Adrienne Farricelli

Greetings and welcome to the forums, So sorry to hear your heeler mix has gone through so much! Glad to hear though she has gotten over being heartworm positive. Is your veterinarian aware of these issues she is facing? Not wanting to eat to the point of having to force her to eat and her starving some days is pretty significant in my opinion. Might be beyond pickiness. On the other hand, meat is a dog's favorite food according to studies so missing out on meat can make meals tasty pretty bland. What issues is your dog exactly facing when eating meat or wheat? Stomach problems, skin allergies? Has your vet ever considered trying exotic meats? Has a specialist been consulted? I know of some dog owners who after seeing an internal medicine specialist do some food trials using exotic meats such as kangaroo, bison etc. and the dogs go back to eating meat again and their appetites are back. In any case, what ingredients does she seem to do well with so far? Were the meals you are offering approved by your vet or by a veterinary nutritionist? When dogs with little appetites as such present to training, we usually recommend in depth veterinary evaluations because we want to rule out any potential medical problems as much as possible before starting training. What toys have you tried for training? There are toys and toys (in the eyes of the dogs). Have you ever used a flirt pole? A flirt pole is a stick with a toy attached at the end of a rope. It can be used to train behaviors such as leave it and drop its. I have used a rabbit fur tug toy very well as a lure for getting dogs to sit and lie down in the same way as using food, only that instead of feeding it, dogs are allowed to tug at it. You can also use life rewards (for example, for recalls, call your dog when you are ready to put on her leash and take her on a walk (the prospective of the walk acts as a reward) or when you are going out in the yard, call her so that she can join you out if she loves the yard, you can also do sits by the door and reward the sit by opening the door (see Open Sesame brain game in the Brain Training section). To use life rewards, compile a list of the thing your dog loves doing naturally and then use those things to reinforce desired behaviors. Does she love chasing balls? Does she love running? Does she like to chase you? Feel free to post some things she loves and I can post some ideas on how to utilize these things as reinforcement. However, these may be temporary solutions, we still want to get to the bottom of this and understand why she has so little appetite and if there any things that can be done to entice her to eat more.

Sounds like she was in her happy greeting mode and her excitement overrode her hesitations. It can also be sign of her feeling more comfortable with your hubby if you have started doing behavior modification. As great as this interaction is though, it's important to still protect her from full exposures or situations she's not ready for and keep on creating positive associations using baby steps with her under threshold. It's easy to get excited about progress and then take a leap and progress too fast, leading to a setback. Some dogs indeed can be confusing, they may have mixed feelings about certain stimuli and situations within the same interaction or during other separate episodes. Even Einstein had once a conflicting situation where he was wagging his little nub eager to greet, but when this person bent down and made direct eye contact, for some reason he felt insecure, so he withdrew and even emitted a little growl. This was during his teenage flakiness period, luckily it was an isolated event, but it goes to say how sometimes dogs can surprise us in both good ways and not so good ways. It's also not uncommon for uncertain dogs to sometimes manifest approach/avoidance behaviors: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/approach-avoidance/ How did her "cabin stay" go?

Yes, the baby steps is fundamental, and a major reason why behavior modification fails or there are too many setbacks is rushing through the process. Finn might not be ready to respond to the "sit" cue with dogs walking by as often dogs in the initial stages of behavior modification are too over threshold to cognitively function (in other words, they are so overwhelmed by their emotions that they find it difficult to think.) Imagine being scared of heights and being asked to solve a math problem on a sky scraper or being so angry it is very difficult to be able to think rationally, this is how dogs may feel when over threshold and being asked to sit. So it may be satisfactory if for now Finn can just watch the dogs walk by without reacting and giving him treats upon seeing the dogs walk by to create positive associations. Once the dog has passed, no more treats. I know it may seem odd to give treats when a dog is not doing "anything" but behavior modification is more about changing emotions than rewarding behaviors. Let me clarify this a bit. Behavior modification (fixing behavior issues caused by emotions such as fear, anxiety, aggression, etc.) falls more into changing emotional responses through the use of classical conditioning. In other words, we focus on creating positive associations. Behavior modification requires the aid of dog behavior professionals (dog behavior consultants, veterinary behaviorists, certified applied animal behaviorists). Dog training instead falls under operant conditionioning, which focuses on rewarding behaviors so that the behavior strengthen and repeat (asking dogs to sit, lie down, stay, come etc). Dog training requires the aid of a dog trainer. Sure, both operant and classical can be combined (and they tend to combine naturally in some cases) so we can therefore add sits, downs and stays into a behavior modification plan, but usually this is later on, once we have changed a dog's emotional response. The great thing is that once the emotions change, dogs becomes calmer and their brains are more adept to responding to cues such as sit or attention heel. So back to the fear of heights example, once you are calmer and more confident on the sky scraper through the use of baby steps, you will notice that you'll be able to start solving math problems. Now, some dogs may respond to sits when watching other dogs, but the expressions on their faces are tense, and they are still in fight or flight mode with cortisol rushing through their bodies and they are ready to spring into action and lunge. This is not what we want.

Thanks for posting your update, it is greatly appreciated. Glad to hear you have limited the use of the shock collar to the vibration function. Vibration collars are often used in deaf dogs to come when called. Vibration collars can still be used in a force-free manner if the vibration function is used in a timely manner to inform the dog that a treat is coming in the same way a dog is trained with clicker training. The vibration collar can be 'charged" and used to create positive associations and to reinforce desired behaviors. So for instance, the dog sees an approaching dog, the vibration button is pushed, the dog turns around looking for a treat (as a result of a conditioned emotional response rather than a startling effect) and ignores the approaching dog. At the same time, the approaching dog (if it keeps advancing) can be distracted by tossing a handful of kibble/treats in its direction to keep the dog busy enough to walk away. Training an emergency u-turn may also be helpful:https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/emergency-u-turn/ Ideally, we would work in areas where leash laws are in place and there aren't loose dogs so that dog park where dogs are walked on the leash may be ideal as long as you do distance work where your dog is under threshold. This is very important considering that an off leash dog can easily undo lots of progress. I even know of service dogs who were perfectly trained get ruined by an off leash dog and require lots of rehabilitation. So you need to really protect your hard work. The problem with using the shock function of the collar is that yes, the shock can be used to correct a dog who is acting reactive towards other dogs, but there are "side effects" and risks that the dog starts associating the shock with the approaching dog, which can lead to more stress and nothing is done to change the dog's emotional response. It's attains the total opposite effect and there have been several studies on this. For sake of an example, imagine somebody who has a phobia of cats. This person doesn't want cats coming near. When he sees a cat approach, he stomps his feet loudly and makes a hissing sound (the equivalent of a dog barking and lunging). The behavior works, so the person keeps doing this distance-increasing behavior. Then one day a therapist offers to help he says ''I know of a way to stop your from reacting this way and fix your phobia." So every time a cat approaches and the person starts to stomp feet/hiss, the therapist slaps him. Now, the cat hater not only has the phobia of cats, but is worried about the therapist slapping him on top of all that. He might stop stomping and hissing but the fear is still there, if not, even worse than before. Now, imagine a totally different therapist. Every time the cat approaches, this therapist doles out a 1 dollar bill at the sight of that. The cat comes comes closer? The therapist gives $5. As the cat approaches more, the therapist gives $10. The cat hater now starts liking the sight of the cat. Upon seeing the cat, he naturally looks at his therapist waiting for the $$$. Will he ever totally love cats to want to fill his house with them? Maybe not, but he certainly has come a long way. This is what we try to accomplish with dogs when we work on behavior modification using baby steps and counterconditioning exercises such as "Look at That." The fact your dog is doing better is a great sign! Give yourself a pat on the back for all the effort you have put in! Keep up the great work, Best, Adrienne

You are very welcome, yes, please keep us posted!

