Adrienne

Hello and welcome to the forums, Can you please describe what type of no-pull leash you have been using? What age is your dog? What breed? What method have you been using so far to train her? What do you do when she pulls? Thanks

For the toe-nipping behavior: I feel again that this is the pup's way for seeing engagement/interaction or attention. Toes are fun to play with. I don't think it's a coincidence that it happens when your husband comes home and would like to relax. The evening is often the time when pups are full of energy as they get those infamous post-prandial zoomies, they come to expect some type of interaction to get rid of that energy. With nothing else to do and craving attention, he has therefore decided to start playing with your husband's feet. Add to this the novelty factor, if we wear closed shoes most of the time and now we suddenly wear sandals or opened slippers, a puppy will surely be drawn to the toes because of the whole novelty factor. Here's the thing: we may not be aware of this, but every time we wave our toes or feet as the puppy nips, we are rewarding the nipping behavior. The pup is playing and interpreting our movements as engagement in play. Even if we say things such as 'no bite' or push our puppy away with our foot, he still thinks we are playing. Actually, with time, a pup may come to think that 'no bite" or pushing him away is a sign of our active participation in the game. Also, as mentioned, for many attention-seeking puppies, any form of attention is better than no attention at all and that even includes attention of the negative type such as scolding the puppy with a deep voice or getting up and trying to move him away. So what's to do in such cases? We have several options: 1) Avoid physical methods. This is worthy of repeating for those reading this. Puppies mostly bite because they are wanting to play and seek engagement/interaction. If we get angry or frustrated with them and engage in harsh methods such as scruff shakes, pinning the puppy to the ground or gabbing their muzzle, we risk making them move aroused or may turn playful biting into defensive biting which is a much bigger problem that is more difficult to resolve. 2) Out of sight out of mind. When there is little time to train or are very busy, you may find it best to just manage the behavior. In other words, have hubby avoid the biting from occurring in the first place by wearing closed shoes. With toes out of sight, the puppy should be less propense to biting. Alternatively, keep pup in a separated area or tethered at a distance. 3) Provide more exercise and mental stimulation. Teenage pupsters can be a handful, they are full of energy and need constructive ways to disperse it. Brain games, food puzzles, "sniffaris" (walks for sniffing,) socialization opportunities, scent games, chew toys, play with other dogs (if he does well with them) training and games should help keep the pup busy and out of trouble. Food for thought: If you can sit down in the evening and relax reading a book and your pup leaves you alone, you know your pup has had enough activities and mental stimulation during the day. 4) Pre-empt the behavior. If the nipping behavior happens at a certain time of the day, it's important to provide the puppy with activities at that time before the pup has an opportunity to engage in the nipping behavior. In other words, provide the puppy with something that will keep him occupied such as a Kong Wobbler filled with a portion of his daily allowance of kibble, a Snuffle mat studded with treats, or a Kong stuffed with some peanut butter. 5) Train your puppy alternate behaviors and reward those. Hand-targeting can be a great way to divert the pup's attention from toes to your hands. Toss the kibble/treat at distance to keep him busy. Praise and reward for every successful hand target. Mix in some sits and downs and tricks. For breaking the stays on the mat: When training your dog to lie on a mat, you are likely to incur some challenges. Lying down on a mat is not simply an operant exercise, it's teaching your pup to learn how to settle and stay calm. The most common challenges are encountered with dogs who can't stay on the mat for too long. With young puppies or dogs who are very hyper and unable to stay still for long, this can take some time to master. Be patient. It's important to progress at your dog's pace and watch for signs of frustration. If your dog yawns, starts sneezing, or has a sudden itchy fit during your training, take this as a sign that you may be asking too much and your dog needs a break. These out of context behaviors are known as displacement behaviors. Pay attention to them and adjust your training plan accordingly. If you find that your dog gets off the mat frequently before being released, consider re-evaluating your training plan. Most likely, you are progressing too fast at a level of proficiency your dog isn't ready for yet. Take a step back and practice more on the challenge splitting it perhaps into easier to assimilate steps. If you are getting frustrated, take a break and evaluate whether your dog is breaking the cue too often because he's not ready for training at that level of proficiency. To play it safe, the best consequence for breaking a cue is to bring the dog to the original spot in a calm, neutral manner, and repeat the exercise, making sure to make it easier. Tip: Putting a dog in a "stay" is mildly aversive (most dogs do not like to stay still), and it's important to provide reinforcers (rewards) at least initially, even though being released is already a reinforcer on its own. As you build duration, it's best to add an element of surprise. Ask your dog to "stay" for 3 minutes, then 8, then 5, then 2, etc.. This way, your dog will not be able to anticipate the added challenge to the exercise which could trigger the onset of displacement behaviors. For longer stays your dog cannot hold yet, make sure to provide your dog with something to do while on the mat. Hope this helps you! Best, Adrienne

