Adrienne

You're very welcome, Happy training! Best, Adrienne

You are very welcome! I am glad that Frisbee did great when introduced to Bisquit, although as dogs get older they may be less inclined to adjust to new routines so may need some more "wiggle room" with this new introduction. Here are some best wishes for a smooth introduction. Keep me posted on how things go! I am always here if you need support. Best, Adrienne

You are very welcome! Keep me posted on how things go and I am always here if you need help, Best, Adrienne

Hi there! Welcome to the forums, Adding a third dog can be stressful, but I like your plans and your willingness to make this introduction gradual and take steps to lower the stress associated with adding a new dog to the household. You are on the right path on introducing them on neutral grounds and using caution. Other things that come to mind: -When introducing in neutral grounds consider that depending on the age of your pup, your puppy may have not finished yet his vaccinations. Consult with the breeder what vaccines were given and then talk to your vet on how to plan carefully the location. Normally, dogs should meet on a walk or at a park (each dog one handler who can feed tasty treats to the adult dogs upon seeing the puppy), but with young puppies this option isn't feasible due to the risks of infectious diseases in young puppies who haven't finished their series of shots. Suitable meeting grounds for young puppies may include the breeder's home (ask prior on how you can organize this), the shelter where the puppy is kept if you are rescuing, or a friend's home (with no history of owning sick puppies in the past year) with a large fenced yard. Check with your vet to play it safe. --It is best to begin all "acquaintances" through scent before the dogs visually see each other. So if the puppy is still at the breeder or at the shelter, it helps to bring home a blanket that has the puppy's scent and let your dog get used to it. At the same time, the puppy can be provided with a blanket that has your older dogs' scent on it. -Once home, you want to keep the puppy and older dog/dogs in separate areas for a good part of the day. This is for safety and for the sake of allowing gradual acclimatization. -Older dogs may no longer be interested in engaging in rambunctious play as they used to in the past. Some older dogs may even suffer from orthopedic problems, and the last thing they want to endure is being pestered by a puppy with poor social skills and too much energy. It's important therefore for the older dog to have a "safe zone" to retreat to without being constantly pestered by an energetic puppy. -You mention your dog is fear aggressive, is this towards people, other dogs? Both? In this case, we need to tread with caution. Things can get particularly stressful for older dogs who haven't been socialized much with puppies in the past or who simply haven't been around puppies for quite some time. Hence, the importance of playing it safe and establishing some boundaries. -Boundary-wise, there are several options. You can use a baby gate, x-pen, or a room to allow safe separation and allow your resident dog time to relax and unwind from the overstimulation. Depending on several factors, these may be temporary or permanent solutions.It is wise to erect baby gates and x-pens several days prior to the puppy's arrival so that your dogs don't get upset from all these sudden changes. -Expect your younger dog to whine frequently because he may want to play with your puppy and vice-versa and your older dog getting worried when the pup and your younger dog play. Watch for signs of stress. It may be best to let your younger dog and puppy play outside in your yard (if you have one) so to not upset your older dog. -During the introductory period, it's important to minimize the chances for squabbles. This means keeping toys out of the way, feeding dogs at a distance/separate areas, not allowing the puppy to steal your older dogs' favorite sleeping spots, not giving attention to the puppy when your other dogs can see or hear all the fuss.This is because we don't want to add more stress to an already stressful situation and cause the puppy to assume negative connotations: "Not only is this puppy invading my home but he is also trying to steal my toys and is getting more attention than me!" Not good. - It’s quite normal for an adult dog to “put the puppy in his place,” when the pup engages in some rude behaviors. Puppies are socially illiterate and often learn better social etiquette from adult dogs. These adult dog "lectures" should be mostly ritualized (more noise than anything) and shouldn't traumatize the puppy. Although adult dogs often grant puppies a "puppy license" it's important to be wary of older dogs who are intolerant and stressed by rowdy puppy behaviors. Because it may be challenging at times to tell if the older dog is really engaging in harmless discipline or if there is something more serious going on, the intervention of a behavior specialist may be required. -Some time is needed for the older dog to habituate to the new puppy. Each dog is different, and therefore it's best to work at the dog's pace. Generally, it takes more time for older dogs to acclimate to young puppies compared to adult or younger dogs. It may take weeks or even months for both dogs to be comfortable around each other. Make sure you maintain your older dog’s regular routine. -If your older dog appears tense or has a history of anxiety with changes, it may be a good idea to invest in some calming aids such as DAP collar or DAP diffusers and Rescue Remedy. These products work best if introduced days prior to the new puppy's arrival so that they have time to become effective. Relaxing music such as Through Dog's Ear can help too. - Keeping distance and feeding your older dog treats or kibble (if he likes it a lot) every time he hears the puppy move or vocalize when behind the baby gate or other barrier may speed up the acclimatization process as he associates the puppy with good things. Here are some reads on desensitization and counterconditioning: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ -The very first days may feel hectic with the dogs adjusting to each other and a new puppy to potty train (hopefully you have some help!), but as the days go by, you should notice less tension among the dogs. If your older dog initially showed signs of stress such as growling when the puppy moved or vocalized, these episodes should be reducing with time. -In general, it may take around 4 to 8 weeks for resident dogs to get used to the change associated with a new addition, but it can take up to 6 to 9 months for dogs to bond or at least feel comfortable around each other. Always monitor all interactions and gauge your dogs' body language looking for signs of stress. -As seen, there are several strategies that can help pave the path towards smoother introductions, but