Adrienne Farricelli

She's been having issues with anal glands and I can't express them externally. We all know how she feels about the vet so I gave internal a try. I was able to get the right one but when I attempted the left she was done. I'm sure it wasn't the smoothest expression in this history of expressions so I don't blame her. It was uncomfortable for me, too, lol. She's still scooting so I know there's more to do. Poor girl. Now I'm curious whether female dogs are more susceptible to being unable to express on their own. Momo nor Brownie never had these woes, but all three girls do. Most dogs I have known that had anal gland issues were dogs who produced softer stools. Among Einstein and Petra, Petra had a tendency to produce softer stools, especially on walks. Walks had the power to make her poop even 3 times in a row, with the poops starting solid and then ending being "soft serve" sorry for the TMI. I never figured entirely out whether this was a matter of nerves, a desire to mark with stools, or just the movement triggering her to poop more. The vet was never concerned as long as she was active, hungry and had no signs of parasites in her fecal tests. Fact is, on days she wasn't walked she never did those 3 poops in a row. In any case, with her mushy poops, her stools weren't solid enough to empty the gland so she would lick and chew her bum areas at times and I would get those lovely whiffs of rotten tuna fish., yuck! For a good part, her issue was solved with the addition of plain canned pumpkin. Other dog with anal gland issues was a female who was over for boarding and training. She developed mushy stools during her stay because her owner mistakenly provided me with the food her other dog was on. A couple of days later she had a noticeable swelling on the left side of her bum that initially I thought was just a little bug bite. I made a picture of it and owner wasn't concerned and her vet just said to keep an eye on it. The morning after, it was dark pink and leaking a couple drops of blood. To make it brief, I quickly figured her anal gland had ruptured, and had to take her to the vet. Other dog with anal issues was a female who boarded often with us, who also produced the lovely fishy smell and she too had a history of not producing stools that were solid enough. I informed the owner and things got better with a diet change. So now that I think about, these were all females too. Coincidence? Who knows! I only knew of a male with some anal gland issues, but not to the point of producing fishy smells or needing expression, he was just occasionally scooting. He was a smaller dog though with a dachshund type of conformation and a little obese too. She absolutely loves the Jazz Up Settle Down game. I have the scratches and bruises to prove it! She was still jazzed up when we went into the yard and the excitement of being outside stoked that flames and she gave me a tremendous display of jazzing up, ugh! She's getting better each day, though. I don't know what toy you are using for Jazzing, but if she's nippy or misses often, a longer tug toy may work better to keep your hands farther away from her mouth. Using the toy low can help prevent scratches from jumping. Also, watch your vocalizations so you don't revv her up too much. She's actually settled on the couch with us the last couple nights where normally she curls up when we're ready to retire. Prior to that it's up, down, up, down, until I remember I can put her in the kennel instead of getting frustrated with the disruptions. 6 more months of teenagerdom to go! Thursday Leah gets here for more and I hope I've done enough of the homework to make her proud. There were 25 recommendations in addition to the goals and I am trying my best. 24 hours in a day just aren't enough on top of the job, house, husband, etc . . .. Crossing my fingers Esther will show visible improvement or changes when Leah gets here. It's a terrible feeling to work so hard then have the teacher check your work and it's a blank page! I hear you, it can be challenging when there is not enough time. Let her know you have tried your best. Maybe she can help you compile a list of which of those 25 recommendations are a priority or just highlight them with a marker. We started working on a stronger Leave today and she did quite well. I started with a mundane item, then changed that out for a different boring item, then upgraded to an empty treat toy. She grabbed the treat toy a couple times, but quickly realized I had the softened kibble and the toy had Nothin'. It was nice to see her ignore that toy. I suppose I might start with that toy next time then up the ante and have the mundane items waiting in the wings in case we have to go back a step. The girls haven't passed playing in the small yard, yet. I'm to let them out in that yard then after a minute or two, or as soon as Esther starts bullying, call them to me. If they don't respond then play time is to end. It's ended the 3 times I've tried it so far. She wanted me to start inside, but I don't allow them to rough house inside so I had to skip that step (not allowing indoor play is one of the management items to preventing fights - every fight has been inside). Can't wait to see what she has in store for us Thursday. Even if it's something boring it's always nice to have that professional set of eyes to firm things up. Best wishes for a productive session!

Hello and welcome to the forums! Dog behaviors are in most cases driven by reinforcement (operant conditioning) and associations between stimuli/ events (classical conditioning). In the case of dogs who bark for their food, it's their belief that it works since the meal preparation process takes place and they are eventually fed. It sounds like you are on the right track with tackling this kind of barking by putting him in the yard, and then calling him when his meal is ready and asking him to sit quietly before you put the food down. However, what is he doing in the yard when you are engaging in meal preparation? If he's actively barking, then he's not learning much really, although he's showing progress at least in the last portion of your meal preparation, that is, the food delivery provided contingent upon him quietly sitting. To tackle this issue, I would keep him inside and let him learn in a clear way how barking slows you down or even stops you in the meal preparation process, while quiet speeds you up. This can take a few trials to master, but it's well worth the effort (as long as you can cope with some temporary barking). So here's an example of what I do. I will walk to the meal preparation area. If the dog barks as I am walking there, I will freeze in spot ad wait for several seconds of quiet. If he persists in barking, I will take two steps back or even leave if it's persistent ad go sit on a chair. Then, when he's quiet, I will progress and walk to the area again and continue meal preparation. I will therefore start grabbing the bag and filling the bowl, but if he barks again, I'll put the bowl away and I'll be leaving the area again if he persists. Then, I try again. If he is quiet, and I am able to pour the food in the bowl, I may next walk towards the dog, but if he barks, I will turn around, and even think about walking away if he persists. Once he is quiet again, I will try again to walk towards him. When he finally manages to stay quiet until the very end, I will put the bowl down (I like to ask for a sit and then release with an "ok!" once the bowl is on the ground) Now, I will admit, your first meal preparations may seem to take forever the initial days, but most dogs catch on quickly if you are very clear in communicating that quiet gets you to advance in meal preparation, while barking slows you down. The goal is therefore to teach your dog that calm behaviors unleash all the rewards, when barking and acting impatient does not. You will have to train this with your other "cheering dog" out of the way so not to influence his training. You can then do the same training with your other barky dog, until you receive reliable results by both dogs, at which point, you can then have them both together in the room. With walking, you may want to start reinforcing calm behavior even before heading out of the door. Train a polite sit for when you attach the leash to the collar and then another nice sit when you are about to open the door, this training is covered here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/college/open-sesame/ Then, once on the walk, you may find it helpful toning down his excitement a notch by asking him to perform some behaviors, so he's focused on you. For instance, I would suggest training indoors a reliable response to the smacking sound as outlined here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ and then once your dog learns to make eye contact, you will add movement. You can do this indoors walking along a hallway. In other words, you'll be making your smacking sound and walk as your dog walks next to you looking up at you for several steps. Start with just a few steps, and gradually increase more, and then practice this in the yard, in front of the home and then on walks, using high-value treats. You are basically aiming for some lovely attention-heeling as outlined here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ To make the training more enticing, rather than hand feeding the treats on the walk, toss them on the ground so he must search for them. With his brain focused on heeling, his nose busy on searching and his mouth busy in eating, it would be difficult to bark at the same time. This little exercise may help burn off some steam and built-up anticipation, although I feel that most dogs benefit from engaging in a variety of brain games and training before going on walks so they blow off some steam and are not full of that explosive energy, which also makes them more likely to pull. You may also find this exercise helpful as well when taking him out to check the barn at horses at night. If he's barking at certain triggers though (like wild animals at a distance), it may not be easy to distract him. It may therefore help to initially keep him on leash and just toss some treats on the ground rather than asking for a formal heel since many dogs struggle to stay focused when there are overly stimulated. Then, only once he's in a calmer state, you can progress and start trying to ask for behaviors. I hope this helps, Let me know if you have any other questions or need some elucidations on the training process. Happy training! Adrienne

