Adrienne Farricelli

Hi Carlolyn, May I ask if you purchased this course for your personal use or were you hoping to purchase it and then give it away as a gift to somebody in particular that you know?

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! I hear you, your comparison "I feel like a fireman putting out fires" is perfect in describing how life with a reactive dog can feel. It can feel very exhausting at times, especially when all our hard work doesn't bring results as hoped. For these cases, it helps to remind ourselves that we should aim for little baby steps and embrace every little sign of progress no matter how small. With management to prevent rehearsal of the fearful behavior, and baby steps along with gradual progress, we can then reevaluate the situation and switch from putting out fires to preventing "fires" as much as we can, and putting out "little sparks" versus full-blown fires. That would be the goal, although not very easy with these sensitive dogs! To answer your question about a dog's behavior changes from day to night, yes, we do see that a lot in dogs prone to being reactive. However, it's not always easy pinpointing what is causing them exactly to react in this way. Sometimes we need to become their "eyes, nose and ears" and try our best, but that's not always possible considering how dogs have superior senses than us. What humans can hear at 20 feet, dogs can hear at roughly 80 feet, which can explain why they bark at sounds we may not be able to detect. Why do dogs become more reactive at night? Here are several possible reasons: -No More Buffering At night, noises appear more prominent because there are less background noises compared to during the day. This may not be as evident in the countryside, but can be quite drastic in other environments. -The Awakening of Critters Since you live in the countryside, you are correct to assume that your dog may be barking at some animals. For some critters, nighttime is their prime time when they become more active. The list of nocturnal animals is extensive, including bats, badgers, beavers, skunks, foxes, mice, raccoons and even the neighbor's cats. You may not be aware of the presence of these critters, but you can bet your canine companion is. Sometimes it's not even the sounds that these animals emit that causes barking, even their smell may be enough. -Presence of Shadows/Low Visibility Many dogs become reactive due to the uncertainty associated with less visual information as it happens when it's dark. Seeing less details, along with the presence of shadows can make dogs more jumpy and easy to get startled than during the daytime. -A Reaction To Our Emotions Something else to consider is that, if we are uneasy for some reason about going out in the dark, our dogs may pick up our emotions and become reactive as well as a result. Perhaps our dogs sense us being tentative/uncertain walking outside, like maybe when we're wary of where we put our feet, they interpret it as a sign to be worried about something. -A Fearful Reaction In many cases, a dog barking when going outside at night is reacting before even being able to clearly evaluate the situation. These dogs adhere to the "bark first, think later" approach. Often, these are young dogs. For example, puppies and adolescent dogs going through a fear period, during which they easily get startled by things that they normally don't. -Bottled Up Emotions Sometimes, the issue is a dog being stressed by a lot of things during the day and then reaching a breaking point at night. In this case, you may be dealing with a case of trigger stacking. -Medical Issues/Vision Problems Sometimes, the underlying cause for barking when going outside at night is an underlying medical problem. Dogs may undergo behavior changes when they are in pain or develop low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism). On top of this, there are certain eye problems in dogs whose symptoms manifest the most at night. For instance, consider PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) which in its earliest stages can cause behavior changes such as dogs being more reactive at night and a reluctancy to enter dark rooms, or bumping into in dim conditions. This condition can be diagnosed in dogs as young as 1 to 2 years old, while in other cases, it may not be diagnosed until the dog is several years old. So what can we do to reduce these fits of barks and lunges at night? Here are a few ideas: -See The Vet It's always a good idea to rule out medical/vision issues, just in case. -Be Your Dog's Eyes and Ears Go out with your dog and pay close attention to what your dog is orienting to before she starts barking. Is he always looking in the same direction? Or does she bark at things randomly? These hints can help. If it's always in the same direction, the trigger may be something stationary that is always in the same spot (like a shovel or a wheelbarrow or bird's nest). If it's random then it's something that varies a lot and isn't always there. Perhaps a critter that moves around. -Prevent Rehearsals Once you have identified some possible triggers, it's important taking steps to prevent your dog from rehearsing the reactive/aggressive behavior. Every reactive dog has an imaginary "threshold" line making the difference between reacting and not reacting. Your ultimate goal is to prevent your dog from reacting as much as possible by keeping your dog as well under threshold s possible. Here is a read on threshold levels in dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ Threshold levels can often be reduced by taking steps to remove triggers, or at least making them less prominent. -Remover Possible Triggers Do as much as you can to try to remove any possible triggers. For example, if your dog seems to bark at something in your neighbor's yard/piece of land, try to take her to potty as far as possible from the area. If it's critters, identify if they have a nest/burrow/den in your yard and have an expert in the field using pest-friendly methods see if they can be relocated. If you can't remove a trigger, see if you can find ways to make it less salient to your dog. For example, if she's reacting to some distant sounds, try bringing along a radio (syntonized on a classical music channel) and see if it helps buffer sounds. -Change the Mindset Work on creating positive associations with whatever your dog reacts to, by giving extra special treats every time your dog sees/hears her triggers from a distance. Simply toss treats to the ground every time a trigger pops up from a distance that the dog doesn't react (is under threshold). Examples of behavior modification to triggers: "Look at At That" (for visual triggers) https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ "Hear that" (for auditory triggers) https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/ *If the dog is ever not responsive, that's a sign that the dog is too over threshold and steps should be taken to lower those threshold levels (increase distance, make noises appear less salient). -Act Confident When taking your dog outside at night, try your best to act confident. -Use a Flashlight/Torch/Install Lights Sometimes bringing along a flashlight or installing lights is all that's needed to help some dogs feel more confident about their surroundings. Some dogs may feel reassured by wearing some lightening device. An example is Pup Light. https://www.amazon.co.uk/PupLight-Super-Bright-Red-Light/dp/B008EPFFBC/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=pup%2Blight&qid=1635801754&sr=8-3&th=1 -Use a Leash If your dog just takes off running to reach the perimeter of your yard to bark at something, keeping your dog on leash may allow you to have more control over the situation. By keeping her new you, you also heighten the chances for success of your dog noticing you have wonderful treats that you toss to the ground and have her search for versus looking for critters to bark at. I hope this helps! If your dog is a mix of small terriers (like yorkies) consider that they are very prone to reacting to things and barking, and are very attracted to critters that bury underground, so it may take some considerable effort to overcome this natural tendency. Keep us posted on how things go! Best, Adrienne

No worries! I am super glad to hear you got her at 8 weeks, that takes away a lot of problems associated with puppies being removed too early from the litter. I hope the lighting works to help ease her fears, keep us posted on how things go! Best, Adrienne

You're always very welcome Cheryl! The treat retreat game can turn out helpful as a warm-up (in lieu of coaxing) also for overly submissive pups. I am not sure why the treat retreat link above didn't turn into a hyperlink, but let me try again: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/how-to-play-the-treat-and-retreat-game/ With the stay cue, she's very young, so you need to make it super easy at first until she grasps the concept. Start with split second stays and don't increase the time until she has mastered split-second stays. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/stay/ Let me know how it goes.