it's best to be prepared for the worst case scenario. If at any time you notice worrisome signs or your older dog is getting more stressed rather than less, consult with a professional for an in-person assessment. It is best to nip problems in the bud rather than waiting for things to get worse and reach a breaking point where things may no longer be manageable. So if your adult dogs show any worrisome behaviors towards your new puppy, have a plan in place to intervene immediately to stop the interaction as safely as you can, keep both parties separated and consult with a behavior professional to play it safe. I hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! It's nice to hear that you have a perfect dog other than this, overall, rather innocent habit. Barking on its own is a self-rewarding behavior and a normal form of communication. It's also exciting and fun to play and many dogs look forward to it and express their eagerness through barking. To avoid negative repercussions, this form of barking should never be punished, and a bark collar aims for just that, punishing a dog for simply expressing joy (or a way to release bottled-up emotions), not to mention the risks for side effects, such as a dog associating the correction with just moving around and playing rather than the actual barking. If you are worried that you may have neighbors who may complain, you have several options to turn this barking down a notch. Here are some ideas: -Play fetch. If your dog is playing with you when she barks, you can reduce barking if you encourage a game of fetch with her. With the mouth occupied, less barking, so win-win! Train her to sit politely before you toss the ball so you reward a calm behavior rather than barking out of excitement/frustration. -Give your dog something to carry that you provide exclusively upon going outside. Being that your dog is a retriever she may look forward to that. There are toys that dogs can carry around when they are excited such as the Kong Stick Squeez or a crinkle toy which dogs love to chomp on. -Encourage calmer forms of play in the yard. Scatter some treats in the yard so your dog can go on a treasure hunt, provide a Kong Wobbler filled up with treats and kibble, encourage your dog to dig in a designated area where you have buried her toys. Here are some fun brain games that are suitable for playing outside in the yard (prepare them beforehand so that your dog can go straight to engage in these activities and you can turn them into a routine: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/elementary/the-treasure-hunt/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/elementary/the-muffin-game/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/elementary/the-ball-pit-game/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/high-school/the-bottle-game/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/high-school/bobbing-for-treats/ Keep me posted please if you need further ideas or I might not have addressed fully the problem behavior as we can do some deeper troubleshooting. Hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome to the forums, Nice you hear your dog is in training to become a therapy dog. It's unfortunate, but this lockdown has had several negative repercussions on dogs. Many puppies have not been able to attend puppy socialization classes at a crucial time when they needed it the most. Dogs who were undergoing behavior modification for reactivity have missed out opportunities to maintain all the progress they have made, and then there are dogs like yours who may start acting more reserved due to the loss of ongoing socialization. Because socialization requires maintenance, especially during puppy hood and the adolescent stage (staring in general at 6 months up to 36 months in larger dog breeds). Not to mention the onset of separation anxiety in dogs whose dog owners must suddenly go back to work. Since this is a very new behavior, it's important to nip it in the bud using desensitization and counterconditioning. You can read more about these methods here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ You can use social distancing to your advantage and try to find a distance from which your dog seems more comfortable in the store. Arm yourself with tasty treats you hold in your treat pouch. Position your dog perpendicular at the end of an aisle and feed him treats every time he sees people walking past the aisles. Rinse and repeat for several trips. Aim to gain a conditioned emotional response (your dog looking at you happily eager to get a treat, every time he spots a person). Open bar closed bar may work well in a store as you use feature of people walking past aisles as treat-giving (open bar) and once they are out of sight as a signal for stopping treats (closed bar). Here is this method explained: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/ If he doesn't seem able to focus well or he shows signs of stress, this is often a sign that he is over threshold. You can read more about threshold levels here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ In such cases, you may need to increase distance, and maybe start this exercise from the parking lot or by the store's entrance every time your dog sees people. For people coming in the home, you may find this behavior modification protocol helpful: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-barking-someone-enters-room/ Hopefully, this is just a new behavior that has erupted due to the quarantine and with a little intervention he'll go back to being friendly as before. In some cases, as dogs reach the adolescent stage, changes in the brain occur at a chemical level and may lead to the onset or reactivity. It could be both these factors played out together leading to a combined effect, or that it is mainly one or the other (quarantine effect, adolescent stage/ fear period https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-periods-8-10-weeks-6-14-months/) Only time will tell whether he'll go back to being friendly as he was before. Worth mentioning is having him see the vet just to make sure everything is fine in the health department. When you are resuming therapy dog training with the help of a dog trainer, mention the changes you have noticed and have your dog undergo behavior modification under guidance of your trainer so to ensure safety and correct implementation. A final assessment would be important considering the level of confidence, tolerance and sense of comfort in meeting new people in unusual environments is required in dogs in this line of work. We certainly don't want to put him in situations where he's not comfortable or stressed. I hope this is just a temporary hiccup, Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog is aggressive or has shown reactive behavior towards dogs or other people, please play it safe and consult with a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation.