You may also find it useful training a solid response to a smacking sound and using it on walks: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/

Sorry I missed that you put your pup's age right in the title! At almost 6 months, he's reaching the adolescent stage. Here is a read about what happens around this timeframe: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/ What type of walking gear are you using? Collar and leash (what type?) or a harness? Have you trained heel in a quiet setting before going on walks? Here is the guide on heeling: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ You may also find it useful training a solid response to a smacking sound and using it on walks: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/

Hello and welcome to the forums! It's so great to hear that Kylo has learned so many things and is being such a good pup at home! In regards to his behavior on walks, it sounds like he's overstimulated by all the stuff going on around him, however, this isn't unusual, especially for the younger pups. Puppies are notorious for having short attention spans, sort of like toddlers who struggle to sit too long to watch a long movie. The behavior when he's around other dogs sounds pretty normal as well. Pups tend to behave in a socially illiterate manner and they'll often act quite boisterous around other dogs. Of course, we want to teach them good skills, but we'll have to firstly consider their age, as we may be asking too much too soon. The good news is that when you have an older well behaved dog, these can make great teacher dogs for puppies. I have a couple of questions to better understand the situation. How old is Kylo? And how old is Archie? When you take them together on walks, are you walking them both or do you have a family member walk one dog while you walk the other?

Sit can be used for loads of things! As a part of an impulse control program, you can insert a sit before providing anything the dog loves. Sit before opening a door, sit before lowering the food bowl, sit before snapping the leash on, sit before petting, etc. It's all good stuff you can ask for using the "Premack Principle style." https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/premack-principle/ Sounds like you're on a roll!

While walks are Loki's best thing, in the morning, he's not much into it... He would sit in front of the outside door, sometimes even for minutes, and at some point he would go... Interesting.... does he have breakfast before or after walks? Is he on leash with you when he sits in front of the door? Also, in the usual road that gets to the fields, he would sit, and stay, like he doesn't want to go there... Not showing any sign of fear, or distress... Just staying there, like saying "pffffff booooorrrriiinnngggg" But after a few minutes, he would go, and enjoy the walk, as his normal self I put it on the teenage thing, what you describes as the "duh moment" If this is out of character for him, I would discuss with the vet just to play it safe in case there's some type of pain going on. I know he looks like he's just bored, but dogs can be stoic and hide pain and the only signs we may notice are a reluctance to walk or sort of lazy behaviors. Also he seems to show signs of the "2nd phase of fear" like little noise makes him jump, and maybe it is related... perhaps the sit has a little fright, but I wouldn't understand why in the usual neighborhood... perhaps the morning fog that started to appear with the decrease of temperature It could likely be he's undergoing a fear period. It's important to work on increasing confidence https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-build-confidence-insecure-dogs/ In other words, clicker training, going through agility tunnels, letting him explore novel things with praise, can help with that. If you notice a pattern of what noises startle him, you can try the 'hear that' exercises outlined here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/ Fog can sometimes confuse dogs, and they may feel initially puzzled or maybe slightly disoriented and unsettled by the abrupt change in scenery. While sounds may be dampened, the humidity in fog increases scents, amplifying them significantly so it could also be he's smelling something unusual too.