Try to break the routine of finishing eating and right away heading to back door. You can try placing something bulky there if this is not the door that she uses to go potty or you can confine her. Young puppies shouldn't have the full run of the house until better potty trained anyways. Practice tossing kibble/treats during the day so that she learns to better focus for when you need it the most (saying leave it, and tossing a treat away). Most likely, the breeder never took her on a car ride before and it's frightening, or she may be a little car sick or she may be going through a fear period since she has other concomitant fears. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-periods-8-10-weeks-6-14-months/ It's important to make everything like a fun game and create positive associations. Calming aids such as DAP sprays and veterinarian recommended supplements may also prove helpful. If there is car sickness at play, vets have meds for that. Research conducted by Conder GA et al. in 2008 found that as many as 1 in 5 dogs suffered from canine motion sickness. Motion sickness is particularly prevalent among puppies and the same phenomenon occurs in human children. The reason it's more common in puppies is likely because the parts of their inner ear responsible for balance isn't fully developed. Start slow using baby steps. According to research by Mariti et al, the dogs who were gradually accustomed to travel as puppies were statistically less likely to develop car transport problems. This emphasizes the importance of helping puppies become accustomed to car transport, by habituating them very gradually to car rides and making it always pleasant experience. It can start with just creating positive association nearby the car, playing and feeding the puppy when nearby it. Then, she can be taken in the car where she's played with and fed tasty treats. Then, she can be habituated to the noises of the engine. Then, she can be taken on a very brief ride around the block. Baby steps are important. They help create positive associations with the car while also helping the pup get used to its movements and sounds. Bringing along familiar dog toys and blankets seems to help. When taking puppies prone to motion sickness on car rides, they may soon become anxious because they come to anticipate and dread the onset of motion sickness. This causes them to eventually end up associating this unpleasant sensation with the car. So how can puppies be helped to learn about car rides being happy places, when they are experiencing nausea? Good question! In this case, in order to teach the puppy how to appreciate car rides, it's important to take preventive steps to avoid them from feeling sick while working on desensitizing them to car rides. Failure to do so can lead to conditioned carsickness even after the pup's inner ear has fully developed. "No amount of training will convince him he doesn't feel well," points out veterinarian Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman in the book: "The Well-Adjusted Dog, Dr. Dodman's 7 Steps to Lifelong Health and Happiness for Your Best Friend." To accomplish this, you may therefore find it helpful to avoid feeding your pup for a few hours prior to the trip. Making frequent stops and keeping fresh air in or the A/C on can help too. On top of this, prescription medications obtained from your veterinarian can help a whole lot, especially when given early before too strong negative associations are formed with the car. If your puppy feels better, she'll be more likely to feel calm if motion sickness is the culprit. A fairly new drug known as Cerenia has been specifically crafted for puppies who get motion sick, but it can be used in puppies that are four months or older. So you will have to wait for this until your pup is older if motion-sickness is a trigger. If there is some element of anxiety, using a DAP spray which consists of a synthetic version of dog appeasing pheromones nursing mother dog produce (spray it in the car and/or on the travel crate) or the use of a DAP collar can turn handy. Another option is using a calming homeopathic remedy such as Bach's Rescue Remedy which can used along with DAP. Some dogs even benefit from ginger cookies made specifically for dogs. "Whatever works best is the way to go—but something must be done to alleviate a dog's distress before attempting desensitization," points out Dr. Dodman I hope this helps! Adrienne

Thanks for the extra details. So if she's 9 weeks and you have had for 3 weeks, you have had the puppy since she was 6 weeks? That's way too young for a puppy being sent to a new home! If so, this puppy has missed out on some important milestones that were supposed to take place in presence of mom and her siblings. It sounds like the breeder was also keeping her outside of the home, versus in the home socializing with humans, which can put a dent in acclimatizing to a human environment and instilling some basic potty training basics. It's not unusual for young pups to not see treats right away. It can take some time for them to learn to focus well. I have seen this in 7-8 week old pups, and after several tosses they caught up, however since yours is 9 weeks, it's good to just mention it to the vet to play it safe. Since this isn't the door that leads to the outside, I would block off access to that area (bulky boxes, furniture) and redirect her and take her outside anytime she stops playing (or whatever she is doing) and you see her approach that area. In case she's insecure/ afraid in the dark, it may help heading outside with a flashlight.

Hi there! A few questions: How long have you had your puppy? What breed is she? Is it very cold outside at night? Has it snowed? It sounds like she's intimidated about being outside for some reason. Can she be scared of something in the yard? https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/advanced-potty-training/troubleshooting/#dogsscaredoftheyard Sometimes, it can be a matter of not being used to wearing a collar and leash. She many need some conditioning, on the bottom of this article are some guides to habituating puppies to wearing and collar and leash: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-to-teach-puppies-to-tolerate-touch/ If if happens only at night though, it could be it's too cold or she's spooked by something. It may be worthy to have her vet check her vision just in case. Is there any light you can turn on? Are you likely to be more in a rush or impatient at night? Some sensitive pups may pick up on that. Any chances her previous owner/breeder used pee pads? Some pups who have learned to use pee pads will confuse a mat for a pee pad. Make sure to wash with an enzyme-based cleaner, however I would remove the mat for now. How far is the living room (or the area she spends the most time) to the actual door she it taken out? She is very young and likely isn't making it to the door on time. Young puppies are like babies and often by the time they realize they have to pee, they already peed. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/advanced-potty-training/introduction/#youngpuppiesarejustbabies Is she peeing on the mat when she sees you approach? Some pups will urinate submissively if they sense we are upset with them. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/submissive-urination/ If she doesn't pee when you take her out, take her back in and keep a watchful eye on her so that you can quickly take her out in a few more minutes. Follow these guidelines on where to keep puppies during potty training: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/advanced-potty-training/potty-training/#wheretokeepyourpuppyduringtraining Here is the main potty training guide: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/advanced-potty-training/

