Adrienne Farricelli

I think he would like to befriend our cats (and only chased them before because they ran) but I'm not sure if they'll ever come around to that. Careful with the kitties, huskies have strong predatory drives and not always things go well with cats. My security camera idea didn't work out so I don't know if we'll be able to nanny-cam him (although I'll suggest it again to the husband)...We haven't found any messes these past few mornings, just one when we got home from church on Sunday (along with fresh scratches on the door to the garage). So it seems he's become more comfortable here but still doesn't like us leaving without him. A Furbo camera can come handy if your Husky turns out having separation-related distress. It's on the costly side, but this camera not only records, but also allows us to interact with our dogs such as talking to them and tossing treats while we are are away. He also poops/pees on our covered back porch (which serves as a compromise to letting him run outside - and it's too high off the ground for him to consider jumping the rail, presumably), even if he just did so outside, apparently...so emptying on command will be a work in progress. Huskies are known for being escape artists, so I wouldn't be surprised if he discovers how to jump over the rail (if I recall well, I think rescues recommend fences as high as 6 feet to prevent them from jumping). In any case, it my help to treat the porch area like any other area of the home and keep him there when he is empty and you can supervise him for giving signs of needing to go. It also may help feeding him, and playing with him./training him there, so he perceives it as part of a living area and not a bathroom. Make sure to praise and reward for going potty outdoors so to encourage him to keep going there, and if you find a poop accident on the deck or house, place it outside so that he sees/smells it there and recognizes that outdoors is his bathroom area. There has been a little progress on the crate training as I tried placing his breakfast in the kennel this morning (having placed it next to the kennel yesterday) with the idea of him just sticking his head in, but he walked in entirely and sat down. And we aren't letting him go upstairs, so the cats just have to slip in and out when they get a chance for now. Great! Baby steps! It's nice when they surprise us and show us that they're up for the next level. An outside run is theoretically doable (provided the ground isn't muddy), although he did discover indoor-fetch today. We've ordered a GPS tracker but I view this more as a safety net than a babysitter. Right, the GPS can just help track him down if he happens to escape. A question on teaching the "lie down" command...He came to us understanding "sit" but either doesn't understand that he has to stretch out on his belly or doesn't want to. I've tried teaching it in stages, and have gotten him to hunch over to take the treat near the floor without standing up, but when I try to complete the "L" he straightens up again. Using a chair is a good idea but we don't have one that he'll fit under (as they all have the horizontal support brackets 3-4" from the floor). A couple of times he did reluctantly sprawl over onto his side (and I clicked him for this), so it might(?) be that he understands but has that stubborn-husky streak. He flops over on his side all the time and displays his belly, so he doesn't have issues with lying down in general. I wonder if he's trying to belly up, rather than lie down, considering that he seems prone to that "submissive" flopping to show his belly. If so, it may be he's not too comfortable with us standing closely to him, looming over so he feels like he needs to appease. In any case, it may be worth trying with you sitting on the couch (with your dog on the floor) or you kneeling, asking him to sit and trying to do the "L" from a sitting/kneeling position. This may also be easier on us, allowing us to relax more as well. Here is a demo with me training a down, kneeling next to a small dog. The exercise should look the same, only that you'll be doing the L from a higher distance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv1B1Kd53uQ

Hi there! Welcome to the forums! If you're able to tell her 'off' and she stops with you, but can't in presence of people, that's a sign that she's too "over threshold" https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ around people and is struggling generalizing the behavior to perform it in their presence. When we see dogs who act hyper like this in the presence of people and nip as well, it's sign of too high arousal levels and there also may be some anxiety mixed in as well. Tackling this issue requires creating frequent set-ups with collaborative people who are willing to follow your directions and not reinforce any of her hyper behaviors by petting her/taking to her or acknowledging her in ay way. Here is a guide: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/jumping/ In the background, you may also find it helpful desensitizing her to behaviors people do when they see dogs like talking in an exciting tone, and training her to sit by default no matter what happens. You can see an example of this here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/case-studies/02-maggie-assessing-jumping-behavior-desensitization/ and here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/case-studies/02-maggie-practice-greetings/ When not working on set-ups make sure to use management so to not allow her to rehearse hyper excitable behaviors, more tips on this are found here: It also helps to up her training and impulse control through these exercises:https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/10-impulse-control-games-for-dogs/ And of course brain games to keep that busy mind stimulated. Hope this helps, Happy training!

Thank you for the extra details, they are very helpful! - We tried shutting him loose in the master bath for a few nights as a precursor to having him use his kennel, and he did whine for a few minutes before settling down (and as this was before I started giving him chewies he did mess in there once or twice). Once we left him in the bathroom while we were away and the next day we noticed deep scratches on the inside of the door, possibly made as he heard us getting in the car and driving away (He does love car trips, presumably for the change of scenery but likely also to avoid the separation). After a few nights he didn't want to come in the bathroom and went to the hall instead (where there's a comfy wool rug), which was when we started shutting him in there. We don't typically hear whining but there have still been messes. It does sound like he is struggling somewhat with being left alone. Some dogs may also struggle with being confined, even if in a room, especially if they were kept outdoors most of the time. Being new to your home, it also takes some time to adjust to new schedules and feel safe and secure that he's in a permanent place. On average it may take anywhere around from 3-6 months to settle in. However, at night it sounds like he's capable of settling which is good. Recording his behavior both at night and during the day can help you get a better insight into what is going on and when the pooping takes place. If upon being left alone, he's sleeping and wakes up, goes to poop and then goes back to sleep, it's likely because of other causes than anxiety, versus a dog who is restless, panting and walking back and forth and pooping, maybe settling for a bit, and then going back to acting restless, panting etc. If he settles pretty quickly and sleeps for a good part of the time alone, then wakes up and poops, it may just be that he needed to poop upon waking up. If you are able to record several days, perhaps you can notice a pattern (like at what time these accidents happen). A middle of the night trip or early morning trip about half hour prior may help prevent that. So watching how he acts and reacts is key. - I've received a response from his last owner, who tells me she let him out every couple of hours with her other dogs and kept him penned in the house, so she apparently didn't have the issues I've seen. The pics from two owners ago show him only outside, so between the two it may be that he didn't so much learn not to eliminate in the house as much as he simply had no opportunity. Huskies in general like to be with other dogs, so if he used to be with other dogs in his previous home, it's possible that being completely alone is adding him some extra stress. It would be interesting to know whether the owner also took him out for a bathroom trip in the middle of the night to prevent accidents. - He's not quite as clingy as some dogs as he typically chooses a central location (or his rug in the hall) to sack out rather than following us around all the time. And for the first week or so we kept him shut in the kitchen during the day (and night) to prevent him from chasing the cats (who aren't interesting enough to him now to be worthwhile), but with the room being centrally-located we were in and out frequently. We only moved him to a different night-spot after he kept stealing food off the countertops, no matter how well we tried to keep things out of reach and put away. That's good (that he isn't so clingy). - Our cats go upstairs where there's a large kitty tower (and their selection of "safe" places has diminished of late) so shutting the doors to keep Sebastian downstairs may not be feasible. He typically follows me or my husband when we go up there but occasionally sneaks up there to potty if he hasn't been out recently (which is our fault). Yes, more supervision here can certainly help, along with ensuring he is "empty" prior to heading upstairs. Try to not give him the run of the house, just confine in the same room you are so, so that you can supervise and take him out quickly if you notice any pre-potty signs (sniffing a spot, distancing himself, sneaking away behind something, about to raise a back leg). I do agree that a more regular "potty" schedule is in order and I will look at the links you provided. We'll also see about setting up a camera as we may actually have spare security camera we could use. I've been out of the game for a few years and had grown accustomed to the schedule and habits of our last dog of 15 years, so I undoubtedly have things to relearn. I'm also looking for ways to exercise him (beyond a run 1-2x/wk and walks down the driveway) as we're out in the sticks and there are no "good" parks and no safe place outside for him to be off-leash (unless/until we can train him not to run away). I'm hoping the brain games will help keep him occupied until I get more rigorous activity schedule (bikejoring?) worked out. A long line (attached to a back clip securely fitted harness) may turn handy in these cases providing a compromise. For sure, he'll enjoy walks and hikes and bikejoring, but check with your vet before any rigorous activities to ensure he's all clear and his growth plates have closed. Brain games and training are certainly helpful to keep that busy mind stimulated and entertained. Happy training!