Thank you so kindly for providing the link! I see now where the issue is and will forward to the tech team. Also, thanks for the extra details, they are helpful! Please see my observations in non-bold under your statements. So according to my roommates she doesn’t bark hardly at all when I’m not home, both with them and with strangers visiting. She’ll bark a bit sometimes if one roommate moves too fast (lol) but won’t bark when they try to leave. Whereas if I’m home and they try to leave she’s making a whole scene. Same with visitors, when I wasn’t home and a visitor came over she had no problems. Didn’t bark, wanted to cuddle, etc. but when I came home she barked whenever she got up even if it wasn’t heading my way. So if there is still some level of barking going on when you are not home, that tells us that she still isn't totally comfortable with certain situations (people moving too fast) so there is likely some fear element at play. The fact that she doesn't bark when they leave when you are away, but barks when they leave when you are around, leaves us with a few possibilities for the behavior. I would still aim to record the behavior when you are away just to get an insider view of how she behaves when alone. Even if a dog doesn't bark, there may still be signs of stress that are worthy of being aware of. So, here are few possibilities that come to mind as causes for the behavior based on your roommates' version. I have commented briefly on these above, but will go more in depth on them. -Protective behavior- protective dogs will will defend their owners from others just as they would with a precious bone. This doesn't mean that your dog perceives you as the human personification of a rawhide, it just means that your dog may value you just as highly. While this may be perceived as an ultimate sign of canine loyalty, devotion and affection, the downside is that, a dog who acts protective when there is no real threat, is showing signs of fear/weak nerves and this requires intervention. Sure, a small like a Chi barking at people may yield some giggles, but excess protectiveness can easily get out of hand and be stressful on the dog too. Not surprisingly, small dogs are often overrepresented for this type of behavior, and it's likely because being small, the issue is perceived as much less worrisome than if popping up in say a Rottweiler or German shepherd. Suspect protectiveness therefore if your Chi barks at your roommates exclusively when she's around you and her barking seems to intensify (often morphing into growling, lunging and baring teeth) the closer your roommates get towards you, while the barking seems to abate the moment they move farther away. Usually dogs who are protective of their owners will like stick closely by them, standing or sleeping by their feet or next to them in bed or on the couch. They will be always on guard and grow increasingly nervous the moment they notice someone approaching. *I am not sure if this is really the case in your scenario, because I missing some info on how she behaves if they approach you versus leaving the room. Not saying to try this, but just consider how she has behaved in this case in the past. -Feeling more confident- You know how some teenagers like to stick together as a group to act bold, but then if you catch one alone, he is terribly shy and even stutters from nervousness? Well, a similar scenario may happen in dogs too. Some dogs just don't like to mess with people when they are alone. These dogs are likely fearful, but when their owner is around they suddenly gain all the courage to start barking. It's as if they feel like together you and her form a team and you will have her back covered if something was to happen. Something similar also happens to dogs who live together when they gang up and decide to bark at people angrily when they are passing by their property. If for some odd reason though only one dog happens to be outside, chances are, this dog may just sniff around and pretend that he hasn't seen the person. *I feel that based on her tendency to display fear, this can be a possibility. -A Need for Attention- We often think of food, treats and toys as ways to reinforce dog behaviors, but attention is often an overlooked reward we often fail to consider. If every time your dog barks or growls at people, you giggle (this often happens when the dog in question is small and trying to look tough), your dog may perceive your giggling as a form of attention and possibly even a sign of approval. Of course the situation gets even much worse if on top of giggling, an owner ends up jokingly praising the dog or excitedly inciting him to "Go get em!" Not saying this is your case, but just wanting to point out how we can strongly influence our dogs. When attention like this is provided contingent upon the barking behavior, there are chances that the behavior will increase and strengthen over time. While giggling is just one form of attention, several other of our behaviors may qualify as attention as well to a dog who craves it. These other behaviors may therefore end up inadvertently reinforcing the barking behavior and this includes even attention of the negative type. For example, if you happen to scold your dog every time she barks at intruders, this behavior may qualify as attention too and may end up reinforcing the behavior, allowing it to put roots and persist. **I am not sure if this can be a cause in your scenario, because I missing some info on what you do exactly when she barks. Consider the power of reinforcement-There can be actually two types of reinforcement going on in these cases. The first form is the one discussed above where the dog "enjoys" the attention she gets when she barks, and the other form of reinforcement occurs when people move away following the barking. In this latter case, the dog through trial and error starts thinking that, it is courtesy of her barking that the people move away and leave. This ultimately gives the dog a big sense of relief which is highly reinforcing (negative reinforcement to be exact). This cliché' is often the reason why we see many dogs bark at the mailman and delivery people every day. These dogs come to truly believe that their barking makes the 'bad guys leave" so their barking becomes a daily routine that only stops once these people leave their premises. So if your dog craves attention and isn't too happy with roommates moving around and exiting a room, she may be getting a double whammy of reinforcement when she barks at them. With dual reinforcement at play, this requires often dual the effort to reduce this form of barking. Consider the risks-With dogs who bark at people, there may be risks for the barking to eventually transform into growling, snapping and possibly biting. Therefore this is something to stop sooner than later. So..., based on your info provided (I am missing a few puzzle pieces, so this is a bit broad so to cover several basis) following are some general tips/ideas. -Prevent rehearsal of the problematic behavior. In other words, take all the management steps you can to prevent your Chi from rehearsing the barking behavior. This can mean keeping her in a separate area when you know your roommates are about to leave (behind a baby gate, in a play pen or crated with a safe food puzzle to enjoy). Here's the thing: the more dogs get to rehearse certain behaviors, the more these put roots and become difficult to eradicate. This is particularly important if your dog's barking behavior is fairly new. Nipping it in the bud is paramount. These management steps are for the most temporary, at least until you can actively work on the problem and for those instances when an exposure is too intense or you have no time to work on it. -Stop the reinforcement. This means no giggling, no praising, no talking that may inadvertently reinforce the behavior. -Create positive associations. This can work if there is a fear component at play. The goal here is to change your dog's perception of your roommates moving around. In other words, every time a roommate is walking around fast or exiting a door, make your smacking sound https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ and feed your dog a tasty treat. Make it crystal clear that the treat is delivered only when the person moves/exits. Aim for a positive conditioned emotional response https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/ While this method can be effective, it is imperative that it's accompanied by desensitization. -Use systematic desensitization. In other words, use a step-by-step approach so to prevent your dog from going over threshold. Too intense exposure risk evoking the barking behavior which can set you back several steps making you lose some progress. Therefore, make sure that you have everything under control. Don't have roommates moving too quickly at first, at least until you haven't obtained a fluent response. Eventually, your Chi can be taught to lie on a mat when your roommates move around and exit where she gets to receive yummy edible goodies delivered there. Here is the guide on teaching dogs to lie on a mat. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/ The importance of working with a professional. Changing dog behaviors falls under behavior modification more than just training and this be can be quite complex. You may therefore need to hire a behavior consultant who specializes in reactivity and uses force-free behavior modification techniques. This is also for safety(dogs who bark may bite) and to up the chances for success since a professional working with you in presence can walk you through the behavior modification process and ensure its correct implementation. I have trouble with emergency U turns because she thinks turning around means the walk is over and we’re heading home and will stand in place and refuse to move. In this case, you may need to practice emergency u-turns a lot at home, in front of the home and then progress on walks, so that she understands that emergency u-turns are super fun and worthy of performing. You may have to just organize some walks just for this exercise. A goal could be that she gets to go farther on a walk only after she has successfully performed an emergency u-turn. So, very close to home initially, you can ask for a u-turn, walk 1-2 steps and then do another u-turn to go several steps farther, rinse and repeat etc etc. Try to never do a u-turn though to end a walk abruptly- since she loves walks so much, we don't want to create negative associations with them. She also tends to spot dogs pretty fast. Today she saw one far away (couple hundred feet maybe?) and didn’t react until it got closer (50 feet or so) but it was a small reaction. But then she got startled when a Pomeranian turned a corner and went kinda crazy even though it was a similar but slightly smaller distance. In my area theres really only two directions to walk, one with more people and less potential for dogs and one with potentially more dogs. Both seem to get her a little stressed, but it depends on the day with the people thing. It’s mainly if they get too close to us. She’s also not a huge fan of scooters and bikes but I can typically get her attention with a look at me and she won’t bark at them. These cases can be tricky, that is, when there are dogs popping up from nowhere. These episodes increase stress levels and allow rehearsal of the behavior. It may be worthy driving to areas that are more open so that you are better able to scan the environment and prevent surprises. Walking off hours that are peak time, until she's better able to cope with her triggers, may also help. My goals are to address and ideally one day eliminate her dog fears, then work on in public manners (though she’s pretty good already when there’s no dogs), then do specific tasks. Maybe I could do tasks before public manners though since those can be practiced at home. Yes, you can start the tasks anytime at home, and they can be great confidence boosters since you can incorporate clicker training. Happy training!