Hi there, There are several options when it comes to potty training dogs and sometimes we need to take an individualized approach. Where are you planning for her to permanently go potty? Always outside? Inside? or both? Where was the breeder having her go potty? This is extra helpful so to help your Pom out. Do you know if the breeder had her crate trained? Is she spayed? Thanks!

These dogs require management more than anything else, along with training a back-up plan in case the dogs manages to still get a hold of something. Here are some tips: -Keep the counter clear of food. This means no more food left near the edge (that's just like dangling candy in front of a child), just push it out of the way, or even better, keep no food at all there so that your dog's almighty nose won't feel tempted. -Erect a baby gate. It is not easy to keep counters always free of food. Many people start off with a strong intent, and then, as time goes by, they start slacking off and that is when opportunities arise. 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! -To cover all basis, train your dog the leave it and drop it commands. "Leave it" tells your dog to stop approaching when you catch him walking towards the counter and you forgot something there, and drop it is for when he should happen to get a hold of something and you want him to release it. Both of these commands can prove to be even life-saving if your dog is about to grab or has already grabbed a potentially toxic food or something he 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 info on how to train these: 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, why not teach your dog to lie on a mat and turn that into a favorite surface to receive goodies? This way, your dog 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 his 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/ -Invest in trash cans with lids that are dog-proof (there are several on the market, sometimes even made with dogs in mind) or keep your trash out of the way in a cabinet or outside of your fence if outdoors. Out of sight, out of mind! -With no more food left around the counter when you are not around, with the trash with a secure lid or out of the way, with a fluent response to the "leave it" and "drop it cues," and food being fed contingent upon your dog lying on the mat, with time, you should see a reduction in your dog's counter surfing behaviors. Hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

Hi Mallory, Welcome to the forums! I cannot provide much help in training a dog to use an invisible fence considering that it uses shock and positive punishment and this goes against my guiding principles. I therefore do not recommend invisible fences for various reasons and one of the primary ones is the potential for adverse effects as the ones you are currently observing with your dog. There's been a lot of more information coming out on these fences lately to the point that countless dog trainers and behavior consultants no longer feel it's ethical to recommend them or have dog owners sign waivers considering the risks. I will gladly discuss alternatives to invisible fences if you would like. Best, Adrienne

Hi there! Welcome to the forums, At 9 months, your dog is officially in the doggy adolescent stage a time when it is quite normal to see an increase in chewing, only that now the jaws are much stronger and capable of causing more significant damage. It's as if these dogs go through a "second teething stage," but instead of chewing as a way of getting relief from sore gums, adolescent dogs instead are prepping their jaws for a lifetime of hunting and chewing bones. Sure, while it's true that dogs no longer need to hunt to survive as we feed them kibble in shiny bowls, the instincts to chew at this life stage remain strong nonetheless. You can read more here about the dog adolescent stage: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ Tackling this stage of chewing is more a matter of management and helping the dog make good choices considering that dogs don't chew out of spite. Chewing in dogs is a natural, instinctive behavior that is self-reinforcing considering that it feels good to the dog (there is belief that when dogs chew, feel-good endorphins are released) and helps maintain good dental health. So for tackling the chewing in the yard, here are some tips: -Manage your dog's environment by keeping items you don't want your dog to chew out of reach. In other words, try your best to dog-proof your yard and home. -At the same time, help your dog make good choices! Leave out in the yard only safe items to chew. Adult dogs may enjoy chewing on stuffed Kongs, bully sticks, dental treats and Himalayan dog chews. It goes without saying that dogs should always be supervised when chewing in the yard. Ask your vet for safe and appropriate chews for your dog. -Stuff your Kong in challenging ways. If he is emptying it within minutes we can try to turn it it into a longer lasting treat. Here are a few suggestions. Of course, consult with your vet if your dog suffers from allergies or a sensitive tummy. You can start by pressing a piece of cheese slice inside the base, using a teaspoon to help you push it all the way down. Next, add a layer of your dog’s dinner, maybe mixed with a few pieces of low sodium hot dogs slices or treats, pressing them deeply into the cheese slice so they stick. Next, sandwich all this with one more cheese slice pressed in firmly on top and finish with large dog biscuits lodged well enough that it's hard to get it and prevents all the goodies inside from falling out. Alternatively, you can fill your dog's Kong with peanut butter, cream cheese, mashed banana or plain yogurt and fill a part of the Kong and then freeze it. Kong also makes special products to stuff Kongs such as their cans of spray food or treats that lodge in for an extra challenge. -You can invest in a Kong Wobbler to give him some longer-lasting challenges. I like to stuff a portion of a dog's meals in the Kong Wobbler and add some larger treats that slow down the speed of the kibble coming out for longer-lasting entertainment. -In young dogs, boredom and excess energy are often the most common triggers for chewing. That need for mental stimulation and excess energy must go somewhere! We may sometimes sends dogs out in the yard in hopes of them stretching their legs and getting some fresh air, but often, once in the yard, dogs engage in undesirable behaviors. The end result is often dogs who pace and bark at anything that moves, dogs who dig to their hearts' content "dogscaping" the yard into what may look like planet Mars, and dogs who chew anything they find in their path. These dogs benefit from daily walks, games, interactive toys, socialization, sniffing adventures, brain games, training and play. -When you cannot actively supervise your dog, keep him in an area where he can be confined with a safe chew toy. An exercise pen, a dog kennel or an area closed off by a baby gate that is dog proofed, can help. -Now it is also true that in dogs, there may be different causes for chewing. On top of boredom and excess energy, dogs may chew from frustration and anxiety. Frustration may occur when dogs face a situation in which they cannot achieve their goal. Excess restraint or confinement, routine changes, over-stimulation or unmet expectations may all trigger bouts of frustration chewing in dogs. If you suspect your dog suffers from a low frustration tolerance, aim on offering interventions that garner a better development of general frustration tolerance and coping skills. Some suggestions can be found here: how to train your dog better frustration tolerance. Here is a guide: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/ -Dogs chewing from anxiety may benefit instead from an anxiety-reduction program through the use of calming aids (pheromone diffusers, calming sprays, prescription meds from the vet) along with behavior modification. -If you catch your dog chewing something in the yard or in the home that he shouldn't, don't just try chasing him around trying to pry his mouth mouth. This can lead to problems such as playing hard to catch and even resource guarding and biting. Try instead swapping the object with something else, you can read more about the art of fair trading in this article at the bottom section: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/overprotective-of-toys/ Aim though to eventually train him the leave it and drop it commands for when you need to intervene: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/drop-it/ With items he is not allowed to chew out of the way, and access to legit items he can chew on, and with him being enclosed in an area when you cannot actively supervise, he should be able to make good choices. Make sure to dedicate some times for brain games and allowing him to put his nose to work as these activities can be quite tiring. Longer lasting chews can help as well to keep him occupied for longer periods of time. Sometimes dogs who go to daycare may become overstimulated and return home tired and cranky. Cranky dogs may be more likely to misbehave. Make sure your dog has access to a quiet area to nap with not much stimulation going on. I hope this helps, Best Adrienne