You're very welcome! I like your approach of letting her come in and out, so she doesn't feel abruptly trapped, a little like we do with helping dogs enjoy the crate. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/ Sitting with her by the door area as you toss treats letting her in and out may further help her as she's likely used to seeing you standing when you close the door. The sitting can therefore have a reassuring effect. You asked:" is using treats to get her near the door still a bribery issue that she'll eventually get wary of? Otherwise, she stands too far away to care about the food inside. It really depends on how she perceives the food versus how she perceives being indoors. If she really, really likes the food and is learning that indoors good things happen so that she no longer feels strongly about being "trapped" I wouldn't worry too much about it as long as she is showing signs of being less worried about going inside each time and starts getting more and more comfy once inside. If instead, once closed in, she starts panicking, whining back and forth, I would worry that the food may become a predictor of being "trapped" which could impact how she perceives the food. So I would do as much as possible to persuade her that indoors a lot of great things happen, she has access to her food, water bowl, a comfy bed, toys, games, food puzzles etc and would make a happy routine. You want to turn getting into the home as a super duper surprise, like Disneyworld for kids with different attractions and so many good stuff happening. Surprise her each time with different things so that she'll look forward to it. "Would it be better just to leave her outside until she wants to come close to try and scatter treats for her to chase inside?" Giving her choice of doing things on her own is always the best choice. So if you have her on leash, I would avoid using the leash to pull her inside, unless she voluntarily follows you on a loose leash when you go inside and give her treats for rewarding her cooperation. If she'll voluntarily approach the door area and enter when you toss the treats, you can try to skip the treats by the door area, but I don't see harm in using them this way as needed as you're basically teaching her to associate the entryway with good things and are taking steps to help her feel less worried about staying inside. A way to raise criteria once she's more comfortable is to reinforce her for voluntarily approaching the door area by tossing her a few treats right *after* she has approached. The difference here is what she's associating the treats with. If there are treats by the door, when she approaches and eats them, she's learning that there are good stuff happening there, in that exact location. If we specifically toss her treats *after* she approaches the area on her own, she's more specifically associating her behavior of approaching the door area with the treats (on top of with the area) which will make her more likely to approach on her own in future. At some point, if things progress well, you may no longer need to toss treats to let her go inside. When that happens, you can praise and toss her treats right *after* going inside on her own. You can fade the treats gradually, by pretending to toss them inside and as soon as she goes in, praising and rewarding with a jackpot of treats (several treats tossed at once, rainfall style) as you close the door, and then heading together for the stuffed Kong prepared in advance.

Hi there, Welcome the the forums, Congrats on your new 9 week-old puppy! When we see young pups as such chewing things like walls, we need to evaluate why this is happening. In many cases, it turns out being just puppies exploring or getting a little bored or frustrated. At 9 weeks, puppies have a lot to learn about and the world around them has so much to offer. A good part of a puppy's learning take place through their mouths. This oral phase is similar to that of a toddler who manipulates things and puts them in his mouth. When puppies of this age spend time outdoors, you'll often see them nibbling on some grass and chewing some rocks or sticks. When indoors, they'll just happen to mouth anything in sight, and this may include the table leg, your slippers and yes, even licking and chewing the walls! When you catch them during an idle moment, when there is not much going on, they may therefore become attracted to anything that keeps their mouth busy. So if they happen for these pups to be bored one day, sitting right next to a wall, they may start by licking the corner of the wall, which can lead to them nibbling on it. Next thing you know, they are actively chewing the wall, even leaving some debris on the floor! This behavior provides relief from boredom, or maybe it's just plain fun and gives them sensory reinforcement, which feels good to the puppies, and they will want to repeat it, turning the act of chewing the wall/door/boards into a habit. Sometimes puppies may also decide to chew the wall to grab our attention. Even if we happen to tell them "no!" or push them away, it may still reinforce the behavior as it's still considered a form of attention, even if it's the negative type. Puppies may be particularly attracted to drywall because drywall contains gypsum which is a mineral conglomeration composed by a large amount of calcium sulfate. This makes drywall very similar to bone causing dogs to want to keep on chewing on it. In some cases, excessive chewing and eating things that aren't edible can be a sign of pica. Pica is a condition where dogs become attracted to eating nonfood items like rocks, wood, drywall, socks, and coins. Basically, affected dogs will eat objects that are not considered part of a normal dog's diet. It is still not well understood what exactly may trigger pica. Is it boredom? A health problem? A behavioral one? Some theorize that it may stem from nutritional deficiencies; however, no nutritional studies have ever backed up this theory. However, most most modern commercial dog foods are nutritionally complete, making a dietary deficiency a rare cause of pica in todays dogs. In any case, it's worthy of mentioning this behavior to the vet, just to be safe and exclude any medical causes for this behavior just in case. In any case, we don't want to encourage rehearsal of this behavior also because drywall can irritate a pup's tummy and pieces of wood or plaster can cause injuries to the mouth or even an intestinal blockage. Not to mention, the $$$ damage to the home. As we have seen, puppies learn a lot through their mouths as their mouths are their primary tools for receiving information and to explore their surroundings. It's therefore important to tackle the root cause for a puppy's wall-chewing behavior. Fortunately, most destructive chewing behavior in puppies can be prevented or controlled. With time, as puppies develop into adults, they should lose interest in walls especially if we offer them things that are much better (although as they become adolescents they go through a stage where they want to chew more again, so keep that in mind). So let's take a look at several different approaches to reduce the chewing. -Confine Your Puppy Since puppies learn by exploring with their mouths, giving them unrestricted access to your living space can lead to destructive behavior. To avoid potential damage to your walls, it's therefore essential to confine your puppy in a designated puppy-proofed area, especially for those times when you cannot supervise your puppy. An exercise pen or playpen can come handy. You can also keep your puppy on an indoor tether (using a harness, not a collar) but always under careful supervision. Never tether your puppy to things that can tilt over or that can be dragged. -Keep that mouth busy When you are able to actively supervise your puppy, make sure he has access to plenty of chew toys that keep him occupied and happy. Invest in a variety of shapes and textures making sure they are suitable for puppies. Look for chew toys that offer treats inside so that it's a no-brainer for your dog to pick these in lieu of the drywall. Examples are stuffed Kongs, Buster Cubes, Toppls, Kong Wobblers etc. -Always Supervise Closely As much as your puppy enjoys playing with her toys, it's fundamental that you supervise her closely at all times, especially when not confined in a puppy-proof area. Your puppy at some point may get tired of the toy once its contents have been consumed. It takes just a second for her to leave the toy and gravitate towards the wall. Closely supervising your puppy when they are not confined is crucial, similar to caring for a toddler. This means always being aware of the puppy's whereabouts and activities. You need to therefore be there every time to remind your puppy that the wall is off limits. Your best bet in this case is training your puppy the basics of the "leave it' cue. I see that you mentioned that she doesn't "leave it" when you tell her to, but if she's just 9 weeks, the training has likely didn't have enough time to "sink in," so let's do some troubleshooting on that. -Train Your Puppy to "Leave it" The leave it cue, when pronounced with correct timing, should tell your puppy to stop approaching the wall. To train it easily at this age, always keep some tasty kibble in your pocket so that can redirect your puppy at a moment's notice. Start training it easily by telling your puppy "leave it" when you see her approaching the wall and tossing a treat across the room away from the wall. You puppy should chase the treat and give up the wall since treats should be perceived as more valuable than the wall. If the treats aren't valuable enough, you can always mix in some low-sodium pieces of hot dog and let it sit overnight in the fridge in a baggie with the kibble so that the kibble absorbs some of its aroma. In the morning, you can then remove the hot dog and let her have the "hot-dog infused" kibble. With time, your puppy should understand that leave it means that she must no longer interact with the wall. However, you'll always need to be there for this to work. If you cannot be in the same room to actively supervise, please keep your puppy confined so that she can't rehearse the wall-chewing behavior in your absence. Another option is to keep her tethered to you (keep her on a long leash clipped to your belt). -Put Your Puppy's Brain to Work! Make sure your puppy has plenty of things to do so you can keep her mind off the wall. Clicker train her, teach her some tricks, do some obedience training, let her play, invite people over so she socializes (she's at the peak socialization period), take her on car rides and puppy classes. Brain games are also a great solution for pups who need to keep busy! I hope this helps! Keep us posted on how things go, Happy training!