Hi Angie Torres, Welcome back! Little favor: Can you please provide the page exactly where the forum link isn't working? My tech team is always looking after "bugs" like these and if you could paste the page here it would be extra helpful! I will forward it to tech support, although I am not sure what you mean by "older website." My roommates have noticed that she tends to only really bark at visitors or at them 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 so much as stand to go pee. Could there be a puzzle piece I’m missing here? OK, this is a somewhat different situation from the original post where it was mentioned that she barked whenever your roommates didn't pay attention to her. This is interesting though because it could be that she was really initially barking for attention and this has subsided and solved (either from intentional training or just natural exposure to them and her senses adjusting or the whole novelty factor gone), and now we are left with some other form of residual barking. This phenomenon is often seen when we have dogs who are barking a whole lot to different triggers, and then the barking at several triggers subsides so we are left with more clear contingencies (where we start to see more evident patterns of the triggers that evoke the barking more than just random barking at many triggers). Or it could be simply that barking when you are around was the main problem all around. In any case, if she's snuggling with strangers and seems to be fine when you are not around then there *can* be an element of "protectiveness" involved. This takes place when dogs don't like people being near their "favorite owner." I say this tentatively because there can be various dynamics at play, in general confirm the possible "protectiveness" theory, several criteria should be met. Can you confirm that when she barks up a storm she is in the same room with you, mostly nearby you and when they move around she barks and lunges at them as if trying to send them away from you? Does she seem to bark/act upset when you are sitting on the couch and your roommates are approaching you? Does her barking when they get up or go use the restroom get more intense if they happen to get closer to you? Not saying to try this (as her behavior may intensify), just asking if you can recall her response to a possible deviation where a roommate got up to use the restroom, but then came back to approach you as if going to answer the phone nearby you or getting something close to you. In other words, what I am looking for is whether the barking gets worse upon them approaching you. Another possibility is simply her feeling a bit 'bolder" when you are around and putting on her "watchdog duties" or liking the attention she gets from you when she barks at your roommates. What do you do exactly usually when she barks at them? It would be very, very helpful recording her behavior when you are not home and see if she completely stops the barking or if she still reacts as they walk around only that it's not as intense as to when you are home. I’m also looking into utilizing forms of play (toys food and social) to sort of loosen her up and increase her confidence. She loves walks (if not demands them and mopes if she doesn’t get them) but seems somewhat hyper vigilant when she’s out. She won’t take anything but straight cheese or meat once she’s outside which I’m sure isn’t the best thing when it comes to training and needing lots of treats. Brain games, obedience training, clicker training (you mentioned she's OK with the sound) are all excellent to increase confidence. More is covered here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-build-confidence-insecure-dogs/ Most of these games/ tricks are trained with a clicker, so they may be helpful to boost her confidence: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/hot-and-cold/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-your-dog-to-turn-on-a-light/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-roll/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-play-dead/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-cover-eyes-shame/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-give-paw-shake/ Actually, cheese and meat (like roasted chicken, baked liver, homemade salmon treats) may be far healthier choices than many of the commercial treats which are loaded with sugars, artificial colorings and unpronounceable ingredients. The secret is to use tiny pieces so to not over fill her. Many dog owners are often surprised when they see how small I can break up the pieces of a regular treat/piece of food. I often can get as many as 10 to 20 smaller pieces, and each piece can be used to reinforce one desired behavior or form a positive association. This means that with just one treat I can reinforce as many as 10 to 20 behaviors or form 10-20 positive associations! With you using meat or cheese, things can get messy in a treat bag, but you can cut them up and place them in a plastic baggie in your pocket or inside your treat bag. I will always keep a handful though in one hand in case of unexpected triggers or a behavior I like popping up so I have them ready at a moment's notice. I also like to keep track on how many tidbits I have and arrange walks around their amount. In other words, to make the most out of the walk without finishing all treats quickly, it helps to strategically walk in areas where there are less triggers around and leaving most of the treats for the areas with more distractions. I will still occasionally use some treats in the quieter areas to reinforce behaviors (since most dogs are OK performing desirable behavior in lower distraction area), but the core of the treats goes to the areas where positive associations need to be formed with triggers (trigger/treat), however, this is always done aiming to keep the dog under threshold as possible. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ If she is too reactive or hypervigilant on walks, stress hormones will flood her body and this stress will carry over to the home increasing potential reactivity to things. And vice-versa, if it's stressful at home, that stress will be carried over to walks. So it's important to carefully manage things on walks and indoors, to prevent them from becoming too stressful events. If you look through my page you can see how she used to be a lot more people reactive (it’s gone down to maybe 5-10% of people when on walks, inside is a different story) but has stayed dog reactive. I do my best to create distance and create new associations with treats but it doesn’t seem to be solid footing. We made some progress over the summer but upon moving back to my dorms she lost practically all of it. The people reactivity improvements you have made together is wonderful! I am glad that this has gone down dramatically. It's very important to work on this. With dog-dog reactivity, things can be somewhat trickier because we don't have full control of what the other dogs are doing (off-leash dogs approaching fast or owners letting their dogs approach to meet and greet, these can really put a dent in progress) and working under the threshold can be complicated in certain areas (tight sidewalks, areas with dogs barking loud behind fences etc). Creating distance is important and when distance cannot be granted, you want to use emergency u-turns: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/emergency-u-turn/ If you have friends with dogs that are rather calm and social, this can be super helpful because it provides you with an opportunity to have more control over the situation creating good "pre-look at thats, 'look at that" or "closed bar-open bar" setups that can be lead to positive outcomes and a good foundation. 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/ It would be helpful to analyze what could have put a dent in her progress since the summer. If walks are reduced or are conducted in places that are too overwhelming, they can lose the progress, but so many other things may be at play (other forms of stress complicating the matter, not feeling too well, several missed opportunities for positive associations/reinforcements, sloppy implementations etc). Even moving to a new place can put a dent at many levels. We see this often with potty training too. Many dogs who were great at potty training at home, will have occasional accidents in their new place. Dogs seem to struggle generalizing things in new or different settings. For instance, walks in new places means new triggers and if the previous foundation wasn't strong enough it may not have carried over. This especially applies to dogs who are nervous/reactive on their own as these dogs crave routines and security. A dorm with several roommates can certainly be a stressful change too, so that can too play a role. I know we’re very far from the manners needed for this but I’d love for her to be my psychiatric service dog one day, and I just want her to be less anxious about things. I truly appreciate all the help and advice. My favorite saying is "when there is a will, there is a way." I have seen dedicated owners do amazing things with their dogs when there is that strong internal motivation sparkling. Back when I worked for an association that matched up completely untrained and unruly shelter dogs to veterans with post traumatic stress who were to work with these dogs to turn them into their service or emotional support dogs, you could visibly see improvements unfold one week after another (although they still had had to see us once a week for class and then had to later go to a special school for further advanced training). It's a step-by-step dance, always gauging the environment, ensuring that things aren't too overwhelming and preventing rehearsal of stressful behaviors to protect the hard work. Calming aids (DAP collars, calming supplements l-theanine, alpha-casozepine) can help too some dogs. Once you can get a calmer, non-reactive state, it helps to walk in gradually more challenging places (the perimeter of dog parks, frequent walks to the city where there are many people and dogs as with time they become less salient). The biggest mistake is progressing too fast and expecting results within a short time-frame. You can read more posts with some protocols and examples for dog-to dog reactivity behavior modification here: these are just three, but I am sure there are likely dozens and dozens of them covering slightly different approaches.