You are very welcome! Worthy of pointing out though is that even with daily brushing, it is possible for dogs to still need dental cleanings from the vet considering that tartar may form in between teeth and under the gums, which is also why in us humans, despite diligent teeth brushing and flossing, we still need to have cleanings every 6 months to 1 year. I love the picture of your dog wearing a tie! Best, Adrienne

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

Hello and welcome to the forums! It could be that this sounds terrible because he's a hound mix and hounds have these very loud vocalizations known as "baying" which can sound overly dramatic. This howling can be due to various reasons. It could be he is simply overly excited (like a hound on a hot trail!) and eager to see these other dogs, but sometimes there may be some anxiety components at play. The fact he doesn't lunge sounds like he may not have hostile intent, however we mus always tread with caution and keep distance as some dogs may get revved up by this form of howling and may respond aggressively. As with dealing with reactive dogs, you may find that finding a distance from where he appears less excited/anxious may help you have more control over the behavior and at this distance you can also give him something different to do that is incompatible with the howling. For example, you can toss several treats to the ground when he sees a dog at a distance and encourage him to go "find them" in a treasure hunt style, or you can ask him to to do several steps of attention heeling. Here is how to train attention heeling: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ If there are dogs walking by your property that your dog can look at behind a window, you can even start with some "look at that dog" exercises to build a foundation and strong response to a smacking sound that tells him to look up at you and get some tasty treats. You can then convert this on walks again using distance from other dogs. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ If other dogs are too close, you may be better off doing an emergency u-turn. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/emergency-u-turn/ If you are trying to redirect attention but he responds sometime yes and sometimes no, it's likely because sometimes he's too over threshold. Often this happens when we are too close to the trigger (other dogs). You can read about dog threshold levels here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ I hope this helps, Let me know how things go. Best, Adrienne

Hello, Welcome to the forums! Yes, I used to brush my dog's teeth every 3-4 days before, but turns out now veterinarians suggest to do it every day. Makes sense considering that, just as it happens with us, soft plaque forms on teeth after meals and, if not removed within 24 hours, this plaque starts to harden and mineralize as it combines with salts present in saliva. As this hardened plaque keeps accumulating and mineralizing, it turns into tartar which requires strong tools to remove hence the need for professional dental cleanings.

Awww, what a cutie pie! Thanks for posting her picture! Thanks for the clarification. It makes sense to find balls in a local park frequented by people as I stumble on tennis balls quite often when walking through the local parks. It can sure be frustrating to deal with this as we have little control on what people leave around. I can see this behavior being triggered by the presence of other people/dogs. You can have a dog with no interest in eating a food until another dog comes along and the dog will go straight to grab it (before the other dog does!) while before he could care less. Or you may have dogs with dozens of toys and the dog will always want only the toy the other dogs has. Dogs can be this way. Another idea that comes to mind (albeit a bit unpractical!) would be to keep her on a long leash and scan the area for tennis balls before letting her run off leash (of course always making sure there are no dogs around that can trigger a fight). If she has 'a nose' for looking for tennis balls, she'll likely find them as you go on the treasure hunt and you can then take her to a place with no dogs/people around and see if she'll drop the ball if you can swap it with something else valuable. Since away from other people/dogs, you may be successful as you have described on this morning's walk. You can then maybe put the tennis ball in your pocket to reward her recall when you need to leave the park if there are no dogs/people around. close enough to trigger problems. Then, once you are sure there are no tennis balls, you can have her off leash. Of course, there may be chances somebody will leave a ball around while you are there, but at least you have lowered the chances a tad bit.

