the need to ingest foreign materials in some dogs. However, ask your vet about this possibility as it's possible your puppy is just doing this out of exploration more than an actual nutritional issue. Hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

Sounds like a plan! Keep me posted on how things go.