JMFS

It will, jgphelps, it will. :) How old is she now? When she goes potty outside do you praise her? We have hardwood floors, too, and my husband's dog, Brownie (he passed 3 years ago), destroyed them in several spots - we'll have to refinish them when we sell. Now I hit them with an enzyme cleaner in an effort to reduce repeat offense (our senior dog sometimes can't get to the door quickly enough). Here's the article about putting potty time on a command, and it really does help: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/ Also, has she been checked by the Veterinarian to rule out any bladder infections or other root causes? Does she doe it directly on the hardwood or does she seek out a rug or mat, or perhaps even a corner? That's what our senior dog does - the softer the better - so I put puppy pads on top of our mats in hopes her aim will be true and we'll have less clean up.

Welcome to the forums! You're in the right place. :) Have you had the 3-yr old all 3 years or is he a recent addition? How long has this been going on? I get you with those migraines and the barking, oh man! Like an ice pick through the area that's hurting with every sound. :( The new puppy arriving will make 4 poodles total? Aside from the barking that's going to be such an adorable crew!

First off, therapy group or not, big giant huge hugs for you! Now, for some real talk - it's not fair for your husband to make an ultimatum without even trying. I have seen, firsthand with Momo, how much change a behaviorist can effect. This is a life we're talking about and turning his back on it is, again, unfair. To you and to Remie. He has to see how much you're hurting over this! When a dog comes into a home it is up to Everyone in that home to make Every effort possible to ensure the dog's best interests are seen to. Having said that, if it comes right down to it, yes, she can be re-homed and yes, someone else Can love her as much as you. In fact, it may be someone who needs Exactly the dog Remie is. She can be re-homed in a household without other dogs. I have to cut this short, but know that I'm supporting you over here! -------------------------------- I have a little more time now. With as much training as you and Remie have done she's in a good place to go to another home if that's the ultimate decision. Hannah's well-being has to be considered as well. Her quality of life has declined since Remie started the attacks and that's a serious issue. I'll repeat myself, this should Only be an option After all avenues have been explored. A dog doesn't get euthanized simply because someone in the household doesn't like her - that's madness, selfish, cruel, and hateful. I absolutely get his side of it, believe you me! It's an awful feeling living with an animal who can snap at you, or another dog, over something we humans find to be trivial and ridiculous. That's Precisely why I went with the behaviorist! With her help we did a complete turnaround and I understand Mo so much better after 5 sessions with her. We had several setbacks, but each time I knew better how to handle those situations. If I had gone through with putting Momo down every time I had a hair trigger reaction to his outbursts . . . well, let's just say I feel horrible every time I think about it. I still can't pet Momo while he's eating, but then the question is begged - why would I need to? Answer: I don't. I've also learned that slow fluid movements help keep him in a calm state of mind so if I Do have to add medicine to his bowl I can, I just have to be slow and let him know what's happening (I tell him, "more" to let him know I'm adding something, not taking away). Your husband wants to hug Remie, Remie doesn't want to be hugged, simple solution - don't hug her. Some dogs are like some people - hands off. Gertie Loves it when I snuggle up with her and the closer the better - she nuzzles in; Momo jumps out of his skin trying to get the hell out of there. I've come to accept his dislike for that type of affection and found Another way to express love for him - ear rubs and chest scratches put him in a state of nirvana. There's a way to love on every dog, we just have to figure out what that is and Accept their comfort level. The training is as much about getting the dog acclimated as it is about us learning how to communicate with the dog based on their individual needs, maybe even more so about us than them. We can reason and work out the logic, dogs not so much; therefore we have more responsibility to make it work. If you did have to find a new home for Remie, trust that she will be appreciated and loved because you were able to bond with her. That means she is a dog who can be loved. The benefit is that you have information about her a shelter wouldn't. You would be able to explain to the new family that she doesn't like being hugged, she guards resources, she should be an only dog, she's been trained to do x, y, and z, when she's walking on the leash if she does this then they can do that, etc . . .. That sets her up for a successful transition in a happy home. You may even be lucky enough to be allowed visits, or to take her for a walk here and there. There are so many options! One last thing about the husband, and I feel a little badly for bagging on him, but Victoria Stillwell would have chewed him up one side and down the other, I guarantee! Remie is not Your dog, she's the Family's dog. I said it earlier in my response, it takes Everyone in the family giving it a go. It takes only One person mucking things up to halt progress, or worse - set it back. If it were the other way around I have every reason to believe you would do whatever it takes to help Hannah live in your home and in a partnership like a marriage that's the way it should be. Remie's issues aren't even on the high end of the scale of unwanted dog behavior and based on the information you've provided, in my non-professional opinion, she Can be helped. I'm sad to hear you won't ever get another dog. I understand the sentiment and over time I hope it wanes because you are the type of person a shelter dog needs. You are clearly willing and able to put in the work and you have the kind of heart that a dog would benefit from. Cross that bridge if you come to it.