Hi there, and welcome to the forums! Interesting behavior. In such cases we need to find exactly what triggers the behavior (antecedent) and what's the reinforcing consequence for the behavior which keeps it alive and persisting. From your description it seems like there may be several dynamics going on. It seems like the barking is initially evoked by your going in the water (with him entering the water too, I assume). As you describe this, it may be just excitement from a vocal dog who simply loves water to the moon and back. The goal of this barking may therefore be to just simply "vent" and express a strong emotion until his excitement gradually wanes after being in the water for some time. However, it seems like there is some demand/attention seeking barking going on too since you mention he barks at you when you are static and he wants you to do something such as swim, walk, etc. In this case, the reinforcing consequence is you doing something perhaps because you really need to do something or just to make him stop his barking (which makes sense if there are people nearby who may get annoyed by the repeated barking). There are several things we can try in this scenario to tackle this form of barking. It may take trying several approaches and seeing which works best considering that we might not know exactly what is triggering the barking, but we can just make some assumptions. 1) You can try engaging him with an activity that is incompatible with barking. In this case, I am thinking getting some floating toys for dogs that we can get him excited in carrying. Being that he is a Portuguese water dog, a breed selectively bred to retrieve gear and water messages from boat to boat, he may have a natural inclination to carry things in his mouth. With his mouth occupied, hopefully this may lead to decreased barking. 2) Once in the water, you may then further keep him busy by tossing toys for him to go retrieve and bring back (if he likes to fetch). This can give him something to do so that he doesn't feel the need to persistently bark at you and while he's at it, he gets a workout too. The disadvantage of this though is that he may then start barking to play retrieve, but at least his mouth will be busy carrying things most of the time. You can prevent reinforcing this type of barking by tossing the toys when he looks up at you and is quiet. 2) You can try to train a solid sit/stay (look up how to in the obedience 101 section of the course) to hold away from the water until you call him. You will have to train this well at home, then in the yard, and then in places with gradually more distractions until you get a strong response. Once you get that, you can ask him to down/stay (when dogs lie down it is less likely for them to bark, although this isn't a general rule of thumb) as you carry your stuff in the water and are in the water with a head-start. Then, you can call him, and since he seems not to bark when he needs to catch up, hopefully this will discourage him from engaging in that initial barking. You can then toss him a floating toy to reward him once he catches up. 3) You can invite your dog on the paddle board with you. Maybe he's barking because he feels left out? I know there are some traction pads that can be used on a paddle board to allow dogs on them. I am not an expert on this, so not sure how it works. 4) Ignoring. I know you tried ignoring when he barks to get you to walk or do something, but we need to keep in mind the phenomenon of extinction bursts. In other words, the more you ignore your dog, the more his barking will increase (initially). When you ignore him initially he may therefore bark louder, more insistently and he may even try other behaviors (pawing at you, grabbing your clothes) to get you to pay attention. This makes it seem like our ignoring isn't working. If we keep on ignoring the extinction bursts though, we will eventually extinguish the barking (gets weaker and eventually to a stop as it's no longer reinforced) , but if instead we give in at this point, we will make the barking behavior stronger than before because we will have reinforced persistence. So we can try totally ignoring him when he barks to get you to walk, swim or do something (make sure somebody with you though keeps an eye on him to make sure he stays safe and out of trouble) until he realizes that his barking no longer works. While this method can work, however, there are some things to consider. For instance, what if his behavior is due to anxiety? Perhaps he is barking because he doesn't want to be left alone/behind or he gets tired swimming and is in conflict between following you all or going out of the water to rest a bit. What if he is thirsty? Hot? Or he is afraid of you leaving and having to swim a lot to keep up? We therefore need to make sure all our dogs needs are met and that the barking isn't due to anxiety/stress before trying to ignore dogs who may be communicating a new or fear with us. Let me know how it goes. Best, Adrienne