Hi there! Welcome to the forums! Congrats on your new dog! Please see my observations under yours in bold. We adopted an adult male husky 2 weeks before Christmas, named Sebastian. We are at least his fourth owners as I’ve been in touch with his last two and he was microchipped and neutered at some point before two owners ago. He is 3 years, 8 months old and seems pretty well-adjusted in general, with no obvious phobias or problems being touched or handled. I visited the local shelter last month and it had several huskies and they do so poorly being kenneled so Sebastian is super lucky! Thank you for having opened your heart and home to him. Huskies get easily depressed being cooped up and struggle with being alone. One main problem we’ve had is finding that he has pooped/peed on the floor either during the night or while we were away for several hours. It may be coincidence but this seems less likely to happen if I give him a chewie before we leave or shut him in a room at night. It's not unusual for dogs to have some accidents when in a new home. There are several things at play, such as different routines, possibly different foods and treats, and any stress may increase motility and make them poop more. If he gets stressed being alone, that can be a culprit, but I would expect you to hear him whining/barking or scratching at the door during the night, although it's also true that some dogs may feel stressed and remain quiet but may be panting and shaking while laying down. If giving the chewie before you leave seems to help, keep doing that. As a bonus, you are helping him associate shutting the door with something good, but give it as well every now and then at times when you are sticking around so that the chewie doesn't become a reliable predictor of you leaving him alone. It may help to record his behavior upon being left alone (like set up a nanny cam) so to see what he is exactly doing. Some dogs suffering from separation-related distress will pee/poop when left alone. Eventually once our two cats are accustomed enough to him we will allow him to roam freely and choose his sleeping spot. We did buy him a kennel but he seems averse as he became very anxious when we first tried shutting him in, even though it was in the master bathroom, just a door away as he had been in the kitchen, and we put a very comfortable bed inside. I'm familiar with crate-training as a housebreaking tool so I’ve started trying to get him used to it by degrees, having him go in and then shutting the door while I give him a treat. We don't know his history, so maybe he wasn't well potty trained from the get-go, maybe he was kept outdoors most of the time and likely, from his response, he wasn't ever placed in a crate. Sadly, since the pandemic there has been a surge of pups surrendered due to separation-related disorders. In the meantime he has chosen the rug in the hallway as his sleeping spot so we just shut all of the doors around it. Again if he seems reluctant to “go to bed” when we do, I find a mess to clean up in the morning; but if he’s especially tired or I give him a “good night” treat he waits until I take him out in the morning. Results have been similar when we leave the house for a few hours. This sounds more like some issue with being left alone. Dogs don't 'revenge poop," rather in most cases, they have accidents as a result of the distress associated with being left alone. Of course, there may other factors at play, like not emptying the bowels before being alone for a certain period of time. So it may turn helpful with time, training him how to go potty on cue: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/ Upping his exercise, play, training and mental stimulation (brain games) can help him keep busy and feel more tired to go to bed at night, but it sounds like he's more worried about being alone that bored. In addition to this, we have an unfinished second story in our house where my husband has a home office and other used spaces. Several times now we’ve found puddles next to items that he’s apparently marked(?), as well as the occasional poop. From what we’ve seen and the articles here I’m guessing that there is some territorial marking combined with his not recognizing that the upstairs is also part of our house/den. He peed on the main level once or twice during the day (once we started letting him roam) but has not done this for a couple of weeks. I’m not sure yet if these things were issues in his previous homes, or if these behaviors are new-house anxiety related, especially as my in-laws were here with their two (geriatric) dogs over Christmas. We haven’t yelled at him or punished him as of course he wouldn’t know what he did wrong, but he’s so sneaky when he pees upstairs that we’ve never caught him in the act. He gets meals at regular intervals but we do need to adopt a more consistent “potty” schedule, and a belly band may be helpful as well, at least as a stopgap solution. So my questions are these: - Is the pooping upstairs due to a separate issue from the peeing/marking, or are they both anxiety-related? Peeing along with pooping as mentioned can be triggered by separation distress. Some dogs though also urine mark novel items, and like you mentioned, they may also pee if they aren't fully potty trained (incomplete house training). If possible, I would keep him mainly in one area (lower floor) until he's more reliable and nearby a door always under clear supervision, and if really needed, keeping him upstairs only after you're sure he's empty (peed and pooped very recently) and for no more than a couple of hours (or for how long he has demonstrated he's capable of holding it), always watching him carefully. It could be that in his past home, he was scolded for going potty in the home, and this has created in him a need to sneak away and go potty out of sight. Peeing after other dogs being in the home is also a big urine marking trigger so we would have to factor that in as well, especially if he has stopped urine marking for a while after them being there. - How can I make the kennel a "safe" place where he goes by habit, if he always wants to be with us during the day? Very slow introductions are needed, starting without shutting him in and encouraging him to visit it and creating positive associations with it often during the day. Here are some tips: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/ Since he always wants to be with you, you would also need to work on brief separations, always making sure he's not left for longer than he can tolerate. If this is a true case of separation distress, you would need to take baby steps: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/general-guidelines-for-clingy-dogs-dogs-with-separation-anxiety/ - Is his messing on the floor at night or while we're away due to separation anxiety or something else? It could be a separation distress behavior, but we would need more info/proof on this such as by recording his behavior and seeing what he is exactly doing when alone. It can help training him to go potty on cue so that when you leave or close him for the night he's "empty." Make sure to clean messes with an enzyme-based cleaner and use a blacklight to detect missed urine spots. I hope this helps, in the meanwhile Happy New Year!

The steroids are for a hystiocytoma and his obsessive drinking with water bowl guarding for Al started before the steroids-since we had him at about 4 months, now he’s 6 months. Gotcha, so with the steroids if there are underlying behaviors such as increased drinking or food guarding, these tend to get worse in several cases. If you read through the side effects, you may find these listed, possibly also behavior changes/aggression. So if these are already present at a low level, it's not unusual for them to exacerbate. Ed does the aggressive stealing where he lunges for something or straight up starts a fight for it but it went kind of dismissed with Al because he also did the “chase me” where a toy would be used and kept getting stolen to change the chaser but sometimes I think Al didn’t like it but if Ed stole a toy from him aggressively Al would not fight back so it was over where as Ed will try to steal a stick-happened three days ago-from Shandy and she fought back-growled and it started a fight. When you mention about these fights, did the dogs go ahead to actual biting, or was it a noisy discussion? Did you have to intervene in some way? or did it stop on its own? Problems often start when both dogs are really wanting the toy/stick/bone and don't back down and the dogs end up getting in a physical fight. Not that this makes things less concerning, it's just that there are also several nuances of ritualistic displays, just as in people we see noisy arguments, but may solve without getting into actual physical fights. In this cases, fights that result in injuries (little to no bite inhibition) have worse prognostic expectations than those where there is no contact/just wet fur/minor scrapes. If AI has started to fight back over stuff, to the point of evoking fights, the steroids may play a role in the behavior change. Al is doing the “another dog is close I’m going to run back and protect my toys” thing you Mentioned. We let him have toys alone but Shandy will walk in the room if we let her and it has sent Al back to his toys…He’s also hiding them which I know isn’t necessarily anxiety but the ruNing back to the toys I thought was?? The vet is letting us wean Al off the steroids quicker so in about 12-14 days we will hopefully see a change back to normal or close to it although changing Ed’s aggressive thieving has to be a priority to prevent Al from getting pushed too far or him or Shandy getting hurt so how can that be helped? If toys are a trigger the ideal approach for now would be giving them only when no other dogs are around. This is the safest option at least until the professional can carefully watch the interaction (if safe to do so, maybe using muzzles) and asses what is really going on. Interactions between multiple dogs in a household can be complex at times and its important to have a really clear understanding about what is going on, like if there is a dog in particular who is instigating fights, and how the other dogs react to these situations. Along with this several other factors need to be considered such as: -How good the dogs' bite inhibition is (have they ever bitten? if so, at what level of a dog-to dog bite scale can the biting be classified)? -The ages/sex/breeds of the dogs -How well do the dogs communicate one with another? -How well trained are the dogs? Can they be called 'off" from one another at the first signs of conflict? -Are there children in the home (this can make things more complicated) -How much time do owners have to dedicate to training/behavior modification? -Are there any stressful events taking place in the home? Construction work, loud noises, a new baby, new neighbors, any changes can lower a dog's threshold for aggression making them more likely and quicker to react. -Have all dogs received a clean bill of health? Are there medical conditions or meds that can be causing behavior changes (like the steroids). If so, these need to be accounted for. Based on how the dogs relate with one another along with a combo of above factors, then several options may be available at the discretion of the professional. These may therefore vary based on all this factors and more. For sake of example, considering several variables here are some possibilities (these are just general, as every case requires an individualized approach): -For the most severe cases, the professional may suggest having dogs kept separated as a long-term solution. This means each dog having its own area and never being together as a safety protocol. This of course has its own challenges, as it's not easy carefully granting such separations and ensuring all dogs' needs are met. When this is difficult, rehoming may be a preferable option. -For less severe cases, the professional may suggest keeping the dogs away from each other when around triggers. This means the dogs are kept together, but always carefully monitored, and any toys/food/ sticks etc. are provided only when the dogs are separated from one another. This can work for cases where fights *only* occur over specific resources and not in the absence of them. Care is always needed though should a resource present itself by chance (e.g. dogs are in the yard and a child next door happens to toss a ball over a fence). -For milder cases, the professional may suggest to train all dogs to a fluent level to respond to cues that interrupt the earliest signs of conflict. Owner must be very observant, learn how to read body language well and dogs must be trained individually and then be capable to respond when together to a cue such as "leave it!" meaning they should stop in their tracks and orient towards their owners. Triggers like toys etc. are kept away when the owner is not actively training/watching and in the initial stages, low value items may only be kept around (making it easier to obtain a responsive state). Another helpful cue is training a dog prone to stealing to automatically go lie down on a mat upon seeing another dog in possession of a resource and/or alert the owner to it rather than attempting to steal. This dog needs to learn that it's far, far more rewarding going to the mat and/or alerting the owner than stealing the toy and therefore lots of positive reinforcement should be invested into a strong automatic "go to mat" "or "go find somebody" cue. -For more severe cases, where the dogs aren't only fighting over resources, but even from seeing each other, behavior modification needs to likely be implemented, where the dogs are kept behind barriers and fed tasty treats upon seeing each other, so to create positive associations and then gradually go more in depth into working on reducing stress, increase bonding/relationship building, and teaching alternate behaviors to engage in rather than stealing. I know some professionals who have worked on mild cases of resource guarding toys by providing dogs dozens and dozens of the same toys so that they reach a level of satiation, but some dogs no matter how many toys, always seem to want the toy the other dogs has. Not to mention, it's not a cure-all considering that from a dog's perspective even a dropped tissue paper or a stick may qualify as a toy (resource to guard) so it can't be generalized to everything. I haven't ever tried this approach, so not sure how it would play out. In any case, with all of this in mind, I would play it completely safe and keep the dogs separated by a barrier, especially if there are no clear triggers and/or the dogs fight just from seeing each other, until the professional tomorrow can gain clear observations of how they all interact and collect a good insight/ assessment on what is going on, and then, based on findings provide individualized suggestions on how to move next. Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or 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 (no shock, prongs, or physical corrections) 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.

