Adrienne Farricelli

Hi Ruth McCollum, If your Bruno was progressing fine when on walks, but now is struggling at training class, it's likely because, in class, you are unable to grant him the distance he needs for staying under threshold. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ Too many dogs, too close, can surely negatively impact the best plans. It's great that your trainer is using a barrier to block the visual aspect as this can turn extra helpful in keep the dog under threshold. Ideas that come to mind is arriving early in class so that he doesn't bark as soon as you let him out of the car and he sees the other dogs. If you arrive first and can place him right away behind the barrier, than that may help at least decrease that initial barking. Another idea is not luring him out when quiet. He is apparently not ready to see the other dogs this up close and letting him bark stresses him out and doesn't help ameliorate the situation. Or maybe the trainer can place the barrier farther away. Classes shouldn't be stressful to dogs, and if after a couple of classes and various adjustments, the dog still struggles to adjust, I feel it's time to think about plan B. In other words, if things don't improve, it may be important chatting with the trainer and asking if perhaps it may be best starting with private classes and then slowly introducing him to other dogs in class. Another option is working with a trainer specializing in "reactive Rover" classes where reactive dogs are gradually introduced to other dogs. It is interesting that you mention that this behavior change occurred recently after neutering. How long ago was he neutered?

Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to fearful or reactive dogs. It's a great feeling when we are proud of our doggies! You need to pat yourself on your back as well for a job well done. When you notice a bad day, try to keep track of what may have gone wrong and keep tabs on it, so that you can take steps to prevent exposure to the trigger in such intense form.

Hi there! Yes, target training can help with the fear of objects. Specifically, I like to use the clicker to reward baby steps as you have described (looking at it, walking towards it, sniffing it). If your dog is not fearful of the clicker's sound, here is the guide on clicker training: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/clicker-training/ If your dog is fearful of the clicker sound, here's a guide for that: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/your-clicker-best-friend-or-worst-enemy/ I am boarding/training right now a pup called "King" who pulls wildly on the leash and he doesn't like the harness and is scared of having it put over the head. Before investing in a step-in-harness, I am trying to get him to voluntarily investigate it and then phase 2 will be getting him to voluntarily stick his head in the harness on his own. First step is therefore creating positive associations with the harness using "click the trigger." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqy35Rbg3zo Open bar/closed bar can be helpful too for fear of luggage/suitcases etc. Like you can have a helper walk with the backpack rolling along the hallway, and keep you dog perpendicular at an entrance and feed treats every time she watches the luggage pass by. Here is a guide on open/bar closed bar: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/ I would suggest bringing high-value treats on walks and keep her at a distance from anybody with a luggage so that she's under threshold ad feed treats upon watching it calmly from a distance. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/\ Baby steps and high-value treats is key! With this English setter I am working on, kibble isn't enough even though he loves it. It's with the higher value treats that these days he has started volunteering putting the head through the harness. Important is also watching her comfort levels. Depending on how fearful she is, you may even have to start by recording the sound of the suitcase rolling and playing it back at low volume as you feed treats. Once the recording sound is over, no more treats. This is covered in the 'hear that" section: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/pre-lat-look-behavior-modification/ Aim for a positive conditioned emotional response: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ Slow and steady wins the race! Happy training! Adrienne

I don't see it as a problem as long as he's happy to be there! I have boarded dogs intermittently having them over several times a month for short stays and the owners always joked about it saying "let's go visit "aunt Adrienne!" and their dogs were always happy to visit. As long as he has a good time, and the facility monitors him carefully, it's good, especially once he knows the caretakers well. As for frequency, there may be issues at times with dogs who are taken every single day at a daycare as they play wild with other dogs and their arousal levels tend to be high for prolonged periods of time, and this can cause them to never get to relax. So in that case, too much, too often, can have a negative effect as these dogs don't get much time to "recuperate" so to say.

Kudos to you for all your patience and the hard work and now it's time to start reaping the rewards! The best part is that, as dogs mature, and prove themselves very trustworthy around the house, we can start keeping them free in the home rather than confined. Both Petra and Einstein were given partial run of the house at around 1 year old. Of course, I always made sure anything potentially harmful was out of the way (like curtain ties, wires etc). A little tip if you want to see what's going on with a recording device if you have a blind spot; that is, the use of a mirror placed strategically can help give you a little glimpse of what he may be doing during your absence. Recording just audio can also give you some hints as to his vocalizations. Once again, congrats on a job well done!

Glad to hear she is doing much better. Pheew! Big sigh or relief! Lots of medications, but you have it pat down with your nicely organized schedule. I will keep an eye for Gertie's video. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Sounds like you are doing a great job! Kudos to you for helping her stay under threshold. Keep up the great work, baby steps and lots of lots of positive associations!

Poor baby! I wonder what could have been in that water to make her so sick! I don't think you have blue algae in your area, I think that's mostly nearby the lakes in Nebraska and Michigan. Maybe giardia? However the incubation period for that is 5 days up to 2 weeks. I hope she gets better soon! I imagine how worried you may be feeling. I am glad though she's home with you being pampered. Best wishes for tomorrow's checkup. Keeping you both in my thoughts!