Hi there! Welcome to the forums! Now, with this breed coming inside is not an easy task as with some other breeds. We need consider the history of this breed (being selectively bred for staying outside with livestock) and how they may perceive the indoor environment versus the great outdoors. Since you recently got her, we likely don't know much about her history. There are chances she has lived and slept outdoors most of her life and perceives being indoors as something not as rewarding. Sometimes, in order to convince a Great Pyrenees to stay inside, we may need to be quite creative. However, keep in mind that, there may be chances that, no matter the effort, a Pry may never be persuaded entirely that inside is better than outside. Their love for the outdoors, cold weather and snow, topped with that instinct to patrol and keep everything under check, is very ingrained in this breed, however, here are some tips. -Avoid Getting Frustrated No matter how frustrating the situation is, it's important for us avoid showing signs of frustration or feeling angry. This will only convince a Pry that outside is far better because of our negative energy. Sitting down with the back facing us can be a calming signal prompted by them sensing out frustration. -Avoid The Bribery Trap Showing your Pry tasty food to get her to come back inside and then closing the door right afterward, may work for a few times. However, unless your Pry is very food motivated, day after day, a time may come when your Pry may understand that it's all a trap and may refuse to come in no matter what food we show her. -Take Her For a Walk If you need to take your Pry inside for the night, you can try to create a routine where she is walked prior to going inside. After the walk, with your Pry still on leash, you can just walk her inside which is a win-win situation since you'll avoiding weakening your recall or your Pry playing hard to catch. -Offer a Window View Many Pry like to rest on a cot by the deck or some other other outdoor spot from which they can easily survey their territory. You can simulate this natural tendency by offering your Pry some indoor window or glass door view of the outside so she can always be aware of what is going on. -Keep Her on a Cable Make a routine of keeping your Pry on a long cable nearby the home (always under supervision) a while prior to needing to take her inside giving her something to chew there for the time being. Then, once it's time to take her inside, you can just lead her indoors with a tasty treat to reinforce following you. -Condition to a Collar Grab Many dogs struggle being grabbed by the collar especially if the collar grab leads to something unpleasant such as taking them inside. It’s therefore a good idea habituating Pry to collar grabs even for the case in which we need to get ahold of them in an emergency situation. So work on this and equip yourself with high-value treats. Call your Pry and slightly touch the collar, feed her a treat while you are touching the collar, remove your hand the moment your Pry is done eating the treat. Repeat several times, until upon touching the collar your Pry looks at you for treats. Next, start raising criteria: put your fingers under the collar, feed a treat, once done eating, remove your fingers from under the collar. Rinse and repeat until your Pry seems happy when you hold on to the collar. Next, grab the collar and feed a treat, once done eating, remove your fingers from under the collar and release. Rinse and repeat. Next, grab the collar and gently let your Pry walk a step, while you feed a treat, once done eating, release. Rinse and repeat. Next, call from a distance, call your dog and when she arrives, grab the collar, make her walk a few steps and give a treat. Once done, release. You can even use the collar grab daily to "lead" your Pry towards her food bowl if she loves eating. As seen, the goal is to make great things happen when your Pry is grabbed by the collar. While many dogs swerve when you try to grab them by the collar, with this training dogs are actually eager to be grabbed; which makes it tremendously helpful in case of an emergency. Aim for a conditioned emotional response: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ It goes without saying that you should avoid grabbing your dog by the collar to correct her or do anything your dog in general finds unpleasant. -Use High Value Foods If your Pry likes food use that, but make sure to use it strategically to prevent your Pry from recognizing it as a trap. It sounds like she is already aware of the fact that food leads to the door closing and her feeling trapped inside. To leave a strong impression, call your Pry (or use a silent whistle as explained below) and when she reaches you, say "find it!" as you toss several high-value treats indoors for her to chase and search for. As you close the door, keep tossing treats around and then lead her to a shelf where you have a Kong stuffed with goodies (prepared in advance) or a portion of her meal mixed with something enticing like some canned dog food or some peanut butter or cream cheese. Make this a routine she looks forward to every day. -Use a Silent Whistle A silent whistle offers the advantage of relying on a tone that doesn't carry emotion. This way your Pry can't sense any frustration on your side. To work well, practice creating great associations with it, aiming for an enthusiastic response. Every whistle blow needs to be followed by several treats fed in a row for about 20 seconds. Then, start using the whistle in lieu of a recall cue as explained above. -Keep Your Home on the Cooler Side As humans, we like to keep our homes warm and cozy in the cold winter months, but with a double-coated breed like a Pry, it may be way too hot. This can really put a dent in how they feel about being trapped inside, causing them to pant and feel uncomfortable. Keeping your home on the cooler side may help attract them more and so can allowing them in rooms layered with some cool ceramic tiles. One of our favorite guests is a Pry who loves to sleep at night in the bathroom "hugging" the toilet bowl. -Make the Indoors Reinforcing Do everything you can to make your Pry enjoy being indoors. Feed her food inside (I see you are already doing that which is great!), provide a comfy place to sleep, toys, treats and edible chews. Play games with your Pry, do fun training sessions, praise god behaviors, and offer food puzzles to keep that mind busy. I hope this helps! Keep us posted on how things go. Happy Training! Best, Adrienne

Any suggestions on where and how I can take her to introduce her to more canines? Puppy classes! You don't want to go to the dog park as that may be too much for her, not to mention she hasn't completed her vaccines yet. Look for classes run by a reputable dog trainer using force-free methods. Let the trainer know about your concerns about how she interacts and fear in advance so that they can take some steps prior to ensure all measures are taken to make it all a positive experience for her. Also may be worthy just to play it safe and mention her behavior to the vet just in case she has some vision issues since you mention her barking at reflections and when seeing Sophie through the door. Although some pups may react that way at times (it can be almost funny), as they don't understand reflections yet and are trying to figure it out and may feel confused. It sounds like she's in the stage of 'react first, inspect later' hopefully it will be just a stage, but best to be proactive nonetheless. Here is a read on fear periods in puppies and how to tackle them: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-periods-8-10-weeks-6-14-months/ Confidence-building exercises: (for agility, you will have to wait until the growth plates close for high-impact things like jumps, but you can start with some basics, like letting her walk on various surfaces, and going through a small agility tunnel) https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-build-confidence-insecure-dogs/ "Look at that" exercise when seeing dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ Treat retreat when around strangers: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/how-to-play-the-treat-and-retreat-game/ Avoid exposures that are overwhelming to her and that she's not ready yet, to prevent negative associations. Watch her body language closely: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dogs-dont-bite-blue/