Hello and welcome to the forums, Without knowing what happened to her before she was welcomed to your home, we can only make some assumptions. Most likely, as you already pointed out, she wasn't socialized much during the critical socialization period which closes around 12 to 16 weeks. Perhaps she was socialized somewhat but was raised in a totally different environment (like in the country) and therefore, all the stimuli in the current environment are particularly scary so her instincts tell her that the outdoor world is a scary place to be. On top of this, we should also factor in the possible role of genetics. If a puppy is born to parents who were emotionally unstable, this instability may be inherited to the puppy. Interestingly, it has also been found that if a mother dog experiences significant stress during pregnancy, the circulation of stress hormones in the bloodstream can affect her puppies who consequently "learn" that, the world they will be born into, is a scary place. Regardless of what happened, there are several things we can try to make life better for these pups. While training is one of them, dogs cannot be trained if they are in a too fearful state. So sorry to hear that the Petsmart classes weren't helpful. I have personally worked for a big box store in the past and must confess I didn't like much how things are carried out. One of my biggest pet peeves are the small overly crowded areas for training which cause reactive or fearful dogs to feel overwhelmed. Not surprisingly, fearful dogs aren't able to cognitively function because they are too stressed by all the other people there, other dogs, crammed area and noises. I watched my training tutor hold classes in the several weeks I was there being mentored, and a fearful dog shook and refused treats the same way after all those weeks as in the first day of class (if not more!). I felt sorry for the dog and owner, but the dog and owner were allowed to graduate as they deserved some form of reinforcement for all their effort. I think these dogs do far better in private classes, and possibly, carried out in the owner's home as a starting point. So how do we tackle this fear? This is not an easy task, but it can be a rewarding journey if we have the patience and determination to help these fellows out and go through very small baby steps. First of all, I would suggest reading as much as possible about what happens in a fearful dog's mind and how we can work on fearful dogs using some powerful behavior modification methods. In order to access these articles, you will need to be logged into the member area. So here is an important read about threshold levels (when your dog refuses food that's often a sign she is over threshold): https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ Here are signs of stress in dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/signs-fear-stress-dogs/ Fearful dogs need baby steps, so it's important to learn about the process of desensitization/ exposure therapy: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exposure-therapy/ Very important is to accompany desensitization with counterconditioning: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ At 6 months, large dogs enter (or are close to entering) the adolescent stage, but there is often a fear stage occurring around this time as well: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-periods-8-10-weeks-6-14-months/ Here are some tips for dogs fearful of going on walks and going outside in general: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-going-walks/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-going-outside/ Have you individualized any noises that seem to startle her on walks? If so, you may find this method helpful: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/ The Jolly Routine can be applied on walks too: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/using-jolly-routine-fearful-dogs/ Remember that exposing her to situations that she might not be ready for can cause setbacks and reinforce in her mind that the world outside is indeed a scary place. It's therefore important to work at your dog's pace paying close attention to her comfort level. Since your dog enjoys the company of other dogs, it may be worthy trying finding a walking "buddy." Basically another dog that she plays well with and who is rather happy go lucky and confident. Scheduling walks with this other dog can sometimes help fearful dogs to feel a little better to encourage them to walk a little more in areas they are normally not too confident walking in alone. Sometimes, bringing the other dog along for the car ride can help too, especially if the ride ends up somewhere where both dogs can have fun and play/run/explore. Please note: some dogs who act scared of the car are also nauseous (if your dog drools in the car, it can be nausea) so tackling the nausea can help. Your vet can prescribe car sickness meds if that's the case. Please consider that creating a more confident dogs takes a multi-faceted approach. Brain games and training can help to a great extent over the long run! Clicker training in particular can be helpful especially with shaping as we are reinforcing inquisitive behaviors. For example, you can place a flattened box in the center of the room and click and treat her for any investigative behaviors (like walking towards the box, then sniffing the box, then placing a paw on the box, and then end the session with a jackpot of treats once she walks on the box). You can find how to clicker train your dog in the clicker training section. If your dog is scared of the clickers sound I dropped a link about how to tackle that as well. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/clicker-training/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?246-Dog-is-terrified-of-the-clicker&highlight=clicker There are several tips you may find helpful in this recent post.. Although your dog goes out on walks nearby the home, it doesn't hurt to further reinforce her that the outside is a good place by taking the baby steps outlined in this post (feeding high-value treats by the door, then the door open etc until you can progress to her taking treats while looking outside) https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?250-Rescue-dog-affraid-of-everything/page2 Let me know if you need any elucidations as I know this is a whole lot of reading material! Best, Adrienne

I have used Dremels instead of clippers for quite some time. Both my dogs were mostly bothered by the smell of the powder being released upon grinding their nails more than the grinding sensation itself. Sometimes I had to place myself in between to prevent the powder from reaching them as it often irritated their airways and made them sneeze. Careful with it though, I know you are great in reading your dogs, but when we are busy looking at the nails and concentrated on making sure they aren't cut too short, we may miss some important "I have had enough'' signals.

How has she been responding to it so far? What have you used it for so far? Thundershirts can help take the edge off, but they aren't a cure-all, they can complement though behavior modification if dogs seem to be responsive towards them.

Lovely pups, thanks for sharing! Eager to see some more happy faces.