I second what Jennifer says that is, to record her behavior in your absence. It's important to see how she does once you are gone for some time. A dog with separation anxiety will typically not settle. You will see panting, whining, pacing, having accidents (not due to lack of bladder control but due to being anxious) and drooling. Since you have had her for only week, you are likely seeing some anxiety due to being in a new place, enclosed in a confined area, alone. These dogs need lots of baby steps and positive associations to learn to settle on their own. If she has finished all her shots and you vet gave you the green light, a walk prior to leaving home followed by some brain games may help wear her out enough to make her tired and in need for a nap. These exercises below can be a good start point to create positive associations with you leaving: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-to-prevent-separation-anxiety-in-puppies/ If your recording shows that she is acting anxious for a long time and never seems to settle, you may need to invest some time in teaching her how to cope being alone starting with brief absences. You will find some more comprehensive protocols here:

Hi Angie Torres, It sounds like you need to tweak your plan to keeping her better under threshold. The freezing ,the barking, the turning around and not following you, are signs that she is too over threshold for her cognitive functions to kick in. Her body and mind is in fight or flight (and freeze) mode, so there's not much space for thinking rationally other than the instinctive fighting back or freezing. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ I would start with some PRE-LAT exercises specifically "hear that" using recording of dogs, dog tags etc. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/pre-lat-look-behavior-modification/ Aim for a solid conditioned emotional response: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ Then, I would work on creating a super solid response to the smacking sound: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ and do Look at That exercises by the window watching dogs passing by: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ Then, once you get a solid conditioned emotional response to watching dogs calmly from a window, you can move to working in front of your home, making your smacking sound every time she spots a dog at a distance. You may find it helpful to do setups if you know a friend with a calm dog who you can direct to walking at a distance doing more look at that exercises and even open bar closed bar if your location allows it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/ You may have to drive to places where you can find more space and have more control over the environment so to help set her up for success. Rather than dragging her away, which exerts pressure on her neck further creating negative feelings/associations if you're using a collar, it would be best to train her to turn with you on cue. Make it fun and upbeat and train it at a fluent level away from dogs, starting at home, then in the yard, then in front of the home, then at a distance from dogs. She should be responsive to you as long as you ask for it promptly at a distance she's less likely to react and use the right treats. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/emergency-u-turn/ It's very important to use super-duper high value treats that are smelly (or better stink to high heavens) so to grab her attention. For behavior modification, I like to use baked calf liver that I cut into small pieces. I know it's yucky to handle, but I use what works best. You may have do some trials on what she seems to like best. If you use stinky treats, you can even toss them in front of you, so to allow her to increase distance on her own accord. The tossing also makes it a fun game. Check with your vet on the ideal treats for her if she's prone to having a sensitive tummy. Letting her be over threshold too often (other than an occasional setback which may happen occasionally even with the most systematic plans) will only cause the behavior to exacerbate as the behavior puts roots more and more and stress hormones make her jumpier and easier to startle. You can ask the veterinary behaviorist if during the wait time, you she can do a brief consult over the phone and determine if anti-anxiety supplements or meds can help her in the meanwhile if it's too difficult to get her under threshold. There are some over the counter calming aids like DAP collars, calming caps, treats with L-theanine, alpha-casozepine, but they may work only for mild cases of reactivity. When there it is great difficulty to walk a reactive dog because it's almost impossible to keep them under threshold, walking them may prove to be too stressful. For this reason, several dog behavior professionals may suggest to skip walks for these fellows (replacing them with training, lots of brain games, structured exercise in the yard) until help can be sought or to find places to walk when one can ascertain there are no dogs for the time being.

Esther's been doing really well the past week so I think I've hit the magic number on titrating the Proin combined with the Incurin. Or maybe the bladder shifted or who knows. All I know is that she's gone 2 hours between outings lately and it's been Heaven, lol. I even upped the amount I give her and she's left some in the bowl several times now. I am glad to hear that! With the added prednisone I was already imaging her drinking like a dehydrated horse in the desert and then peeing like one afterward. And eating like she's starving, based on how my dogs reacted to this drug. It's already frustrating to deal with it in normal dogs, I can't imagine how it must feel with a dog with bladder and increased drinking issues to start with. They told me some dogs do far worse with their human counterparts present and others do much better. I am inclined to say the helicopter / coddling companions would make matters worse by being nervous or aggressive towards the doctors and techs themselves. "How dare you hurt my baby," or, "do you have to do it that way," kind of mentality. I go in there with the mentality of, "okay miss ma'am, this is going to suck but it's for the greater good of your health so I'm going to help them help you." Owners who exude confidence and positivity I think would be helpful in getting their pooches through the ordeal. Yes, I agree, how the owners react may cause dogs to feed off their emotions, so that can be a good reason for taking them back. It just seems like in some places, it just becomes a habit and they don't evaluate whether the owners may help make the situation better. According to a study published on August 1, 2017 in Physiology & Behavior Volume 177 dogs appeared to be more stressed when taken away from their owners. I think a problem is that dogs who seem to "behave better" are just in a frozen state of learned helplessness. Poor dogs, one would wish so hard they could understand it's for their health! You sound a lot like me in your approach and mindset. The goal being helping our dogs get through it for their own good. The grumping at people and animals in the car is nothing new. I gave her treats every time a tech came out and caught her eye and marked it with a "yes!" The boy was simply moving far too fast for her comfort. Especially with those adorable puppies nearby. I was thinking of going to the vet's office and hanging out in the parking lot to do more conditioning as people and pets come and go. I warned them they may see me and I'm not being a creeper, lol. The doc said she wished more people trained their dogs for these situations. That's an awesome idea!