Hi Cheryl, Thank you for the update! So yes, this sounds much better. I would still take some steps to ensure she doesn't feel overwhelmed around new people, and there's a great game for this: Suzanne Clothier's Treat and Retreat game: braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/how-to-play-the-treat-and-retreat-game I wasn't aware that Heidi also snapped at your neighbor's dog. I agree with you, that this is likely fear-based, especially if the other dog cornered her or caused her to feel overwhelmed. It's nice to hear that she is warming up. If you can get her to at least meet/greet one stranger a day for about 10 minutes, working at her pace, perhaps starting with 'treat-retreat" so she can choose how much to approach, research has found that it can make a significant difference. I still feel that she may benefit from some well-run puppy classes before the window for her prime socialization period closes. In this article, towards the end, you will find some tips on how to get a puppy used to wearing a collar and leash and learning to "give-in" to leash pressure: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-to-teach-puppies-to-tolerate-touch/ It sounds like you are doing a good job in teaching her that sitting instead of jumping gets your attention. Keep up the great work! It's best to nip any problems that arise in the bud so that there's less rehearsal history. Keep us posted on how things go! Best, Adrienne

Hi Caroline, Thank you so much for the extra details, they are very helpful! Belize sounds wonderful, a piece of paradise for sure! Glad to hear Chinook has had a clean bill from the vet, so based on the details you have shared so far, I would suggest working on little steps so to make things a little easier for both of you. So here are some tips: 1. Prevent Build-Up of Anticipation It sounds like smart Chinook is very observant and is building a lot of anticipation when meal time is around the corner and the built-up excitement culminates when the food is being served. Smart girl has likely learned quickly to associate all the sights, sounds and chain of events together day after day. As a very first step, we therefore want to prevent her from rehearsing these super excited behaviors over and over, so that it doesn't become habit forming. Dogs are into routines, and if we just let them practice certain behaviors day after day, they just stick to those just because they don't know any better. It is therefore up to us, as owners, teaching them how we would like them to behave. At her age, we can't expect stellar impulse control yet, and she can't hold a long sit-stay unless we practice for some time, so let's start with some easy-peasy management options until we can get there. An important first step is therefore preventing such build-up of anticipation because the more your puppy rehearses this hyper behavior, the more it will put roots and establish. Not to mention, if your pup gets fed after displaying impatient behaviors (even just wiggling or whining when your husband holds on to her), you'll be reinforcing them, meaning that there are high chances these behaviors will strengthen and repeat over time. To prevent such rehearsal it would be therefore important taking steps to lower those high arousal levels at meal time. Here are some ideas: -If feeding her indoors: You mentioned your puppy spends a good amount of time outdoors, so you can turn mealtime into a great opportunity to reinforce a desirable behavior. Simply, have a family member spend some time with your puppy in the yard, while you prepare her meal. Then once the meal is ready, open the door, and take advantage of Chinooks great passion for eating by calling her as you hide the food bowl behind your back. As she reaches you at full speed, praise and reward by lowering the food bowl. -If feeding her outdoors: If your puppy eats outdoors, prepare her meal in advance inside the house so that it's in the food bowl and ready when you need it. Then head outdoors and when your puppy is distracted, such as playing with a toy or resting, call her, praise her and lower the food bowl to the ground. -Work on Training At some point, you may want to start adding some more obedience cues to your pup's mealtime routine. However, in order to succeed in this training, you first need to train your puppy outside of the mealtime context. So start training your puppy to sit for a treat, lie down for a treat, and go to the mat for a treat. These are all covered in the obedience 101 section: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/ You can also work on sit-stays and down-stays, but they will need to be of short duration. While the treat can be initially used as a food lure (a prompt), at some point, start keeping the treat out of sight, pretending as if you're holding it, but then deliver it from your other hand. More about this is covered here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/polishing-up-training/fading-food-lures/ Train often, in a variety of contexts and situations, until you obtain a nice fluent response. -Use the Premack Principle The Premack Principle, also known as "Grandma's Law," is concept that states that a high-probability behavior can be used as a reinforcer for a low-probability behavior. The principle was first described by psychologist David Premack in the 1960s, and it has since been widely used in behavioral therapy, education, parenting and dog training. For example, a parent may tell a child that they can play video games (high-probability behavior) after they finish their homework (low-probability behavior). In dogs, the same principle applies. Dogs are more likely to engage in a less desirable or less preferred activity if they know that it will be followed by a more desirable or preferred activity. More about this principle can be found here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/premack-principle/ Let's see next how we can add this principle in a dog who is too hyper when we carry the food bowl. In this case, we know that Chinooks' preferred activity is eating, so let's take advantage of this preference and use it to reinforcer calmer behaviors. -Call her, ask her to sit and then feed her -Ask your puppy to lie on a mat and then feed her -Ask your puppy to lie down and stay and then release her and feed her For Barking During Meal Preparation In this cases, I like to use what I call the "good choice game." Basically, I put the puppy in charge of when she gets fed based on his behavior. The goal is this: teaching the puppy in a clear way how barking slows you down or even stops you in the meal preparation process, while quiet speeds you up. This helps puppies make good choices. This can take a few trials to master, but it's well worth the effort (as long as you can cope with some temporary barking). The "Good Choice Game" For Impatient Puppies So here's an example of what I do. I will walk to the meal preparation area. If the puppy barks as I am walking there, I will freeze in spot and wait for several seconds of quiet. If she persists in barking, I will take two steps back or even leave if it's persistent and will go sit on a chair. Then, when she's quiet for at least 10 seconds, I will progress and walk to the area again and continue meal preparation. I will therefore start grabbing the bag and filling the bowl, but if the puppy barks again, I'll put the bowl away and I'll be leaving the area again if she persists. Then, I try again. If she is quiet for at least 10 seconds, and I am able to pour the food in the bowl, I may next walk towards the puppy, but if she barks, I will turn around, and even think about walking away if she persists. Once she is quiet again, I will try again to walk towards her. When she finally manages to stay quiet until the very end, I will put the bowl down. I personally like to ask for a sit and then release with an "ok!" once the bowl is on the ground. Now, I will admit, your first meal preparations may seem to take forever the initial days, but most dogs catch on quickly if you are very clear in communicating that quiet gets you to advance in meal preparation, while barking slows you down. The goal is therefore to teach your puppy that calm behaviors unleash all the rewards, when barking and acting impatient does not. -Practice Makes Perfect To make lunch and dinner less salient and help your puppy master the art of calmness, you can also do several rehearsals of what you expect her to do at meal time, but in a more controlled setting. For example, rather than feeding her lunch dinner at once, at random times of the day, practice the "Good Choice Game" using her food bowl, but only placing one or two kibble in there. This gives you the opportunity to practice more and do several reps. The more you set her for success and let her practice good reps, the more the desirable behaviors will establish over time. -Avoid Behavior Chains! To work well, when applying the Premack Principle, you need to watch what you reinforce. Make sure that your puppy isn't engaging in any undesirable behavior right before progressing in your meal preparation and granting access to the food bowl. In such cases, you may inadvertently reinforce the undesirable behavior too due to the phenomenon of behavior chains. A good method to prevent behavior chains from forming is ensuring that a certain period of time elapses between the undesirable behavior and your meal preparation progression and the release of food. Counting ten seconds after barking or whining before resuming meal preparation or lowering the food bowl can be enough to break the chain. -Impulse Control Games All puppies benefit from learning how to better control their impulses. This won't work directly on the issue of puppies acting hyper when food is prepared, but it can help them learn better coping skills. Being young and with shorter attention spans, you will need to make the exercises a little easier (e.g shorter sit stay and down, stays). Here are some impulse control games: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/10-impulse-control-games-for-dogs/ Jazz up and settle down can be helpful too: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/high-school/jazz-up-and-settle-down/ I hope this helps! Keep us posted on how it goes, Happy training! Best, Adrienne