Cannot agree more on this one, even if it's difficult, and specially for us during the teenage phase : last experience : we were walking, and he was with a doggie friend, we let them loose to play fully in a field, which is next to the forest... the 2 rascals started to play next to us normally and at some point, they decided having an adventure in the forest was much more fun... they fled like bullets deep in the forest... and took almost half an hour to come back... Emotional roller coaster. Just pissed at first, then annoyed, then angry, then afraid something happened, then sad because we thought of the end... And then they came back to us, just happy... I would have killed him on the spot for the emotional ride, and the total absence of obedience... but we praised and rewarded the coming back, otherwise he would quickly think "when I come back I get grounded / scholded".... punishment was ending the walk on short leash while he's usually on long leash. Kudos to you for keeping your cool in such a worrisome, intense situation! Yes, it's so important never to show frustration when dogs are approaching and coming back to us. This can be a recall's biggest killer, along with calling dogs for unpleasant things like baths or nail trims (if dogs hate them) or calling a dog at the park, then snapping the leash on to make all the fun end. The tough part is that even if we *try* to hide our feelings, dog can still perceive/read our body language/tension so we may something in words, when our bodies say something totally opposite. So we need to be coherent, connecting brain and body, and the best way is to really feel the joy and celebrating the return with no hard feelings.

Sounds like a great plan and you have awesome goodies to reinforce all desired behaviors. This trainer seems to be on the same page as me when it come to methods (like desensitizing to triggers, look at that, about turns, impulse control training and using kibble for indoor, easier exercises). I am glad to hear that Esther is improving in her training. I am sure your dogs love all the extra attention and training you are providing, even though it means to get up so early. I am not a morning person, so I know how it must feel.😁 On the positive side, it will all pay back nicely as you start reaping the rewards that come with all the training.

You're very welcome, keep us posted!

Hi Leslie, Welcome to the forums, you have received excellent tips! Awww, what a cutie! Bernies are adorable! In a nutshell, with recalls, you want to start training in low distraction areas first, before moving outside, so start in the home first. Here is the basic guide in case you have missed it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/recall/ In the meanwhile, when going potty outside, for now, keep him on leash, take him to his potty area and then once he goes, praise, reward with tasty treats, and then either snap off the leash or snap on a longer leash so that he can explore and play for some time. This way you are providing a double whammy of reinforcement. Praise/treats for going potty and then some free time to play and explore the yard. Then for getting him to come inside, don't use your recall yet as he's likely not ready for that level of distraction. If you recall a dog too much with no response, you risk de-valuating your recall turning into something irrelevant when instead you want to power it up as much as possible. As Jennifer suggested, you can have him chase you inside, and you can work on making coming inside the home super duper fun and reinforcing. Here are some general tips: -Make the indoors fun. Many dogs find the outdoors very stimulating and entertaining. There are scents to explore, room to romp, and enticing sights such as birds, bugs and other stimuli. Dogs thrive on mental stimulation as well, and it's best if this comes from you, through games, interactive toys and fun training sessions. These indoor activities will help increase the bond between dog and owner and also create positive associations with being inside. -Don't lure your dog inside with a treat and then quickly close the door behind him. If you show the treat to your dog to entice him to come inside, he'll likely take the treat and try running outside with it or he may panic the moment he eats the treat and sees you close the door. In this case, you may be stuck with a dog that will enter only when he sees a treat or you may be stuck with a dog who senses that the treat is a trap, so next time he'll feel extra wary and reluctant to take it. That little bit of trust is soon gone. Instead, throughout the day, when he's by the doorway, toss treats to the ground, sit nearby and let him eat them and don't close the door. Since you are sitting, he will know it's not your intent to close the door behind, and since the door is open he won't feel trapped. Do this several times so he learns that inside is a great place and not a trap. Day after day, your dog should come more and more inside to check for goodies. -Break any bad associations. Dogs learn through associations and can chain events. If every day, you call your dog and then get frustrated and go grab your dog by the collar to pull him inside, he'll soon learn that when you call him and move towards him, you are about to grab that collar and then bring him inside. This can also trigger dogs to sit down as a calming signal or dogs who may start escaping from you because he knows what's about to happen. Instead, do something totally different. Snap the leash on and feed him some treats and then go for a brief walk around the yard, scatter some treats to search for in a treasure hunt fashion, and then head inside and give him more treats. This way you break the negative associations and create new ones. From "every time my owner calls me and grabs me by the collar, he pulls me inside" it should turn into "every time my owner walks towards me, he puts the leash on, and we go on a fun walk and then once home I get treats". Here is a general guide on making collar grabs and leash attachments more pleasant: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-to-teach-puppies-to-tolerate-touch/ -Make your home comfortable and rewarding. If certain noises startle your dog, do everything possible to reduce them or muffle them with some white noise. Keep your home at a comfortable temperature. If you have boisterous kids, make sure your pup has a quiet place to retreat where the kids won't bother him. No yelling, physical corrections or showing frustration. Provide toys, let your dog engage in fun brain games, provide toys and feed him his meals inside. -Leave your recall at the door. If you call your pup to come inside and he doesn't listen, stop calling him and making the cue irrelevant or worse "poisoning the cue." We poison the cue when we cause a cue like a recall to become a predictor of negative things such as bath time, being grabbed by collar or just us us getting angry or frustrated. Instead, do other things that will attract your dog inside and that your dog looks forward to do. Walk inside and go straight to the kitchen to unwrap a tasty goodie for him or give access to toy he hasn't seen for some time (rotate toys so to keep the interest alive). Run inside if your dog loves chasing you. Get a flirt pole and entice him to chase it inside. Make sure though to let these activities last a bit so your dog won't go into thinking that these events are just another trap to get him inside. Keep him entertained or he'll soon want to go back out. Use the recall only once he responds to it reliably indoors and has "powered up" enough so he has learned that it's a predictor of good things. Imagine your recall as an investment. Every time you call your dog and he comes to you, you are getting some money back. More and more successful recalls make your money start piling up. You are powering up your recall. Every time he doesn't listen though, you are losing some money, and if you cause some negative associations with it like by getting frustrated (dogs can be very sensitive to our moods) and/or grabbing him by the collar, you are losing piles of money and that creates setbacks. -Don't stick by the doorway. The door way will remind him of going back outside and he'll be asking out soon. Instead take him to a central room where he can temporarily forget all about the outdoors with all its enticing sights and smells. Again, keep him entertained and stimulated. -After your pup goes potty, let him spend some quality time outside with you. Keep a treat pouch attached to your belt and reward your pup when he comes near you. These voluntary check-ins, increase your bond with your pup and teaches your dog to stick by your side and bond with you more. Also, by spending some more time outdoors, the outdoors becomes less salient so when you take him inside he should have satiated some of his desire to explore. So try to strategically take him inside when he starts acting a bit bored of being out maybe even a bit thirsty. If you take him inside right when he's exploring and having fun, the yard will become more intriguing. That's after all the concept behind making training sessions super fun. We stop the training session when the dog is having fun so we build up more anticipation and eagerness in being trained. -Once your pup is doing better, put going inside on cue and make it a fun, super duper happy event. When you are out with your dog, say something like "let's go inside!" in a happy, enthusiastic tone of voice to build up some anticipation and then let a rainfall of treats and kibble fall to the ground as you close the door. He should go hunting down all these goodies and then you can entice him to follow you to play some fun indoor games.