Hi Felicia, Glad to hear you are playing tug with your pup, hiding treats and training him to leave things and have started the mat (or go to your bed) training. That's all good stuff and keeping his mind and body busy is fundamental at this teenager stage. Also, around this age, all the permanent teeth are in, but the molare are still finishing up cutting through the gums and therefore there may still be some residual teething pain and a strong need to chew, sort of like it happens when humans get wisdom teeth. Some call this the "second teething stage" and it can be more destructive since, by now, dogs have stronger jaws, so be sure to provide plenty of sturdy chewing toys! I will be tackling the two issues you have mentioned in two separated posts. For nipping in the kitchen: Unless you have been providing people's food in the kitchen and he's nipping to ask for more or he's trying to herd you out of the kitchen if right after eating/cleaning that's when he's fed his meals, this behavior can be simply be a way to seek interaction or he may be a bit cranky from being over tired. In any case, good to know when this is likely to happen so that it can be prevented and redirected. Cases like this often just need to be tweaked a bit so to prevent establishing a new routine of "every time my owner is in the kitchen or doing dishes, it's game on!" Here's the thing: what happens when he nips like that? Most likely he gets some type of reaction, whatever that reaction is, there's some reinforcement going on otherwise, he wouldn't keep on repeating it. So it could be you just saying "ouch!" and turning around or it could be you getting irritated or sending him out of the kitchen. Dogs who are seeking attention will be happy with any type of attention even attention of the negative type (scolding the dog, pushing him away). Dogs who are seeking interaction, come to see our responses (even saying "no bite") as signs of us participating in play. So what's to do in such cases? We have several options: 1) Management. This is the easiest solution. It stops the behavior in its tracks. It works well for when we don't have time for training. It can be a temporary or permanent solution. Management prevents a new routine from establishing and it prevents rehearsal of the problem behavior. So in this case, it would entail again either erecting a super tall baby gate or using an indoor tether specifically designed for potent chewers. Alternatively it could entail having somebody keep the pup busy out in the yard when you are cooking/cleaning or taking him on a walk. 2) Give him something else to do. Before you start cleaning/cooking strategically pre-empt the nipping behavior by giving something long lasting for him to do to stay occupied. This can be stuffing a Topple with some peanut butter, doing a bottle game https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/high-school/the-bottle-game/, scattering some things to search for on a snuffle mat, engaging him in a Nina Ottoson or other type of puzzle or anything safe that keeps his mouth busy and mind entertained. If you do not want to use food, you can give him a special toy that keeps him busy and that you use only for this selected time. The toy needs to provide some type of interaction to encourage independent play. A real rabbit-fur tug toy to shake and carry around can help or there are now tug toys that can be attached to something to encourage independent play. Rotate these toys to keep the interest alive and make sure to check on your dog every now and then for safety. 3) Ignoring the behavior. In other words 'turning into a tree." This can work with some mild attention-seeking behavior, although I am not a big fan of it. In other words, the moment he nips, you would tuck your hands away, cross your arms and stay still without looking or talking to your dog. Be forewarned though: when you do this, you may get an extinction burst, that is, the behavior intensifying before getting better. Your pup may nip harder or may try biting somewhere else just to get a reaction. If you can endure all that (wearing some extra layers of clothing can help), your puppy should give up, but if you struggle and end up moving, you will have reinforced persistence causing the behavior to become more ingrained rather than better. 4) Ensure all needs are met. I know how hard this is, but dogs of this age can be really demanding as they're hyper and there are moments of regression in training. Indeed, it's not a coincidence that most dogs relinquished at the shelter are at the teenager stage. So loads of mental stimulation. Actually many dog behavior professionals recently now recommend more mental stimulation than actual exercise as exercise makes dogs more fit which makes them need more and more exercise. Lots of sniffing adventures, nose work, training, brain games (use his kibble if he likes it), clicker training, puzzles and chew toys of a variety of textures.

Thank you for the extra details, this is very helpful! OK, glad to hear that she seems very comfortable with people around her and giving her attention. With other dogs, although she sounds very social with, we need to consider that she has some triggers (resource guarding tendency, lowered threshold when tired and now this new behavior) so we need to keep this in consideration. In a case as such, I would suggest using management. In other words, protecting her from being put in the situations that evoke the growling/snapping behavior. The advantages of management are several: 1) It prevents rehearsal of the problem behavior. The more a dog rehearses a problem behavior, the more it risks becoming ingrained and an established part of the dog's behavior repertoire. Practice makes perfect-just an actor gets better by rehearsing a role over and over, dogs get better at rehearsing certain behaviors the more they engage in it. This of course applies to both good and problematic behaviors. Behaviors that tend to repeat have some underlying reinforcer at play, something that fuels the behavior and maintains it. Reinforcers are of two main types: positive and negative. In positive, something the dog perceives as pleasant is added. Like a treat given after a dog sits will make the sit behavior more probable in the future. In this case, the sitting is positively reinforced. "When I sit, I get a treat, so will sit more frequently." Or in the case of a dog looking for attention, if when he nips, the owner looks and him and interacts with him (even if to push him away or scold him), the addition of attention will fuel the nipping behavior making it more probable in the future when the dog feels attention-deprived. "When I nip, I get my owner to interact with me, so I will nip more frequently." In negative reinforcement, something the dog perceives as unpleasant is removed. Like if we pick up a dog and the dog moves a lot because he doesn't like to be picked up, and we put him back on the floor when he does so, the moving a lot is negatively reinforced (ideally we should take the time to teach these dogs how pleasant it can be to be picked up). "When I move a lot, my owner places me on the floor and I feel relief, so I will move a lot again next time." In another example without human intervention, imagine a dog is under the hot sun in the yard. The dog doesn't like it cause it's burning his skin and making him feel very hot, since the sun is perceived as unpleasant, the dog will want to move away to feel better. Because being under the shady tree feels good, next time when the dog is slightly hot again, he'll likely keep on going under the tree when he's hot (reinforcement). In your case, of Ripley growling/snapping, this an distance-increasing behavior, meaning that she isn't comfortable with the other dogs approaching and wants to increase distance. Because the behavior from her perspective 'works" in keeping the dogs at away, it will keep on repeating as there's negative reinforcement at play "every time I growl/snap, it keeps the other dogs away, so will keep on rehearsing this behavior." This is similar to a person who doesn't like cats. If every time a cat approaches, the person makes a hissing sound and stomps his feet, this keeps the cat away, granted, he'll use a similar approach next time. In Ripley's case, there may be some element of resource guarding (like as if these people are doling out treats, only that instead of treats, they're doling out attention) or it could be simply that she doesn't want other dogs interfering when she's busy. It is possible that she may also have some low levels of discomfort when around other dogs in similar contexts (like when she's busy sniffing or scratching/licking herself) only that these signs aren't noticeable enough. See Kendall Shepherd's ladder of aggression; https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-dont-bite-blue/ 2) Management helps keep your dog safe. Not all dogs are respectful of when a dog growls/snaps to ask for distance. Sure, all may go well dogs who are well socialized and avoid putting themselves into problematic situations will steer clear and move away or give some other pacifying signal (OK, OK, I got the message, I won't come closer, it's all good), but that day your dog meets a dog who won' take this, it would mean trouble. All it takes is a dog who will talk back "What did you just say? No way, I won't allow you to get attention from MY OWNERS and even snap/growl at me for coming close!" Of course, dogs may not think this way, but you get the idea, things happen at a more instinctive level. Even a dog who is normally OK, who has had enough of this behavior may decide one day out of the blue to lash out. Being your dog smaller this can prove disastrous with larger dogs. All it takes for a large dog is a quick grab by the neck and shake to kill a smaller dog. I don't want to create fear, but these things do happen. 3) Management will help maintain good associations. If your dog plays well with other dogs at the park, and seems to enjoy other dogs' company outside of the circumstances that seem to act as a trigger (food, feeling tired, interfering when she gets attention) we don't want to blur these good associations with dogs with too negatives. In other words, if Ripley starts feeling tense every time dogs approach her when people are petting her, there are chances these feelings will spread to other contexts. Also, consider trigger stacking, the phenomenon where the accumulation of stressful events may cause a dog to lash out "out of the blue.' A dog who was perfectly social and suddenly decides to bite another dog at the dog park, may look like he has bitten out of the blue, when in reality there's a new baby in the home, he's resource guarding against the cat who had started stealing his food, and there are new noises (like baby crying) that startles him in the sleep. All this accumulated stress has creating a breaking point. So in your case, I would simply be your dog's ambassador and gently ask that people who have dogs do not pet your dog. Actually, people should always politely ask first "can I pet your dog?" What happened to this courtesy that was so commonplace years back? If there is one person you don't know and one dog it could be: "sorry, Ripley is in training right now" or with somebody you know who is aware of the behavior "sorry, we are trying to prevent her from rehearsing." If there are two people it could be: "only one please, but without the dog." In this latter case, then good canine etiquette would have the person approach (without getting directly into the dog's space) and let the dog decide whether he or she is in the mood for attention (a longer leash can give her more freedom) while owner watches carefully for signs of tiring and intervenes if the person acts inappropriately (trying to hug, kiss the dog, put their face too close etc, heavy head patting) by saying "no please don't do that, please limit to petting her on the chest, that what she likes." As Ripley matures, she may also come to a point where she may start being selective about which dogs she prefers to play with/interact with. There is a common belief that dogs in order to be "good dogs" should be willing to play with all types of dogs and stranger dogs, but this is not true. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions, Best, Adrienne