If your puppy eagerly eats hot dogs in the home, but then once outside he refuses them, then yes, he's over threshold. Sometimes it may be worthy trying other foods to see how he responds, however, pushing it can mean creating setbacks. One a side note, my last batch of puppies I fostered and trained were reacting so-so with chicken and a variety of treats I tried, but were crazy for licking the jar of Gerber 2nd Foods Chicken & Gravy Baby Food (always make sure baby food has no onion or garlic as ingredients). This seemed like the only food that really helped them overcome their initial hesitation in being crated (and they needed to learn really fast because they had to be adopted the subsequent week already). Here's the thing: if we allow our dogs to be scared because we expose them to situations at levels they are not ready for, that risks more deeply reinforcing their belief that the world is a scary place and this may cause setbacks. By minimizing any panic-inducing situations, we create an important safety and trust base which paves the path towards behavior modification. Now, you mention that upon putting the harness on, he just lies on the floor and refuses to get up. This sounds like a case of learned helplessness. In other words, the dog just gives up as he is too scared of interacting with the environment so just flops over and refuses to budge. It is also possible that the harness exerts a compounding effect on the fear of the outdoors, causing two fears to combine and intertwine. This is can happen when puppies haven't habituated well to wearing a harness or when the dog may fear the outdoors, but then the fear generalizes to the gear worn as it predicts going outside. This is the total opposite of dogs who act crazy and super excited upon seeing the leash. Again, this requires baby steps of creating positive associations in this case focusing on wearing it initially inside the home. For instance, you would start by rewarding your dog for looking at the harness, then sniffing it, then for targeting it, then for placing the head though the straps that go over the head (or stepping in it, if it's the type that doesn't require the head to go though it), then for hearing the sound of the buckle, then for feeling it buckle and unbuckled, then for wearing it a few seconds, then for wearing it for longer times (during which you can play with your dog or feed him his meals) and so forth until you see a conditioned emotional response to it (happy face, tail wag upon seeing the harness). On a side note: I have known some pups who resent harnesses and do better with collars. They just disliked the feeling of pressure on various parts of the body and they just freeze. However, with fearful dogs, regular collars may not work well because they can easily back out of them if they get scared. A martingale collar may work better--something to discuss with the professional you will work with to determine if this may be a better option based on personal observations. Make sure as well to teach your puppy how to give in to leash pressure, rather than resisting it, by feeding treats every time your puppy takes a step forward upon feeling slight pressure. Many pups who lie on the floor do so because they dislike the sensation of being pulled and this triggers their opposition reflex (dogs are naturally inclined to pull away when they feel resistance rather than given unless taught otherwise) or they the may just freeze into learned helplessness. Back to the fear of the outdoors, as mentioned, working on this issue requires creating positive associations and you may need a multi-faceted approach. You can start indoors with the "hear that' method if your puppy is scared of outdoor noises and then you can progress by letting him look out of window at stimuli and feeding tasty treats (see the Look at That exercise in the Brain Training exercises) and then progress to the door in several small sessions. Feed tasty treats by the door that leads to the outside. Then, once he's comfortable with that, open the door a little bit, and feed tasty treats, then close the door and no more treats. Open the door a little more, feed treats and then close it and no more treats. Also, make sure to praise and reward any voluntary exploratory behaviors (looking outside, sticking his head out, approaching the doorway). When you get to the point where your puppy goes outside or sticks to the border, make him feel safe by keeping the door to the indoors open, enabling him to retreat back inside if he ever feels overwhelmed. You can sit down outside with him and feed him treats and lots of praise. Keep the sessions short and fun. Once outside, start very slow, e.g. stick to just walking around right in front of your house, feed treats, then go back inside after a few seconds and no more treats inside. Slowly start increasing the time outside and the distance you’re able to go. If at anytime your dog is scared or won't take treats, your dog is over threshold, you’ve pushed too far and need to back up a step in the process. Here are some other tips/ideas that come to mind: -Avoid practicing/walking your puppy when it is particularly noisy (peak hours of traffic, when the school bus comes by, trash day etc.). -Aim to boost your puppy's confidence at home through training (in particular clicker training, free shaping as mentioned in the clicker training section of the course) and mental stimulation (brain games/nosework, foraging, interactive toys). Praise and reward your puppy when he takes initiative and engages in explorative behaviors (walking up steps or unstable surfaces, approaching an upside-down chair, opened umbrella, approaching anything etc.) -Some puppies become a little more bold if they are walked with another dog (preferably a play mate) who has a happy demeanor and walks outside with confidence. -Since your puppy is struggling even with hot dogs and it's difficult to find a way to keep him under threshold, as you work on your puppy's confidence and creating positive associations by the door, yes, you may have to rely on an indoor potty station (if your puppy will use it.) You mentioned he was already potty trained, does this mean outside or on puppy pads? If outside, he may struggle going to pads and you will have to weigh the pros and cons of having a puppy scared to potty outside and having a puppy holding it for too long and getting distressed. Sometimes, a middle ground can work, for instance bringing him out to potty, but not far out, like just in front of the door or under the porch (you can fill a children's baby pool with some dirt/grass cuttings or whatever surface he uses outside). If he was trained with puppy pads, then things are easier, you can start with a play pen/ exercise pen with pee pads placed in a central location where your puppy feels safe. As your pup gains more confidence, you can move the play pen/exercise pen with the pee pads closer and closer to the door that you'll be using for going outside to potty and on walks. While the professional (make sure he uses force- free behavior modification methods to prevent any further stress) you consult with may provide similar advice provided here (or maybe has other tricks up his/her sleeve), you are always at an advantage working with a pro in person because they can observe your puppy's body language, help you gauge how much you can progress in a given session and guide you through behavior modification in a step-by-step fashion based on how your puppy responds. Not to mention, we all learn differently, and if you are a visual learner, you may greatly benefit from having the professional doing some demos in person to show you exactly what to do with your pup versus seeing info typed on a screen and imagining abstract exercises. As a plus, if you can consult with a board-certified veterinary behaviorist i(f you have any in your area) he or she can, not only can assess the puppy and possibly do a comprehensive functional behavior analysis (compile a list of your puppy's triggers if you can so that you have everything covered), but as a plus, can determine if any supplements/medications may be warranted based on your puppy's specific situation and he or she can prescribe them too. Some pups (although seldom) need some calming aids/meds to take the edge off just enough to help them cognitively function so you can increase the span for behavior modification to successfully 'take.' Yes, please keep us posted on how it goes! Best, Adrienne