Alright, so I already have to use the Red Pen on our accident calendar. /sigh I had my cataract lens replacement measurement appointment today and it was at the crack of dawn. I made it to bed at 1:15 am, woo hoo, but after yesterday's excitement that still wasn't enough and I was so very tired. I laid down to rest my (still dilated) eyes and dozed off for at least an hour! Esther was sleeping when I snuck my nap in, but she woke while I was chasing my own z's and couldn't wait. She at least hit the entire pad so rather than cleaning floors I just have more laundry to do, lol. Oh my, glad that at least she aimed for the pad! She is focused on nutrition and found a ProPlan food that she liked better than what they're already eating and I'll make that switch. It's the turkey for sensitive stomachs instead of the salmon for sensitive stomachs and we're taking Esther off the puppy food - she didn't like the ProPlan Puppy at all. She did say to take it with a grain of salt as she feeds raw and so can be a bit harsh on kibbles; however, I'm willing to see if changing to a "cool" protein will take Esther's energy level down a notch. She also crunched the numbers on our treats and they're high in sugar and carbs; hence the recommendation to use the kibble for indoor training and she recommended some treats with better nutritional value for outdoor / high distraction training. I'm up for giving things a try so I'll be purchasing those along with a 20' lead. The kibble goes into a ziploc (or old Cool Whip container in my case), that gets filled with water and shaken up, then drained. It goes in the fridge for a couple hours and voila, indoor doggie treats. I tried it with the girls today outside and it was enough for Gertie to come, but not Esther, so I'll be using up what I have on hand and then using her recommended treats. It's always great to use up the kibble for indoor training! She recommended having the girls play in the smaller area we have fenced so we have better control and less competing stimuli when working to correct Esther's bullying, eliciting voluntary check-ins, and Gertie's recall. Yep, Esther's been branded a bully. I always took it for the brashness of youth, but after some observation she was deemed to have bullying behavior. This is also confirmed by studies sadly. With the instigators of most fights being younger dogs and the second dog in the home. However, I am very glad that you have sought in-person help for this early-best to nip things in the bud. Monitoring play very closely is important. 20 - 30 recalls per day for no reason for both girls. "Hi, how are you, here's a treat, bye." I need to grab a recording of Esther with dogs on YouTube or the television and if she starts getting agitated we're to turn off whatever is playing until she's calm again. Awesome! Working under threshold is very important and making recalls fun help set the foundation for success. I am to reward every "shake off" of stress. It took her 11 minutes to do her first shake off while the trainer was here. The trainer was very watchful of Esther's body language, jotting down notes of every lick, shape and size of the eyes and pupils, facial tension, etc . . . and explaining each to me and what they mean. Those shake offs to reduce stress and tension are a dog's sort of way of saying 'pheww... glad it's over!" It's always good to pay attention in what context they occur so to have a feel of how the dog experiences things. Play soft music for Esther when she's crated and don't be afraid to use the crate for negative punishment. That was confusing until she explained positive punishment is adding to their stress like a collar grab, shock, yelling, while negative punishment is taking away from their stress like a nap in a crate or removing them from playing. Yes, it gets confusing with these terms because in behavior terms, the words positive and negative are not used to denote good or bad. Positive simply means addition and negative simply means subtraction. Also, in behavior terms, the word punishment is meant to denote a behavior that decreases in frequency. When I brought Gertie down there was about 5 minutes of excitement and that's when Esther was branded a bully because Esther kept trying to entice play by biting Gertie's neck, jumping on Gerts, and pushing her out of the way. Gertie responded playfully so I'm guessing the trainer saw something I didn't. It could be that Gertie's playful behavior in reality is just her way of trying to block her. Does she look loose and wiggly? Have a play face? Does she play bow? Or do the rocking-horse gait? I think once in a video you posted, she didn't really look "into play" but more like she wanted to keep access to a toy. Younger dogs can be really a pain with older, calmer dogs. Also, could be the Esther is not really playing in the real sense of the word, but trying to block Gertie from interacting. Just assumptions, of course, you can ask her next time about what may be going on. Ziwi Peak. That's the treat name Esther went gaga over. Oh yes, I remember giving these New Zealand foods to Petra when she was sick with cancer and she went crazy for it for a week or so. It doesn't even looking like dog food or smell like it, so I can see how it can used as a treat! Thanks for the update! Happy training!

That being said, I sometimes don't understand my dog... After speaking about his barking issues, today, he was like an angel : we spent almost the all afternoon in the yard (it was sunny) as he didn't do any crazy barking. Just a little here and there, when someone passed by, but in a totally acceptable degree. I cannot assert if it's the payoff of the training, or just because today he's tired... he's actually sleeping quite much outside while 2 days ago, it was totally out of question... It's probably the result of both, your training and him being tired. Don't think that your training goes wasted. Although during the adolescent stage, it may seem at times as if they are rebelling and not listening too well, a good portion of our efforts seep through and therefore it's not unusual at all what you describe. You may therefore have moments of regression followed by days where all seems to go well. All this waxes and wanes throughout the adolescent stage. Keep up your training, capture the desired behaviors when they surprise you and pop up at times, and break down whatever he's finding challenging/struggling with, into smaller steps until you obtain the desired response. I don't know if it's really the case or not, but we have the impression that his daily frozen hooves may actually "wake him up". We noticed that sometimes, after the evening session, while I cook, he would settle, just go lie down somewhere. When we give the chew before eating, after he has finished, he's quite "awake" and that were the times when he was expelled from the room. In general, chews and stuff to lick can help with dogs who are barking/nipping/humping etc and misbehaving as it gives them something else to do and helps transition them into a calmer state. It could be that in his case, he is so in need of a nap that he doesn't need the chews and just needs to needs to be placed in a quiet area to doze off. If that's the case, keep doing what you are doing. Something I have forgotten also, an important lesson... it's the value of treats... I didn't understand that what was valuable enough was not sufficient enough for a dog in teenage phase who wants more independance. during walks lately, it would refuse to advance when having another dog in sight : he would just wait until he'll be allowed to interact with them... I ended up pulling the leash quite a lot. But one time, I took the "quick edible chew" : for us, it's not an education treat, but more a calming chew, but those are soooooo high value. For example, it's dry liver, and lungs... all the stuff that are sooooo smelly... Using that I managed to have his attention on me (to be honest it was more on the chew :)) but still I managed to make a few steps of kneeling walk which was impossible with normal education treats. Higher value treats can make a lot of difference. With the adolescent stage and more interest to sniff stuff around and more distractions, treats that are higher value (and stink to high heavens!) can make a difference. I always say "so-so treats lead to so-so- results, amazing treats leave to amazing results". So yes, it's important to gauge a dog's responses (I aim for fast, enthusiastic responses with the "gimme more" look), and adjust accordingly also based on the level of distractions going on. so my big discovery of the day, with the teenage phase, there is a big need of increasing the value of treats and rewards to be able to get some reactions and some attention again 🙂 I think we're gonna cook quite some chicken in the coming days 🙂 Life never gets dull or boring around a dog! There are always new things we learn/discover from our dogs and I am glad that you are so in tune with Loki and so observant of all his behaviors. The adolescent stage is sure a challenge, but we can sail through it with consistency, patience and determination. I am sure Loki will love the cooked chicken!