Awww, how cute! That's a great confidence boosting exercise on its own. Great job Esther!

Glad to hear your pup's sits are improving in quality, keep up the great work! You have been doing a fabulous job!

Hi Leslie, welcome to the forums, Ouch, in general when a dog is food aggressive and treat aggressive, problems tend to only get worse when other dogs are added to the home. This is because these dogs are highly stressed unless the situation is very well managed as they have a strong need to feel safe and secure. Being deaf is an aggravating factor since deaf dogs may not be able to detect when other dogs approach and they may get easily startled and react more readily especially if there is food around. Two young puppies with little social boundaries added into the home are also a recipe for problems especially if the situation isn't managed well and the dogs are left together unsupervised. Training all of them is very important because left to their own devices, it sounds like an accident ready to happen. I would therefore recommend being very, very careful. Puppies and JRT mix must have their own separated feeding areas. When training, they will also need to be trained in a separated area especially when you are using treats. When together, they must be always carefully supervised and the puppies shouldn't be allowed to bother your older dog when he is tired, trying to relax or simply asking to be left alone. Many deaf dogs have strong startle responses when sleeping. Keep play sessions short and fun. It would be best not giving the pups any attention in your JRT's presence as that can aggravate things. It is also imperative watching for signs of your JRT mix getting stressed: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-dont-bite-blue/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/signs-fear-stress-dogs/ I hope you have prepared areas so that you can easily allow separation (baby gates/exercise pens/crates or areas for tethering.) With two puppies of the same age, you will also have your hands full because they will need individualized training due to their tendency to bond strongly to one another. This is something that requires lots of commitment and is a full-time job. You can read some information about this here: In regards to the attack, it is difficult to say what may have happened since you weren't there. It could be the JRT was simply correcting the puppy or he is stressed. It could be the puppy go too close to something he was protecting. It could be he got startled, it could he is not very happy of these pups' arrival in the home and waited to attack when you were not around. I would suggest never leaving them alone as so many things can go wrong. It's important to always closely supervise. Fundamental is preventing rehearsal of the problem behavior. The more a dog gets to "attack", the more it is likely for the behavior to become-habit forming. It would be important training a strong response to a cue that stops your JRT mix in his tracks at the earliest signs of things deteriorating to get his attention on you. For non-deaf dogs it could be a "leave it" or smacking sound, with deaf dogs, it could be the use of a vibration collar (not a shock collar, just a collar the vibrates made for deaf dogs). The vibrate would tell your JRT to come to you immediately for a treat, but since he's prone to guarding food, you would need to take him to a separated area away from the pups (like in a crate that you close once he's in, in the yard or in another room) to deliver it so he could eat in peace without stress. I suggest working along with a dog behavior professional for in-person guidance on how to use a vibration collar properly and obtain a strong conditioned response to use when needed. Puppies can wear a short house line or leash tab (short handle that attaches to a collar) so that you can redirect them to a separate area if they are interacting in inappropriate ways. This "time-out" is not punishment, it's just to redirect them and give them a place to individually chill where they can chew on chew toys and possibly nap. Puppies can get nippy and misbehave a lot when they are tired and cranky. If problems persist, I would emphasize the importance of working along with a dog behavior consultant using force-free behavior modification to identify the exact triggers that cause the attacks. Hope this helps, Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course (or any online source) are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dogs' behavior against you or others

Hello and welcome to the forums, This is certainly an interesting behavior. It would be important to ensure that the behavior primarily and exclusively occurs when Ripley is receiving attention from people and their dogs happen to approach. In other words, the snapping and barking occurs contingent upon other dogs approaching when Ripley is being stroked, and not in other circumstances. Contingencies in such cases are very important, because the approach used to tackle the issue can vary widely based on the underlying cause. It would therefore be important knowing whether: 1) Ripley gets along with other dogs. Does Ripley have a good track record of getting along with other dogs (when the owners are away) and him getting perfectly along with them? 2) Ripley does perfectly fine with people. Does Ripley have an excellent track record of being totally fine with people approaching him (when their dogs are away or with people with no dogs) and looming down to pet him? Other questions that come to mind: Does this happen when Ripley is on leash or even off leash? Are the other dogs approaching on leash or off leash? Are you always nearby when this happens? Does Ripley have a history of startling? Does he always meet the same dogs and the same owners? Has Ripley ever showed any signs of getting tense/growling or snapping towards other dogs or people in other circumstances? How often do people meet him and want to pet him? Thanks for the extra details.