Hi there! So happy to hear that Loki is doing so well, you certainly deserve a big pat on your back as you have been so patient and determined to help Loki succeed. Your question is very reasonable, and I have good news for you. I have found that the most 'difficult" times for dogs are the first 2-3 days of boarding. This because it takes some time adjusting to a new place, its sights and sounds and dogs don't seem to know what role the person taking care of them plays. Is this person a vet who will poke him? Is this person a groomer who will give him a bath? Is this person trustworthy? The dog will also look for the owners wondering when they will come back. He may bark, pace and walk towards the door in hopes of re-uniting. When he is taken out, he may look around for the owners. After some time though, he will start relaxing, to the point of feeling comfortable enough to take a nap. If he is awakened from the nap, he may lift his head, look around a bit as if wondering where he is, but then will go back to sleep. As those first 2-3 days go by, the dog realizes that the place is not bad at all, the person is trustworthy and feeds them, he is taken on walks and even played with. The dog starts getting used to a new routine and habituates to the noises as long as they are not too intense. Now, this is what happens with dogs who have never been boarded before and are in total new place and around new people. If you have kept Loki in touch and boarded him often, it's as if he's going to visit family and several doggy friends and will be quicker to adjust. The more time he stays, the more he adjusts. Three weeks is quite the average time I have boarded/trained dogs for people who travelled overseas or for military TDY. Of course, the owners are never forgotten! The longest I have boarded a dog was for 3 months, and you had to see the big party he threw when the owners came through the door. The dog kissed me goodbye and then readily jumped in the car. Things to keep into account is that once back, dogs boarded for longer may take a bit to get back to their routine, but dogs can quickly re-adjust. I can't say really what to expect behavior-wise though in regards to things this boarding place may or may not do. For example, if they allow certain things that you don't normally allow at home (like pulling on the leash, humping other dogs) it may take some time to work on those things again and re-establish the old rules. At the same time though, the dog gets to have a variety of new experiences. He may get to meet new people and dogs, and this can enrich his social skills especially when play is carefully monitored and all experiences are ensured they stay positive (which I am pretty sure they do their best at that).

Hello and welcome to the forums! Bless your heart for rescuing a very abused dog. The things people do to dogs are sickening, makes one wonder who are the real "animals." Poor Simon, I am glad that now he is in a loving and caring home and he has learned to trust again. The problems you are facing are not unusual with young dogs. Several dogs get better as they mature and become more trustworthy anywhere between the ages of 1 and 3 years old. Some get there earlier, some get there later-and a few may never "get there" or get there when they are old. I recommend all dog owners teach their dogs both the "leave it' and "drop it" commands. The ""leave its" are for those times we notice our dogs approaching something, the "drop its" are for those times when we notice our dogs have already grabbed something in their mouth. You can find guides on training both in the below sections: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/drop-it/ While these commands typically work well when we are around, a whole different story is when we are not present. This causes us to assume that dogs may intently destroy stuff when left alone because they are angry/spiteful/seeking revenge for not being taken along. We are often deeply convinced of this also based on the way our dogs act upon our return... With the dog looking away, ears back and slowly slinking away with his body low, it just seems to prove to us that "the proof is in the pudding" as these dogs just seem to have the word "guilty" printed all over their face. Yet, research has shown us that there are different dynamics going on. Here's the thing: Guilt is ultimately a human emotion. It takes some complex thinking to feel guilty as guilt requires the adherence of a moral code necessary to make the act of destroying things unethical for dogs, a species that instead tends to merely act out of instincts. So that "guilty look" our beloved dogs give us when we enter the home and act disappointed/frustrated/angry about the mess doesn’t equate to actual guilt, rather they are responding instinctively to our body language. Indeed, according to research, a dogs' "guilty look" isn't therefore “an official admission of guilt,” but rather an instinctive response to what's perceived by our dogs as threatening behavior. Any time we therefore exhibit hostile/frustrated body language, dogs are going to make themselves as small and unassuming as possible to avoid our wrath. This is more an appeasing gesture than anything else. In any case, it would be helpful understanding firstly why Simon acts destructive when left alone in the first place so that we can tackle the issue correctly. I will list some common reasons why dogs tend to destroy things around the home when left alone. 1) Separation Anxiety I don't think this may be what may be impacting Simon, but it's worthy of mentioning in any case, primarily because many rescue dogs have some level of separation anxiety going on. If Simon is relatively calm when you’re around, but starts getting nervous (pacing, drooling, whining, panting) when you leave or are about to leave the house, it might be due to anxiety. In general, dogs who have separation anxiety will usually mostly target windows or doors (scratching and biting them) in a frantic attempt to be re-united with their owners. It may be worth it to record your dog's behavior the first 15-20 minutes when you leave the home and see whether he gets panicky. Watch for signs such as constant pacing, whining, barking, howling, drooling, scratching and chewing windows and doors and having accidents around the house. 