What signs are you seeing in AI that suggest he's acting anxious about having his toys stolen? How is Ed exactly stealing? There are different nuances of stealing. For example, we can see stealing as a form of play, where one dog has an item and tries to keep it away from the other and the other tries to steal. This form of play can get noisy and growly at times, and can sometimes be confused for fighting. There are cases of sneaky stealing as my female Rottie used to engage in with Einstein. She should wait for him to be distracted and then quickly sneak in to get his toy. For example, she would purposely "stage" situations on purpose to steal his toys like howling so he would howl as well, causing him to drop his toy, or pretending to hear a noise and get him to move so she could steal his toy, or towards my husband asking to be pet, in hopes he would join too so she could steal his toy. Of course with time, he "smartened up" and would either stop joining her or as soon as he noticed her intent to steal, he would step back quickly growling to get the toy before she could. Some other dogs will steal by pestering the other dog. It may go like this: one dog is lying down with a toy and the other approaches and start whining, barking, or stretching nearby, lowering his body, pawing etc. trying to persuade the other dog to eventually give up out of "annoyance." Now, we need to consider what really falls into stealing among dogs. For dogs, a toy left on the ground with nobody there to claim is fair game. So if you purchased a toy for AI and Ed "steals it" by finding it on the ground, that's not considered stealing among dogs. It's just accessing something that is unclaimed. When an item is claimed, generally the dog carries it in his mouth or lies down to chew on it. Any inappropriate approaches may trigger a warning growl. When an item is about to be claimed the dog walks towards it. Many squabbles occur when two dogs are approaching a toy at the same time. More worrisome forms of stealing are dogs who act aggressively, forcing the other to give up a toy. When there are histories of fights around toys, it's best to remove access to them until behavior modification can be implemented to prevent rehearsal of the problematic behavior. Play with play bows and both parties having fun is good relationship building, but you also mentioned that Ed has recently been acting scared of AI so it's important watching their body language and whether they are enjoying the interaction. All dogs who play/go to daycare or dog parks should be trained to respond reliably to a recall cue in case their arousal levels get too high or the play becomes too overwhelming.

Hi there, Head halters require an acclimatation period that can take some time for some dogs. They require several trials of creating positive associations with treats with the goal of obtaining what's known as a positive conditioned emotional response. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ Trials need to be conducted on a step-by step basis over the course of several days always working at the dog's comfort level. Here is video of Patricia McConnell working on creating a positive conditioned emotional response using a gentle leader: If she's fear biting, then that's a sign that she's too over threshold: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ You need to stay safe and prevent her from getting worked up to this level. The goal is for her to be eager to have it put on because interacting with it makes great things happen. At the pet store I used to train and work for a while back, we used to help dog owners with the acclimatation process. If you have a professional that can help guide you through making the process the least stressful as possible, that would be ideal. I usually though use head halters as a last resort for cases of excess pulling where safety is an issue because of the drawback of the acclimatation process. Some dogs still struggle with it no matter what. A less involved option may be front-attachment harnesses, but if your dog struggles with anything new and reacts by biting/threatening to bite, you'll need to take a step-by-step approach working along with a professional for safety and sticking to the pinch collar during the process if you need to take her on walks. In these delicate cases, we ultimately need to carefully evaluate what's the least aversive/stressful option for that individual dog. Sometimes, this can mean sticking to the usual tool if the dog does fine wearing it, at least until we can reach a steady rate of progress in the introduction and acceptance of a replacement one. Hope this helps! Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or 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 (no shock, prongs, or physical corrections) 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, thank you for mentioning he's on steroids! Yes, yes, they can really impact behavior, and cause aggressive responses and even guarding of food/water as it causes ravenous appetite and drinking. If this has started since using those and these behaviors are so uncharacteristic of AI, then there are chances they're the culprit! Let your vet aware about this. What is he taking them for?