2) is it normal at this age for guarding extincts to kick in and how do I gage aggression vs. warning. Now next question: when Shiloh and I go out (especially at night) he immediately starts barking and growling at absolutely nothing. If I weren't concerned about future aggression it would be funny just the way he does it. We step out into the yard and he rears back on his hind legs, then lunges left barking and growling. Next he goes center then to the right. After each time he looks to me to see if I'm watching? The first time he did this he actually jumped around the corner of the house like someone would do when yelling BOO! All four legs actually came off the ground and he barked when he landed. I couldn't help myself, I laughed so hard I cried. I may have hurt his feelings a bit😞 he's been consistent with this behavior about a week now, and I would have thought maybe he was being protective of ours house, but its the same at moms or my daughters . since he's barking at nothing what are the chances he would actually get aggressive? He does bark at people across the street when they're out but has never tried to get to them or anything, and he loves kids and any people he does meet. Thanks for your help just want to ward off any problems before they arrive when he's a bit more mature, he still has many of his puppy traits even though he's obviously more comfortable in his skin and not so skittish of his own shadow😊 At night, many dogs are more reactive. While you may think he is growling at absolutely nothing, there may be actually something. This may be hard for us to see or hear or smell, because we have much weaker senses. Dogs can instead smell things we can only dream of, they can hear in the ultrasonic range, and as crepuscular hunters, their eyes can catch fast moving things. Next time, go back to the area and try to be your dog's eyes and ears. Put yourself in your dog's place and investigate the area. If he was barking at something, look in that direction, if he was sniffing something investigate the area. Look around for any wild animal droppings with your flashlight or have some expert examine for you. Night-time barking like that is often due to night-time critters. My Einstein would whine every time he would catch the whiff of a skunk. Also see whether there is something that spooks him. I has a dog who barked all the time when I took her out in the yard at night and turned out she was barking at a small strip of cloth that caught on our tree and would move with the breeze. Removing it from the tree solved the issue. Something else to consider, since I am now reading that it happens also at your mom's and daughter's house, is that as a shepherd mix, he's just starting to practice his guardian role, which is being extra vigilant and very attentive to his surroundings. Here's the thing; these dogs are working dogs and have a very deep need to get a "job" and often that job is keeping an eye on things, although sometimes they may get 'spooked.' As puppies mature into teenagers, gone are the days when thy were sound asleep for a good part of the day and could have cared less about noises. Now, as adolescents they are more and more alert and may sleep more lightly, easily awakening and possibly reacting to any sound. At times, with these developing dogs, you may notice the "react first, and think later" trend. In other words, they'll be fast to sound the alarm towards a perceived threat, even if there is really no actual danger present. In such a case, it can sometimes help, saying something reassuring such as "let me check it out!" Ask your dog to hold a sit and stay as you go take a look. Let him see you are investigating the area and then return to him and tell him in a reassuring tone "all clear!" and give him a treat for complying so nicely. Right now, Shiloh is at an age where he isn't mature enough to take the matter in his own hands. The ability to discern a real threat comes with maturity. It is up to you, at this time to prevent him from becoming obsessed about barking at things and it often helps to redirect and take charge of certain situations. The barking at people across the street, is that something he does sparingly? Or is it an all-day ordeal? Does he ever come to you to alert you of their presence? It is great that he is fine with meeting with people. It's important to maintain his social skills as he matures, going often on walks and different places and seeing as many different people as possible and creating positive associations with them.