2) Coping Mechanism Likewise, some dogs may be triggered by certain sights or sounds. Normally with their human around, dogs are less likely to react to the stimuli. But left to their own devices, the sights and sounds going on in the world beyond the house may be too much for them to handle. And some dogs just can’t handle the added pressure of keeping watch over the whole home in your absence. After all, no matter how big your fur baby is, the space they occupy is always going to seem much larger when they aren’t sharing it with you. In reality, dogs at their core are social animals. Being left alone, especially when they ran wild, meant danger. A larger predator could snatch up even the quickest dog if they were by their lonesome. There was safety in numbers so being left on their own still can rub dogs the wrong way. Stress can therefore play a number on dogs, and chewing can be their preferred way to cope with these unpleasant emotions. 3) Boredom Setting in Many dog breeds were domesticated and later bred for a particular purpose. Hounds were bred to track by scent or by sight, while bulldogs were selectively bred to fight bulls. With a history as working dogs, our companions have this hardwired need to find a "job" and fill up any idle moment in life. When boredom or frustration sets in, dogs will therefore engage in undesirable behaviors. "Idle paws are a devil's workshop"... This type of destructive behavior is different than separation anxiety in that, the dogs appear calm when alone and aim to destroy things like the remote control, pillows, paper towels etc more than windows and doors. I think Simon may fit this picture, along with the hardwired instincts mentioned below. 4) Ancient Instincts Even though our dogs are domesticated and fed food from bags and cans served in shiny bowls, they still retain some ancient instincts. Let's just say that they have remained still a hunters and scavengers at heart. Stuffed couch pillows are therefore super tempting as they remind him of prey animals. Just as dogs shake their toys and tear them apart to get to the squeaker, dogs will have a blast chewing through pillows so as to "de-gut" them, removing the internal "entrails" under the form of stuffing. After covering some possible culprits, let's take a look at some possible solutions. -Add food puzzles. I know you mentioned leaving him plenty of toys, but toys can get rather boring compared to a fun pillow to remove the stuffing or a book with pages that can be ripped off one-by-one. Regular toys such as balls, tug toys or rubber bones can get "old" after a while, especially when they often around and we don't rotate them. It may therefore help to leave out toys that put your dog to "work" under the form of food puzzles and long-lasting goodies such as Kongs stuffed with some tasty foods, Kong Wobblers with some tasty treats mixed with kibble to get out, and long-lasting chews. If your other dog is free in the house though, use caution and keep them separated as sometimes fights may erupt around valuable foods/toys. -Keep temptation out of reach. At the same time, you may also want to remove all of the tempting things you know your dog is tempted to chew. Put books on tall shelves, close the bathroom door, remove pillows and small Knick/knacks, remove his bed too. After all, they can’t rip anything into pieces if they can’t gain access to them or reach them! Don't forget to remove objects off of any surface your dog can reach. This is just temporary for when you are away, once back, you can place them back, as long as you always supervise your dog and use any attempts to gain access to these things in your presence as opportunities to polish your leave its and drop its. -Keep your dog in just one room if removing all things is a complicated ordeal, you can try keeping your dog in only one room that is as "dog-proofed" as possible. -Walk your dogs, provide some brain games and play with them before you have to leave. You want to tire them out as much as possible so that they won’t have as much need to expend that extra energy (although I feel that this alone won't work well enough, you will most likely need to combine this with leaving legitimate goodies around and remove items you don't want him to chew). -Consider remote monitoring to keep tabs on what your dog is doing when left alone. I feel this can be extra helpful. The Furbo camera allows you to watch your dog, talk to him and is even capable of dispensing treats to keep your dog busy at the touch of a button. With remote monitoring, you can create 'set-ups" where you step outside the house and remind your dog to "leave it" as needed, entering the home as needed and reward when he's behaving well. This can cause your dog to believe you are always supervising him, even when you are not physically around, although I know of some smarty pants dogs who seem to eventually learn the mechanism. -Go gradual. Start with brief absences and build up the time you are gone gradually. You want to establish a history where your dog looks forward to you leaving because it means that you provide him with several food puzzles that will keep him entertained and that will satiate his need to chew. -Build some anticipation. Before leaving, I like to prepare some goodies in advance and build up anticipation. For instance, I would prepare a Kong stuffed with a dog cookie stuck at the bottom, some kibble mixed with peanut butter and some other cookie to lodge things in and then I would place some treats mixed with more kibble in a Kong Wobbler and then I would open a package of bully sticks and grab one and I would place all these goodies up on a high shelf as I go prepare to leave the home. By the time I am ready to leave, the dog will be pleading me have access to all these goodies. I would then ask the dog to hold a stay while I scatter all these goodies on the floor and then I would say "go!" as I exit the door. Again, if your other dog is free in the house though, use caution and keep them separated as sometimes fights may erupt around valuable foods/toys. -If you find that your dog is becoming overly stressed or suffering from separation anxiety when left alone, please show your recording to your vet who can help confirm or rule out possible separation anxiety and can provide a referral to a veterinary behaviorist for an in-depth plan. -Lastly, I would mention the importance of practicing caution. Some dogs may never be totally trustable left alone. It may just be best to crate these dogs, especially if there are risks for the dog to chew and ingest things that may lead to complications such as an intestinal blockage. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions. Happy training!