No shock collar therapy for dogs (and neither for husbands ;)) as mentioned, that will only make problems worse. We don't want to add more stress into their lives. Positive reinforcement (to reinforce desired behaviors) and counterconditioning (to create positive associations) is the way to go. And it works with husbands too! I had to remind my hubby numerous times to not approach certain dogs in certain ways. Many dogs have a harder time with men because they may seem more imposing, they have deeper voices, often have facial air, move with more determination. Patricia McConnell says that dogs fear men often more because "men are seen as coming closer at higher rates or stronger intensity than women." Most dogs always readily accepted me, but with hubby we always needed extra caution. One wrong movement once got a dog hanging to his arm. However, I understand that hubbies can get annoyed when we have to give them lots of instructions to not do this or not do that. So it's always good to counterbalance things with some positive reinforcement pointing out how appreciative we are when they do something correctly or just plain thanking them for putting up with us and the dogs. Things can get very stressful when a new dog is added and this dog needs lots of work. It takes lots of sacrifices, especially when we (or a family member) cannot do things we normally do in the home. It is great that your hubby is offering to participate in training classes. With the right trainer (make sure he/she is force-free), they can bond together. It would be ideal though if the trainer is also a behavior consultant. Dog training is mostly about teaching dogs to perform desired behaviors such as sit, down, stay etc; whereas behavior modification falls more around fixing behavior issues and tackling the underlying emotions. Sure, dog trainers can help dogs gain better impulse control and more frustration tolerance, but a dog trainer who specializes in behavior problems is a plus, especially if they have experience in reactivity/aggression. Make sure the dog trainer is aware ahead of time of Remie's space issues as having your hubby looming over her to train sits or downs can be problematic and alternate methods may be needed. Perhaps, as a starting point hubby may be better off using capturing (rewarding spontaneous behaviors as they unfold) from a distance with a clicker with your dog off leash? Wait for your dog to sit or lie down and then click/reward accordingly tossing the treat to the dog. This is covered in the clicker training section of the course. Just a few ideas. Tossing the treat in a treat-retreat fashion comes to mind to form positive associations under the guidance of a professional. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/treat-retreat-game/ Your dog likely doesn't hate your husband in the real sense of the word. She just may not be too comfortable being around him him and having her "space bubble" invaded so she reacts instinctively. So it mostly takes forming positive associations (through play, treat tossing, walks if she's comfortable with that-check with a professional, since walks involve invading her space bubble) more than showing them who is the top person or boss so to help them overcome their hesitance and fears. Here are some reads on some reputable organizations: https://apdt.com/resource-center/dominance-and-dog-training/ https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Dominance_Position_Statement_download-10-3-14.pdf

Hi Hridika, I am confused. Why did your husband go to hug your dog? My previous post discussed how dangerous it is do this as it may lead to a defensive bite. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?255-No-kisses-for-you This is putting the dog to fail and there is no need really to hug a dog that clearly doesn't like it and has shown in the past a distinct dislike for your husband. This bite obviously will make things worse because now your husband has another reason to not want or like this dog and your dog has a reason to feel more defensive towards him because she was forced to an interaction she wasn't ready for. Management is critical with these dogs. This means not exposing these dogs to situations they are not ready for. If management cannot be instituted when behavior modification is not taking place, then, I have be honest with you, things won't get better. If you really want to work on the issue, it requires patience, time and taking baby steps so not to expose your dog to situations that cause her stress. If you know some of your dog's triggers, for example, your dog doesn't like when your husband comes near her or doesn't like it when he comes into bed, you prevent full exposure to these situations by creating distance and then work on creating positive associations. Now, with hugs and kisses as mentioned things get tricky, with some dogs you just have have to come to accept they don't like them and find other ways to show them affection that doesn't put them on the defensive. I have provided some examples of how these positive associations can be carried out below: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?255-No-kisses-for-you https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/forum/showthread.php?249-inter-house-dog-aggression but as mentioned, behavior modification is something that you need to do with a professional coming into your home for safety and correct implementation. Now, the *good* news is that this bite ended up being a nip without breaking skin, this shows that this dog has demonstrated some restraint, in other words, she has exhibited a good level of bite inhibition in a facial bite that could have ended up being much, much worse. So at least we know this. However, the big picture is that we want to avoid putting her in situations that put her to into the mindset of biting and even thinking about biting. The goal is to change her emotional response from "oh, no, this man is coming near me" to "oh, wow, I like when he comes near me, because every time he moves in my direction I get fed chicken!" Now, if we allow too many setbacks to happen, we may reach a point where things may get difficult to overcome because her belief of your husband being a threat to her become more and more ingrained: "See, I was right, I cannot trust this man, he came near my face and held me tight taking away my only option to move away, so I had to defensively bite, so I am right to not want him anywhere near me or near my favorite owner (you), which gives me more reason to be reactive towards him." So as you can see, this is the fundamental point. It is ultimately up to you to decide how much far you want to go on working with her and how much your husband can take tolerating the changes that are required for behavior modification to have a chance of success. Several of the steps I use when dealing with dogs who bark at family member entering the home were already mentioned in the thread I shared a while back. Notice how we carefully need to gauge the dog to prevent her from going over threshold and how me must manage things to prevent setbacks. I am posting it again in case it was missed, but obviously, this is just an example, as each case is different and requires an individualized approach: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-barking-someone-enters-room/ If you need more details, feel free to keep asking, I am here to provide support, but when there is biting and general aggression, you really need in person help for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification.

You're very welcome. If your dog is refusing treats, remember that it's a sign that your dog is over threshold. So try to take little steps, (like just sticking to walks close to home or walking in quiet areas at first). You can even start creating positive associations by the door area at first, give a treat there, then opening the door, give treat with door open, then exit just outside the door, give treat and see up to where you can go where the pup is taking treats. That can give you an idea of the area your pup feels a little bit safer so that you can work on gradually expanding that. Make great things happen outside, praise, treats, and then once in, no more treats/praise for a bit to make an impact. If you are trying hot dogs, make sure they are low sodium and being organic is a plus. Make small pieces so not to cause an upset tummy with too much. Other high value treats are freeze-dried liver, Red Barn Natural rolls and Fresh Pet rolls in the refrigerated aisle which you can cut in small pieces and offer them on walks. Sometimes, in the morning when the dog is on an empty stomach, these treats may appear more appetizing.

The fact your puppy already goes on the pads is a big plus especially at this age! A 8 weeks, these pups have very little sphincter control so accidents are very common. If your final goal is having her go outside, it helps to keep the pads right by the door area so that she learns to go by the door when she has to potty and you can readily open the door when you are home before she goes. Make sure you have an un-obstructed view so that you can read her potty signals and take her out when you notice them. When you take her out and she goes potty, make sure you praise and give a treat (always keep a treat bag on you). Jennifer gave you the link to train pups to go potty on command which is a great practice to speed up the process. As time goes by, you will notice things get better, she will start holding for longer times allowing you time to go to the door and open it so she can go outside. Right now, your pup is like a baby walking around with no diapers. Feel free to ask if you any specific questions.