Hi Cheryl, Glad to hear that Shiloh is getting better at getting in the car. I hope you found the winning strategy that will motivate him to get in on his own. Now to your questions: 1)What's normal behavior for his age (8months) and what's not when meeting other dogs . For the first issue. As I've mentioned Shiloh has three friends he plays with often and enjoys their company. He barks at other dogs but doesn't appear aggressive even though he throws out a growl or two. He bows down attempting to engage in play, the problem I'm struggling with is haven he's around my daughters miniature sch sized(she's 3). Chloe goes nuts growling, barking and snapping, at Shiloh, so he returns in kind. I think Chloe is afraid of him. We had to keep them apart while I visited. I had to bed Shiloh down in the garage and Chloe still went to the door and he got agitated and his barking didn't sound as friendly Finally I think he just got tired of listening to it and we played ball. I tried keeping him distracted initially, but he had to reach that point himself I think. Is there ANY way we will ever be able to get them to be friends? This is going to be an issue if I want to visit in the future( and of course I do) but can't afford a sitter for Shiloh every time. Any suggestions? Your pup is 8 months old now, and he's at the peak of the adolescent stage being that he is a shepherd mix. As you may have already read from the archive, this is the most challenging phase of dog ownership: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ The normal behavior for dogs of this age can vary a whole lot as you can imagine because there are so many variances among dogs. Take just breed for example. For instance, at this age, some breeds such as Labradors may be hyper and engaging in lots of play with every dog they meet and greet, whereas, in a more serious breed like a German shepherd or Rottweiler, we may start to see the beginning of some standoffish behavior. There is nothing wrong with this and it's actually part of this breed's standard. You have a mix of both breeds, so one really cannot know what type of predisposition may prevail. It could be one or the other or a mix of both. On top of this, as Patricia McConnell claims, 'Genes are written in pencil," meaning that genes are not carbon copies and breeding is a crapshoot.... There is no such thing as a dog being like another so there are really no black and white rules onto how a dog of a specific age is expected to behave when meeting other dogs. What we know is that, this is a delicate phase and things may change during this time. For instance, if a dog of this age regularly plays with adult dogs, certain behaviors may not be any longer well tolerated by adult dogs. Any pushy behavior or rowdy behavior will likely be corrected, hopefully in a ritualized manner. Adult dogs may therefore no longer be lenient and they may revoke the so called 'puppy license" where pups could have gotten away with certain behaviors just because of the fact of being socially-illiterate puppies. Intact male dogs may also be perceived as more threatening by neutered dogs. I cannot recall if Shiloh was neutered. Is he neutered now or still intact? The reason why neutered dogs react aggressively towards intact males is likely due to them having a different smell than other dogs. Indeed, interestingly, by the time intact dogs reach 10 months, there's a peak in this smell as testosterone levels may rise to be five to seven times greater than the levels of an adult. In their interactions with same-age dogs or even younger pups, adolescent dogs can sometimes start acting a bit like bullies, pinning the dogs down or biting too hard. They also tend to start being picky over who to befriend. Some adolescents may be still OK with a few selected doggy friends, but may start getting more selective, no longer liking dogs he doesn't know or sees less frequently. At the dog park, as an adolescent dog matures, he may no longer back off from a challenge when before he may have "apologized" and backed off. In your case, it sounds like Shiloh is simply reacting to Chloe's behavior. I agree, perhaps her being smaller, she is somewhat intimidated by his size. Is this a new behavior or has she always been this way? Did they ever play when Shiloh was younger? It could also be that, if she hasn't seen him often enough, she doesn't feel like he belongs to her "circle of friends." How often do you stop by to visit? If infrequent, this can happen. She may not like an intruder dog entering her territory and may be giving signals to let him know he's not welcomed. We also need to consider whether she may not like young dogs very much. Many adult dogs struggle with the high energy levels of young dogs. Being that she is 3 years old, she may be rather chill and find his behavior over the top and may not be able to tolerate it. Things may get better as Shiloh matures and becomes calmer and is better under control (like able to stay calm when seeing her and not reacting and holding a long down/stay on a mat during the visit.) In some cases, rather than just letting him straight in her home, it may help to plan an organized walk with her (one handler each dog, walked at a distance) on neutral territory and see how it goes. **Avoid this though if such walk would mean Shiloh barking at her which may only further exacerbate her fears. See more about this towards the end of the post. Sometimes, a walk can help calm dogs down and pave the path for some more accepting behavior. Shiloh may also have less energy after being walked and may come across as calmer which is easier to accept. If they both enter the home together, meaning Shiloh on leash and Chloe on leash, one handler per reach dog at a distance, it may feel less like an' invasion" compared to just Shiloh entering her home out of the blue and wrecking havoc in her life. Then, having both dogs in their own separated areas may also help her feel better. For instance, Chloe may be placed behind a baby gate and Shiloh on a leash with you at a distance so that she won't have to deal with him coming too close. Giving both dogs something tasty to keep occupied during the duration of the visit may help maintain calm and create positive associations" "Every time Shiloh comes visit, I get that tasty stuff, yay!" and "Every time I get to visit Chloe, I get something to keep myself busy, yay!" and therefore " Seeing each other is rewarding!" Of course, caution is always needed, being that Shiloh is so much bigger than Chloe, so the use of a baby-gate offers a win-win. I tend to see this more of something that needs to be worked on more on Chloe's side rather than Shiloh. Cloe may need some behavior modification work to reduce her fear or possible territorial behavior. Shiloh though may fair better if he can stay calm and keep distance. Of course, this can be time consuming, but it may be worthy if you visit very often and you can keep up the progress. Basically, the process is similar to introducing a new dog as covered here, only that the two dogs don't live together so if many days go by with Chloe not seeing Shiloh, there are risks she may revert to her previous behavior. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/introduce-dog-new-dog/ I see that you also mentioned that Shiloh "barks at other dogs but doesn't appear aggressive even though he throws out a growl or two. He bows down attempting to engage in play." Does Shiloh do this even when seeing Chloe? If so, that can be enough to evoke a fearful reaction in her, and therefore leave a strong impression that now she just fears him. Some dogs are just calmer by nature and struggle with high energy, untrained dogs. I have worked with dogs this way and they were not accepting of untrained, hyper dogs, but often did fine when introduced to trained, calmer dogs. Does Shiloh do this barking/growling and play bow behavior when on leash? If so I am wondering whether you are seeing some barrier frustration: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/barrier-frustration/ Let me know more about this behavior and whether it happens only on leash. Disclaimer: If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course (or any online source) are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dogs' behavior against you or others

Oh wow, they really do look alike now that I look at them side-by-side. That's funny!!!😄

Hello and welcome the forums! I have made it reading so far and can't stop thinking how fortunate Fraser has been to have found such a patient, dedicated and loving owner! I think all dogs are here to teach us something and we never stop learning. It's a blessing your paths have crossed and you have found each other. This is for sure a very challenging case. I have worked for a vet and we saw several HOD cases, but most dogs just had a little limping here and there and a fever. I am glad to hear that Fraser is doing a lot better now and things are starting to improve! I agree, her way of running makes me think about sighthounds. These dogs are rather couch potatoes, but when they run, they run fast and can reach speeds of just over 40 miles per hour. They're more designed for sprinting, than being long distance runners. That's why they call them the "Ferrari's of the dog world" and why we see a greyhound's aerodynamic figure plastered on the sides of those famous buses. For sure your dog must have an interesting heritage, I know those DNA tests may not be very accurate, but it would interesting seeing what results would come up!