Hi Alyson, Welcome to the forums. There is always a way to get a dog under threshold, but in some cases gaining that 'sweet spot' where he's capable of taking treats and cognitively function can be challenging. Sometimes, we need to get really creative and in some severe cases we may need the intervention of a veterinary behaviorist who can prescribe anti-anxiety drugs that can lower the threshold enough for behavior modification to "take." Here are a few ideas that come to mind in hopes of lowering the threshold: -Consider health. As the saying goes, a healthy mind in a healthy body. Any time we want to work on behavior modification we need to consider health conditions that may lower a dog's threshold. For example, if your dog is in pain, consider that this may cause him to react more than if he has no pain. Consider as well that a recent study has shown that dogs who are suffering from skin allergies may be more likely to manifest behavioral problems. Make sure your dog gets restful deep sleep (where your dog dreams and his body twitches). -Lay a Foundation of Trust. If you recently rescued your dog, it may be important to first lay a foundation of trust. Give your dog some time to de-compress. In general, newly rescued dogs take up to 3 months to settle in and start feeling more relaxed. Many newly re-homed dogs often have loads of stress hormones circulating their bodies and all the changes may cause them to be more likely to react and be more difficult to be under threshold. -Provide Distance. Many dogs are calmer when the trigger is at a certain distance. You will therefore have to gauge the distance that works best for your dog. For some dogs, the distance may be 200 feet, for others it may be 600. I know you said you have land, but have you ever tried even a mile or more from where may not even make out whether what he sees moving is a dog or person or something else? That can be a starting point. -Offer less intense forms. If possible, expose your dog to less intense forms of the trigger. If your dog reacts at dogs/people walking by the yard, you can try to practice 'Look at That" from the window as a starting point put this time using something the blocks a bit of view such as placing some film on the windows or something that blocks view a bit to produce a less intense response in your dog. Start with your dog at a distance from the window. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ -Block the Visuals. Placing a sort of barrier that reduces the sight of whatever triggers your dog may help too. In this case, you may find it helpful working behind a hedge, a wood trellis, a play pen panel. -Use More Salient Treats. Invest in the highest values treats you can and that your dog is super eager to have. Many have success using low-sodium sliced hot dogs, string cheese or cut up beef liver. If your dog has food allergies or a sensitive tummy, ask your vet for advice. -Use a calm stimulus dog. If you have friend with a calm dog who can walk back and forth by your property line or can afford a dog trainer who owns a calm stimulus dog, this may be the best option as this offers you the advantage of practicing set-ups in a controlled environment. -Use Fake Stimulus Stooge Dogs. These are furry, large dog-size stuffed animals meant to resemble dogs. There are many different breeds featured. Present the dog at a distance with his butt facing your dog for a less confrontational encounter. Practice as if the dog was real. I have a fake Rottweiler I have been using for years to practice with before my guests dogs were allowed to see my real Rottweilers. -The Use of Calming Aids. Some types of calming aids may help lower the threshold. Some dog owners have had success using calming aids for dogs such as Anxiety wraps, Thunder shirts, Rescue Remedy, treats with L- theanine etc. -Prescription Medications from your vet. The goal of prescription meds is to calm the dog enough to allow the dog's cognitive functions to work and for the dog to be sub-threshold when implementing behavior modification. Medications may take some time to work. For example, fluoxetine can take a few weeks to fully kick in. It may also take a bit to find the ideal dose and type of drug to find that sweet spot where the dog is aware of the trigger yet comfortable enough to take treats and start learning. -Use tools that give you more control. A well-fitted front attachment harness ( Easy Walk harness, Walk your dog with love harness, Balance harness, Sensible harness, Freedom harness) can help you gain better control of your dog and increase your confidence. Make sure your dog is conditioned well to wearing it by creating positive associations. -Manage the environment: Avoid situations your dog cannot handle. Your aim is for trust and confidence to grow so go slowly at your dog's pace. As the saying goes 'slow and steady wins the race." Avoid exposure to people walking by and dogs unless you are doing behavior modification presenting these triggers with your dog under threshold. This may mean bringing your dog out after you have scanned the environment to ascertain nobody is around, bringing your dog back in when you notice a trigger approaching ahead of time. Here is how to train a fluent turn. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/emergency-u-turn/ This prevents your dog from rehearsing the undesirable behavior and also prevents your dog's stress from going high gear. If we allow this to happen, there won't be enough time for him to relax should another dog/person come his way. Behavior change takes the time, and the longer your dog has rehearsed the behavior, the longer it tends to take. Then out of nowhere, one day out of the blue, you'll notice that your efforts start kicking in as you realize your dog is reacting to half of what he would have reacted to a year ago. Here are some links on behavior modification. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exposure-therapy/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/ I hope this helps! Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. Owners can be prone to redirected bites when a dog is fearful and overly aroused by the presence of triggers. If your dog is reactive/aggressive towards triggers, play it safe and consult with a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification.

That's awesome! That's so nice of you to rent a place to practice recalls. Keep up the great work, Happy training, Adrienne