I have never really personally used a treadmill for dogs, so I have no personal experience, but as with all things we expose our dogs to which have components known to potentially evoke fear responses, we can use shaping and the use of high value treats to create positive associations. The biggest component of fear in a treadmill I would think is the sensation of the "floor" moving under the dog. This fear must feel similar to the sensation felt in dogs who become afraid of walking on slippery floors or who are scared of the bath tub's surface when given a bath. The sensation of losing footing and being on an unstable surface, is therefore what needs to be worked on the most. As hridika explained, best to start with the slowest setting. Prior to that, it may help to work on sub-steps, such as feeding her treats next to it when it's turned off, then still why next to it, feed treats when it's turned on, and stop feeding treats when it's turned off, just to get her used to the sight and sound. Then one paw, on, praise/reward, two paws on/ praise reward. Once hopped on, feed treats as it's on, stop feeding treats once off. Once the dog gives signs of understanding the mechanics, it always helps to reward intermittently as the dog trots to maintain positive associations. I know dogs who find them intrinsically reinforcing as it feels good for them to exercise and they just love to hop on them voluntarily. One big buzzword now in the dog training world is "giving dogs choice." I think there are mechanical models (no motor) out now where the dogs can choose their pace which is a big plus. I know this is common sense, but always best to say it in cases others reading think about doing this: never tie a dog to a treadmill and leave the dog unattended. The dog may get scared, fall and be choked. Harnesses may be safer to use. It's important to watch the dog's pace, breathing, gait and check to see if they start to get overheated. Slats can catch nails so care needs to be taken that the dog is properly centered. Dogs should be watched carefully for signs of tiring or getting bored. Safety is paramount. Talking to a vet is always a good idea prior to starting dogs on any exercise regimens. Also, treadmills are not meant to be a dog's only form of exercise by any means. They can come handy in cases of occasional cases of prolonged inclement weather, owner illness, and in cases of severe dog aggression to help dogs release any pent-up energy while working on the counter conditioning/desensitization process. Another thing to consider is that sometimes if we subject dogs to a lot of exercise, we may obtain the opposite effect:in other words, the more the dog becomes physically fit, the more he/she requires even more exercise, which is why mentally stimulating them with training, brain games and puzzles and sniffing adventures in the great outdoors (weather permitting) may be preferable.

So sorry this has happened. This suggests that he wasn't emotionally ready for that level of exposure. It's very important to protect Finn from exposures as such as they can really put a dent and exacerbate things. Shock collars would only make things worse considering that he would start associating the shock with the sight of other dogs, leading to more aggression and stress. There were several studies conducted on the use of shock collars showing that their use led to increases in cortisol and even negative associations with dog owners. Because of their impact, more and more dog trainers are contrary to their use and they are now banned in many countries. Instead, it's crucial to aim on creating positive associations. Please follow the behavior modification tips provided and if you have no force-free professional in your town, you may have to travel to find one to help you out for safety and correct implementation. If this is not feasible, keep working on the LAT behavior modification protocol and avoid as much as possible full exposures. Do not worry about your dog suffering from not being social, to the contrary, exposure to dogs seems to cause him stress. This may cause you stress too, because when dogs fight, it leaves an impact on us too leading to us getting increasingly tense when other dogs come near. Baby steps, and behavior modification focusing on keeping the dog under threshold, using desensitization and counterconditioning are therapeutic for dog owners too, because dogs progress at their own pace and this feels encouraging to dog owners too who also gradually develop confidence. It's a win-win for both, it just requires commitment, patience and time, but it can also feel very rewarding. Please use the upmost caution, and as tempting at it may be to follow others with dogs hoping things go well, it's important to protect Finn from negative encounters as much as possible as these can lead to setbacks which can be costly in the emotional department. This doesn't mean that Finn should never be near other dogs and that he will have to be locked up for life, it just means that baby steps are needed, and that you can work with him using distance at first (starting with LAT at home using windows, then you can practice it by watching passing by calm dogs walking at a distance and you can even organize walks together with other dog owners, (gauging distance where he can be under threshold) which are a way for dogs to socialize too, only in a more structured way). If you need any further elucidations on how LAT works and how to keep your dog under threshold, and use desensitization and counterconditioning please let me know. Another great method is to enlist the help of a friend with a very calm, leashed dog (keep your dog leashed too) and work on open bar/closed bar at a distance. You can read about all of this here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/pre-lat-look-behavior-modification/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/

Remember one general rule of thumb when using muzzles: always treat your dog as if wasn't wearing one. The reason for this is that we don't want to put him into situations that are too much for him to deal with emotionally. In other words, we don't want to "flood him." Flooding means exposing dogs (or people) to situations that are in full intensity. These situations can make problems worse rather than better. We want to de-sensitize, not sensitize which is just the opposite. So we want to protect Finn as much as possible from a negative encounter and/or allowing him to rehearse behaviors that are internally reinforcing such as lunging, barking and growling at other dogs to make them retreat and go away. This means we need as much as possible to avoid areas where off leash dogs may approach. This can lead to significant set backs. I know of even service dogs who weren't aggressive at all to start with, who became aggressive because of a wrong encounter with an off-leash dog. So try your best to walk him in areas where there are leash laws in place and where there are no off leash dogs. If the inevitable happens and some dogs escapes a yard and presents to your dog, it is not easy to know what to predict. There can be various outcomes. Hopefully, the other dog is not aggressive and you can put some distance by perhaps tossing your bag of treats in the approaching dog's path so that you can both walk away. Now, if Finn does well off leash with dogs, there are chances that you may be dealing with barrier frustration rather than true aggression, so if that is the case, he may do well once again if he is seeing the same dogs and has a positive association with them and he is kept off leash. However, dog behavior is never entirely predictable. Barrier frustration can turn into real aggression in some cases. Also, we don't know if your dog has true barrier frustration or if he is just "selective'' meaning that he may do well with some dogs and not others. Now, it may be possible to "see your dog's true colors" if you have him muzzled and off leash with another off-leash dog (like in a large fenced area), but ideally, it would be best to have a dog behavior professional with you for a proper evaluation. Some dog trainers have good "demo dogs" which can be used for such introductions. After being with one dog, you can always with the help of professional try with a different dog and so forth, to see if he might be "selective" or if he is just a dog who doesn't do well being leashed.