Thank you for the extra details, they are very helpful! Please see my observations in non-bold under yours. Hello, thanks for your response…So Ed-the foster that we would like to adopt as well-has always been an aggressor when it came to stealing toys, etc but Al use to be very passive and allow it to happen and when we see it happen we have traded Ed for whatever he stole (gave a good treat to take the toy back) and then gave it back to Al or if we saw it about to happen we would say “leave it” and Ed would back down. We do know that male akitas can sometimes/most times not be together and even the rescue that for some reason pushed fostering the brother on us (and they were initially pushing us to adopt him) once we said we wanted to adopt Ed states usually they don’t let siblings go together or males go together but they would make an exception for us because Al was so passive but literally the next day this all started so we still haven’t adopted Ed but we are to the point we want both boys but also very aware we need to do what’s best for them. As littermate puppies go through puberty through social maturity there may be fluctuating changes as to how they relate. In general, when dogs share a household, you'll notice how they'll be often taking turns deferring. One dog may want to be first getting out of the doorway, while the other may want access to a toy and the other respects that. Problems often start when a dog is always deferring while the other won't defer at all and is for the most part "bullying." The dog always deferring may one day decide to "not put up with the behavior any more" and a fight may ensue. This sounds like what may have happened with AI. Both boys have done basic training through Petsmart and have learned basic commands but leave it has been the most helpful. I am glad that both have undergone training, but with littermates, the training should be conducted separately. In other words, they should be at different classes. Each puppy needs to be individually trained, and only once they are responsive enough, around a variety of distractions (and for different distances and durations), they can then be introduced to each other and can trained at the same time. If you have additional dogs, they would need to be trained individually as well at first, and then added too, so that you can train through all the various combinations of dogs (e.g Ed with AI, AI with Shandy, Shandy with ED) Training that is fundamental for multi-dog households include: Crate training Muzzle training Sit and down Recall Stay Leave it and drop it *if there are cases of resource guarding over treats/food dogs behavior modification needs to be carried out before reinforcing with treats/food in close proximity of other dogs. After watching Ed and Al, Ed is completely unaware of the fact that he should be afraid of Al if the potential reward is “better”-he will jump over our indoor gaits (3 ft tall) to get to where we are if he thinks food is going to be given or we are going to go outside. If he's so good jumping over the indoor gate, you may want to use a taller gate, or a trick of the trade is get another gate and securely stacking it over so that you gain more height. At times the boys can be by each other temporarily-like in that instance I can take the time to quickly usher one away or I have walked one to go past the other to take them outside but always has a hand on one…we have tried to bring Al into the living room when Ed is in there-Al now has the kitchen and dining room but we trade them but the kitchen and dining room is his main space as of last Friday, and when we let Al in sometimes it seems fine and other times Al sees Ed and starts to growl when no toys are around but perhaps it’s over the couch/space-Lance and I????… Teaching the above mentioned cues to each dog at a very fluent level is important as several of these cues can be used as part of a behavior-intervention program (response substitution). Response substitution simply means asking one dog to move away when in presence of a potential trigger/situation that may evoke a fight. This can allow a certain level of control of the situation, although the ultimate goal would be changing the way the dogs feel about each other, but in order to work on this, it's important recognizing what their exact triggers are. Things can get complicated, when there are no clear triggers and the dogs just get into a fight for no apparent reason. It could be the space, but if you are there as well, yes, it could be also acting possessive over you. Al might want to “murder” him in the house but outside he just wants to play with him but Ed even though he may not always be smart about putting himself in potentially bad situations like jumping the fence to get to us-he is fearful of Al now in the living room and outside he is cautious but plays with him… It sounds like Ed is being emotionally impacted from the fights and it can take some time to rehabilitate. Play can be therapeutic in allowing positive associations, but the upmost caution is needed if there are fights over toys or your presence. Not to mention, if Ed is fearful now of AI certain forms of play may be perceived as threatening, unless there are clear signs of play being peaceful through reassuring meta-signals (play bows etc) Most fights have taken place in the living room over nothing but we have had a fight in the kitchen over food and one over water and that was the beginning of the fighting. We have an animal behaviorist coming this Friday to do an in home assessment but they are super confident that with a lot of work we can keep both boys and I just don’t know…I’ve read some of your posts about how to train a dog to allow another dog to have toys without freaking or and I want to try these things but my husband and I have different schedules which makes training two dogs at once somewhat challenging and out girl dog-10 year old Shandy doesn’t play with toys really so I can’t even do training with her. I am glad to hear that you are being proactive on this and seeking the help of a professional. Please make sure that they use force-free training and behavior modification methods (no shock, physical corrections etc. which just risk adding more stress and problems along the road). I should mention I know Al is now anxious over having his stuff stolen as he has demonstrated if I give him anything he has started to guard it in a way-like he takes it back to his area and if Shandy walks in he doesn’t growl at her he just runs back to his stuff so I trade him his favorite treats and let him chose between the treat or toy and put it up because he always chooses the food-he will allow me to take things but even before all of this if it is a high value food chew like a frozen long I’ve always had to say leave it and trade him with a better snack to get it-we practices this a ton but unless he sees the tasty treat he will not just leave it with the command. Al also will walk into the room and start to growl at Ed and Ed who seems fine at first eventually if I let the growling go on decides to start the attack-like he doesn’t back down to that cue of growling but also seems like he’s not the one to start it in the sense of-he may be fine to be around Al unless he knows Al is starting something by growling if that makes sense? Like the growling if I allow it to go on cues Ed to go into fight mode but otherwise he-I believe would be fine. A dog who guards items is tense and anxious. In other words is worried about other dogs trying to steal their belongings. It can manifest in evident ways such as growling, but also in more subtle ways such as rushing to the item in fear that the other one gets to it first. In general, things do not escalate if the other dogs respect the dog's wish to have the item. Things deteriorate when dogs steal repeatedly or ignore the dog's wishes to be left alone with the toy. As you wait to see the professional, it would be best to keep toys away and other sources of conflict. It's not always easy identifying the exact triggers and dynamics going on. Sometimes one dog appears to be the instigator, while the other one really is. It sounds like there is a lot of stress going on and perhaps Ed is starting to get defensive when he hears AI growling, using the "offense is the best defense approach." I also want to mention that the dogs-all 3 go to doggy daycare and do great with other dogs of both sex. The last time they went was two Mondays ago though (fighting started the very next day) in which the guy there told me he loves the boys-they are fun and attached at the hip at daycare which made me worry about littermate syndrome for being attached (they have been to doggy daycare 4 or 5 times now) and dog training they had 3 of 6 classes together and 3 alone/apart and I’ve always done their training apart at home by having one dog do a puzzle game or chew while the other trains. Most walks I’ve done alone as well and kitty introductions downstairs have mostly always been alone but when one calmed I would bring the other down… It's not uncommon for littermates to stick together when around other dogs. Things can get problematic if they decide to gang up together against other dogs, but we see this when they're not socialized much with other dogs, although it can take place as well when dogs mature and become less tolerant of other dogs. I am glad to hear that some of the classes were apart and the walks alone. These dogs need to develop their own personalities and learn to be responsive despite being around each other. Sorry I keep writing but I just read up on bullying and Ed would totally bully Al-take his toys-lunge at him and Shandy for toys-still does this, and gets super hyperarousal…Al would play and it would be okay until it wasn’t-Al loves being chased though so noticing when it wasn’t was hard but Al did show times where he would roll onto his back or put a paw out in a “push you away” type motion or he would occasionally go under this coffee table to hide as opposed to when he would do it to escape… I see all this now but at the time it was always more potential play…And Al was never aggressive with toys but did do the water guarding always-likely slowly move in on Shandy when she was drinking water but hasn’t fought with a Shandy over it just Ed the one time even with two water bowls but Shandy drinks no problem around Al-even now-he isn’t going near her if she’s by the water so idk if it’s because we have been keeping it full to the brim and letting him drink what he wants or because we moved the second water to the living room where Ed stays… Bullying behavior often starts quite innocently. The last littermates I fostered and trained were two 7 week old females. They were playing very well and fine during the first week, then over the course of a few weeks, one started bullying the other. It started with getting out of the door. Every single time the door was opened, one would always "attack" the other. This looks quite innocent when being small pups, even funny to look at as one pup was pinned down and then got up and then both were on their own exploring the yard, but as they grow this could get quite problematic. For the time being, this was an easy fix. I trained both dogs to hold a sit/stay until the door was opened. I got out first and then released them by tossing a kibble to each to chase in different directions (they didn't guard food) and the bully soon looked forward to this new routine and forgot about this whole behavior. However, other issues next started popping up the last two days before going to their adoption event. The puppy now was being bullied for walking towards me, digging a spot or even trying to go drink after running around. I honestly felt relief that day, when at the adoption event, the coordinator made it clear to potential adopters that, as cute as they were, they were going to different homes. Now, I have raised two Rottweiler littermates (Einstein and Petra) but I must say that even though my female was often a pain with my male, being female, my male would let her get away with things most of the time. They both had their priorities though, Einstein wanted to often be first exiting doors (he would sometimes in his eagerness push Petra away if she was in his way), Petra felt strongly about bones and toys, but they really never got into major fights, they used 99 percent of the time low grade communication (ritualistic displays) to say "this is something I feel strongly about" (using a tense body, growl or teeth) and "I understood, I won't bother you" (turning the body/head away, licking lips). There were only two instances in their life where things got a bit more worrisome: once they got too aroused during a game of ball and loudly fought with teeth clashing in all directions (my cue "enough" luckily got them to stop), and when my female got cancer and was on prednisone, she reminded Einstein that although sick, she still cared about her food (my smacking sound redirected Einstein before risking a bite). Now, differentiating communication efforts from a really fight isn't easy. It takes some practice along with keeping into consideration the dog's behavior history. After all even us humans can't always tell this apart. Are those two people arguing in a bar stop to just exchanging bad words, or will it escalate into actual fist fighting? This doubting often leads to dogs being separated when they were really just trying to make a point and resolve the conflict on their own. On the other hand, failure to intervene can prevent things from escalating. "Letting dogs work out" has often to bloody consequences. Many therefore feel it's better to be conservative rather than risk it, especially when arousal levels are elevated so to prevent things from escalating. Intervening in this case means calling the dogs off at the first signs of tension. Here are some subtle signs and more evident signs of stress: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-dont-bite-blue/ Non-physical intervention is imperative, as grabbing the dogs by the collar or pushing them, can lead to a redirected bite, just as an innocent person getting in between two people fighting risks getting punched as well. And just like marriages, it's also difficult to predict how things will turn out when it comes to littermates and dogs in general sharing the household. This is why most behavior professionals won't make guarantees on the outcome of their interventions. There are too many variables to consider such as genetics, socialization, training, ability to implement management, time and commitment, etc. Sadly, in some cases, despite training and socializing each puppy separately, and doing all the recommended things, the situation still turns out being a hot mess. Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or 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 (no shock, prongs, or physical corrections) 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.

Hi Mark, Welcome to the forums! Yes, you are correct. A click is always followed by a treat/food.

Hi Lauren, The fact your pups are now fighting also over toys, after having some squabbles over water, seems to confirm one of my suspicions...bullying behavior. This is an unfortunate consequence when raising littermates (which is one reason why reputable breeders/rescues won't send two littermates to the same home). And being of the same sex doesn't help things out. Being Akita/mountain cur mixes can also be an aggravating factor. -Akitas are known for being same-sex aggressive, or at least same-sex intolerant (they don't get along well when of the same sex). This is so ingrained, that it is mentioned in their breed standard. Female-male combos seem to often work better. -Mountain curs on the other hand, can be wary of other dogs, and need to be introduced gradually when added into the home, but even then, some just don't seem to get along well with other dogs. Of course, there may be exceptions. Whether this is hormonal or not, is not easy to tell. We know that at 4-5 months levels of testosterone start to rise and with that, several behavior changes start to take place. However, even neutered, many littermates tend to still not get along and dog breeds prone to same-sex aggression may still not like another male dog. In some cases, chemical castration may help provide some answers. Chemical castration is temporary (it can be reversed) and can be used as a 'trial" to test whether desired behavioral outcomes take place. However, it can take several weeks for testosterone to leave the body and not many clinics in the USA carry this procedure out. Keeping them separated is important if they are fighting over "everything." When you mean everything is that toys, water bowls and food? Or even things that you cannot control/remove such as walking through a hallway, out of a door, when greeting you? Have they received any training at all? Are they responsive to any of your cues?