You are very welcome! Getting in between, nudging or herding the dog given attention away, are ways to interfere with the dog getting attention. It can just stay that way, and therefore remain mostly ritualized, but I like to tackle these cases early, because in some cases, these situations may exacerbate and lead to squabbles. Management-wise, to prevent rehearsal of the problem behavior, it helps not giving attention to any particular dog when they are together. Simply enjoy watching them play with no petting/fussing involved. If you need to give for some reason attention to one particular dog, do so in another area where the other dog cannot see you or (hear you!) giving attention. If Betsy approaches you, even if you have decided to not give her any attention, ignore her, and if she insists, and Lola starts trying to nudge her away, you can try to get up and leave the area and see if that diffuses the situation. With no owner's attention to stir things up, the dogs are left with nothing to compete over. If done with perfect timing, the dog asking attention may learn to no longer solicit attention, while the jealous dog may eventually learn that his behavior leads to the owner leaving, so this should help reduce the jealousy episodes. The other approach involves some more in depth behavior modification, aiming on teaching the jealous dog that good things happen every time the other dog approaches and is given attention. The jealous dog is therefore fed treats contingently to when the other dog approaches. Then the same thing is done when the other dog is talked to and then petted. When the other dog is away, the "jealous dog" is ignored. I personally prefer this approach as it aims to change the mindset and goes to the "root of the problem." I aim to get what's known as a conditioned emotional response,https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ where the "jealous dog" looks forward to the other dog being given attention because it means that she'll get tasty goodies. Of course, if the dogs are prone to resource guarding, this latter approach will carry some risks, so the dogs may need to be kept on leashes and/or muzzled initially. Both approaches and some more are covered here and there is a video demo at the end: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-fighting-over-owner/ Hope this helps, Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course (or any online source) are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dogs' behavior against you or others

Awww, that's so cute! She looks so happy and eager to be trained! As the weather gets warmer, there may be chances that she starts enjoying the sensation of cold floors on the tummy. If you see that happen, you have the opportunity for reinforcing downs on hard floors. Also, as she feels more confident and associates downs with tasty treats over time, she may start feeling that it may be worthy lying down on the floor even if she may have felt differently before so it may also be worthy trying to gradually wean her from the couch, to a mat on the floor, then to a thick blanket on floor, then to a thin sheet on the floor, and then finally on the bare floor next to the sheet (you can start gradually like a little to the side of the sheet, then a little more out, and so forth). A little tip: try to ask for downs when your dog is paying attention, in an area free or distractions and your dog looks attentive to you. When we repeat the cue several times and the dog doesn't respond, we risk the dog thinking that the cue is "down, down, down" and no longer "down" so the dog may start to ignore our first requests. I don't know at what exact stage you are in training down, but once your dog is fluent in performing the movement, it would be time to start keeping the treat out of sight. Hide it in one hand, out of sight, like hidden behind your back. You can use your other hand to gesture her to down pretending you have a treat in it, if you have been doing that. Then once she does the down, praise and reward quickly delivering the treat from your other hand. You can find the process mentioned here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/lie-down/ And also here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/polishing-up-training/fading-food-lures I love your enthusiasm and how your dog responds to it!

What a cutie! She seems attracted to all the different flowers. Lots of sniffing adventures for dogs when spring has sprung!

Thanks for the extra details, they are very helpful! Lovely dogs! It's wonderful that you are working with a nutritionist. Blueberries can be great training treats, they are low calorie, and it seems like Ryder has tolerated them. These are on the rather lower value side, but all dogs are different. Another option is to bake some of the food or freeze dry it until fully dried. When baked, you can form it into small training treats. You can even freeze tiny training session portions that you can thaw and use up in one session. When dehydrated, you can store it in air-tight container. This type of treat would be on the higher-value end. With raw food, you can also make ground meat into small meatballs and use those for training. Alternatively, you can try to make small meatballs and simmer those lightly and see if they holds together and then offer that in small pieces. Start with a small amount first to experiment. As always, when handling raw, it's important adhering to good hand washing and washing of all surfaces used. For enrichment, you can place a some raw on a Lick-mat or inside a Topple (by West Paw) or Kong and offer that. You can use a metal muffin tin. You can ask for a sit or down before providing that so you can use these both as reward/enrichment. Of course, it's important to wash any food-dispensing toys properly after each use. I like to use a bottle brush to getting inside the deep part of the Kong. Since you are working with a nutritionist and he/she prescribed this food, he/she is really best person to discuss this since they are they ultimate experts. I would consult with them to be safe. They may also offer more options as to easy to digest whole foods that may OK for certain food sensitivities. I am happy to hear that you have taken so many steps to prevent your dogs from going over threshold. Rehearsing problem behaviors allows them to put roots so it sounds like you are doing very well management-wise, not exposing your dogs to full intensity exposures. There is a guide on muzzle training here. In the video, I am using a nylon muzzle, which works OK for brief use (like when the vet needs to give a shot or draw blood) for longer use as for car rides, entire vet visits etc, a basket muzzle is ideal. You can feed treats through the holes. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-your-dog-to-wear-a-muzzle/

Good to know, thanks!

Lovely that you have a Furbo camera, I wished I had this technology back in the days my dogs were pups! Would have saved me from hiding behind windows and walls! I am going to get one some day along with a Pet Tutor!