Aw, poor pup. I'm willing to bet Adrienne will have sage advice. I understand the guilty feelings about isolation, but while you're trying to figure things out it's a good idea to prevent him from rehearsing the behavior. What kind of bite? Has he broken skin, drawn blood, bruised, shaken the part that was bitten? You can check out my story with Momo, who also resource guards. I finally got a behaviorist to come to my house to help and we're in a Much better place these days so there Is hope. Mo outright attacked me one day in the yard and that was the final straw - he used his words (as Adrienne says) and put teeth on me but didn't bite; however, that was due in part to me knowing how far to push after he was already seeing red. I watch his body language very closely - that tells me a great deal of information. For example, when his head drops, his neck stiffens, and he's watching me (kind of like how people look over their reading glasses), I know that's a clear sign he's uncomfortable with what's happening and we're in for a confrontation if I don't back off. I call that his signature move - it's his most obvious "leave me alone" sign. Here's my post, it's somewhat of a saga because I'm wordy, but it will give you an idea of what you'll experience working with a behaviorist: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?92-Mo-s-Escalating-Behavior&highlight=ivory

If s/he is bringing it to you? That's attention, and some articles I've read have pointed to science saying it's affection. :) They trust you with their prized possessions. I'm sure Adrienne will have a better fleshed out answer, but for now that's my short reply.

I'll add one tip. Because those bladders are so small and their control isn't there yet I took up the water 2 hours before bed or before leaving for an extended period of time. That helps with the nighttime trips and sleeping through the night. I would encourage them to get one last drink in before I took up the water followed by a couple trips outside before bed. I am a little overboard on taking them outside compared to most and that's because I want the pups to associate outside with "do your thing." I used to make a fuss over them going inside, not rubbing their noses, but making them look at what they did (as if they cared). Now I just clean it up and move on with my day like nothing happened. An enzyme cleaner will be your best friend throughout the potty training, too. It will break down all the stuff that stays behind with regular cleaners. White vinegar and baking soda will do in a pinch, though.

:( Poor Remie and Hannah. I'm also glad your husband wasn't home! I know all-to-well what it's like to live with someone (and sometimes to be that someone) who can't find a peace with an animal resident. My ex wanted nothing to do with Momo and would get irritated at any little thing he did. His cat constantly peed / sprayed on everything (including Me while I was sleeping once!!). Those two issues put us at serious odds and I'm hoping your situation turns out more positively than mine did. I massage Momo and it help loosen up his arthritis. He was yelping at random times about 2 months ago and the Vet couldn't find anything. One day while I was bathing him I let the slickness of the suds guide my hands and I was able to work out a kink he had in his back leg. The yelping has since stopped. So, if you're comfortable doing it yourself, you can also offer massage and it's free that way. A heating pad or warm bath to soak in may or may not be an option for you, but there are a couple more ideas. We've been trying the CBD and honestly I don't see a difference even after 1 month. The Vet put Momo on Galliprant, which worked right away. Within 3 days he was no longer limping. Now we give it as needed. I hope this behaviorist works out! When you find the right one it's Amazing so I'll keep my fingers crossed that you can also breathe a sigh of relief.

What treats have you tried? What about trying another tug toy? In training Gertie for fetch I often pile up 5 sticks so that she'll come back to me to trade. I wonder if the same theory could be applied to trading tug toy for tug toy.

I've found the easiest way to get recalls with distractions is to make the distractions either less interesting or commonplace, and my recall rewarding. E.g., Gertie used to bark her head off at the waste collectors. I started giving her treats as they were parked outside our gate and telling her, "friend." It took about a month, but she hasn't barked, or even chuffed, at them in ages. The next step is to move that outdoors because proximity increases interest; however, that's a tough one because they come by twice per week and are only there about 45 seconds. It's a tough window to hit! The same can be applied to other distractions. Eventually I'm going to have to get on the bicycle and ride outside the gate while the husband plies her with treats. I may have to have him on the bike instead - she doesn't listen to him very well, lol. The odd thing is that she doesn't so much as flinch when we're walking on the trail and cyclists pass by. This leads me to believe it's possibly something to do with her knowing she's on the leash so why bother, whereas in the yard she has a good distance to run and I have zero, zip, zilch that I can do to stop her. That's why I need to lessen the desirability of the chase. If she knows my calling her = something delicious or more fun she's less likely to care about the cyclists. Oh, and the new thing - the neighbors across the street got goats after I finally got Gertie to stop barking at the neighbor's dogs. Ugh! It's always something with these pooches. :D