Thank you for the extra details, very helpful! I am glad that the water bowl guarding has subsided at least in one pup, so that you have less workload now, although I can understand the challenges this behavior can bring. I am also glad that there haven't been major fights. It sounds like the behavior is rather ritualistic if it mostly consists of body blocking or drinking along with another dog and then pushing the other away. It sounds like the other dogs have understood that AI places a high price tag on the water bowl and give leeway to it without any major challenge. However, things may change in the future as they mature and reach adolescence and social maturity and the squabbles may get more significant, so it's good to be proactive and take steps to prevent AI from rehearsing this behavior more and more which can become pretty ingrained and may escalate should one day another dog decide to no longer give leeway. However, before considering behavior change interventions, as the very first step with pups who drink a whole lot, is always ruling out medical conditions. It's important knowing whether the AI values water so much because he has an underlying physiological cause that triggers him to drink more, versus possible behavioral causes. I know you mentioned checking both pups for a UTI, but there are several others things a vet may want to check out before assuming the issue is behavioral. For example, here are just some possible causes for increased drinking in puppies. -Diabetes Insipidus Diabetes insipidus is a rare condition caused by a deficiency of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). This hormone is responsible for regulating water conservation and balance. Symptoms of this condition include excessive thirst, frequent urination, diluted urine, and an abnormally low concentration of urine. Although diabetes is more common in older pets, it can sometimes occur as well in younger dogs. -Kidney Problems Early kidney disease can cause increased drinking and urination in dogs. Basically, what may happen here is that the kidney is prevented from concentrating urine as it's supposed though, causing the dog to drink more as a way to compensate. In a puppy, the underlying cause can be an anatomical or congenital defect of the kidney. Although not very common, it's something a vet may want to rule out through imaging (Xray, or better, ultrasound). -Cushing's Disease Cushing's disease is mostly seen in dogs who are 7 to 12 years old, but it can be seen in dogs of any age, although it is rare in puppies. -Medications Some medications are known for causing increased drinking as a side effect. For instance, steroids (like prednisone) are notorious for causing increased drinking and increased urination in dogs (along with increased appetite). Other thirst-inducing medications include diuretics, such as Furosemide (also known as "water pill") and dog seizure medications such as phenobarbital. -High Sodium Diets Sometimes, the diet is to blame. It sounds like your vet has already suggested a lower sodium diet which has helped to some extent. Other things to consider is that also some types of treats may contain loads of sodium. I know a dog who had a snowball effect from being fed a diet high in sodium and given peanut butter daily (which contains loads of sodium too) and treats rich in sodium. Once diet changes took place, the obsessive drinking subsided. Other Factors Increased drinking may also take place in the following scenarios: When temperatures and level of humidity are high When puppies have been very active When puppies have heavy coats and are hot in the home When puppies are anxious/stressed When puppies are running a fever So the very first step is being absolutely sure there's nothing going on medically and there are no other possible physiological reasons for the excess drinking. You therefore want your vet to check off the list any potential medical causes, before coming to the conclusion that the issue is behavioral. This is important because, should one assume the issue to be behavioral, any behavior change techniques would fail, in the meanwhile leaving a medical disorder untreated with all its potential negative consequences. Upon seeing the vet for this problem, it's important to give the vet an accurate measure of how much your puppy really drinks. Just telling the vet "my puppy drinks and pees a whole lot" is too vague for them to grasp the idea. Most puppies drink and pee a lot normally so they hear that too often. An actual figure can help a lot. This would mean doing a 24 hour water intake test. This would consist of keeping AI under observation for 24 hours (separated from your other dogs), giving him free access to water (making sure he doesn't gain it from anywhere else e.g. toilets, puddles etc). and measuring his exact intake of water. Whatever is not lapped up in the 24 hours will need to be deducted from the amount you have measured when pouring it into the water bowl. Your vet may have stricter guidelines though, so he may have you repeat the test, or even better, give the vet a call prior and see what guidelines he or she has so to follow them correctly. Some vets have handouts with clear instructions. With pups who drink a whole lot (and consequently pee a lot), it's very important to not restrict their water. If the puppy is suffering from an underlying medical condition triggering excess thirst and consequently an excess volume of urine, this can be dangerous. The increased drinking may be an important compensatory mechanism to the large volume of urine being produced. On top of this, we must consider that, in a dog who guards water, restriction to it risks making it more salient, and therefore, more valuable, which risks increasing the dog's guarding behavior over it. Once medical causes have been ruled out, the issue is then considered to be potentially behavioral. We can see behavioral polydipsia and polyuria (medical terms for increased drinking and increased urination) in the following cases: -Just Being a Puppy In some cases, pups who drink and pee a whole lot end up just being normal puppies. Puppies may have fun playing with water and drinking from the bowl may become a fun game. Some pups remain this way until 5, 6 or 7 months old, when they start learning more about moderation and finally slow down as they find other interesting things to do. -Short Attention Spans In some cases, a pup's crazy drinking has to a do with a pup's short attention span and being easily distracted. Just like kids, they get distracted and by the time they realize they're thirsty, they'll be dehydrated, so they'll drink the whole bowl in one go. -A Matter of Stress One possible behavioral reason for a puppy drinking excess water is having a history of recently coming from a shelter. The shelter can be a stressful environment, and increased drinking may be a coping mechanism. Sometimes, this behavior sticks around for quite some time. -Lack of Enrichment Pups who are bored and without nothing more interesting to do, may fall onto obsessing over water. Adding more variety into their lives through training, brain games, play, walks etc can help. -A Matter of Being Hyper Puppies who are very hyper will often feel thirsty and therefore water becomes more salient and worthy of guarding, especially when there are other puppies and the water isn't replenished in a timely matter. I had a Lab mix who was this way, and her drinking calmed down once a combo of interventions took place and she matured and got calmer. With having two littermate puppies, I am sure there is a lot of play going on and they drink a whole lot as a consequence. You may find these tips helpful with littermates: On top of this, when raising littermates, it's important giving them one-on-one time to be trained and socialized so that they don't come to depend too much on each other. More about this here: -History of Deprivation This can happen when puppies weren't provided water as often as needed when in the breeder's home, when water is restricted and when breeders raise large litters with only one shared bowl and the bowl isn't quickly replenished (sounds like what you mentioned, but always important to rule out medical issues first). -Bullying Behavior Some puppies can simply be bullies and may block/herd other pups away from gaining access to certain resources such as the water bowl, even if they're not thirsty. --------------- Once medical reasons have been ruled out, here are some possible solutions. -Leave Water Free Choice While it may be tempting to restrict water, especially when the puppy has accidents around the house from over drinking, this practice can backfire because it convinces the pup that water is scarce and therefore becomes more valuable. -Move The Water to a New Location It can help help to move the water bowl/bowls to a new location, so to create a new clean slate and hope that the behavior doesn't generalize well to the new location. -Avoid The Corners Sometimes, when water bowls are placed in a corner, a dog may feel threatened from other dogs approaching from behind to go drink too, and this can cause defensive behaviors. Some dogs do better if they can clearly see other dogs approaching. -Add Extra Water Bowls This may work in some cases, but not in others. The risk is some dogs may get more preoccupied if there are more things to guard, but it sounds like things got better with two bowls, so maybe with more it may even get better. You will therefore have to do a trial and carefully assess whether the behavior is getting better or not with this type of intervention. I know you already have two, but what about having four? The goal here is that, with the extra bowls, the guarding puppy will finally get to relax knowing that there is always a good supply of water. -Replenish Quickly Make sure to replenish water quickly as soon as a water bowl becomes empty. This helps the pup learn to relax knowing that there is always a good supply. -Try a Water Fountain If you're tired of continuously filling up the water bowl, you can try a water fountain. With the water always flowing, the pup should learn that supply is never ending and there's no reason to guard. Again, you will have to do a trial, if your pup loves the fountain too much and he decides to lie next to it to keep other dogs away, that's a no go! -Use of Counterconditioning This is a behavior modification method that aims to create a positive conditioned emotional response to other dogs approaching the water bowl. There are several things to be aware of when doing counterconditioning; 1) your dog should not be over threshold (rehearsing the guarding behavior) https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ 2) It needs to be accompanied by desensitization: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ 3) Here is how counterconditioning works: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ 4) The goal is to attain a positive conditioned emotional response: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ Basically, one would need to condition the puppy to respond to a smacking sound: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ or a leave it cue, and practice this with the pup away from the other dogs in an area free of distractions to the level of high proficiency. Once this training is pat down you would make the smacking sound/say leave it and feed a handful of treats, one by one, every time another dog goes to drink/shows an intent to drink. It's important to intervene *before* your puppy has a chance to rehearse the problematic guarding behavior. In other words, he needs to be stopped in his tracks. You may need to start this with your pup on leash at a distance from the bowl initially, then once you have a reliable response, practice off leash. Repeat several times so that the positive association between other dogs drinking and your pup getting a treat, becomes strong and clear. With several repetitions, your pup may start looking at you in anticipation for the treat, rather than feeling stressed and threatened by the other dog. -Teach Impulse Control These exercises won't stop the behavior directly, but will teach your pup/pups that that being calm and patient is rewarding. Here are several impulse control games: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/10-impulse-control-games-for-dogs/ About the potty training, again, we need to rule out medical conditions. If your pup/pups drinks so much, it is more difficult to hold accidents and this can put a dent in potty training. It doesn't hurt though to take them out as much as possible, praise and reward for going outside, clean up messes with an odor neutralizer and it may also help to train them to go potty on cue. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/ I hope this helps, of course if things start getting out of hand, there are fights etc, please see a professional using force-free methods for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification. I hope this helps! Keep us posted on how things go. Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or 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 (no shock, prongs, or physical corrections) 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.

Hi there! Welcome to the forums! Congrats on your new pups! To better understand the situation, I have a few questions. How long have you had them? What breed are they? Have they showed this behavior from the first day you had them? If not, when did it start? Can you please describe what behaviors they engage in when they resource guard the water? (growling? barking? snarling? lying down and hovering the bowl? blocking each others' access? actual fights?) Is it really both of them or only one showing signs of guarding the bowl? Is there a pattern of one pup trying to drink, and the other blocking access to it? Is the only sign one dog drinking all the water in the bowl to prevent the other one from drinking? Is it always the same dog? Are they having potty accidents inside the home? How many times are you taking them outside? How much roughly are they drinking in 24 hours? Do you have an idea? In general, dogs are expected to drink anywhere between 1-2 ounces per pound of body weight per day. Thanks!