Looks like Esther is enjoying the game of "let me pester Gertie, when she's on her mat!" Most of the play here seems like Esther playing "bity monster" while Gertie has to dodge her. I can see she decided to finally leave, good that she had enough room to leave rather than being stuck. I think it might not be a coincidence that she left right when the pup had to lick. The lick may also not necessarily be a true need to lick, but can be just a pause (good play has pauses, the "pause that refreshes") or a displacement behavior, where the pup may have wanted to do something (like play more) but is suppressing the urge and redirects to licking. Of course, until dogs can talk, these are just assumptions. When 'Saint Gertie' gets up to leave, pup of course is not happy and is trying to follow her around for more play. I am glad you intervened as these youngsters have so much energy. Draining some of the energy through walks, brain games and training in a separated area can help drain some of that, although trying to engage older dogs remains always a favorite past time. When in doubt whether Gertie is having a good time or is trying to say she had enough, it often helps to do what's known as a "Play consent test." Simply, the puppy is removed from the area (called away, or a leash tab is used to remove from the space) and one would watch how Gertie reacts. If Gertie acts as if she feels relief, the puppy was likely too much for her. If Gertie gets up to look for her new friend, then she was having a good time and wants the play to continue. In good plays we like to see role reversals and pauses. For example, the playful chaser shifts soon into being the one chased, the playful biter shifts into the one being bitten, dogs on top end up being on the bottom and so forth. Brief pauses help dogs think about the next move, longer pauses are just a way to reset and it's good if the other dog pauses as well. It's always good to step in if things may seem like getting too much. From a human perspective, we may love having people around, like even our family members but most of us may struggle if our friends or spouses would be bombarding us being in our face and invading our personal space the moment we come home from work and decide to sit down and relax a bit. Some dogs are very tolerant and will even tolerate for quite some time, but will eventually give those "I have had enough signals" unless a human sees it prior and intervenes. Puppies may not be very adept in understanding these signals and sometimes fights may break out this way. Of course, this may not be the case, but it's not a bad idea having pup redirected to a separated place where she can chew something when Gertie decides to go to her mat to relax. I am personally not a fan of metering water in pups during the day. I know there are many online general guidelines on how much water a dog needs in a day, but I feel there are too many variables like how much the pup plays, how dry the air is, indoor/outdoor temperature, stress, diet fed, etc. Some vets though based on the pups 'health, may advise to remove water at a certain time in the evening to reduce night-ime accidents, but I suggest checking with a vet first.

Hi Cheryl, Yes, some dogs can act that way. It's good that he's totally non aggressive. Because Sophie is a female, he may just keep manifesting his slight displeasure this way, trying to herd her away or finding tactics to distract her. In my household, Petra, my female Rottweiler was the jealous one, and it was often funny how she would come up with some astute strategies to get Einstein to stop being talked to or given attention. She would rush to door and pretend to bark at something hoping he would join in or she would grab a long tug toy to get him to tug or she would start sniffing as if she found a treasure. Einstein would often fall for it. In general, I find that male dogs let female dogs get away more with things like this, and it sounds like in your case both dogs have a great relationship, however, sometimes, as young dogs mature, they may get a little bolder in their approaches with other dogs so I tend to like to be pro-active on things like this, so to prevent future problems. In such a case, there are several options: Since the dogs do not share the household and are only playmates, for the time being, it may worthy to just prevent problems. In other words, not giving attention to a particular dog when they are together. Simply enjoy watching them play with no petting involved. If you need to give for some reasons attention to Sophie, do so when Mr. Jealousy in another area where he cannot see you or (hear you!) giving her attention. If Sophie approaches you, ignore her, and if she insists, and Shiloh starts trying to herd her away, get up and leave. With no owner's attention to stir things up, the dogs are left with nothing to compete over. If done with perfect timing, the jealous dog may eventually learn that his behavior leads to the owner leaving so he should reduce the jealousy episodes. Another approach involves some behavior modification, aiming on teaching the jealous dog that good things happen every time the other dog approaches and is given attention. The jealous dog is therefore fed treats contingently to when the other dog comes near. When the other dog is away, Mr. "Otello" is ignored. I personally prefer this approach as it aims to change the mindset and goes to the "root of the problem." Both approaches and some more are covered here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-fighting-over-owner/

Oh no, so sorry to hear about your fall! It's so unfortunate going through all these mishaps between Shiloh's fractured leg and now you. I see more interest and not backing away from the car as a positive sign. I really admire your determination in helping him out. Let's hope he forgets all about being picked up so he gets motivated enough to enter on his own. It's interesting to hear about him acting protective of you and charging and barking at nothing. Does this happen when he is in the home? When taking something away from him, please be very cautious. I hope you had something extra valuable to trade the squirrel for so to not pave the path to resource guarding. I like to have super high-value things (like bully sticks) always extra handy, so that I can grab them at a moment's notice to entice the dog to have it and then toss it past a door so that the dog drops whatever he has, heads past the door to get his trade and I can close the door and safely remove whatever the dog had. Keep me posted on how his training to get in the car goes!

That's great! I love to use the clicker with insecure dogs as it boosts their confidence. Shaping can be a great way to help them out. This is why I listed it as one of the great ways to increase confidence: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-build-confidence-insecure-dogs/ You can see an example of shaping here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-your-dog-to-turn-on-a-light/