Hello and welcome back! First of all, congrats in getting your goldendoodle to recall so well at the local dog park. This is not an easy task with all the distractions going on there! A dog coming back each time is a pleasure and something to not take for granted. I went back to see your previous posts and it looks like several months ago, another dog stole her ball at the dog park and it seems like this event had a major impact on her. When one event has such an everlasting effect it's known as "single event learning." This form of learning is very strong because it often involves some form of survival mechanism which keeps it strong and resistant to extinction. In her case, her ball must feel like the biggest treasure (even better than food!) and her fear of losing it puts a dent in her normal response to recalls. It sounds like your dog has a bit of an obsession over balls, and along with that, some resource guarding issues. It is nice though to hear that this behavior hasn't generalized to indoors since you mention that indoors she isn't possessive at all. Most likely, when your dog hears you calling her at the dog park when she has a ball in her mouth she is too concerned about protecting her treasure to feel safe to approach. For sake of comparison, it must feel like us humans feeling wary of our surroundings when we are at a busy train station where pickpockets like to frolic and steal wallets or other precious belongings. Most likely in this precise circumstance we would want to avoid strangers as much as possible and keep distance. It could also be that, on top of that, she wants to enjoy some play time with her newly acquired toy and plays "keep away." Keep away is a game where dogs gain access to a toy (or some other resource), and move away hoping to be chased by other dogs or people. Even in this game at times there may be components of resource guarding. Here are some ideas that come to mind: -First of all, I would avoid calling her and use other ways to get her to come to you. This because every time we call our dogs and our dogs don't come to us, we are depreciating our recall, making it less powerful. On top of this, if we call our dogs and then something unpleasant follows (we give a dog a bath, trim their nails or do anything that dogs dread) we risk "poisoning our cue." In this case, the unpleasant consequence may be your dog fearing losing access to her ball. Protect your recall using it only when you are pretty sure your dog will come to you and when you can reinforce it. -Since the ball is the highest value object in your dog's hierarchy of resources, keeping another ball in your pocket and enticing her to chase you to have it may be an option. There are dog tug toys with a ball at the end which can be quite attractive. Squeaky balls may be attractive too and so are balls that you can fill with a treat (Kong stuff a Ball). You can wiggle the ball around, make silly sounds, anything to invite her to get it. Keep this always handy and only give this toy for this precise circumstance (hopefully doesn't happen too often that a random ball is laying around). However, the biggest flaw of this is the fact that one must be very careful if other dogs/people are nearby as your dog may get upset if other dogs approach you (or other dogs may get upset at your dog) and fights can and do occur in presence of toys at parks. So I wouldn't recommend this unless you really need to get your dog and there are no people/dogs around you. Which brings to the next option which is likely the safest (well the really safest would be avoiding dog parks altogether). -If possible, avoid dog parks where toys are allowed. Because toys may trigger conflict, some dog parks have stricter rules and one of them is absolutely no toys or food in plain view at dog parks. This would prevent her behavior from occurring in the first place and therefore prevent rehearsal of the problematic behavior. I feel this would be the best and safest option (after avoiding dog parks obviously) considering the risks associated with dogs who are prone to resource guarding (consider as well that when she goes grab a ball laying on the ground, another dog may be guarding it too). I hope this helps, Best, Adrienne