Hi Penelope, Thank you for the positive update! I am glad your vet was able to find a good solution to help her be under threshold enough for some relaxation. This is very important. Hopefully, she'll be able to relax enough to get some sleep during the day. Fluoxetine may take 4 to 6 weeks to have a full effect. With the medication helping, this is a good time to start training, which it sounds like you are already doing. It's OK to go slowly, work at her own pace and happily praise and reward the small improvements. Keep up the great work! It's awesome she isn't having side effects.

Wanted to add that, if you recognize any signs of fear such as reacting to certain noises in your household or innocent thinks like your sneezing/coughing/clearing your throat these can put a dent in the bonding process. If there are reactions to sounds, you'll find the 'hear that' method helpful: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/

You are very welcome. Putting him down may be a bit on the extreme being that he has never bitten anybody and appears to be giving warnings when he's put into specific situations where he doesn't feel comfortable. The issue is that we want to keep your family/grandchildren and visitors as safe as possible considering that he has snapped at your grandchildren, has charged at your mom and you are describing him as being very aggressive when visitors are around. Left untreated, these things tend to escalate and the safety of your family comes first. If management seems difficult to implement along with the behavior modification/training, there are alternative options to behavior euthanasia. Rehoming may be an option, however, with the behavior issues being disclosed, he would need to be in a home with no children and ideally somebody with the time/experience for working on the issues. There may be chances that in a family with no children, and ideally, no other pets, and with owners/fosterers who have the time to train, walk him and provide the exercise, guidance and mental enrichment these young dogs need, the problem behaviors may not even surface or may surface at a more manageable level. I have seen this happen on a few occasions, where once possible sources of stress/insecurity are removed, this paves the path for learning and these dogs can actually respond well to even just plain training. With no kids in the home, they would be left with mostly tackling the behavior towards visitors, which being in a new home with no previous rehearsal history, it may be easier to prevent the behavior from putting roots by nipping it in the bud (like after some decompression time (with no visitors), starting with the Look at That exercises with people walking by a window and then progressing to seeing them at a distance where he's under threshold and progressing in small baby steps always watching his body language and not exposing to levels he's not ready for). Some shelters/rescues/ organizations may therefore have options for rehoming dogs who need rehabilitation, although not all are fortunate enough to have the right skilled foster home/trainers for that. Other options maybe looking for low-cost programs in your area or behavior professionals who offer online pro-bono/low cost consults (like using Skype or Zoom meetings), but these may be generalized and therefore requiring adaptations and skills to tailor it and implement on your own, versus the more individualized, more expensive options that go into depth.

Hi there! There are videos at the end of each of the Brain Games so that you can see the correct execution and get an idea of the final goal. More videos can be found in the archive section: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/

Hi there! Welcome to the forums! Thanks for rescuing and what a happy ending for this boy with such an obscure past! I had a foster dog named Sadie, who showed similar behaviors (pacing, whining at the door) the first days in my home. You can find a video of the behavior and what helped me in the case study found here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/case-studies/ Bonding takes quite some time with these fellows. These dogs benefit from a routine and recognizing what may be triggering their suspiciousness. Here are some basics: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/helping-fearful-rescue-dog/ What is on the table when he is counter-surfing? Maybe that can give us a hint as to what foods we can use for training, as long as they are foods not toxic to dogs. Until he is better trained, it may help to block access to the kitchen counters through a baby gate/pet fence/closed door, while emphasizing that food and treats mostly are served on the floor, or on a mat. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/