Thanks for the details, Although the cabin may resemble a crate, it is missing several elements that make it feel like home. Your dog likely has little connection to it and being left in it emotionally destabilizes her. In some sort of way, it may feel like a child being left behind locked in a basement. So how can we help her? With this type of barking (taking place mostly in the cabin) there is really no easy way to replicate this kind of setup to practice in other places where you can control variables to train a different response. Also, the fact that it sounds like you don't stay there for extended periods of time is a compounding factor because she never has the opportunity to acclimate to it to assume a sense of "home-base." Another compounding factor is the fact that your dog is prone to resource guard. However there may be some options to try (always with the aid of a professional since there are several complexities to keep in mind here). Here are some ideas: -Keep your dog's routine as close to how it is at home as possible. During the days spent at the cabin, feed your dog at the same time, walk her at the same time, take her to potty at the same times so her routines are not disrupted. -Bring along objects that smell like home that your dog enjoys. Your dog's water bowl, bed, blanket and favorite toys can help provide reassurance (careful if she guards toys, resting spots etc). Many dogs are also comforted if you provide them with a shirt that smells like you when they need to be left alone. -Walk your dog prior to drain out some energy and tire her out. -Acclimatize her to staying in a crate. Now, this may take come time, but it may help considering that dogs who are crated often lie down and dogs are less prone to barking when laying down. On top of this, if both dogs are taken to the cabin, you can provide each dog while inside with valuable, long-lasting goodies such as stuffed Kongs, bully sticks, bone marrow stuffed with peanut butter etc. Also, both dogs crated are safe considering your dog's history of fighting when in confined areas. -Keeping the room dim or placing a blanket over the crate can help some anxious dogs relax. -Try calming aids. Pheromone diffusers such as Adaptil or Adaptil collars and sprays can help some dogs relax. Some dog owners report success using Rescue Remedy. An anxiety reducing shirt such as Thunder Shirt or the Anxiety Wrap may help in some cases too (Jennifer already suggested that). -If you want to work on the issue, this may take time and there are no guarantees this training may carry on to the cabin if the cabin remains a place she doesn't feel comfortable in. If your dog does well in the crate at home, you can then practice leaving your dog crated alone in unfamiliar places for brief periods of time. This is ideally done with the help of a dog professional experienced in working on cases of separation anxiety. Practice ahead of time crating your dog briefly in areas she's not commonly left alone such as in the basement, attic, yard, then progress in a friend’s house and start training your dog to remain calm in there despite the different, unfamiliar locations. (The course has a section on training your dog to love the crate) -If you ever have a prolonged stay in the cabin, that's the perfect way to help her feel safe there and to practice. Start with very short absences and increase gradually over time, preventing your dog as much as possible from getting stressed. Use high value foods to give inside the crate during your absences. -However, consider that the cabin may lose its sense of familiarity if you do not go there often enough to maintain all the progress made. -The use of a baby monitor, Furbo camera or Pet Cube may help so that you can see what is going on when you are out and about. The Furbo camera has the advantage of allowing you to deliver treats to your dog. This can help a lot, but you would have to keep your other dog crated for safety considering that your dog is prone to resource guarding. -All in all, one needs to consider, how much worthy it is to work on this issue extensively? Things to consider are: How often do you go there? How long are you away when she must be left alone? How bad does this impact her (is she in sheer terror? mildly stressed? very little stressed? Not stressed at all? Only way to know is to do a recording and see if she goes into panic mode or just barks out of frustration of not being able to come with you. Does the barking bother other people?(often owners of dogs who bark too much in hotel rooms are told to vacation in cabins as the rules for barking are more lenient there). -For mild cases of frustration or very, very light anxiety, it may help practicing keeping your dog behind doors in the home and leaving very briefly. If the dog doesn't bark, you open the door and reward, and then rinse and repeat several times. When your dog barks, you don't open the door, you wait for your dog to stop barking to open and reward. She should learn that calm behaviors get her out. Of course, if your dog is prone to resource guard, you will have to keep your other dog away during this type of training. One aggravating factor to consider though is that if your dog gets used to you bringing treats often when she is behind doors or in the cabin, this may evoke resource guarding towards your other dog (just as when you are bringing groceries home) so better off keeping your other dog crated at a distance so she can't do that.

Thanks for the update, That's good news that both your dog seem to settle when left alone at home! That's very helpful. Like Jennifer suggested, it's likely that the cabin is a place that your dog doesn't feel comfortable being in, especially if it's a place your dog doesn't go to often or that doesn't feel "safe." Many dogs would bark in this case, as they feel like they are being left behind from their "social group," their family. It can also be a case of confinement phobia, if the place is very small, but then your dog would have a hard time staying in the crate. Is she crate trained? Is she is crated when left alone at home?

This is a tricky situation. I would suggest skipping any hugs and kisses for now and start instead with some easier tasks that involve bending. The reason being, that, while it is possible to work on changing the dog's emotions about a lot things, the risks at stake in trying to get a dog to tolerate kisses are too high. Let me explain: dogs perceive hugs and kisses in a different way compared to humans. It's not like dogs don't like us, it's just that hugging and kissing are human behaviors that dogs may not fully understand, even if we do so with good intent. When a dog is kissed, it means bringing our faces very close to the dog's face, and this is something that not all dogs are comfortable with. From a dog's perspective, putting our face close to their faces and plastering them a kiss on the nose, mouth or forehead, may put the dog on the defensive, perhaps because they may perceive it as an attempt to bite. Add to the equation the fact, that, as humans, we also like to add smooching sounds, something dogs do not understand, and you may have the perfect recipe for a defensive bite. On top of that, when we kiss our dogs, we may also wrap our arms around them which removes the dog's "flight' option" (the ability to leave). When we hug and kiss dogs, we may therefore put ourselves at risk for a defensive bite to the face which can be very dangerous. Studies have shown that bending over a dog, putting the face close to the dog's face and making eye contact (all behaviors taking place in combination when kissing a dog), these behaviors often led to bites directed towards the central area of the face. Dogs may respond differently to being kissed and hugged. Some dogs show pretty obvious signs of disliking it, others just tolerate them. Some dog owners claim that their dogs seem to really enjoy it, but is that the real picture? In some cases, dogs may be showing very subtle signs of discomfort that go unnoticed. Sure, snarling, growling and snapping are pretty obvious signs that are quite easy to understand, however, according to a study, low-intensity warning signals of discomfort such as yawning, nose licking, turning the head and showing "whale eyes" are often not recognized, even by adult care takers. While conditioning her to be kissed is something that may be too risky at this point, it may be possible though as a starting point to work on changing the emotional response towards behaviors that do not put your face so close to hers and take away her ability to turn her head or move away. Changing the emotional response requires keeping your dog under threshold using once again desensitization and counterconditioning. Now a disclaimer is needed here: for safety and correct implementation, this should be exclusively done with the in-person help of a dog behavior professional because there are always some risks when working with dogs and safety is paramount. So how would behavior modification be rolled out in such a case? So for example, if your dog doesn't like when you bend to tie your shoes, with your dog at a distance, you can bend a little bit and toss a treat. Rinse and repeat. Bend a little more, and toss a treat, rinse and repeat, bend to touch your shoe and toss a treat, rinse and repeat, bend to touch your shoe longer and toss a treat, rinse and repeat, then try pretend to tie your shoe and toss a jackpot of treats (several treats tossed together). Once she is done eating, stop tying your shoes. You want her to understand that treats happen only when you are performing shoe-tying behaviors. Repeat several times, until your dog start to look forward to you bending down because she has associated your action with treats. If you want to change your dog's emotional response towards putting on the collar, with the help of professional, you may do an exercise as such: - Equip yourself with high-value treats -Place the collar in the middle of the floor and the moment your dog goes to sniff it, say "yes" or click your clicker, immediately followed by a treat. Repeat several times. -Hold the collar in one hand and food in the other. Keep the collar behind your back. Show it and the moment your dog sniffs the collar, immediately say "yes" or click your clicker and give a treat. Put the collar behind your back once done eating and repeat. What we are trying to do here is make it clear that the collar is what brings the treats and once the treat is eaten the collar disappears too. Once your dog gets used to seeing the collar and actually is eager to see it because he has associated it with treats (a positive conditioned emotional response) you can progress. -Take the unbuckled collar and make it touch your dog's neck for a split second and treat at the same time. Touch the neck and treat; touch the neck and treat. Do this several times until your dog looks forward to being touched with the collar. -Next, place the collar on the neck and continue the touch neck and treat; touch neck and treat. Finally, try to briefly make the two ends of the collar touch while your dog is busy eating treats. Remove once done eating. Repeat, repeat, repeat. -Try again to briefly make the two ends of the collar touch while your dog is busy eating treats. Remove once she is done. Finally, try to pretend you are buckling it on while your dog is busy eating treats. Remove once she is done eating. Try again to pretend you are buckling it on and give treats. This time though buckle it for real but very loose. Give treats and repeat. Now buckle it snug enough that two fingers are in between. Make a big deal of it, tell her how good he looks in it and give lots of treats. Of course, these are just some general examples of behavior modification. Each dog may need a more individualized approach (perhaps needing smaller steps, intermediate steps or alternate steps) based on how the dog responds. More or less sessions may be needed based on several factors. If at any time the dog gives signs of discomfort, it's indicative that we have progressed too fast and need to go back a few steps or make the steps smaller. Further safety precautions may be needed if the dog has a history of aggression or shows signs of stress. It's a smart move on your part to not smile when you are close to your dog so she doesn't perceive that as a threat. If you like her to "kiss" you on the chin, praise her for that when so do it naturally (or even better, "capture it" in other words verbally mark it "yes!" and give a treat right afterwards) so that she understands it's appreciated. This may allow her to take more initiative. However, keep in mind that sometimes shy dogs may do what Jennifer Shryock, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, calls a “Kiss to Dismiss,” basically, a facial lick the dog does to ask for distance. However, in general you would notice tense body language and this tends to take place when the dog feels somebody is pestering them and they want that person to move away.