Thank you for the extra details, they are very helpful! Being that he is very nervous around strangers, I feel that the behaviors you are seeing are for a good part based on anxiety, as your dog comes to anticipate people coming over and doesn't know whether they are friends or foe. The anxiety may then shift into happy excitement if he recognizes a familiar face, but we are still on a too charged level causing him to be too over threshold. This mental state causes a lack of focus and is overriding everything. So the first goal is finding ways to lower the intensity of these emotional states. We can accomplish this using management, desensitization, counterconditioning and training alternate behaviors. Let's delve deeper on these. Management: When it comes to engaging in undesirable behaviors, practice makes perfect. The longer dogs rehearse over-the-top, overly excited behaviors, the more these are likely to establish and risk becoming their default behaviors, meaning they'll become habit-forming. Long-established habits are harder to break, but if we take steps to prevent the dog from rehearsing the problem behaviors, and on top of that, allow other desirable behaviors to eventually establish, we can allow them to outrank the undesirable ones. So this is the final goal. So if your dog acts out of control when guests are over, it is best to keep them away, at least, until you can get him a little more under control and get the cognitive part of the brain in a semi-working state. This is usually just a temporary measure, and/or for those times when you don't have willing guests who take directions on what to do or you need to give them undivided attention. Therefore, before working directly with him when guests come over, you will have to work with him in making him feel less anxiety about them. For the time being, I would therefore suggest not having guests over, as we don't want him to rehearse these anxious/overly excited behaviors, or if you must have guests, he should be kept in separated area. You mentioned you have an open room by the entrance, so therefore you may have to use a spare safe dog-proofed room, a crate, a tall exercise pen or keep him in the yard or have a family take him on a car ride while the guests are over. Provide him with a stuffed Kong to keep occupied if using confinement. In the background, you will have to work on ways to present people in a way that they are perceived as less threatening, while also creating positive associations and putting him into an "operant' thinking state. This requires doing exercises based on desensitization and counterconditioning. Desensitization (low level-exposures/baby steps): Basically, when dog are uncomfortable towards certain stimuli and/or situations, the goal is to present them in forms that are perceived as less threatening and intimidating. When we present stimuli in gradual, less threatening forms, the process is known as desensitization. You can read more about desensitization here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ Counterconditioning: (forming positive associations) Along with presenting stimuli and situations in less threatening/less intense forms, we should also aim to create positive associations. The process of creating positive associations is known as counterconditioning. You can read more about counterconditioning here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ As a starting point, an exercise that comes handy as an introduction is the "look at that" exercise, where you can have him watch people walking by at a distance from your property. In general, one can use a leash for this exercise initially to keep him better under threshold, but since he's prone to nipping when aroused/frustrated, you can skip it for now, and instead enlist helpers to walk by your property at a further distance (like across a sidewalk, rather than directly by the sidewalk in front of your home). Start by conditioning to a smacking sound: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ Introduce the "look at that" exercise: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ Use Super-duper treats! Seeing people walk by can be very exciting, overstimulating and there may also be some stress mixed in. It may be difficult to grab the dog's attention in this case, and therefore, we need to use super high-value treats that are capable of competing against the saliency of people walking by, so experiment with a variety of treats and use what works best. Obtain a lovely conditioned emotional response: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ You want your dog to go from feeling concerned, to looking forward to seeing people walk by and making eye contact with you in anticipation of a treat. Once you have worked on that, and have obtained a fluent response, you will need to increase criteria, meaning you can move a step forward. People may start walking closer, then maybe jogging, then maybe waving at you, talking loud etc. When you can't work on this, or you can't supervise your dog around windows, remember to manage (prevent access) so he doesn't revert to reacting to things he sees outside. Use heavy window drapes, block the area with furniture, close the door/ keep your dog in a different area of the house. Moving forward, you'll need to continue progressing, but always in controlled settings where you have control over what what happens by the door areas, and you must always be observant, constantly scanning your dog for signs of stress. In other words, we want to keep on ensuring our dog is under the threshold. This takes some level of expertise and a good eye so that we are able to recognize the most subtle signs of stress in our dogs and intervene swiftly upon noticing them, modifying the plan so that the dog is once again comfortable and set for success. You can therefore then start working on more direct setups, like applying desensitizing and counterconditioning to doorbells and door knocks: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/barking/doorbells-knocks-on-doors/ However, you can temporarily skip the knocking/ door bell when you are organizing setups where you will have actual guests entering the home. When we move on to having guests over, you will need volunteer guests who can follow instructions. Here is a general guide on how I change the mindset with dogs who bark/act reactive when somebody enters the door. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-barking-someone-enters-room/ Preliminary Training (alternate behaviors) Sit: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/sit/ Smacking Sound: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ Down: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/lie-down/ Stay: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/stay/ Lie on mat: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ Training can really start easy peasy, by having your volunteer enter the door as you make you smacking sound and then toss several small pieces of tasty treats on the ground. Once the dog is about to finish the treats, the volunteer leaves. Rinse and repeat several times, until your dog seems calmer. After several trials, have the volunteer enter and try asking for a sit before tossing the treats. If your dog was able to sit, toss the treats and once again, have the volunteer leave once the dog is about to finish the treats. Rinse and repeat several times, until your dog seems calmer. Next, further raise criteria, see if you can ask your dog to lie down before tossing the treats. If your dog complies, toss the treats and have the volunteer leave once the dog is about to finish the treats. Rinse and repeat several times, until your dog seems calmer. *If your primary door leads to unfenced yard, practice only with a door that leads to a fenced yard for safety (many dogs will escape if a door is opened just a bit and they see something that attracts them). Next, further raise criteria. Add a mat, place it nearby the door and as your volunteer is about to enter, ask your dog to go lie down on it. Give the treats there. Have the volunteer leave once the dog is about to finish the treats. Rinse and repeat several times, until your dog seems calmer. Next, ask for a long down/stay on the mat. As your volunteer enters, ask your dog to lie on the mat and this time offer a longer-lasting chew *(like a whole dog cookie). Have your dog stay there as you chit-chat and shake hands with the guest. As your dog is about to finish the chew, have your guest leave. Further raise criteria. As your volunteer enters, ask your dog to lie on the mat and this time offer a much longer-lasting chew like a stuffed Kong or safe long-lasting edible. Have your guest sit down on the couch for some time. As your dog is about to finish the chew, have your guest leave. The goal is to be able to have the dog engage in alternate behaviors. These alternate behaviors help dogs swap to a rational, cognitive state versus acting over the top. The alternate behaviors can be several (doesn't have to be lie on a mat, although this may work best as it has built-in duration) and you can pick which ones you prefer. Some dog owners train dogs to go grab a toy and greet guests with the toy in the mouth. If your dogs also jumps when guests arrive, it also helps to do several trials at home where you see what behaviors evoke hyper behavior and gradually expose your dog to them as your dog sits watching. Then you can work on entering the house, turning around and exiting when your dogs act hyper, and entering and praising when your dogs act calm and even sit. If your dog can't resist jumping on you, he will find it even harder not to jump on guests, so make sure he learns with you first before working with guests. Here is a case study on working on jumping: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/case-studies/02-maggie-assessing-jumping-behavior-desensitization/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/case-studies/02-maggie-practice-greetings/ Of course, these are just general guidelines. Several adjustments may be needed based on how your dog responds, likely involving changes to the plan such as further splitting exercises into smaller steps or instilling more management. Tethering may be an option at some point, but your dog must always be supervised when tethered and a harness should be used. If there are any issues with safety, such as your dog showing signs of aggression, then management would be top priority (not letting him come in contact with guests) along with working along with a professional. Hope this helps, I am here is you struggle with nay parts or need to do some troubleshooting. Best regards, Adrienne Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping) for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification, please consult with a dog behavior professional who uses force-free behavior modification techniques.