Now, let's tackle behavior modification. I know you mentioned you cannot afford a dog trainer. The issue here is that with behavioral problems involving deep anxiety/aggression, this falls more into a behavior modification issue rather than a training issue. So more than a dog trainer specializing in training dogs to sit, down, come when called and heel etc. in these cases you'll need an animal behavior professional/behaviorist. Sure, many dog trainers also specialize in behavior, but there are professionals who have made of behavior modification their primary area of specialty such as board-certified veterinary behaviorists and certified applied animal behaviorists. A board-certified veterinary behaviorist offers the advantage of being able to screen for any medical problems that are known to trigger aggression/lower a dog's threshold for aggression and may prescribe drugs to use along with behavior modification to make the process smoother and allow the dog to cognitively function enough for learning to set in. These experts will assess your dog, possibly in your home and will conduct an in-depth functional assessment (taking a thorough history, observing your dog interacting naturally-if potentially aggressive, safety measures will be in place) so to find the exact function of the behavior, it's exact maintaining consequences (what the dog gets out from it) and then based on findings will provide a custom-tailored, individualized behavior modification plan. Plans will vary based from one case and another and therefore there is no cookie-cutter approach. Factors that make one plan unlike another include things such as the main concerning problem, the contexts in which it occurs, the dog's age, size, breed, how long the problem has been present, the level of the dog's bite inhibition (if known), whether there are children in the home, age, skill and commitment of dog owners, level of dog's training, etc. Behavior modification aims to tackle the issue at various levels, it often encompasses the following (please note that these are just some examples-links are reading material for simply getting more accustomed to what a possible plan may involve). -Management for when behavior modification isn't implemented. This is to prevent rehearsal of the the problematic behavior and circulation of stress hormones. Management levels as mentioned will vary based on several factors. In general, the higher the risks, the more restrictive these management options will be. -Conditioning the dog to wear a muzzle. This takes some time and will need to be worked on in advance. -Keeping the dog under threshold as much as possible. Always monitoring dogs' body language and watching for signs of stress. -Strategically exposing the dog to less intense versions of triggers, while creating positive associations with them up to obtaining what is known as a positive conditioned emotional responses. This means using desensitization and counterconditioning. For example, in a dog who barks at visitors, presenting visitors in a less intense way, such as watching them from a window and feeding treats upon noticing them as explained in the Look at that exercise. Here is an example of a case study I worked on: dog barking when people enter the home Or in a dog who reacts when say a person touches a child, one adult handler keeps the dog muzzled and on leash at a distance where he is under threshold and feeds the dog treats contingent upon seeing the person touch the child. After several reps, the dog starts associating the child being touched with treats, from dreading it, to looking forward to it-something known as a conditioned emotional response. Once obtained a reliable response, the same exercise can be done closer (always with extra safety precautions in place) until the dog doesn't appear bothered by the person touching the child anymore and waits in anticipation of treats. As simple as this exercises may seem, there are many levels of complexities that require important judgement calls that a professional needs to make. For example, when is the dog ready for the next level? What to do in case of setback? Are there back up plans in place? What further similar behaviors other than touching the child may prompt an aggressive response and may need to be worked on? For instance, the dog may react as well when somebody just approaches the child or moves in a certain way. These basis need to be covered as well. What may be causing setbacks and what can be done to avoid future occurrences? Incorrect or sloppy implementation can wreck havoc on the best plans. If treats are repeatedly presented when undesirable behaviors take place or in the wrong order they can cause the opposite effect of what we want and pose risks. Not to mention, all the work done will need to be strictly protected, because it may take just a little setback at times for things to go back to square one. Maintenance sessions are important to keep things fluent. -Training alternate behaviors: this entails giving the dog an alternate behavior to engage in to substitute the problematic behavior. These behaviors are generally taught after the dog's emotional responses have changed for the best and the dog is less worried about the triggers. For example, in a dog who barks at visitors, once he has learned that visitors are not a threat, but bringers of great things (every time visitors come over, I get chicken! visitors are great!), they are ready for learning to engage in new behaviors. So rather than barking and feeling alarmed, relaxing on a mat/quietly holding a down stay in a specific confined area, at a distance from the visitors (long-lasting edibles may be provided if the dog doesn't resource guard food). Or in the case of a dog who reacts when a certain person is touched, *once he has learned that approaching people are not a threat but bringers of good things* (every time the child is touched, I get treats, people touching my favorite child are good!) the dog can be trained to go hunt for treats being scattered contingent upon the child being touched to the point where the child being touched becomes a cue for looking for tasty treats or the dog can be trained to respond to hold a sit/stay on a mat at a distance and receive treats there while the task is done (e.g. covering/turning the child) and then reinforcing for observing the task waiting patiently. A "leave it" cue rewarded generously can also be trained to control his movements/ behaviors. -Tackling underlying forms of anxiety. Many dogs who act aggressive are simply stressed, anxious dogs. It's important to tackle any underlying fears and phobias so to reduce the circulation of stress hormones which lowers a dog's threshold for aggression. -Adding the right type of exercise and mental stimulation. Most dogs have some history for performing some type of work. Labradors were selectively bred for retrieving downed birds and delivering them to the hunter with a soft mouth. Pit bulls were selectively bred for managing bulls,(later on bull baiting). These dogs therefore need productive ways to keep busy and mentally stimulated. Brain games, food puzzles, nosework, walks ( by an adult friend? neighbor? relative? if the dog is not reactive) is important. A yard is not a good substitute for exercise, especially if the dog is repeatedly engaging in problematic behaviors (chasing cats, barking at people, no control all day). -Implementing training. Many training cues come handy in a variety of situations, not to mention, they allow better impulse control and frustration tolerance. They won't solve behavior problems directly, but in the background when positive reinforcement is used they can also play role in behavior modification. I would also suggest starting these impulse control games. I would also suggest not physically removing flood or toys directly from Tucker's mouth, this may encourage resource guarding and defensive behaviors. I suggest training him the leave it and drop it cues, and teaching him the art of fair trading to prevent future issues. As seen, behavior modification entails several steps and for safety and correct execution should be implemented in the presence of a behavior expert. If finances are an issue, you can sometimes see if some shelters offer some low cost/ free programs at least to get you started on some basics. Make sure they use force-free behavior modification techniques. I hope this helps! Please stay safe and happy training! Best, Adrienne Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or 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 (no shock, prongs, or physical corrections) 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, thanks for all the details, they are very helpful. I am sincerely worried about Tucker's behavior because there are several challenges here at play. He is a large dog (more capable of potential harm), in the social maturity stage (past puppyhood things become more difficult to tackle), his behaviors have been rehearsed for quite some time (allowing them to become more established) there are children involved, and he is likely not getting enough exercise, mental stimulation and training, which is not unexpected being that you have other pets, grandkids to take care of and health issues on top of all that, -I can't imagine how challenging it may be to tackle all these things! Although he hasn't bitten anyone, we need to consider that he is a large dog, and most cases of aggressive behavior tend to worsen rather than getting better if left untreated and not tackled in the correct way. Also, we need to tread with extreme caution being that there are young children visiting. I find it concerning that he has also snapped at your 7-year old grandchild. If this was because he was acting protective of your 11-year old grandkid, consider that this can escalate. Here's the thing: "protective behaviors" are reinforcing. Any time he engages in protective behaviors, from his perspective his behaviors are "working" meaning that the snapping has successfully prevented your 7-year old from approaching your 11- year old. This causes the dog to feel relief (which is reinforcing) and a sense of "accomplishment" considering that he has found a "job," something to keep him busy. The danger is that this behavior may escalate any time you or your other grandkid approach whenever he is in protective mode. It's a bit like a ticking time bomb. Basically, what risks happening is that he may go from snapping to biting because he feels the situation warrants it. For instance, let's say that your 7 year old grandkid forgets that he's snappy when in company of your 11 year old, and therefore happens to do something as innocent as hugging her sister or approaching her in an excited manner as often kids naturally do. Tucker may perceive this as threatening, and may this time shift to a bite to make his point across, sort of: "What part of my previous snapping do you not understand? Bella is my possession, stay away!" Of course, dogs don't reason in this exact way, but we know for a fact that when a dog's plan A doesn't work, they'll go to plan B as it happens with dogs who go from barking to pawing a person more and more insistently when the bark doesn't lead to the owner paying attention to him. Cases like these are not really considered "protective behavior," because there is no *real threat* and the situation therefore doesn't warrants the dog's intervention. This rather falls more under "possessive behavior," in other words resource guarding, similar to what dogs do when in possession of a bone or food. There are two main options here: strict management and behavior modification. Let's go into depth on both of them, starting with management. Management, entails preventing the dog from rehearsing the problematic behavior. As mentioned, the more dogs rehearse problematic behaviors, the more these put roots and establish becoming habit-forming. Since your grandkids and visitors don't live with you, but stop by only occasionally it is fairly easy to implement in this case. Management would therefore entail to some extent what you are doing already with then visitors come over, but with some added restrictions as follows: For the issue with the grandkids this would entail keeping Tucker away from them. This would prevent him from forming any dysfunctional attachments/bonding (which can be in some cases exacerbated by sleeping with them/following them around) that evoke possessive behaviors and rehearsing the problematic behaviors. Safety is paramount. A dog bite is a major liability and can turn costly emotionally, physically and financially. Management also helps lower a dog's stress, because when dogs act protective of items, places or people, they are hypervigilant and feel somewhat threatened by anybody coming close. Management is ultimately also a matter of safety: keeping yourself, and other family members/grandkids safe. There are various levels of management that may vary based on the extent/risks of the behavior. For safety, I would stick to the first three options, the further down options are less restrictive, but somewhat riskier approaches. All need supervision and strict adherence. There are always risks management may fail if care is not taken (a door may be forgotten open, a child may sneak into the dog's area, the dog may free himself). Here are some management options: -Keeping the dog in a separate room. Pros: the dog is prevented from carrying out problematic resource guarding behaviors towards your grandkids. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong) and may get destructive. You will have to lock the room and remind your grandkids not to open it. -Keeping the dog in the yard. Pros: the dog is prevented from carrying out problematic resource guarding behaviors towards your grandkids. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong) and may get destructive, chase cats etc. You will have to lock the door that leads to the yard, remind your grandkids not to open it. You will need to have somebody monitor him while alone in the yard. -Keeping the dog in a play pen. Pros: the dog gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong). You will have to remind your grandkids to leave him alone there. Tucker may knock it down, jump over it if not sturdy or the correct size. -Keeping the dog behind a baby gate. Pros: the dog gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong). You will have to remind your grandkids to leave him alone there. Tucker may knock it down, jump over it if not sturdy or the correct size. -Keeping the dog on an indoor tether (leash attached to back ring of a harness and secured to a wall mount/sturdy furniture) Pros: the dog gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear the surrounding activity. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration. You will have to remind your grandkids to leave him alone. Equipment failure (leash breaks, Tucker chews it, furniture moves etc). -Keeping the dog on a leash or hands-free leash (basically, a leash attached to your belt). Pros: the dog has more freedom, feels part of the family. Cons: certain dogs may get frustrated and may redirect their frustration by biting owners. Dogs not used to wearing a leash may struggle. You will have to avoid approaching your grand kids in situations known to trigger the protective behavior. Equipment failure (belt loop breaking, leash breaking) Dog pulling and making you fall. -Keeping the dog free but wearing a bite-proof basket muzzle (like a Jafco muzzle). Pros: the dog is prevented from biting if the muzzle is bite proof and the right size/fitted correctly. Cons: he may still rehearse problematic behaviors when presented. A dog can do harm even without biting. The muzzle is just a crutch-muzzles shouldn't really be used as a stand-alone approach, but should be accompanied by behavior modification. -Keeping the dog free, but removing him from the situations that may trigger aggression Pros: the dog has lots of freedom. Cons: this may be an accident may be ready to happen. You will have to be proactive and take steps to keeping him out of the room when the kids are tucked-in the bed or other situations known for triggering possessive behaviors. For the issue with the visitors, again, this would entail keeping Tucker away from them. You mentioned him being "very aggressive" and being very worried. Safety is paramount. A dog bite is a major liability and can turn costly emotionally, physically and financially. Management would prevent him from rehearsing problematic behaviors and being inadvertently reinforced by any responses from visitors and interior acknowledgment that he's doing a good "job" in keeping visitors away from the property. This also helps lower a dog's stress, considering that dogs who are worried about visitors are hypervigilant and feel somewhat threatened by anybody coming close to their perceived turf. Even here, there are various levels of management that may vary based on the extent/risks of the behavior. For safety, and based on your situation, I would stick to the first three-four, as the further down ones are less restrictive, but somewhat riskier approaches that may be too intense for him. All need supervision. -Keeping the dog in a separate room. Pros: he is prevented from carrying out problematic territorial behaviors towards your visitors. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong) and may get destructive. You will have to lock the room and remind yourself and the visitors not to open it. -Keeping the dog in the yard. Pros: he is prevented from carrying out problematic territorial behaviors towards your visitors. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong) and may get destructive, chase cats etc. You will have to lock the door that leads to the yard, remind yourself and your visitors not to open it. You will need to have somebody monitor him while alone in the yard. -Keeping the dog in a play pen. Pros: the dog gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear you. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong). He may still bark and feel over threshold as the visitors talk, move around or gesture animatedly. There are risks he may knock over the playpen/jump over it. -Keeping the dog behind a baby gate. Pros: Tucker gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear you. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration (unless he's given something to chew on and keep occupied like a frozen Kong). There are risks he may knock over the baby gate/jump over it. -Keeping the dog on an indoor tether (leash attached to back ring of a harness and secured to a wall mount/secure furniture) Pros: Tucker gets to still feel part of the family, he can see and hear the surrounding activity. Cons: he may get bored and bark out of frustration. He may bark and feel over threshold as the visitors talk, move around or gesture animatedly. This may be a too much intense exposure for him. You will have to remind your visitors to not approach and to leave him alone. He may free himself from the tether if not secured well, visitors may not be compliant. -Keeping Tucker on a leash/hands-free leash (basically, a leash attached to your belt) Pros: Tucker has more freedom, feels part of the family. You can feed him treats to help him form positive associations with the guests at a distance. Cons: certain dogs may get frustrated and may redirect their frustration by biting owners. You will have to keep a certain distance and avoid approaching your guests. Dogs not used to wearing a leash may struggle. This may be a too much intense exposure for him. He may pull and make you fall. Next, let's go over behavior modification- I will do so in my next post.