:cool:

Man, it's like a Labra- and Golden- doodle explosion around here lately! She very well may be getting tired and cranky if it's sudden onset. I've seen the advice to give them a Kong, or other long-lasting toy, filled with something enticing so they can work on that to self-soothe via licking. I know labs are very mouthy dogs, not so sure about Goldens; though I can tell you my older brother's Golden, Stella, was a little devil when she was younger. She'd peel back those lips, wrinkle her nose and nip my sister-in-law. She did outgrow it, so there's good news for you. One thing that works for us, that takes minimal effort from me, is the flirt pole Adrienne mentioned, or running the pups up and down the stairs. I'll toss a ball upstairs, they run up to fetch, bring it back, I toss upstairs, rinse and repeat. I hardly move at all, but they're tuckered out. At my old apartment I'd throw the ball from our balcony, Mo would race downstairs to get it, bring it back, then I'd toss it again. Now I step inside our screen room, he comes into it (doggy door), I step out, he runs around the screen room to get to me, rinse and repeat. At 9 weeks stairs are a fairly large hurdle, but flirt poles are easy enough. Lasers work, too, but you have to give them a reward at the end or they can get frustrated or even develop issues with lights and shadows. I'll use the laser by having the dog run around to catch it and I'll end it by pointing it to a treat or a toy. Something tangible they can interact with. Just in case the Find It game isn't mentioned in the posts, that's another good way to tire out her brain. She's still pretty young, but you can make the game easy for her, then raise the criteria as she gets the hang of it. Gertie didn't know what the heck I was on about initially, and now it's her second favorite game (flirt pole is the first favorite).

Oh bleeping bleepity bleep! Poor Lee. :( I'm so happy you found each other! Give her lots of lovin' from my crew and me - she deserves every bit of it! I can tell you, implementing the techniques Adrienne's shared will help immensely. Gertie's story is in one of those posts, but I found her nose-deep in the peanut butter jar and when I startled her that little nose came out of the jar and she had a peanut butter goatee. What a mess! :D We gated off the kitchen, which solved 90% of the issue. Once she learned she'll get treats and food regularly, and easily, she stopped her counter surfing. That's not to say a nice juicy steak wouldn't entice her - she did lick my husband's chicken sandwich this past Spring, lol. It was simply too enticing and she simply Had to have a taste.

Yikes! What are you doing when she's nipping? Does anything in particular seem to cause it to happen more (e.g., talking in a high pitched voice, moving around excitedly)? How old is she, and what breed (or size if you don't know breed)? How much exercise does she get daily? These are some of the things Adrienne is going to need to know in order to help. In the meantime here are some links to other peoples' questions about nipping that may help: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?166-Puppy-Jumping-up-Grabbing-me&highlight=nipping Go to post #8 for this one: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?206-Crazy-puppy!&highlight=nipping This one has Several people asking for help (your issue is Not uncommon so you're in good company): https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?57-Biting-dog&highlight=nipping https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?106-Excessive-puppy-biting&highlight=nipping A snippet from another post that had the same info as the above except this part: I like using hand targeting as a replacement behavior for nipping. You can toss the treats rather than hand feed them so to make the activity extra fun and burn excess energy. Here's a guide on targeting: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/m...ool/targeting/ I'll say it again, this is a Very common issue with new puppies / dogs and you are not alone in this. Thankfully, we have an excellent resource in Adrienne and she's been able to help many people with this irritating habit. :)

Here's one to get you started. I had the same issue when I brought Gertrude home. The little rascals! https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?43-Thieving-Pooch&highlight=thieving