Hi there, Welcome to the forums, Sounds like your Vizsla is way over threshold and that is turning him into a nipping machine. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ We need to take steps to first lower those threshold levels, because in this state, it's close to impossible getting them into a learning state. Even though he knows sit, down, leave it, when a dog is in this state, there's a high chance they won't be able to cognitively function enough to execute. A few questions that come to mind: 1) Has he always been this way? How long have you had him? 2) Do you have a baby gate or a way to block direct access to the door area? 3) Is your dog already in a hyper state upon seeing them approach by a window or hearing a car in the driveway? 4) Thinking back to past episodes, when you had guests over, how did he behave? Was he jumping all over them? Did he seemed nervous about them moving around the house, gesticulating, talking lively? Does he ever get into a relaxed state after ward? 5) Do you have friends, neighbors, family etc that can volunteer to help you train your dog? You would need their help at some point so that they can do the knocking so your dog knows it isn't you, however, before moving to this level, your dog needs to be in a calmer state. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/barking/doorbells-knocks-on-doors/ 6) How is he overall around people? Would you say he's comfortable around them or somewhat anxious/concerned? 7) Does he know how to lie on a mat? https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ Thanks for the extra details!

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! What an adorable pup you have there! So with these super hungry pups, it's always a good idea mentioning it to the vet just to be sure everything is OK in the health department. Sometimes pesky parasites rob them of nutrients and cause them to act like they are starving, while in some other cases, some pups have a high metabolic rate and may benefit from an increase in food, but this is something your vet should determine during a consultation. Waiting patiently for food delivery is covered in the article on impulse control training, (it's exercise number 4) which can be found here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/10-impulse-control-games-for-dogs/ In order to be implemented, a preliminary requirement is knowing how to sit: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/sit/ But of course, with training dogs, not always everything may go as planned, and that's why we have the forums! So if you are doing everything by the book, and your pup still struggles, we would need to do some troubleshooting. Is your puppy sitting but then breaking the sit before you put the food bowl down? Is your puppy so hyper that he can't even focus to sit? Is your puppy vocalizing during meal preparation? Have you been allowing access to the food bowl despite the puppy acting hyper? Please provide details on what you have tried doing so far, what part your pup is struggling with, and share details on your mealtime routine. A big plus is that your older dog is acting politely and can act like a model on many things. Thanks! Adrienne

Hi there, Welcome to the forums! Does this happen usually at the same time each day? Is it in the evening? after eating? How much sleep is your 12 week old puppy getting during the day and night? Recalling these past events, is there any pattern? What was your child doing at the moment? Does it ever happen when your child gets near his toys? The food bowl? When the puppy is chewing on something? When he nips and lunges you or your husband when he's excited and playing how is he playing? What games? How does the biting start? Is there any growling? In the meanwhile, if you toss a ball or some kibble (keep these readily accessible in your pocket) away from you son across the opposite side of the room, can you redirect your puppy quickly so that your son can leave the room? Another option is to use a gentle collar grab and show a treat as you accompany the puppy away from your son to a confined place to chill with a chew toy/stuffed Kong. At the end of this article is the guide to habituating to gentle collar grabs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-to-teach-puppies-to-tolerate-touch/

Thanks for the extra details, they were very helpful! OK, so if this is happening always at night when when everyone is asleep, things get more challenging, because they are left on their own with no guidance nor supervision. Sure, it would be great if they could make good potty choices, but for some reason one or both are choosing not to. Maybe, they have some negative emotional reaction to going out of the doggy door at night, like maybe they don't like the feeling of going from dark to an outdoor light or maybe one time when they got out something startled them. A motion-detecting light that suddenly turns on can sometimes be enough to startle a dog. It could also be that they are just less confident being out on their own at night. This would of course be all speculation at this point. Since it's happening occasionally though, maybe one dog just wakes up with an urgent need to pee and doesn't make it out on time. The fact you have noticed accidents as well in another room on the way to the door, reinforces this thought as it seems like some effort is being made but something happens along the way. Another possibility is that if they go outside the doggy door together, maybe the one in front goes out and the other is worried about the flap moving and therefore remains inside and ends up going potty inside. I would expect this hesitancy to persist even in the daytime, but maybe at night it's a little more scary. Or maybe, they both go outside together, and then one of them gets distracted, perhaps nighttime critters cause them to go sniffing around and chasing, and then, once back inside, the dog in question remembers he has to potty, but it's too late and the urge got too strong. Ideas that come to mind: -If you have a camera you can set up to monitor the curtain location remotely, this could help you get an insight on what may be truly happening. It could also be helpful so that you know which dog it is and carefully monitor him more closely. -Another option is to have them stay in a confined area nearby you (like in a large play pen in your bedroom) or a small bathroom, and set the alarm to take them both to potty at least once in the night to prevent this accident from happening. It would also be helpful teaching them to go potty on command so that you can ensure they are both 'empty" on that last potty trip before bedtime so that they don't need to have a middle of the night need to potty. This can take some time to teach, but it comes handy in many situations. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/advanced-potty-training/potty-on-command/ -Raising the curtain up at nighttime may also help if it's being repeatedly targeted. Some dogs like to use curtains as a pee spot as it's vertical and optimal to raise the leg against. However, this may not solve the problem, as the dog may pick another indoor spot to pee if there's a sense of urgency rather than a deliberate choosing of the curtain simply because it has appealing traits. For sure, the fact that it happens only occasionally and only at night when everybody is asleep, make it an interesting mystery. If you happen to record the behavior, keep us posted on what you see.