Hi there! Welcome to the forums! By touch, I think you are referring to targeting? https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/ If so, here are some things to try if your dog is so focused on the treats. -Hide the treats. Keep them in your treat bag or pocket. If you are already doing that, and she's still hyper focused on those, prior to training, place some treats on a tall shelf when you dog is not around and then strategically start training right next to that shelf. Then, present your hand. When she sniffs/makes contact with your hand, click or use your verbal marker "yes," and grab the treat from the shelf and reward. Don't worry about the extra second spent grabbing the treat from the shelf- if your dog is familiar with marker training, the click or verbal marker acts like "a bridge" filling the gap between performing the wanted behavior, and the delivery of reinforcement. The click/verbal marker tells her that she got it right, and that a treat will soon follow. *Some dogs may be more tempted to hand target if you make your hand more visually salient by keeping your hand behind your back and presenting it. -If she is smelling your hand that is a good start! I actually encourage sniffing by sometimes purposely rubbing some treats in my hands with dogs who are little shy or tentative in hand targeting. Keep on marking and rewarding that sniffing, however, as you progress, start rubbing less and less scent into your hands so that it starts fading. With time, she should understand that the goal is making contact with her nose to your hand regardless of whether your hand smells like treats. If she keeps on just sniffing, start gradually raising criteria. In other words, start getting a bit picky and reinforce the most "bold" forms of sniffing. For example, mark and reward the sniffs where her nose is closer to your hand, ignore the more distant sniffs. Then at some point, mark and reward only the sniffs where her nose makes contact with your hand. -For more challenging cases, like dogs who are hand shy, I sometimes have to keep a little treat in between my fingers when my open hand is presented. When the dog's nose makes contact with my hand, I click/say yes and let the treat fall to the ground. Then the treat is faded (made smaller and smaller up to the point where the dog learns that she must nose touch my hand even if no treat is there in order to be clicker/verbally marked and given a treat from my pocket/treat bag. Another extra little tip for dogs who become too focused on treat bags and treats in our pockets: start carrying these around even when you are not training. They may initially follow us around, try to get to them when we aren't looking, but we will make it clear that these are delivered only when we decide that we are training. Be super attentive and extra careful never to allow accidental "stealing" of treats. Eventually, these dogs will give up and get used us to our treat bags and pockets filled with treats. I hope this helps! Keep us posted on how things go. Happy Training! Best, Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome to the forums, this behavior sounds concerning and safety is important in these cases. How old is Tucker? Has he ever bitten anyone? Has he only acted protective when your daughter turns the kids in bed or covers them or also in other circumstances? How is he with kids? How old are the kids? Which ones is he acting protective of? Is this behavior new or has he always been this way? When did this behavior start? When you mention he is aggressive towards visitors in the house, what behaviors does he engage in exactly? Any other signs of aggression in other contexts? What is his "normal' day like? Is he taken on walks? Have you been doing training? Is he fearful of anything/stressed out by noises? Any medical conditions? As I wait for your reply, please make safety top priority keeping Tucker away from situations that trigger the aggressive responses. Thanks

Hi there, welcome to the forums! As a former puppy mill mom, she likely has missed out on the socialization period and is wary of people which is putting a dent in the habituation process in her new home. It takes a good amount of work often to get these dogs to come out of their shells and establish trust. Many unsocialized dogs in particular may struggle with men for a variety of reasons (their deeper voices, the way they move, possible facial hair etc.). While it's important to create positive associations with your son, since she is showing signs of being afraid of him, the use of treats to lure her closer to him may evoke what I call the "approach-avoidance" dance. What this means is that the dog may be tempted by the treats, but then as they come closer, once they realize it, they go from approach to avoidance, and that avoidance, can impact how they feel about the person emotionally, raising further suspicion. Here is a read about this phenomenon: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/approach-avoidance/ For this reason, rather than using treats to lure a dog closer to a person, I prefer that the person toss the treat *behind* the dog in a treat-retreat fashion as explained here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/how-to-play-the-treat-and-retreat-game/ Another option is for you to do the treat feeding to create positive associations using desensitization and counterconditioning. Here is a case study about the process: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-barking-someone-enters-room/ Once your dog appears more comfortable around your son, you can start training, but you may find capturing a better method than using treats in a luring fashion. In capturing, we can reward spontaneous behaviors without being too close to the dog. For example, we can capture a sit by waiting for the dog to sit on his own, praising and tossing a treat the dog's way. Here is more info about this method: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/what-is-capturing-in-dog-training/ And here's an example of capturing a down (in this case, I am not using a leash as this dog had issues with closeness to her face): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwfz5BAbs54 You may also find this helpful for her fear of noises: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/ I hope this helps! Let me know how things work out for you. With some dogs, we need to think outside of the box, which is what makes training dogs never boring! Happy training! Best, Adrienne

Hi Emma, Welcome to the forums! Since you describe Benji as not being aggressive, and possibly wanting to play/get attention, there are chances that you are dealing with what is known as "barrier frustration." For barking out of the window, you may find this exercise helpful: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ This exercise provides several benefits such as 1) creating positive associations with the trigger -in case a dog is a bit anxious, sometimes dogs who are overly aroused by children/dogs/people are a bit insecure about them, 2) giving the dog an alternate activity to engage in (chasing treats tossed on the ground) 3) preventing rehearsal of the problematic behavior since you'll be working under threshold. Here is a read to help you familiarize with threshold levels: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ When you cannot train, you will need to take management steps to prevent rehearsal of the problematic behavior. Management basically prevents the dog from rehearsing problematic behaviors. The more dogs rehearse certain problematic behaviors, the more these put roots and establish. Here's the thing: with barking, there is always some level of self-reinforcement going on either intrinsically (that is, internally such as a dog venting his frustration by barking) or extrinsically (e.g. the barking sending intruders away-as in the case of territorial barking). This self-reinforcement fuels the barking keeping it alive such as oxygen does to fire. It's therefore important taking measures to prevent rehearsal, especially on those occasions when you cannot supervise your dog. These measures can be temporary as your dog learns alternate behaviors, or more long-term, if you just want to stick to management. Here are some options: Keep the dog in rooms with no access to windows Use baby gates/ indoor pet fences to keep the dog from accessing areas with windows. You need to make sure these are extra tall as motivated dogs will jump over them. Use window film to reduce visibility. Consider that blinds and curtains often don’t work, as dogs may still detect movement and can easily move them aside with their muzzles. For barking on walks, consider the possibility of barrier frustration as well. Here is more about this: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/barrier-frustration/ In this case, it would therefore help keeping distance from what evokes the barking (children, dogs, people) so that your dog is under threshold and working on training an alternate behavior to engage in using high-value treats. You can always use the emergency u-turn if you think another dog is too close or if you are meeting extra triggers that came unexpected and plan on organizing a part of the walk mainly concentrating on reinforcing desired behaviors. I find that walking the dog rather than stopping makes for a more fluent response and the game more engaging, especially if you toss the treats (rather than hand feeding them) so that your dog has to catch them and keep his mind occupied on something else. This will also help you cover more ground versus being stationary and since treats are tossed, you'll be feeding less. You can always revert back to hand feeding once he is better under control. You can cut single treats into several pieces if you are worried about calories so that you can use less. So I would suggest training him a fluent response to attention heeling, starting by practicing in your hallway without a leash and then progressing to on the porch, and you can use your smacking sound as well here to grab your dog's attention and evoke walking next to you while looking up. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ On top of this, consider that dogs who bark out windows and develop barrier frustration are often young, energetic dogs who benefit from learning some coping skills and how to better manage their emotions and behaviors. These youngsters therefore benefit from learning better impulse control and that patience pays in the long run when they make good choices. It may therefore help to teach your dog these impulse control games: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/10-impulse-control-games-for-dogs/ A stress reduction program may works also well for young dog who get easily aroused/reactive. A stress reduction program, along with enrichment may therefore help lower a dog's cortisol levels. It may therefore encompass the following: Preventing or minimizing exposure to triggers Keeping the dog under threshold Ensuring the dog gets enough deep sleep Randomly rewarding the dog with kibble upon noticing calm and relaxed behaviors (capturing calmness). Hope this helps, Happy training! Let me know if you have any further questions and keep us updated on how things go!

Hi there! What a cutie Ollie is! Great to hear that Ollie is doing really well with "leave it" and "stay." Practicing these cues at feeding times are a great exercise in impulse control. In regards to the food, this would have been rather easy if the cats were fed the food and then they were done and the food bowls were picked up. In that case, a fluent "leave it" could do, but being that the cats eat only 3/4 of their food, leaving the food bowls out and unattended for a good part of the day is the main challenge. Ollie likely feels that they aren't interested in their food anymore and therefore he feels the duty of not putting that food to waste by storing it in his tummy! Fortunately, there are some astute solutions. For example, this gadget was crafted for owners of dogs who steal kitty food or eat "kitten Tootsie rolls" from the litter box. If most of your rooms are carpeted or the doors are closed, then I can see this latch put to good use in a bathroom or closet. https://www.amazon.com/Door-Buddy-Adjustable-Convenient-Installation/dp/B016QT678M/ This bowl is instead designed to not allow dogs to grab any food: https://www.amazon.com/Felines-Only-Purrrfect-Veterinarian-Designed/dp/B00NLYC7PS/ A cat door may be installed on a door: https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Corridor-Interior-Medium-Litter/dp/B08PHTJ7QV Or height can be used to make cat food inaccessible to dogs: https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Products-Stainless-Mounts-Windows/dp/B01ERDDPSO Please note that other than the latches, I am not familiar with or have tested these products. Some of these may only work for when Ollie is older and larger and less capable of fitting through some tight spaces that only cats may get through.