Yes, Momo is a little excitable. I can't give him too much praise or he falls over himself saying, "omg, omg, I did a thing, yes! I did. A. Thing. Rejoice!" And then there I am thinking, "so much for getting him into a down, now he's running around like a hooligan." I'm pleased you like my stories - I know I get chatty sometimes and I do try to curb myself so as not to take over conversations. I enjoy writing and when we add dogs to the mix I tend to go over my threshold. :D I like the idea of putting something more interesting, or at least different than, Abbi out in the yard. They'd absolutely take that bait. Mo will definitely start a fight if there's food involved, but excitement isn't an issue. They'll even fetch together (well, okay, Gertie plops down with the ball, gets distracted, then Mo gets it from her and brings it to me - she's a work in progress for the "bring it back" part) without issues. It Was funny yesterday when I let them out. Gertie totally faked Momo out and that made him growl. I think he truly got frustrated that she feigned going straight and switched at the last second. Poor tailless Momo couldn't pivot quickly enough and kept going straight. :D I swear I saw Gertrude smirk when he growled! Nutjobs. I can do treats as long as I have each dog on separate sides of me, and don't drop the treats. Getting their attention while they're zipping through the yard is quite the challenge, though, so that gives us squad goals to work on. Now you've got me thinking. Perhaps if I let Abbi out After the "big" kids are already frolicking they may be less inclined to check out her lounging area. Or, at least, it may take them longer to notice and that may be just enough time for Abbi to do her business. Thank you, as always, for the input! Have a great turkey day - I'll be peeling then mashing up 12 pounds of potatoes tomorrow (it's only 9 people, but I like to have leftovers!) so I'm calling it a night.

At first I thought this was a Momo thing because he's all boy and pays little heed to manners. Gertrude does the Same thing, though, and I need to nip it in the bud. Here's the scenario: I take Abbi out with the "big" dogs so she can go potty. The "big" dogs are to wait at the door so I can get Abbi in position and stand next to her in an attempt to act as a barracade. I give the "big" dogs the okay to come outside and they Tear out of the door (which I'm totally okay with in the back yard). As they're kicking up the grass and dirt they Always run Right next to Abbi. Why?! I know they see her - otherwise they wouldn't go by that spot because it's not their normal routine. If I move away from Abbi those two maniacs will continue to run right next to her Or they've even jumped over her, and they don't always clear their mark causing Abbi to fall. Obviously the best course is management - just don't have them out at the same time - and that's what I normally do, but occasionally I have to take them all out together in the interest of time saving. I just can't figure out why, with a freaking half acre to run around, they have to molest poor old arthritic Abbi in her Tiny spot near the door. It's worse if I'm not standing guard over her. Momo will actually do a hockey skater type stop and turn right next to her. If he's not spraying her with dirt and grass he's sending her tumbling (rude and painful to the poor little one!). I Thought Gertrude might have better manners, but she proved me wrong a moment ago. I took her out the front door where she's made to Walk out to the edge of the entry and wait for me before progressing. Then we Walk to a specific spot on the sidewalk, which is when I give her the release to go do her thing. This time Abbi was sitting in the yard, doing Abbi stuff, and Gertie suddenly Zooms right past Abbi. She doesn't get as close as Momo, but it's still a jerk move. Any ideas on how to get them to ignore Abbi when everyone's hanging out together?

I know you're still having issues, but looking in from the outside y'all have made leaps and bounds in progress. I get your husband's knee-jerk reaction. I've had it with Momo a few times when he's attacked me. I think if I didn't know body language and when to press and when not to I would have certainly been bitten by now. Like Remie, it's a bunch of show and noise. Doesn't make my heart race any less, though! It's easy to say this or that when we don't really mean it, or maybe we do but then we calm down and things settle. It's so very sweet that she had a good cry with you. I don't think any of my dogs would give two flips, not even Gertrude, if I were to cry. Time will tell with her, but I know Momo wouldn't, he's about as in tune with me a guitar without its strings! He's such a boy. Having said that, Remie must be quite intuitive and connected to you to have tried her paw at soothing you. That's special. As for the trainer / behaviorist, if you're not warm and fuzzy about her then drop her. Especially if she doesn't take your input into account. She sounds like a brick wall and, again, looking in from the outside, you seem to be a level-headed and reasonable person so I doubt you've given her cause to shut down when you talk. Contrarily, in order to address the issues she should be asking for your input. I know it took you forever to find her, but if she's not going to listen and just do her own thing anyway it might be worth the wait to find a better fit.

Aww, pets and scratches for poor Kramer. I have a fear-based aggressive pooch, too. It does get better with time, and setbacks do happen, but with patience (loads of it for me) things do get better. :) If you have anything specific to ask, hop on over to the Dog Training & Behavior section. I've been here for a little over a year and have learned Gobs of information. Your pups are so distinguished looking with their decor. Very refined and look at that focus!