Sure thing! It's always insightful to be thinking about our dogs and how they must perceive the world. It makes us understand them better, although as mostly visual beings, we are quite limited in the olfactory department.

Oh wow, I thought 4 hours was a lot! So glad you both clicked, and that you discovered a treat that Esther goes bonkers for, that will help a lot! I am sure both Esther and Gertie will love being lavished with positivity. 😍 Thanks for the update!

Based on the questionnaire and lengthy consultation, I have good feelings about this. Best wishes for a speedy recovery from your cataract surgery. I look forwards to your update!

Thanks for the extra details, they are very helpful! Yes he sometimes get to nap inside with me when I'm working. The door closing happens when he's too excited and starts chewing of everything like chairs / furnitures and I cannot make control on him. OK, generally it becomes a bit challenging for dogs when there are some inconsistencies. Of course, it's not easy to be always 100 percent consistent, but if we let dogs in the office some days yes, and some days no, the no days will likely be met with some resistance. While we may use the criteria, "if you are calm" you can come inside, if you're hyper you cannot," dogs may struggle making the exact association with the behavior. It may take some time for the concept to sink in and to be successful as discussed timeouts need to meet several precise criteria. In the specific case of the "office barking", no, because I'm usually busy on work. In other case of barking, sadly yes. When in the yard, we have to try to make him stop because of the neighbors, and when inside, and he's doing it strong, with the echoing, it's really unpleasant, so we also try to cue a stop command, and treat when he stops. I'm wondering if we're not creating a behavior chain With the yard issue and indoor barking, behavior chains can be prevented to a good extent. This can be done by inserting a delay between the barking and delivery of treats so to "break" the chain, another method is to add more elements to the chain before providing reinforcement is delivered (like asking for sit, target and a down before releasing the treat). A training tool you may find of interest is 'Pet Tutor" which is a remote feeder. The benefit of using remote feeders is that you remove a potential source of reinforcement for the barking behavior (in other words you remove yourself from the equation along with your potential for inadvertently delivering any forms of attention/engagement). The best part is that these remote feeders can deliver treats at an interval to prevent behavior chains. In other words, the treat is delivered only after the dog has been quiet for some time (like after 20 seconds of silence). Of course, eliminating possible sources for barking will help too (checking the yard before being let out, keeping on leash when going out at night so to avoid rushing towards perimeters, training to go potty on cue to rush up the process https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/, asking for alternate behaviors) although we can only do so much as barking is how dogs communicate things. Yes he has some long chew in free access (hooves, horns...) and solid enough toys, but he rarely plays alone. When put in alone time, he'd rather just sleep. Beginning. He would settle and go sleep somewhere else after I ignore for a few minutes I am thinking more along the terms of safe toys filled with goodies, so that he has something to look forward to and to preempt that initial barking so after he's done, he may settle and go to sleep. About the evening routine, yesterday we had another smooth evening. But it doesn't count as it was kind of a "special day". We had guests, so he didn't sleep at all during the day, as we did puppy school, came back to do house cleaning, then our guests arrived. He was a bit the center of attention and had plenty of stimulation from everyone, and at some point during the diner, he just went to sleep by himself as he was exhausted from the big day and we were ignoring the begging. That's nice! It sounds like he got to do a lot and was satisfied. Maybe more "special days" like that would help him if that's feasible. The more smooth evenings you can get, the better.

But the barking starts also to be more and more "problematic"... he tends to express more and more his unhappiness with it. I know the breed is prone to barking, so to me it's more "just the way it is" rather than "a big problem that need to be targeted and solved" But during the day when I have calls and meeting, I close the office door. What was before a little scratching and whining become more and more barking and howling. The problem is the same (he does not like the fact that I close the door on him), but his way to express it starts to change. To me it's a bit related to the teenage phase, and the will to assert himself... Is it relevant ? but I may be totally wrong Hmmm.... is he allowed in the office sometimes yes and sometimes no? Or has the office always been off limits to him? Are you responding in any way to his barking? I mean in terms of both negative or positive attention. Is anybody at home with him when you are working in the office? Does he have access to things to do when you are in there? How long are you doing the calls and meeting in general? Does the barking start the moment you close the door or random times? Midway?

" Female in heat? I'm not sure it's the time ? is he also old enough to sexual desires?" Intact female dogs go in heat generally twice a year starting from the age of 6 months up to 18 months depending on breed. Male dog don't go "in heat," they just respond to pheromones left by female dogs in heat. So they "activate' mostly when they detect a female in heat. Sexual maturity in intact male dogs is expected to occur starting around 5 months of age, so sure, Loki can certainly be attracted by wafting smells. It is believed that male dogs are able to smell female dogs in heat from miles away. In general anywhere between half a mile to 2.5 miles (almost 4 kilometers). How many miles will of course vary based on various factors such as the speed of the wind blowing, the humidity levels, how strong the dog's sense of smell is etc. So it could be that his restless behavior may be caused by a female dog going into heat if there are any intact females nearby. Female dogs in heat will urine mark in a variety of places for the purpose of leaving around pheromones that attract male dogs. A dog's vomeronasal organ (a pouch-like structure located between the dog's vomer and nasal bones) is designed to detect pheromones. It is equipped with a special duct located at the top of the dog's roof of the mouth. This duct is known as the incisive papilla. You may sometimes catch male dogs chattering their teeth and foaming at the mouth upon sniffing a certain spot. By doing so, they are basically gathering large scent molecules towards their incisiva papilla with the help of their tongue (tonguing) so that they reach the vomeronasal organ. Once the scent molecules reach the vomeronasal organ they're relayed to important parts of the dog's brain responsible for analyzing smells, and based on them, it may coordinate instinctive behaviors such as marking and overmarking urine spots left by female dogs, roaming, whining in frustration, asking to be let out in the yard and escaping to search for a mate. Her work, very far, it's a 30 min tramway trip. But the walk to the tramway, we passed by during Loki's walk sometimes. She leaved at 8AM when the walk was at 10AMish In regards to your girlfriend, we don't know really how good average dogs may be in tracking scent this way, although dogs trained in search and rescue are perfectly capable of finding people this way. For instance, we know trained bloodhounds are able to catch their owner's scent if they're walking and the wind is blowing the right way, but likely at less than a mile. So who knows, most likely Loki is detecting something that is worthy of whining about. It could be in response to a scent, a visual landmark, or even an internal sensation (excitement, frustration, thirst, tiredness, anxiety).

