Adrienne Farricelli

If no exact trigger can be found, then no preventive steps can be taken to keep it from arising. What is left to do in these cases entails making biting on the leash difficult and quick redirection before the behavior escalates and gains a strong rehearsal history. To make biting on the leash difficult or no longer pleasant, you can try some of these tips: -Slip a long piece of PVC pipe over the leash (dogs do not like to bite this hard surface) -Attach a lightweight piece of chain to the leash (dogs do not like to bite on chain) -Use the two leash method where you use two leashes simultaneously, when your dog grabs one leash, release it, and use the other (allowing the former to drag); this prevents the creation of tension which lures dogs to bit. Redirection to another activity requires that this other activity uses strong reinforcement (very high-value treats or a fun game for play motivate dogs) so to help your dog make good choices. You can try the following: -Ask your dog to do several steps of attention heeling. You may need to train your dog to become fluent in this behavior first in lower distraction areas so to build-up reliability in performing this behavior and then gradually build to requesting this behavior on walks. You can find how to train this here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ -Do a treaure hunt game on the go, you can put it on cue by saying "treasure hunt!" while dropping several treats on the ground in several directions to divert her attention to the ground rather than on the leash. Make it a fun game. You may want to practice this first in quiet areas before trying on walks. A word of caution is warranted here: if the barking and snarling is directed towards you or your dog is prone to re-directed biting (some dogs get so overstimulated and aroused they may bite the owner), then you really need to thread with caution and I would recommend not trying things on your own, but rather having a professional assist you in person for safety and correct implementation of behavior modification.

Hello, and welcome to the forum. I just moved this thread from the chat section to the training and behavior section which is where I check more regularly for members seeking out help with their dogs. Have you noticed whether this behavior starts taking place at the beginning or at the end of the walk? What have you been doing so far when this behavior takes place? Is the barking directed at you? Although at times it may difficult to find a trigger, it helps to pay extra attention to what happens right before this behavior takes places. This provides an important puzzle piece as it gives the opportunity to know what to work on. It may be something as subtle as the dog seeing a person walking from a distance, hearing a sound or being bored when you stop walking to talk to a person.

Thanks for the clarifications. This makes things easier, as puppy mill dogs are often kept in cages and are undesocialized. I am assuming therefore that prior to you owning her now, she has lead a pretty normal life, living in a home and used to being around people. However, from the difficulties you are encountering, they seem suggestive that she may have had a rough start in life. In any case, kudos to you for opening your heart and home to this gal in deep need of help as it sounds like she was surely destined to a very sad future. It takes some time for new dogs to gets adjusted to all the sights, sounds and smells of a novel environment. Usually, with time, things get better as their senses habituate. A little help may at times come handy to help them through and prevent them from developing phobias. Unfamiliar sounds are often one big trigger for many new dogs. By identifying what sounds evoke fearful reactions, you can move forward to implementing some behavior modification to create new positive associations. Here is a read on how to accomplish this: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/ This article instead will give you a glimpse through the eyes of a fearful dog: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exposure-therapy/ While this one can help you familiarize yourself with the "approach avoidance dance" seen in many fearful dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/approach-avoidance/ A 9 months, your new dog may go in and out of a fear period. Following are some tips on how to tackle these times: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-periods-8-10-weeks-6-14-months/ You will find other helpful reads in the phobias section of the archive: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/ Under the puppies section of the archive there are also reads for successful potty training: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/ Fear at the vet is often seens in dogs who weren't taken to the vet often enough as puppies with the goal of making it a happy place to be. Here you will find some tips on making those visits less scary. I would suggest a facility that has been Fear Free certified. I hope your vet gave her a clean bill of health! https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-of-the-vet/ Here is where to find Fear Free practices: https://fearfreepets.com/resources/directory/ Glad to hear she has been feeling comfortable enugh to eat and do great in the crate. Brain training can be started right away, but I would focus more on certain games that do not require too much concentration for now and that can help her relax and learn that you are the source of great things. I would therefore skip the obedience 101 section for now until she is more relaxed and just do some basic brain games keeping the session short and sweet and making them very rewarding. You may want to skip using a clicker too for now if she startles easily. You can use a verbal marker instead. I suggest through reading the course introduction material from the beginning in module 1 just to know some basics and what to expect as you progress. If she is not too afraid of your hand and hand movements, you can start with training her to target. Here is the targeting section. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/ Also, look into my eyes can come handy as she'll learn not to fear eye contact and look into your eyes for directions: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/look-into-my-eyes/ As she gets calmer and more receptive to you, you can then progress through the course. Always making sure to take baby steps and prevent asking too much at once which may cause stress or frustration.