Oh my, prednisone? Is this the same vet who is aware of her peeing problems, and diagnosed her and put her on medication to reduce her peeing? So is she now both on antibiotics and prednisone? Did they tell you why they couldn't examine her? Was she moving too much? Was it when they touched a particular body part? If they told you what she was struggling with, you could know what to work on and possibly organize some "mock" vet visits, maybe with the help of your trainer. Maybe she was in pain and guarding her bum if the area is inflamed/infected. I am glad that when you intervened, she was more collaborative. Good job in giving her a treat every time she looked at the vet! I wished more vets would let owners assist. I had a good one that let me always be present for blood draws. There's still a belief that dogs misbehave when owners are around which prompts them to bring the dogs to the back of the office. Or maybe they just restrain them and owners may not like to see that. But then again, with this whole pandemic ordeal maybe they prefer to not have people too close. Is the barking at people when in the car a new behavior? There's a guide for this here if you ever have a helper who can drive. Both Einstein and Petra at some point started barking at people approaching the car when they were adolescents, especially when it started to get dark. I would sit behind with them when hubby would drive around looking to get that positive conditioned emotional response upon spotting people walk by. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/barking-strangers-car/

1) QUESTION: When your roommates leave for good (meaning they are out of the door and gone) does she become calm and acts as if she is relieved, or does she appear anxious as if waiting for them to come back? "She stops barking within 5-10 seconds or less and continues with what she was doing prior to barking- probably snoozing on the couch. She doesn’t appear anxious for them to come back but not exactly relieved that they’re gone either, just moving on. " OK, this is good. So this likely excludes separation anxiety, in particular the type where the dog gets attached to one person and can't cope with the absence. If she's moving on, that suggests she's doing OK after the departure. Dogs with separation anxiety will typically whine, bark, pant, drool, pace, scratch at windows and doors, eliminate in the home and can't seem to settle until their favorite person comes back. 2) QUESTION: How does she do when you are alone with her and YOU are about to leave? " About 95% of the time when I leave she is very calm. Sometimes doesn’t even get up from the couch. It’s rarely just us two since one of our roommates tends to be home at a time. " This is good too. If she doesn't even get up from the couch, it sounds like she's comfortable and copes well. In those rare instances, when she is completely left alone, it would be important checking on how she does with that, if that ever happens. I recommend all dog owners every now and then record how their dogs do when left alone just to keep tabs on how their dogs are doing. The recorder should be placed so that you have a clear view of the dog and the exit door. 3) QUESTION How does she do when you are not around and your roommates leave? I know you said there is silence, but for sake of clarity I would record her behavior to determine how she does once they are away for good. "She calmly watches them leave or follows them to the door and doesn’t bark at the door once they’re gone (they would be able to hear). Similar to number one, she just moves on with whatever she was doing once they’re gone. " OK, so this emphasizes and confirms that it's mostly when you are present that she barks and based on what you and your roommates hear upon leaving, she seems to at least initially cope fine with your absences and their absences. 4) QUESTION: How would you describe her relationship with your roommates? Has she deeply bonded with them? Does she see them more than you and get to do more things with them? Does she act shy, tentative, fearful or skittish towards them "She likes them quite a lot. Not clingy really, she tends to chill in the living room or in my room when I’m gone instead of following them. But she’ll snuggle them if they’re on the couch or something like that even sometimes when I’m home. " OK, so she doesn't seem to be extra clingy, constantly following them from room-to-room . You mentioned earlier that you were afraid of her being in a pen, because she wouldn't be able to follow them, so I was concerned if she was super clingy. Sometime when they’re not busy I’ll work on desensitizing her to them leaving with the keys and such on a leash. But as for the leash she does seem to behave better if she can follow them out. Like if I pick her up and treat her to calm her down she’s much calmer if I follow them and don’t have her unable to be near them when they leave. So when she is off leash and follows them out, she's not barking? Is she barking less? What is she doing that it seems like she's behaving better when off leash? When she's on leash, can she take treats tossed on the ground? Or is she too over threshold? It could be there may be some barrier frustration component going on due to not being able to rehearse what she has done for a while in the pastor it can be an extinction burst. Big question: What happens if you are in another room when your roommates leave? the only time she barks when I’m not home is briefly at outside stimuli (dog tags that she can hear, seeing someone pass if we forgot to push in the chair near the window, etc) but it’s not excessive. My roommates said sometimes if my roommate like jumps up fast or something alarming she might do some startle barking but gets over it fast. Otherwise they can leave and enter with no issues. I would ensure that she has no access to windows to prevent her from barking at outdoors triggers as this can raise stress levels. The startling when your roommates react to something sounds normal as long as she gets over it very fast. However, too often or too much startling can raise cortisol levels. The startling effect can be lowered by having them carefully re-create whatever evoked the barking in a strategically less intense form and tossing treats before she has a chance to bark. I once had a dog who reacted strongly to sneezes and coughs, and all I needed to do is make some fake sneezes and coughs in low tones followed by treats to the point where the dog thought it was a fun game! At some point, upon hearing a sneeze, the dog came rushing looking forward to a treat rather than barking! Due to the fact that dogs who startle and bark, may bite, and when done incorrectly the barking may intensify, it is best to carry out behavior modification under the direct guidance of a behavior professional.

If your roommates can provide her activities, that's super as they can help her stay busy, provide her with outlets for natural behaviors and raise her confidence. The Brain Training section has several activities, here are just some: The Treasure Hunt The Muffin Game The Bottle Game The Magic Carpet Hot and Cold Also Kongs, Kong Wobblers, Snuffle Mats, Licki-mats, Buster Cubes, Nita Ottoson puzzles etc. Trick training: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/#tricks Clicker training: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/clicker-training/ If she barks for attention, best to provide these activities when she has been quiet for some time so to prevent her from thinking that barking grants her fun games, which will only increase the attention-seeking barking.