That's Excellent progress! I did something similar with Gertie. She started by my side in the kitchen and I have a strict No Dogs in the Kitchen rule. With practice I got her to stay at the end of the cabinet, but every time I went into the pantry or mud room to get something she'd hop up and trot over to be by my side. Repeated trips to the pantry and then practice with the mud room in a short time with Nothing of interest happening (and me not disappearing) she now chills out at the end of the cabinet as I scurry about the kitchen areas and out into the mud room. We've even transitioned from barricading her behind a modified Ex Pen to letting her hang out in the bedroom while we're out. I hope to expand her domain while we're out, room by room so we can eventually let her roam the house. My husband built the house to where Every last room can be cordoned off, except the kitchen into the living room. There's not even a good way to position a baby gate to close those rooms off from one another. Ah well, next house. :D Anyway, I'm enthused to have read about your progress. You're Really working with her to get such great results in so short a time. Pat yourself on the back because you deserve it - this is Not an easy issue to conquer and you're dominating it. :)

One way to tell what their favorite is would be to gauge their enthusiasm. For the Zuke's minis the dogs are pretty darn happy, but when I bust out the freeze dried beef or real chicken, especially Warm chicken, Gertie's butt will hit that floor Immediately. For the Zuke's she still sits quickly, but I can hear her tail slap the ground when it's something she Really likes. It's a bit messy, but I recently purchased an cake decorating gun and filled it with peanut butter so I can easily fill Kongs and whatnot. I may try that on the tile to get her to follow the trail of peanut butter to the shower. It cleans up easily enough off of tile, right? :D Momo's focus will intensify and his ears will perk up when I've upped the ante. I have to be careful with him, though, because he'll easily get over threshold if the food is Too good (steak) and we've been working on his resource guarding issues. He'll start snapping at the treats if he's too excited about them and he's even grabbed my arm once with his paws (not cool, Mo, not cool). He'll also do a type of bow or he'll spin around in a circle when I've got something particularly good. He's been known to produce the occasional drool bubble, too. Gertie will offer behaviors if I have something she finds particularly scrumptious. When I added wet food to her diet she was so excited over the salmon that, again, I could hear her tail slap the ground, but she also offered a bow, a sit, a down, her paw, the other paw . . . she was trying all her tricks to get some of that food. Now it's our pre-dinner routine - I'll put her through her paces and ask her to perform these tasks rapid fire style. She won't do that for Zuke's minis. I'm using the salmon to get her accustomed to the treadmill. I started feeding her near the treadmill, then put the food on the treadmill so she had to get closer, and eventually I moved it to a position to where she had to get on the treadmill to reach her food. Next I will probably turn on the treadmill and feed her away from it, moving her closer and closer each evening. It's similar to what you'll do with the bathroom. I kind of slacked on the treadmill training and need to get back to it. Silly life getting in the way of training! :D

I know this will be asked - what kind of treats are you using? It's going to take something fanflippingtastic to get him into the tub based on how resistant he is based on your description. Another question - does he like water or is he opposed to it? Have you tried him in the kitchen sink? If that's too much, have you tried what I call "monkey baths?" That's where you get a washcloth and wipe him down (I do this for Gertie when she's rolled in some nasty thing or another and only gotten it on a small portion of her fur). Does he follow either of you into the bathroom when you're going about your daily routine? If so, you can start with the treats there while he's well under threshold to get him to start associating washroom with good times. If not, you can still drop treats by your feet or even toss them to him while he's at the door watching you. With time he should enter the restroom on his own. I usually wash ours outside while they're on their leash so if that's an option you might give it a go. If it's not, I do get Gertie to come into the shower with me and she's pretty darn resistant so I'm well acquainted with your plight! It takes freeze dried salmon or freeze dried liver or something she rarely gets (e.g. if we have steak the night before I'll reserve some just for that shower time!). There are some oreo-type cookies that she goes crazy for and I'll use those as well. You can do dry runs where he gets into the tub, treat, release him to go to his place of comfort. If he won't get into the tub, you can try having him target it (touch it with his nose or paw) and reward him for that effort until he's comfortable, then move to getting him inside the tub. I think that step would come after you've acclimated him coming into the bathroom first. It will take baby steps. Sure you can force it, but then you're going to be constantly battling a big boy and that doesn't sound like much fun for Anyone involved! When you're holding him, has he come into the washroom on his own or have you carried him in there? Adrienne will either confirm what I've laid out or she'll give you an even better run down of how it would look. I'm almost positive she's going to tell you to break it down into little steps and always work with him under threshold. If he's shaking, resisting, trying to run away, whining, pushing against you to get away, etc . . . then he's over his limit and you'll need to go back a step until he's confident again. Oh! Another thought. Make the washroom a Fun place, a place he Wants to go. When I take a shower Gertie has a mat she can sleep on and initially I would give her a Kong with peanut butter in it so she'd stay out of the dirty clothes pile (she was a sock aficionado - she Loved to chew on them, gross!). Now she chills out there without the Kong. When I tell her "shower" she'll get up, turn in a circle, curl up like a little fox and whale eye me, ready to make a break for it. We're still a work in progress ourselves. :D