Is Loki neutered? How old is he exactly now? How close were you to where your girlfriend works? How long ago did she leave for work since you passed by the area? Dogs are amazing in their sniffing abilities and there are some stories that sound unbelievable at times.

For example, yesterday night was perfect : we made a big walk, he was clearly tired when back. He got his dinner while I was cooking, while we eat, he got his frozen chew, when finished, he tried to attention seek us, which we ignored, and he ended up going downstairs by himself to sleep / start his night. After the movie, we called "night time Loki", he went in, no whining, and everyone went to bed. Yesterday, exact same routine : but after his chew, he started being crazy in the room, so he was expelled. He didn't like it, and start barking for almost 10 min straight, until he finally settled. We call good night around 9:30PM, no problem here. Around 11PM he started barking like crazy in the crate. after 10 min, I got up, thinking it was a need, let him in the yard a few minutes, where he barked again... So put him back inside in emergency, call "good night" in the crate again, and he made a barking tantrum during a good 10 min again before finally settling for the night Exact same routine, opposite behavior... this is the most difficult to tackle, in the sense that we didn't do anything different, so we wouldn't know on what we should adjust Only thing that appeared different, is that the evening session was "harder" : we had a long walk, and he spent most of the time playing with a doggie friend, he arrived exhausted at home. We did go with the usual routine, giving him food while cooking, giving his chew while we dine, letting him settle after... He may have needed the nap before the chew as the session was more tiring... But apart from that, I don't know at all could be done. Yes, keeping an eagle eye on the "antecedents" (everything occurring prior to the behavior) is important so to detect what seems to make a difference between a smooth evening and the rough ones. I would keep track of several evenings and see if you can identify a pattern. With yesterday being the exact same routine, only that he played with a doggy friend, it could be a matter of him being too overstimulated/exhausted and struggling with settling. What was he barking at when out in the yard? Did it look like there could have been some critter or other disturbance outside? I wonder if he could have detected something from indoors when he started barking around 11PM.

Hello and welcome to the forums! It's awesome that you were able to tackle the chasing and barking at cars! To tackle the barking and chasing birds, you will need to take a multi-faceted approach, tackling the issue from several angles for a holistic approach so to say. Here are some general tips: Consider the Thrill of the Chase When dogs chase birds, we might just see a dog having fun or being "naughty." In reality though, a lot more is going on if we take a look "under the hood." The behavior is deeply rooted considering that in a dog's past, as a hunter and scavenger, the ability to hunt was linked to survival. You therefore cannot take the desire to chase away from the dog because it is deeply ingrained. Here's the thing: every time Gypsy engages in chasing something or engages in some other predatory behavior, her seeking system in the brain is activated. If your dog appears as if in a trance-like or hyper aroused state when she sees birds, you can bet it's because her "seeking system" is activated and her body is being flooded with powerful hormones such as dopamine and adrenaline. It's all about the "thrill of the chase" and it can get quite addicting with all the built-up of anticipation and focus on satisfying the urge. All this powerful concoction will make it more likely for a dog to engage in the chasing activity in the future. It's all a cycle of anticipation, reward and reinforcement. Prevent Rehearsal of the Problem Behavior If your dog is out on the balcony with nothing really productive to do, it will be almost a certainty that she'll engage in the barking and chasing birds behavior. Practice makes perfect so that the behavior will likely keep repeating and strengthening over time, sometimes to the point of becoming an obsession. It would therefore be important to prevent the dog from engaging in the behavior over and over. Prevention would therefore mean not being sent out in the balcony or yard without some form of control/supervision that prevents her from engaging in the addicting behavior. For example: -You can install motion sensor sprinklers that keep birds away from the yard -You can attach to the balcony some of those pinwheel bird deterrents that use motion and reflections -You can go out of the balcony or yard first to ensure there are no birds -You can keep your dog on leash to prevent full chasing behaviors The goal of management is to therefore prevent rehearsal of the problem behavior by limiting exposure to triggers/situations that are overwhelming and out of control. You want to instead create set-ups where you have more control over the environment by presenting distractions gradually, at levels where she is more responsive and less over threshold. Here is a read on dog threshold levels: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ Train a Strong Response to the Smacking Sound Train your dog in a quiet area of the home to respond to a smacking sound using high-value treats. Here is how to train it: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ Practice "Look at thats" Add gradually some challenges such as having her on leash by a window or at a distance from the balcony when there are birds around as outlined in this exercise: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ If no real birds are around, you can practice with some of those remote controlled flying birds with a helper. There are also models without a remote control that can be cheaper or you can get a fishing rod with a mock bird attached and practice making your smacking sound over and over with a helper moving it around. The goal is to get your dog to come to you upon spotting birds and hearing your smacking sound. Catch Her Early When you notice your dog's attention orienting towards birds, be very fast to redirect her before she reaches "the point of no return" so to say. If you are too late, she'll be way too focused to listen. With all the adrenaline pumping, her primal instincts will take over while her cognitive functions shut down as she's entirely focused on the "thrill of the chase." Provide Outlets for Natural Behaviors You really cannot remove a dog's instinct to chase. Expecting them to completely abandon that instinct is simply asking too much, but you can channel and train alternate behaviors to engage in. Being that she's a heeler and therefore a herding dog, chasing and herding big balls such as in the sport of Treibball can be a fun activity. The canine sport of Treibball is particularly attractive to herding dog breeds who do not have access to regular sheep considering that moving the balls around can provide an outlet for natural herding behaviors. Because of this, the balls are often referred to as “rolling sheep. " Some dog owners use large sturdy exercise balls as "sheep to herd." Consider as well nosework, brain games and food puzzles which satisfy a dog's "seeking system". Re-direct your dog to appropriate chasing/prey toys such as balls, Frisbee and tug toys. However, don’t overdo it; too many chasing games that cause persistent high arousal levels will create an adrenaline rush which may be counter-productive in the long run. I hope this helps! Keep us posted how things go. Happy Training! Best, Adrienne