Sounds like a plan! Keep us posted on your pup's potty training progress.

Hello Mark and welcome to the forum. Congrats on your new addition! Was this dog actually raised in the puppy mill for the whole 9 months or was there just a plan of potentially using her?

If your puppy is peeing as he's walking and give no signs he needs to go (which he usually does), it sounds like he isn't aware of what is happening. Sometimes, this can be triggered by medical causes (urinary tract infections, bladder stones, systemic disorders such as diabetes, exposure to diuretic pills dropped on the floor, side efect of steroid drugs, etc) so a good place to start would be to mention this to your vet (and maybe bring a fresh urine sample for the appointment) just to rule out medical causes. With a clean bill of health and medical causes rulled out, you can then move on to finding what else may be triggering the behavior. An important piece of the investigative work may be finding a common antecendent for those accidents: in other words, what happens prior to the accident? You may need here to put on your investigative hat and observe your dog carefully throughout the day. Perhaps, you haven't paid enough attention before, but chances are your puppy may have gulped a lot of water after playing in the sun and his bladder overfills to the point of causing the leaking while walking ('overflow' incontinence), or perhaps, he's doing it when company is over or he feels threatened by something. Some dogs pee when frightened, stressed or excited by something, so maybe there's something that is causing some emotional turmoil.

I hear you about those crates being heavy! Sounds like you are using one of those large wire heavy-duty ones which feel like they are breaking your back and your fingers when you lift them and transport them around. Definetly, a very good reason to want to move him to the kitchen area! Now, as mentioned, with changes, there are some expected drawbacks which may only pop up once the changes are implemented. In this case, we are looking at two major changes: location change and enclosure change ( crate being closed versus open). Some drawbacks that may come to mind with these changes include: -The possibility that your other dog may negatively impact your pup's established sleeping habits. If your pup is used to playing with your older dog during the day, there may be chances he may want out of the crate at night or early morning. -The possibility that a change may evoke some stress that may trigger some setbacks in the potty training process (puppy peeing/pooping). As mentioned though, these accidents are often just temporary as he adjusts to the change. -The possibility that being closed in the crate may cause whining since he may not be able to go in and out as he pleases. I know you mentioned that he sleeps in the crate all night in the bathroom with the bathroom door closed, but there are chances that he may go in and out at will and you are not aware of it since you don't see what he does throughout the night. -The possibilty that being closed all night in the crate may cause a negative association with it (feeling trapped) and therefore the onset of a reluctance to want to step in it when needed. -There may be other drawbacks that may show up only once the change is implemented. For instance, if he is used to using the 2 pads next to each other in front of his crate when he needs to go, if he's closed in the crate, he may have an accident because he no longer has access to them (unless you have a large crate where you can accomodate a pad in one corner in a puppy apartment fashion). There are also some pros though with the change: -If you take both dogs outdoors first thing in the morning, your older dog by example (pups watch other dogs and often learn from them quickly!) can help you teach your pup to go outside to potty. Praise and reward both dogs for successful outdoor elimination. -You will train your pup to be comfortable in the crate so that you can crate him with the crate door closed as needed. -A closed crate of the right size can help your puppy succeed in the potty training process. Puppies don't like to soil where they sleep so if the crate is of the right size (snug enough to not make him want to soil in one corner), he will likely learn to hold it and will call to go outside rather than step out an open crate and have an accident. --And of course you won't have to carry that heavy crate anymore. Here are some options: -You can purchase another crate and use one for the night in the bathroom and one for the day in the kitchen area. Use the new crate for the kitchen and keep the old one in the bathroom for the night. Advantage: If it's not broken don't fix it. This has the least associated risks since everything remains almost the same and it sounds like from your description he has been doing well for now in the bathrom. As he develops and gets more and more reliable in the potty training department, you can then consider having him sleep in the kitchen with your other dog. -You can move him to the kitchen area at night but rather than closing him in the crate, you can use what Ian Dunbar calls a long-term confinement area. Basically, close off an area of the kitchen with an exercise pen and place it around your puppy’s open crate and put the pads nearby (away from his sleeping area) so that, should he need to go and you don't make it on time, he can use the pads. You may also put his water bowl and food bowl in there should he ever need to be left for longer than he can keep it during the day. Disadvantage: he will continue to rely on pads versus learning to hold it and go exclusively outside. Advantage: your pup may learn to potty on pads and potty outdoors which can turn helpful during snow storms or other cases where he cannot be taken out. -You can train him to stay in the closed crate at night in the kitchen and no longer use the bathroom. Disadvantage: you may have to set the alarm to take him out early in the morning to prevent accidents inside the crate and it may take time for him to learn to stay closed in the crate all night and in the kitchen, so some challenges will likely pop up in the process. However, there are things you can do to help him succeed. Below are some tips: -Go gradual in teaching him to enjoy staying in the closed crate. Make sure to close him in for short periods at a time in the kitchen area to get him used to it. In video archive, you will find several tips on how to train your dog to love the crate though positive associations. -Placing a blanket over the crate can help many pups relax and sleep. -Make sure both dogs are exercised and provided enough brain games during the day so they are more likely to sleep rather than wanting to play. Don’t let your dogs sleep too much in the evening or they may feel like interacting more during the night or early morning. -You may need to create separate sleeping areas at night in the kitchen should both dogs be reluctant to sleep because of their desire to interact with each other. -When crated, it is best to skip food or water for 3 hours before going to bed. If he goes to bed with a full belly and bladder, he will likely need to potty at night or early morning. As seen there are several pros and cons to consider. I hope you find what works best for you and your puppy.