I'll cast a vote for capturing! I was trying to teach Gertie "bow," and she wasn't getting it with me leading her into a bow so I switched to the capture tactic. Every time she would bow I would praise her and give her a treat. Now she bows for Everything, lol! It's also how I taught her how to shake her body on command. Whenever she shook I would say, "good shake!" I often didn't have a treat on hand for that one so it took a little longer to teach, but now drying her off after a bath is So much easier because she waits until I tell her to shake instead of doing it at will. My post bath clean up is much quicker as a result. ;) I find capturing to be a lot of fun and the pups seem to like it as well because they get rewarded for something they were doing anyway.

I am with you on the annoyance over licking. I love dogs but I can't Stand the licking - yuck! Their tongues are their hands and I certainly don't like people wiping their hands all over me and a dog tongue is no different (well, worse, really because humans generally won't touch half of what dogs will put in their mouths)! I train my pups not to lick by removing myself from their vicinity. E.g., if they lick my hand I'll move away from them and say, "no licking!" It takes some repetition because dogs love to lick and to them it's the most natural thing in the world. Adrienne can flesh that out, I'm sure, with more tactics. You could also redirect her to a treat or toy that she could lick instead. From what I've read it can be a sign of distress, a sign of affection, a self-soothing action, or a multitude of other reasons. In your case it sounds like affection, and what better way to soothe oneself than to shower a loved one with affection? :D I think my dogs pick up quickly on how much disdain I have for being licked by my disgusted reaction and they have stopped within the first couple weeks of coming home. They'll test the waters with other people, but a quick, "no lick," from me gets them to stop. The only licks I get now are the "kiss to dismiss" when I get too close to their face or hold their paw. It's a fast lick and it's normally only one to say, "stop it!" Abbi will lick my husband for 10 minutes but she won't even try it with me.

Hi Nic! I'd love to see pictures of them - I adore Retrievers. :) There's a puppy pic thread in the Dog Chat forum. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?259-Canine-Picture-Thread It's fairly new so there aren't many threads to sift through, yet, but if you feel so inclined you can help it grow with your boys. :) On to your issue . . . this has been asked before and I dug up the links for those discussions for you: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?86-Double-dog-training&highlight=training+dogs and https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?138-Working-with-more-than-one-dog&highlight=training+dogs I hope that helps!

Aw, I can understand your reluctance to try new things if it takes that much time to get her regulated. We got the Halloween goodie box from Chewy a couple weeks ago and it had freeze dried beef and freeze dried salmon. The salmon has a stench, not an odor, a Stench - it's potent. It whammied me as soon as I opened the bag and I'm not a fan of fish so it was a double whammy. :D However, Gertie was into it right away and it's probably for the very reason I was put off by it - the smell. The freeze dried beef is better to handle and kinder to the nostrils. I can easily break those in half. I'll have to look into the ginger. I did switch her food to Purina Pro Plan and she's doing better on that. I took her to the Vet last week and paid a Very well spent $24 to have her glands internally expressed. The Vet informed me they were full to the rim so I'm hoping we get a reprieve for some time before she needs attention again. My ultimate hope is that after being fully expressed they won't refill, but will instead empty on their own. I stopped feeding the oatmeal and within two days Gertie was scratching again so I've resolved to stay on top of getting the oatmeal into her breakfast bowl. The Vet was happy about the fish oil and the amount I'm giving as well as the chamomile so we're on the right path. I have to scale back the amount of wet food because she's gained 7 pounds. The Vet said, "we've gained some weight, but we still have a little bit of a waist so we'll want to watch what we eat." She cracks me up with that "we" thing. It's okay to tell me my dog is chubby, no need to sugar coat it! I need to go back tomorrow to get an Rx for Momo (the old man's developing some arthritic conditions and the trial medication seems to be working well) so I can ask her about the ginger when I pick up his Rx. Take care and happy Halloween! Oh, and I'm with you on that food motivation. Mashed potatoes and steak would be incentive enough for me!