You are very welcome! Keep me posted on how things go, Happy training! Adrienne

"Thanks for your help, his nipping towards me when we are outdoor has reduced. Although sometime when he is excited he tend to forget and nipped me again but it is easier to redirect him. I have no new painful bruises these two days. Hopefully his nipping inhibition will stay like today 🙂 and continuously making improvements." This is great news! Keep it up and with time he should start finding other activities more fun to engage in if we make them more valuable and rewarding. Make sure though to also dedicate some time to teaching him to inhibit his bite on human skin. We want to teach pups that our skin is extra delicate and that they should not bite down hard even when excited. We can do this through exercises such as "gentleness pays" as we provide feedback. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/train-dog-take-treats-gently/ "Regarding the take it exercise, I can’t seem to get him to take an object or toy except treat. He will patiently wait me to give him treats and he is not interested to even bite at the toy even I hide it on my back and present to him. " This can happen when the dog finds treats more valuable than toys. In this case, the treats are a too strong distraction. We can try different approaches here or a combo of several listed below. -We can try to practice "take" and keep treats used for rewarding out of view and use non-smelly treats if these distract the dog. Some smart dogs smell the treats and don't want anything to do with the toy because they want the treats. - We can try toys with different textures and qualities, perhaps your dog has a preference for picking up toys that are fluffy or bouncy. A service dog foster dog I had in training once was reluctant to pick up any type of stuffed toys, but her mind changed totally when I used a tug toy covered in real bunny fur which gained her interest. -We can use shaping, by clicking and rewarding for sniffing an object, then clicking and rewarding for mouthing it a bit, and then clicking and giving a jackpot of treats for picking it up -We can try using a brand new toy or a toy the dog hasn't seen for a while. -We can try tossing the toy and saying "take" the moment we see the dog pick it up -We can get the toy, tie it to a string, and move it about with your pup chasing it. Then, put the toy in reach and readily pointing to it saying "take it!" in an exciting tone of voice. - We can try using long toys. These may help encourage the pup to grab one end and and then the behavior can be put on cue. -Observe your puppy during the day and see whether you pup has a preference for picking up a particular toy. Practice with that toy. -Never get frustrated. It is easy at times to get frustrated when things don't work out as we would like. Dogs can feel our frustration and if we say "take" in a tone of voice that denotes frustration, they the dog may perceive it more as "leave it. "Same situation for leave it cue, when he knows I have treats on my hand, he seems disinterested to go get the toy but wait patiently beside me for treats. " Another thing that is bothering me which is my puppy doesn’t like his kibble as a treat and he will refuse to eat it when I offered his kibble to him so I can’t use that as low value treat. For his normal meal, I have to add some boiled pork approx 20g of meat with 65g of his kibble, 3 times per day. Before adding boiled pork to his kibble, he will only eat his kibble when he is really hungry like 100g per day (he supposed to eat 230g per day according to kibble feeding table). I have reduced his kibble amount due to the boiled porkI added into his meal. He really loves the homemade meat treat that I baked for him so I have been using this for his training all this while. Can the meat treat still considered as high value treat or do you have any suggestions? Also, any suggestions on low value treat? " If he seems disinterested in toys, you can try to practice 'leave its' with lower value foods (like a piece of bread) and use something higher value to reward such as a small strip of roasted chicken or a sliver or sodium-free hot dog (or the boiled pork if he likes it a lot). Studies have shown that most dogs tend to find meat more valuable. Once he gets the concept, you can then use your leave its when out in the yard if you happen to notice he spontaneously wants to grab a stick, rock or bird poop, or in the home if you see him approaching something like the remote control, your slippers etc. Of course, never place items/foods that can pose a danger to your pup purposely on the floor to practice with. I like to carry my treat pouch around during the day so to be always ready to practice leave its and drops and reward these with treats. You never know what life throws at you. Pups being mouthy often spontaneously show an intent to approach things they shouldn't have around the home, yard or on walks- when they finish their vaccines and the vet says the can go on walks (like candy wrappers, cigarette butts etc.) I hear you about the kibble. Brings me back memories of my female Rottweiler (Petra). When she was a pup she suffered an episode of GI upset and she wouldn't eat her kibble because I guess she associated it with nausea. So I added some canned food to her kibble to get her to eat her daily ratio. It worked like a charm, but then she got smart and started licking the canned food off the kibble and leave the kibble. It took some 'tough love" to get her to eat just kibble again and I remember I had to gradually reduce the canned food a little each day until it was just kibble. I think she skipped a meal or two when it was just kibble, but she got the idea that if she didn't eat it within 10 minutes I removed the bowl only to offer it again only in evening for another 10 minutes. Of course, I did this only once her GI upset problems were tackled and the vet told me that she wasn't eating now because she just got a little spoiled and was going on strike because she was expecting the canned food! These pups are so smart. I hope this helps, Happy training! Best, Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! And congrats on your new pup! I can understand your concerns as they are very valid. We work hard to make the crate a great place to be and then we are worried about any negative repercussions that may come when our pups are active and awake and eager to embrace the day and the last place they may want to be is in the crate. So how can we tackle this issue? We have several options: -Firstly, some good news. While many puppies are early risers, the good news is that as they mature and develop more, they will start sleeping longer also considering that they will gain the ability to hold it longer. So as each week goes by, you should start seeing some improvements. The first weeks are the toughest. -One thing we can try is to provide a high-value long-lasting chew (like a stuffed Kong) when putting her back in the crate. Have this ready from the night prior so all you have to do is give it once she returns from going potty. This may work to keep her busy for some time and hopefully get her back to feeling a bit tired after chewing. -Another option for those remaining morning hours, is putting her in an x-pen (lined with some pee pads if she has to potty) where she can hang out and play with some safe toys until it's time for you to get up. The disadvantage for this is that she may have an accident here, but it's better than creating negative associations with the crate and it's just a temporary adjustment. -Alternatively, we can get up at 5:30 initially and every day try to get up a little bit later every morning. I had to do this with some foster pups I had last year, and while it was annoying to get up so early, after about a week of gradually getting them to get up a little later each time we were able to eventually let them sleep up to 7. This worked because, as mentioned, the puppies were also developing more so they were able to sleep longer since they didn't wake up early with a need to potty. So this is most cases is just a temporary thing.

Hi there, Welcome to the forums, Let's do some troubleshooting. -Is your dog small? You can try to sit down on the couch and practice from there. Some small dogs are wary of feet (they may have been tripped over at some time or are just wary), other small dogs may not feel too comfortable when we loom over them from a standing position, so if we sit on the couch with the dog on the floor nearby, we are more comfortable and the dog may feel more comfortable too. -Are you using smelly treats? Sometimes using something that smells super good will motivate them more to follow your hand. -Are you moving your hand too fast? Try to move your hand slower having your dog follow with her her nose. -Try to take baby steps so she gets the concept that she must follow the treat in order to have it. For example, let her sniff the treat and let her have it. Then let her glance at it for a little bit it and let her have it, then let move the treat from her nose a little upward and let her have it, then a little more and let her have it, then try a little more until you have her following it with more confidence up to getting her to sit. -If you're a visual learner, take a look at this short video to make sure you are holding the treat and doing the hand motion correctly: --Try to stay relaxed and hide any frustration. Think of it as a game and don't feel pressured. With some pups, slow and steady wins the race, but once they grasp the concept, it tends to stick! -if you are still struggling, no worries! We can still train your dog to sit using capturing. Capturing is a training method where we reinforce spontaneous behaviors. In other words, wait for your dog to sit on her own. When she does, say "yes!" and toss a treat so to "reset" her. Then wait again for another sit and say "yes!" and toss a treat. Rinse and repeat several times. At some point, start saying sit, just before she sits and see if that evokes the behavior. If it does, say yes! and give a jackpot of treats (several small pieces of treats). Let me know how it goes! Best, Adrienne

You are very welcome, Keep us posted on your pup's progress! Best, Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome to the forums, For anybody considering going to a raw diet I suggest consulting with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to ensure it is balanced and appropriate for the specific dog based on the dog's age, breed, health, life stage etc.