So glad that you were able to reduce the barking from the car directed at people in parking lots and that you were also able to stop him from barking at the TV. This is not easy to accomplish for a dog prone to barking, so kudos to you for putting all the effort. It's very natural for dogs to bark in the home. If we think about it, humans have selectively bred dogs for barking as they helped alert back in the days when we didn't have chain link fences and bolted doors. They alerted about wild life, other dogs and people getting close to properties. Their barking back then was a great gift, nowadays instead it's considered a nuisance as we rely on other ways to protect our homes. However, one thing is letting out 1-2 alert barks and then shushing and one is a dog barking non-stop, over threshold and in a highly aroused state. You can read more about territorial behaviors in dogs here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/overprotective-at-home/ This brain game has worked well as a starting point for both my Rotties (a dog breed known for being highly territorial). https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ Another helpful read to desensitize dogs to knocks and doorbells: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/barking/doorbells-knocks-on-doors/ Now more and more trainers appear to agree that territoriality in dogs has some elements of fear incorporated. So this read showing my case study can turn helpful: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-barking-someone-enters-room/ Once your dog is calmer, training him to go to mat can turn helpful: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ Now a disclaimer is warranted here; please be cautious: when dogs bark and are in a highly aroused state, touching them or grabbing them by collar may lead to a redirected bite. For safety and correct implementation of behavior modification, it is always advisable to consult with a behavior professional. Hope this helps! Adrienne

I wouldn't worry much about turning the touch lamp. I would take a dog who does that over any form of aggressive behavior. That behavior should extinguish quickly as long as she never gets treats for touching the touch lamp. By the way, if she takes to this behavior naturally, you can teach her to turn on/off lights on cue, which is a cute trick! Our dog learned this trick quickly and it made for a quite handy trick when you are in a dark room. "But I notice Remie also gets nasty when I bring in groceries (food) that she thinks is hers? she will lunge towards Hannah, who is no where around." Is Hannah no where around or is she initially, but is reminded by Remie's body language not to approach you? Did she used to be around when you got home from grocery shopping in the past, but is now no where to find because she is scared of being bullied by Remie? Do your dogs ever show signs of conflict when you come home from work or other places, or only when you come inside bringing groceries? Does Remie ever send Hannah away from the kitchen area when you place the groceries on the counter or in the kitchen area? The goal of throwing a blanket is to confuse the dogs (wait, why is it suddenly so dark? what is this thing over us? how can we get it off?) in hopes that they will focus on something else and get distracted from each other. Care should be taken in not touching the dogs under the blanket, as this too may lead to a redirected bite. The dogs should figure how to get it off and then the owner can take advantage of those few seconds of confusion to redirect the dogs to doing something else (hey dogs, let's go in the yard a bit!) in hopes that they won't go back to "where were we? Ahh... right, we were fighting over this food!" Now, I must admit, I have never personally used the blanket strategy for dogs fighting, but I have used it for out of control play in small dogs who weren't trained yet to respond to verbal cues like "that's enough!" or who were difficult to redirect when in a highly aroused state. Once the blanket was tossed over them, they would immediately stop, wiggle their way out and I had a few seconds of "what happened!" to focus them on doing something else. Personally, when training for a store where the training class was held in a tiny room we used noise (air horn, compressed air) to stop any first signs of a fight. These tools were used only and only in this circumstance and certainly not as a tool to stop dogs from misbehaving. It usually worked like a charm, especially if we caught the dogs before they had a chance to latch on. When training two dogs, it is best to have one dog trained in an area, and the other in another. Since the dog left behind may rebel, it helps to give a stuffed Kong or other long lasting goody in a crate or confined area. This keeps the dog busy, prevents rehearsal of impatient behavior (barking, pawing at doors etc) and also creates a positive association with you training the other dog. Then, the dogs are swapped. Does the barking take place at the cabin only or also at home? Is your other dog in the cabin too or is it just her left there? Have you ever recorded what happens when left home alone and watched it later on once back? Many rescued dogs show signs of separation anxiety unfortunately. Not saying that is what it is, but thought to point it out if this behavior happens when left alone at home. Many dog owners aren't aware of what happens when dogs are left alone until they are recorded. Attention seeking barking, as Jennifer pointed out is fueled by attention. The dog barks, the owner plays with the dog. The dog barks in front of the food bowl, the owner feeds the dog. The dog barks when the owner watches TV? The owner pets the dog. All these behaviors reward the barking, fueling it and allowing the behavior to put roots and establish. Behaviors that are reinforced, strengthen and repeat. Behaviors that are ignored, weaken and extinguish. Give attention when the dog is calm, if she is barky, totally ignore her unless she's barking because of a real need (like needs to be taken out to potty). Now, you may go through some extinction bursts of barking more (or trying other things) upon ignoring her at first, but that's just the final smoke before the fire is extinguished if you stick to your plan. Keep ignoring the more insisting barking and she should eventually understand that barking no longer works. Now, if your dog is barking when left alone at home or in a cabin, while this may look like a type of attention barking coming from a needy dog, it can be a case of deep anxiety. This form of barking tends to not get much better by just ignoring (unless we take baby steps using desensitization), and definitely doesn't get better by scolding. This form of anxious barking is a dog who feels scared and the high-pitched barking is often similar in tone to when young puppies are left behind from mother dog. It's a sense of deep abandonment. In this case, behavior modification for separation anxiety is what is really needed. Please make sure that behavior training classes are run by professionals using force-free methods. We don't want to stress stressed out dogs more than they already are.