Hi Angie, Thanks for the extra details. It seems like this barking is indeed a mysterious puzzle! Every post you make has some extra puzzle pieces causing a sort of mini-evolution each time. Puzzle piece plus puzzle piece though, gives us a better insight of the whole picture. For instance, your first post mentions that she " barks basically whenever they (your roommates) don't pay attention to her or enter or exit the house or sometimes even the room" and the thread title was barking for attention. It therefore seemed like the behavior was therefore evoked by her simply wanting attention. The second post mentioned: "she tends to only really bark at visitors or at them (your roommates) when I’m home. I’m not sure why she’d do this, or how to fix it really. Because when I’m gone she’ll even snuggle strangers! But the second I’m home she’s barking up a storm if they (your roommates) so much as stand to go pee." From this description it seemed as if the behavior was evoked primarily by your presence and her feeling more confident or maybe even protective. It could also have been some attention-seeking behavior as well based on how you may have reacted to her barking in the past. The third post mentioned: "I’ve tried doing the find it game which works if she’s not particularly sensitive that day or when I leave but if she’s having a “feral day” as we call it treats, even treats she likes, have a hard time getting her attention. Especially through the whole process of getting ready to leave that she’s very aware of. Keys jacket shoes etc barking the whole time on these days. Today was one of them. Morning and afternoon, when I’m home she was barking her head off at both of them when they tried to leave. But silence when I’m not home." So we went from a dog barking when she didn't get attention from the roommates, to a dog who barks when the roommates stand to go pee but only in your presence, to a dog who barks when your roommates are getting ready to leave and grab the keys, jackets, shoes etc. I think at some point you even mentioned her barking when people entered a door as well which can be her way of greeting or alerting. It may be that we even have various forms of barking overlapping. So now I have a couple more questions, because many dogs bark/whine/get distressed when they suffer from separation anxiety. These dogs get emotionally attached to certain people and when they leave they sort of get a panic attack. So next important questions are (please answer as thoroughly as you can): 1) When your roommates leave for good (meaning they are out of the door and gone) does she become calm and acts as if she is relieved, or does she appear anxious as if waiting for them to come back? 2) how does she do when you are alone with her and YOU are about to leave? 3) how does she do when you are not around and your roommates leave? I know you said there is silence, but for sake of clarity I would record her behavior to determine how she does once they are away for good. 4) how would you describe her relationship with your roommates? Has she deeply bonded with them? Does she see them more than you and get to do more things with them? Does she act shy, tentative, fearful or skittish towards them? I therefore still feel it would helpful recording her behavior when the roommates leave without you around and when you leave and she is left totally alone so to better understand the exact dynamics. Here's the thing: the biggest puzzles pieces needed before implementing a behavior intervention plan are knowing exactly what triggers the barking behavior (the antecedent) and what function the barking plays (distance-increasing? attention? coping mechanism?) What is the dog getting from barking? What's the functional relation? With these puzzle pieces in place we can come up with a more strategic plan. However, when things are blurry, things get a tad bit more challenging, although we always have the option to experiment things and see how it goes such as managing the situation and training an alternate response to engage in, making it super rewarding. When a dog is not accepting treats we need to evaluate carefully whether the treats are not high-value enough, whether the cues we are asking have been trained reliably to a fluent response, and if the dog is too over threshold. Dogs who suffer from fear and anxiety, may be at times way too over threshold to listen. At this point, a behavior intervention plan that can be tentatively tried and the results can be measured over time to see if it's working. If the barking happens only in your presence (something we can only ascertain through recordings), it can involve simply keeping her with you on leash at a distance from your roommates and practicing feeding her super-duper high-value treats (many use strips of baked calf liver, liverwurst, salmon treats, tripe-the stinkier the better, but check with your vet first if she's prone to tummy troubles or has health issue) as your roommates volunteer to perform behaviors that evoke the barking but this time presented in a much milder form, taking a step-by-step systematic approach (desensitization) so that she is under threshold. For example, they can walk towards the door, you drop a treat, then they touch the door knob and you drop a treat, then they open the door slightly, you drop a treat, then they only have a leg out of the door, you drop a treat etc. etc. gradually progressing to where they can finally exit with her acting more calmly. If at any time she won't take a treat and starts barking, take it as a sign that she is too over threshold and you may have progressed too fast. If she likes to follow your roommates around, you may find the 'destination nowhere" exercise helpful from this article: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-to-prevent-separation-anxiety-in-puppies/ More tips for clingy dogs; https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/following-owners-around-house/ Since she is a small dog, make sure to cut the treats in tiny pieces and do brief reps scattered throughout the day, as you don't want to over fill her. We don't want to confuse a dog who isn't taking treats because she's over threshold from one who is simply full. Best to work when she's on an empty stomach. With the above exercise, you can may be tackling various emotions. If she's slightly anxious about them leaving, you'll be desensitizing her to their departures and creating positive associations, removing some drama. If there's some fear, stress anxiety or need to increase distance, you will be creating positive associations. If she's seeking attention, you are giving her something else too do (a dog who is chasing treats and eating, can't bark at the same time). If you can then progress to train her to lie down on a mat, at a distance from the door and hold a long enough stay there, consider that dogs who are lying down are less likely to bark. Since you mention that she seems to have more difficult days than others, it would be important recognizing what happens on these days. We need to consider a phenomenon known as "trigger stacking," where if a dog is repeatedly stressed by several events, they reach a breaking point, so it's important to try as much as possible to keep her calm throughout the day. Scolding her will unfortunately only stress her out more. If your roommates are treating her harshly, this may only compound things increasing stress hormones and making her more reactive.

You're very welcome! Keep us posted on how things go! Adrienne

Thanks for the update! A few extinction bursts are normal and quite expected, take them as a sign that whatever you are doing is working and stick to your plan. The worst mistake is progressing in meal preparation/ feeding when the dog is actively barking. For sake of an example, imagine kids who when they don't get candy at the store, they start whining. And when they see that whining doesn't work, they'll escalate to crying and screaming and putting up a tantrum (extinction burst). If we stick to our plan and don't give them candy despite all the drama, they'll learn to stop pushing it and the behavior will eventually extinguish, but if we give in though and buy it-even just that one time-, they'll always try to ask for candy because by buying the candy we have reinforced persistence. Dogs who are barky and impatient, benefit from learning more impulse control and frustration tolerance: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/ Keep us posted on how things go moving forward, Happy training! Adrienne

Got it, what if she barks from inside the pen? I have a feeling she will. Since the pen is being used for management, in others words, at a distance from her triggers so to prevent rehearsal of the problematic barking when your roommates leave the home and you are present as well, I assume you are concerned about another type pf barking taking place as a result of her not liking being left alone or confined in an unfamiliar enclosure. Barking in the pen can be seen in dogs for various reasons, but for a good part can occur when dogs aren't used to being closed in one and therefore not enough time has been invested in creating positive associations with being in it and learning to relax in it. Clingy dogs may struggle with confinement and so may dogs who want to participate in everything owners do. So the big question is; ever since you have had her, has she ever been trained to calmly stay in a play pen or crate? If not, then it may take some time for her to get accustomed to being in one. The goal is to ideally have dogs who are eager to be closed in it because they have associated the place with valuable things to chew and relaxation. For sake of an example, here is a basic guide for getting dogs used to being in a crate although it can be used as well for training to stay in a play pen. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/ If she has never been confined before, the process needs to be done very gradually ensuring she doesn't get stressed through the process. An alternate option is keeping her in a separate room with you when your friends must leave (out of sight, out of mind) so she has no need to bark since she won't see them leaving. Once again, management is not a solution for behavior problems, it's a way to prevent a dog from rehearsing problematic behaviors when we cannot actively train, and to protect our dogs from too intense exposures. I believe the long lead (I got a 15 foot) is for the sake of having a scared dog make the choice to turn around and show physical signs of discomfort before reactions instead of being forced to have little radius to move. From this little piece of info, I very tentatively assume the exercise may be BAT, (behavior adjustment training) more specifically version 1, although several variations have been crafted from it. BAT is briefly discussed here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/behavior-adjustment-training-bat/ If this sounds like the method you are mentioning, in what exact scenario are you planning to apply it? BAT works best in open spaces and since the dog is on a long line, some safety precautions need to be in place. Do you have a trainer to assist you? There are dog trainers specializing in BAT and they are recognized by the acronym (CBATI) which stands for Certified Behavior Adjustment Training Instructors.