Hi Nicole, Welcome to the forums! It's interesting that this behavior is only occurring on some nights and that the curtain is their favorite spot. A few questions come to mind: 1) Are they sniffing and then raising their leg when the pee on the curtain? This is more in tune with marking. 2) Do they pee in just small amounts, like a little trickle? or do they leave an actual puddle? The trickle is more in tune with marking. 3) Do you have any wild animals frequenting the yard? Some dogs urine mark when they smell animals. 4) Are the curtains new? Some dog mark on new items. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/why-does-my-dog-pee-on-anything-new/ 5) Are they in any way reluctant to go outside in the evening? Have you noticed any hesitancy in going through the door specifically at night? Is it very dark once they are outside? Since they are peeing on the curtain besides the doggy door or in another room on the way to the doggy door, it seems like they are at least making an attempt to reach the door. I would be monitoring them closely, closing the room on the way to the doggy door so you have only one room to focus on and making sure you always have a clear, unobstructed view of them at all times. Removing the curtain or elevating it in a safe way (with no cords dangling) can be a good idea for the time being, considering that it's hard to tell if they pee since curtains are absorbent. This will also prevent you from repeatedly washing them with an enzyme-based cleaner. We also don't want them to develop a substrate preference other than the surface of your yard: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/advanced-potty-training/potty-training/#awordaboutsubstratepreferences I would be wary of any emotional reactions such as calling them over and asking them who did this, as they may sense some frustration, accusatory tone or just any hint of negativity which can cause them to then start peeing in inconspicuous places and out of sight. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/puppy-hiding-poop-pee/ If we react to their peeing after several seconds or minutes have elapsed (after peeing) it is also possible that they will associate what they were doing at the very moment as being wrong (like just walking, looking at you) versus recollecting what happened several seconds or minutes prior. Although it may seem like they understand the concept of being "guilty," studies have shown that the guilty reactions we see in dogs are just a response to our emotionality. They understand we are upset and react in an appeasing way or distance themselves from us, but not from a "feeling guilty" standpoint. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4310318/ Although the age of onset of urine marking is generally 6 months, there are reports of puppies starting sooner than that. It would be therefore interesting to know whether their "modus operandi" reflects more marking versus regular peeing to empty the bladder. Looking forward to your responses!

Thanks so much for the advice. Things are progressing slowly but we are making progress. You are very welcome! Yay! Glad to hear you are seeing some improvement, slow and steady wins the race with some pups. Regarding going outside/inside/outside,etc. etc. I only go out with him sometimes. There are two dogs next door so that's likely a factor. He was a natural when it came to potty training so he does very well with that. He is not neutered. I am sure the other dogs are influencing him to want to go in and out more frequently than the average dog who has no "doggy neighbors." If he is not neutered, and the neighbors have an intact female dog who is in heat or nearing heat, that may explain the persistent whining if this has recently increased. If so, careful, as some determined dog have been able to mate even through a chain link fence. If he is well potty trained so far, installing a doggy door can help cut out the whining for wanting in and out of the door, however, doggy doors have their own sets of pros and cons. Some of the biggest cons is that dog who spend a lot of time outdoors are more prone to health issues such as eating odd things, overheating (especially risky with brachycephalic dogs), and when spending a lot of time outside unsupervised, rehearsing problematic behaviors that can put roots and establish such as barking repeatedly at triggers which can become quite habit-forming. And of course, the yard shouldn't become a substitute for walks, exercise, training, socialization and mental stimulation. Outdoor time should be well balanced with quality time with “his favorite people.” To make him stick indoors more, it may help to do some brain games, provide long-lasting food puzzles and providing fun games like treasure hunts https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/elementary/the-treasure-hunt/ Just got the front attach harness and tried it once. He almost doesn't want to walk at all but I think he will adjust. Some dogs get a "freeze response" to a harness. It can feel restrictive to some dogs and they just freeze as a response. Make sure it's not fit too tight, two fingers should fit between the harness and your dog. We mostly see this with dogs not used to wearing it from an early age. It may help to feed treats, play and distract by taking him on stimulating walks that distract them. Taking on a car ride and then walking to a fun place can sometimes help. Some dogs though may persistently freeze and may need a less restrictive type of harness. I know I just need to keep working with him daily but I struggle with how to "pick and choose my battles". He really is a sweet pup but he just is a handful right now. It can feel overwhelming at times. It may help to make a list of the problems to work on with at the top the ones that require more attention and working on those on a step-by-step fashion. Smaller goals are easier to achieve for both us and our dogs. We are always here for any questions, troubleshooting or even just encouragement as needed. Happy training! Best, Adrienne

Hi Cheryl, Congrats on your new puppy! Post pictures when you have a moment. I am sure she is adorable! I am concerned about this behavior, being that at this age, they should be curious and eager to meet and greet. Sure, some pups may be a little shy to approach, but wouldn't normally expect to see growling and barking. This can be suggestive of a genetic tendency that may require loads of management, training, critically planned socialization and confidence building. I don't want to discourage you, but the few pups we had in class that did this so young (bark/growl at people), required a high level of commitment that not all owners were able to achieve, leaving many of them still acting this way past adolescence (when the behavior becomes more concerning). It could be that she is going through a fear period and hopefully it's transient: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-periods-8-10-weeks-6-14-months/ What is her history? Where did you get her from? Was she barking and growling at you the first time you met her? Did the breeder/shelter comment on her behavior? Has she seen the vet yet? If so, how did she do? Please mention the behavior to the vet, they may want to check her eyes and other stuff. If you haven't taken her yet to the vet, make sure to do as much as possible to make it a pleasant experience (treats, praise let the staff now beforehand your pup is fearful so that they can take extra steps in their approach), I highly recommend looking for a fear-free vet in your area and make the long drive as needed: https://fearfreepets.com/resources/directory/ If they offer classes too, I would inquire as long as they have reputable fear-free dog trainers on board. When does she bark and growl at people? When first seeing them and then she warms up? Does this happen on walks? At home? Careful with socialization, these pups need a different approach than the average puppy who is just "taking in" information. These fearful pups need loads of management to prevent them from rehearsing the behavior since we don't want them to feel stressed which can have a snowball effect. They need to learn to not fear and therefore their socialization will need to be custom-tailored, more than just mere habituating them, but rather working more on desensitization and counterconditioning with the goal of creating a positive conditioned emotional response. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/

Commenting again to add our new potty training supercharged program that members can access now here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/advanced-potty-training/

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Hi there, Welcome to the forums! While you take your pup out to potty, take advantage to add a "go potty" cue, which is covered here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/ Here are some extra tips for a forum member who was also has a doxie: Other tips: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/housetraining-schedule/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-training-tips-difficult-breeds/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/puppy-hiding-poop-pee/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/puppy-peeing-after-coming-inside/ If you have any particular questions or would like something covered more in depth, this is the place to ask. Best, Adrienne