Thanks for the details! Sometimes we need some experimenting to find the right treats that grab the pup's attention. Of course, if your puppy is too over threshold, no type of treat will work, but if we can find a type that gets him really excited and is capable of grabbing his interest a bit when he is mildly stressed just at the border of him being under the threshold, that would be a step forward. Here is a read about threshold levels in dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/using-jolly-routine-fearful-dogs/ If you make the time before the potty trips rather dull and boring and then once outdoors, turn these trips into a "jolly routine" during which you praise and give the high value treats, there are chances, that with time, you may see a little emotional change. This method is based on counterconditioning. Here is the jolly routine article: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/using-jolly-routine-fearful-dogs/ Here is a general guide on dealing with fearful rescue dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/helping-fearful-rescue-dog/ When we see dogs walking in a zig-zag manner that's often a sign that the dog's emotions are taking control of the walk. A dog who is fearful may pull ahead, then lag behind as he's overstimulated by all the sights and sounds. We can see this in happy dogs who are just overstimulated (or dogs who just need to be trained to heel) but it's mostly seen in fearful dogs if they also have the ears flattened back, tail between the legs accompanied by a hypervigilant look (the dog's gaze is oriented to face all the surrounding triggers). This latter dog is confused and overwhelmed. It helps walking in areas that are less overwhelming and by offering high-value treats every time something that concerns the dog pops up. These fellows as mentioned therefore thrive on a well planned desensitization and counterconditioning program.

Hi and welcome to the forums! It sounds like your fur baby is getting gradually better, which is good. Baby steps. Training in the home and brain games can help boost his confidence. What type of treats are you using? When your puppy pulls is he sort of walking in a zig-zag manner pulling in different directions? Does he pull to go back home? How often is he taken out? It sounds like you must take him on walks to go potty, is that correct? No yard? Thanks, these extra details come handy. Here is a read on tackling fear of noises, which I call the 'hear that method" It is based on desensitization and counterconditioning: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/

Now, to the aggression between Remie and Hannah. Things can get quite complex when dogs of the same household exhibit aggression because there may be various dynamics going on. First of all, the good stuff. If your dogs have been having "noisy discussions" and nothing more for all the time you have had them, most likely they are practicing decent conflict resolution. Sure it can be noisy, sure it may seem intense, but if nobody gets hurt at the end, that is a big plus, compared to cases where dogs are at each other and have a history of injuring themselves. Now, you mention that you have to drag Remie away, so it is possible that this is why your dogs haven't ever injured each other if you have been doing that all the time. If you are very swift, there are chances that with your intervention, you may have prevented things from escalating, but usually I must say, if dogs have a real intent to harm each other, they are quite quick in doing that and many serious fights are rather quiet or with very little "talking," giving you little chance to get up on your feet on time. So overall, this doesn't sound like a very dire situation compared to some other cases. Now, the bad news, not always things stay that way. Sometimes things may escalate and this most often happens when one dog for some reason or another decided to not "back down" or there is some sort of aggravating factor at play. We also need to thread with caution because two female dogs can stir trouble at times especially the closer they are in age. An aggravating factor can be the tight quarters (the small area you describe in the basement) and the fact that you own a mix of two serious working dog breeds (Remie) which may not always enjoy much the happy-go-lucky all in your face behavior of Golden/Labrador type dogs. A small area may interfere with proper body language and conflict resolution. If for example Hannah is trying to back off at some point from a "heated discussion" and wishes to remove herself, perhaps she may get stuck or may be unable to turn her head to avert direct eye contact (which is a calming signal) there are risks that Remie may perceive this as her not "backing down" and she may feel compelled to escalate to get the point across. Now, this doesn't always mean a bite, but perhaps an air snap or more intense vocalizations, but generally, yes, smaller areas can pose some challenges in dog negotiations, which is why you are likely seeing more fights in this area than other areas of the home. For "hot spots" as such, it may help to remove the sources of conflict as much as possible through management of the environment. So if there are squabbles over an empty bowl of popcorn, make sure to not place it in that room and do not leave crumbs around or other things that provide opportunities for conflict. You may have to get into your dog's mind to define exactly what objects makes your dog "think there is food" and to remove those things when both dogs are down stairs. Also, establishing a new routine may help as well. Perhaps, you can keep both dogs quite busy prior to going in the area so they are more likely to snooze on their mats rather than have discussions over petty things. You own high energy dog breeds so they may need a certain level of exercise and mental stimulation. Sure behavior modification can be applied too in dogs who resource guard towards other dogs, but a risk assessment needs to be done: how much time, money and will, do owners have to invest in it? How serious are the fights? How often do the fights occur? Can they be prevented easily? This is something a behavior professional would asses when tackling aggression in dogs sharing the household. In some circumstances, it may be easier to simply remove sources of conflict or keeping both dogs in separate areas if this is limited to only certain occasions and certain areas. A word of caution is needed in regards to dragging Remie away when your two dogs are fighting. When dogs are in a fight, even if's just noise or air snapping, intervening can sometimes put you at risk for a redirected bite. So use lots of caution here. I am not sure how you are dragging Remie away, but if it's by her collar, consider that there are risks. Collar grabs carry high statistics of bites. If you are dragging her away by lifting her hindquarters, that may be safer, although it's not unheard of for some dogs being able to turn around and bite. A safer option may be to keep pot lids handy and clank them together to distract them or use an air horn. Some dog owners have success by ringing a door bell or tossing a blanket over both of the fighting parties. Finally, dogs who exhibit aggression should always have a veterinarian assess them. It is possible that some dogs may have underlying medical problems causing issues that lower their threshold for aggression, one common issue being low thyroid levels. Some dogs are more likely to act aggressively if they are stressed. Their cortisol levels are high and they are easier to be reactive and hyper alert. A disclaimer is warranted here since we are dealing with several forms of aggression: caution is always needed when dealing with cases of aggression. Behavior modification comes with risks and therefore it's important to seek out the assistance of a dog behavior professional for safety and correct implementation. Muzzle training may be needed if there are risks for bites and a management plan is advisable while awaiting the aid of professional.