Momo used to entirely empty himself at the dog park to the point of nothing but (my turn for TMI) green slime that I had No idea how to pick up. I would kick some dirt over it and try to pick that up the best I could. I remember some years back, they invented a product that you would spray over difficult-to-clean poop that would freeze it into a solid piece so it's easier to pick up. I wonder if it's still being sold, I think it was a genius invention! For the left side I'm going to have the husband hold her leash - she did the C body curl a couple times when I was getting the right side. Better safe . . .. I'm ambidextrous to a point so I'll try left handing it so as not to have to use my thumb and hopefully make it easier on her as a result. Hers is metallic - like wet metal. Much preferred to Gertie's rotten tuna, but still a bit nauseating due to the strength of the odor. I hear you. It's one of those unpleasant tasks for both dogs and owners. I used to help the vets by distracting the dogs with some tasty tidbits as many hated it, although I am sure they felt relief afterwards. Have you discussed this issue with the vet? What are their thoughts? Do you go on poop patrols and check her poops? There is a fecal score for dogs too and the best stools are described as being dry, easy to pick up (without leaving residues on grass) and log shaped (my turn again for TMI!) I am going to learn to reward for each, "yes" I issue, regardless of intention. This will build trust. I have a bad habit of saying yes when there isn't going to be a payment. I may be the worst of the students in this equation by the time everything is done! I will also be getting into the habit of praising even when there won't be a reward, but that praise shan't include the word, "yes." 🤦‍♀️ I'm like a Thesaurus until it comes to training and then I'm on repeat. Sounds a good plan. The yes is a verbal marker which pinpoints exactly what behavior will be getting a treat. This is different from praise which is used to simply tell the dog what a good girl she is. It’s like the difference between a teacher saying “correct” to a student for giving a right answer and giving a sticker right afterward and just plainly telling him what a great student he is. It's therefore important that you choose different words for each. The pups are sleeping now, lol. Time for me to try to get some work done during this peaceful moment. It was a great session and she was pleased with the progress I made so I get to stay on green instead of being demoted. I think I should get a treat for that. <eyeballs the "leftover" KitKats from Halloween> (We never get trick or treaters . . . ) You sure deserve some treats too for the job well done!

Thats a great help. she is unspeyed, and as you say she is probably markin her territory than peeing . Lead training has adapted well , a wee bit of aggression to male dogs sniffining inappropriately , snarling bared teeth , but no blood , and plenty of noise, amybe 1x inhte past month. The behavior towards male dogs insisting on sniffing her is not unusual. Too long, and too invasive sniffing is often considered rude. Her snarl is her way to tell these dogs to back off. In general a few seconds of discrete sniffing is tolerated by most dogs, but prolonged and pushy sniffing may not. She is also 8 and she may not have been socialized enough as a young dog and older dogs may become less tolerant of pushy, younger dogs. If these dogs are encountered on walks, it may help to keep her walking so the other dogs have no time to sniff. If these are other dogs sharing the home, it helps to introduce other dogs on neutral grounds and gradually. Your other dogs should be trained to disengage on your request (like with a "leave it" ) https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/take-leave-it/ when you notice they are interacting in inappropriate ways. Being that she is intact, she may be of particular interest to your other dogs, especially if she is in the proestrus phase of the heat cycle. Here is a general guide for introducing new dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/introduce-dog-new-dog/ My big worry is ,staight out ot bed in morning , 6am ( no coffe ) we head outhe the door , and no wees for 100yds or moe , and then a trickle,no poohs till mid morning work thats fine , but to me not natural. In general, dogs can hold it at night for 8 hours, although I have known dogs holding it for even up to 12. A dog I boarded once, had a history of not peeing in the kennels for an entire 24 hours, although he would pee for me easily considering that, when he boarded with me, he was more in a home-like environment. It could be she is "holding" it so she can go urine mark in areas she feels safe or prefers to leave her scent on. As Jennifer pointed out, ruling out urinary problems just in case would be important. Female dogs are more likely to get Urinary Tract Infections compared to male dogs, and this triggers them to pee often and in small amounts. I would suggest checking very closely if she pees somewhere during the night, early morning. If she urine marks, the trickles are small and may go undetected. A blacklight may help, but also passing a paper towel with your foot around to see if it picks up anything. Also, looking under tables, chairs etc. And consider that many dogs like to urine mark on vertical items so check the walls, table legs, etc. Your other dogs can help too as they are attracted to peed areas, so if they intently sniff an area of the home, it could be it has some of her dribble of urine. I have only owned male dogs , peeing on everthing was normal , butexpected my old girl to be more refined and lady like .She marks I guess everyi 20m or so sometimes up to 50m but thats why we go through so many " good girl go pee " treats. I hear you! Intact female do urine mark and they can mark a whole lot more when they are nearing their heat cycle. They like to leave their "business card' under the form of pheromones that are released in the urine so other dogs are informed about her. Initial idea is foor her to go pee at beginning of walk on grass berm, and tehna leasurely stretch the muscles inthe morning and back for a derserved coffee and doggie treat . When the behavior of urine marking is hormonally-induced, there is not much that can be done against the instinct as the brain is primed for that, however, you can in part divert her attention to something else. For example, you can try to train her to empty her bladder in a specific area at the beginning of the walk, and then to prevent her from marking over and over after that, you can encourage her to walk quickly (without stopping to sniff) and do several steps of attention-heeling, https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ using your smacking sound https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ and delivering tasty treats to keep her busy. You may need to stop somewhere mid walk or at the end of the walk for another potty break though in case she hasn't fully emptied her bladder the first time and you may also need to monitor her carefully once home, in case she may need to still need to potty. Spaying can help reduce urine marking when hormonally-induced, although we need to consider that there is a learned component to urine marking too and spayed dogs can still urine mark. Another quisck Q , shge is apparently 8yo , is this too late for one final litter of pups. Dogs don't go into menopause, but as they get older there are several drawbacks. It may become more difficult for them to get pregnant, and there are increased risks for complications such as requiring a Caesarean section or developing things like mastitis, eclampsia, retained placentas. Also, as dogs get older they may not make great moms and this can mean hand-raising the entire litter. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but its important to consider the risks. On top of this, as intact females get older they become more inclined to getting mammary gland tumors or life-threatening pyometras. Your vet can provide you the best information about this and his/her sincere opinion.