Hi Jodi, Welcome to he forums! There is a recent trend of dog owners and trainers suggesting that walks now should be mostly dedicated to the dog's pleasure allowing them to sniff and explore. While this is a good thing, it needs to have some rules otherwise dogs will take over and pull in all directions. As opportunists, "give them a finger and they'll take the whole hand!" First, let's take a look at the perks of sniffing. To us humans, sniffing may appear like an activity that doesn't make sense; indeed, we may think that dogs are obsessed about smells and stubborn when they stop on a walk to sniff. Yet, sniffing is a form of enrichment. When dogs sniff, they are receiving excellent mental stimulation. Sniffing therefore provides dogs the opportunity to exercise their brain power and the biggest perk is that this activity tires them out! Indeed, a good amount of sniffing on walks can cause dogs to tire themselves out even if they aren't walking as far. Sniffing in particular is known for activating what is known as the "Seeking System" part of the brain. This brain part, first described by neuroscientist Jaak Panskepp, is also known for releasing a neurotransmitter known as dopamine. Dopamine is known for triggering feel-good sensations, increasing enhanced memory and learning. On top of this, sniffing acts as an important source of information. Indeed, it is through sniffing that dogs get to gather information about their surroundings, sort of how we get information through our eyes looking around. It can be said that dogs sort of "visualize" the world around them with their powerful nose and incredible olfactory receptors. This explains why anxious or fearful dogs are particularly eager to sniff, especially when they are in new surroundings. Research has also discovered that sniffing lowers a dogs’ pulse and the more intense the sniffing, the more the pulse lowers. So you really do not want to discourage sniffing completely because by doing so, you are depriving your dog from an enrichment opportunity and, on top of that, sniffing is a tiring activity for dogs so it can help your dog mellow down. It sounds like you are already aware of the benefits of sniffing, but it's nice to point this out for other readers. While sniffing is a great activity, however, it is also true that sometimes you just want to get somewhere quickly and don't have the time nor will to stop at every lamppost for an investigation! In these cases, it helps to find a compromise and meet somewhere in between. Following are several approaches to find a compromise: -Put Your Dog's Sniffing On Cue This is one the easiest cues you will teach your dog since sniffing comes so naturally! Simply, say "go sniff" and then toss a couple pieces of your dog's kibble into the grass so that your dog sniffs around to find them. This should cause your dog's natural interest in sniffing to take over. Then, once your dog has found all the treats and you dog doesn't seem interested anymore in sniffing around say "let's go!" or "heel" and resume your walk. Praise and reward your dog for walking nicely next to you every few steps using high-value treats. Do this several times on walks, so that your dog understands when you expect him to sniff and when you expect him to walk with you. The use of high-value treats should help your dog make the choice of sticking next to you more and more. -Organize Training Walks and "Sniffaris" Training walks are structured walks where dogs are expected to stay by our side or at least not pull, "sniffaris," are sniffing adventures where dogs get to sniff at their hearts' content. Of course, when going on these latter, good manners still count! Many dog owners are concerned about this strategy because they are afraid that their dogs may confuse one and the other. The type equipment used though can help dogs learn all about the difference. Just as service dogs learn that when they are walked on a harness they are working and when they are walked on a leash, they are going on a stroll, your dog can learn that our regular 6-foot leash is for training walks and our long line (long 10 to 30 foot leash often sold in horse tack stores or online for training dogs) is for sniffing walks. Also where you clip the leash can make a difference. For instance, if your dog is wearing a harness, like say the Perfect Fit harness, you can snap your 6 foot leash to the front ring for training walks, and then for "sniffaris," you can snap your long line to the back of the harness. Your pace and contexts can further help your dog set them apart. When going on training walks, you may walk at a brisk pace around your neighborhood and away from the grassy areas and road sides. Your dog may therefore stay on the roadside while you stay on the inside. When going on sniffing walks, you may walk slower and walk adjacent to grassy areas or other specific places where smells abound. Your dog may therefore be on the inside while you are on the roadside, so that your dog can stop and sniff the edge. -Reinforce Polite Walking With Sniffing As seen, sniffing is something that dogs love to do. It's a form of mental enrichment, it's information and it satiates the dog's seeking center part of the brain. Just like we like to read the news and catch on social media, dogs enjoy "catching up on their pee-mails." With such a powerful tool on our hands, why not use sniffing to reinforce desired behaviors? So next time your dog walks nicely on leash, reinforce that behavior by loosening the leash and telling your dog to "go sniff!" If your dog loves to sniff, there no need to toss kibble anymore. The sniffing behavior is already rewarding on its own. Just make sure to adhere to this simple rule: make forward movement and sniffing contingent upon walking nicely on the leash, while pulling makes you stop, otherwise you'll be stuck with a dog who will keep on dragging you left and right! Mixi in your rewards, using sniffing to reward, but also every now and then praise and reward your dog for walking nicely next to you every few steps using high-value treats. -Make Sure to Allow Off Leash Sniffs! Finally, if the area where you live permits, and you have access to a safely fenced area, take your dog there, unsnap the leash and tell your dog to "go play!" As your dog wanders off, make sure you have treats in your pocket so to reward any "voluntary check-ins." In other words, give your dog a treat to reward him when he voluntarily comes near you just to check on you despite the distractions of all the smells. This will grow a strong bond between you are your dog and with time you'll notice he'll be checking in with you more and more! I hope this helps, Happy training!

Hello! Lots of Chihuahua members lately on the forums! I am thrilled to hear that your lovely Chi has come a long way with her training! Kudos to you! With small dogs this behavior isn't unusual. In particular, Chihuahuas are warm-climate dogs with a single coat (unless you have the long hair variety) so they may find placing their belly on a cold tile floor unpleasant. She likely slept on the floor in the shelter because she had no other choice, now that your home has comfy couches, she'll stick to those. You can try practicing on a carpeted area or rug and see if that helps. Or if you need her to hold a longer down when you have guests, you can get a mat and train her to hold a long down there. Here is a guide on mat training: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ Initially, before she learns to hold a long down, as a management strategy, you can use an indoor tether. To install a tether, you would need to screw an eye-bolt into something sturdy enough to withstand your dog if she manages to pull with her full weight (like screwed to a beam, wall) in the same room, but at a distance from where the guests are so she cannot come near the table. You then attach one clasp of the tether to the eye bolt and the other to the back clip of a harness your dog is wearing. Keep the mat near her and praise/reward for going on it. Or you can use the tether to loop around some heavy piece of furniture. Make sure it's sturdy but won't fall or collapse on her or move startling her. Provide your dog with something to keep busy like a stuffed Kong or some safe long-lasting chew. Young dogs tend to get bored and frustrated quickly so giving them something to chew/vent can help. Always supervise a dog when tethered. Keep me posted on how it goes. Happy training! Adrienne

I am a big fan of clickers, but don't usually recommend them for behavior modification unless the dog is very well clicker trained and a strong positive association has formed with the clicker. Also some dog owners find it challenging to juggle treats, a clicker and leash all together when outside. Not to mention, some fearful dogs can get scared of the sound which only adds to the stress these poor creatures endure. Clickers are certainly more effective than human words. This has been covered here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/clicker-training/ However, a smacking sound you can take with you everywhere and therefore use it at a moments notice should a dog pop out out of nowhere. Even if you have a clicker in your hand, you may struggle getting it in the right position quickly enough to generate the click. There is a leash that has a clicker incorporated that may come handy though. I haven't personally tried it, but it's a nice invention.