Thank you! How does playpen training work for indoor reactivity? Should I plop her in the pen with some treats or a kong whenever she starts barking and wait until she calms down to let her out? The playpen use I have suggested above was more for management purposes (like when you cannot actively train/engage in behavior modification) rather than actual "training". In other words, it's meant to *prevent* her from rehearsing the barking behavior in the first place, rather than waiting her to start barking and placing her there. I do find providing dogs with treats or a Kong when in the pen useful so that we create positive associations with being there. I’m taking a training course and they suggested long ish leads for reactivity to allow them to make the choice to turn around or show physical boundaries before reactions better. Is that true? She seems to be much calmer on a retractable but I know those aren’t very safe. I can't really comment on other trainer's methods, unless I know exactly what they may entail and what the functional purpose is. If you have more specifics I can help providing more info on how some methods works, the science behind them etc and possible drawbacks. There are several methods that involve the use of long leads to change behavior, BAT training being a popular one. Many trainers have created their own versions with slight variations. BAT remains a controversial subject in dog trainer circles due to drawbacks and some associated risks. One main drawback is that some trainers feel that a reactive dog is not in the best position to make a good choice. And if they were making good choices from the get-go they wouldn't need training or behavior modification in the first place. On the other hand, methods like BAT can be fine for a given dog, on a given day when instructed properly by a trainer very familiar with the method. There is difference between long leads (like long lines) and retractables. I am not a big fan of retractables due to risks for injuries, although some versions are made to be somewhat safer.

Hi there! Welcome back! Thank you wholeheartedly for opening your heart and home to a rescue dog. This dog is very fortunate to have found you and your commitment to walking her and taking her out so often is remarkable! Happy endings to such sad stories melt my heart. I am not a hundred percent sure I fully understood the issue you are facing. Are you asking her to go potty on command up to 50 times on walks and she doesn't go? is she basically peeing only once a day in the evening? It sounds like your goal is to have her go potty on command in a specific area at the beginning or the walk and completely empty her bladder, is this correct? Is she spayed? or is she intact? Dogs who don't empty their bladder fully may be urine marking rather than peeing. Dogs who urine mark tend to be selective of where to pee and may "save' their pee for marking in several places rather than full emptying their bladder in one specific spot. To train a dog to go potty on command, it's important to introduce a "go potty" cue that is said right when the dog positions herself to potty, and then, right when the dog is done going potty, praising and giving a treat. Here is the guide on that: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/ Two days is too early to see results with this training as it requires several repetitions for the dog to associate the words with the act of eliminating. With rescue dogs who are older and haven't received any training, I expect them to grasp the concept at a minimum after a couple of weeks. If she has never been on a leash before, consider that the leash may inhibit these dogs a bit. A longer leash may help them feel a little more free. It could be she is holding it because of the leash interfering or she doesn't feel safe or entirely at ease in the areas she is taken. I would check your place underneath beds, tables, behind couches etc. and look for signs of going potty there. If you have carpet, a black light can help highlight soiled areas as the glow. If you find soiled areas, it is important to clean them up with an enzyme based cleaner. Until she is well trained to go potty outside reliably, it would be important keeping her in an area with a clear view so that doesn't sneak off somewhere to go potty and so you can monitor for signs of needing to be taken out to potty.

It sounds like he's very routine-oriented, and likely his stomach juices are getting ready for the meal and he's much anticipating that. I used to have a horse who would strategically start scratching the floor in protest if I was just a couple of minutes late. It was as if his stomach worked like a clock! If the barking starts as early as 30 to 40 minutes before it's time, a good approach would be to preempt the barking from occurring in the first place. This can help on several levels. 1) It helps prevent rehearsal of the behavior. The more a dog rehearses a behavior, the mores established it becomes, so if you can prevent it from happening in the first place, that would be great. This is is a good approach for behaviors that take place in a predictable pattern when it's feasible. 2) It helps establish a new routine. With the dog busy in some other activity, the chances for barking can be significantly reduced and being distracted, his stomach juices may not start activating. So it would be great if you could have a helper like a family member or friend who can walk him *before* he starts the barking behavior and until it's time for his meal. This way, in the meanwhile you can start preparing his meal in his absence and when he comes from the walk you can work on the exercise described above. Another option is keeping him indoors. Keeping him out in the yard may be exacerbating the barking, compounding it with him not liking to being left out of family activities, and possibly thinking you are preparing his meal when you are not. Being indoors, he may better see what you are doing and how his barking affects you. If he barks, he should be given no attention, no trips to the kitchen or nearby his food so he doesn't think his barking is working. Just play it boring, watching TV or reading a book and use earplugs if necessary. Something to be aware of is a phenomenon known as an extinction burst. In other words, the barking behavior increasing in intensity. This may seem like what you are doing is not working, when it actually really is, only that it goes through a worsening stage before getting better. This is more likely to occur if you have been reinforcing his barking by feeding him in the past. Ignore the extinction burst, and things should get better afterwards as long as you stick to the plan. With time, he should get bored of barking with nothing happening. Then, as mealtime arrives, wait that he's quiet for at least half a minute before you get up and start the meal preparation process as described in the exercise in the previous post.