Glad to hear you have found the course so helpful and kudos to you for doing such a great job! With dog behavior, it is difficult to give exact predictments on how a dog will handle a situation because there are so many individual factors at play. For example, how he will handle being closed the whole night and in a different room may depend on factors such as whether he was ever crate trained before, how well he can handle changes, how strong is his desire to be around other dogs is, how well your other dog sleeps at night, etc. I have a few questions for you: One important question is how far is the bathroom is from your bedroom? If the bathroom is near where you sleep, you might deal with some anxiety upon being moved to the kitchen as he likely has gotten used to proximity and smelling you close, hearing your reassuring breathing at night etc. If the bathroom is far from your bedroom, the outcome of this change may be a little better as he might feel a bit lonely at night, and being near your other dog the whole night may help put him at ease. Other questions are: what would be the main reason/reasons for moving him from the bathroom to the kitchen? Have there been any issues? What is your goal for the move? Is the bathroom door closed? is he sleeping the whole night in the open crate or in other areas of the bathroom? At 5 months, getting a pup to sleep in a closed crate and in a different room, I would expect that things can be a bit more challenging compared with doing all that from the get-go with an 8-week old pup. But it is doable in most cases. Something to keep in mind is that changes can be stressful for some dogs, and sometimes this triggers accidents around the house, although this is usually just temporary. Generally, though it can be said that the more we help them in transitioning by taking small steps in the process, the better chances for avoiding major setbacks. Knowing more about the details can help me better formulate some suggestions for the changes.

Hello Tina Caputo and welcome to the forum. It sounds like your dog is over threshold. If your dog is over threshold, this means he is overly stressed and potentially in a fight or flight state. Being in a fight or flight state reduces a dog's cognitive functions and therefore the ability to process information and the dog is overly stressed with little space for relaxation. A dog's digestive system is also close to shutting down when it this state (which is why he can care less if you dangle a piece of baloney in his face). Here's a helpful read that can you help you understand what is likely happening: dog threshold levels. Now, what happens next, once you have your dog under threshold, depends on whether your dog's behavior directed towards other dogs is based on his willingness to increase distance or decrease distance. If your dog plays well with other dogs and has a strong history of getting along well, but gets frustrated only when on leash or other barrier, you may be dealing with a case of barrier frustration. Here's a read explaining it: barrier frustration in dogs. In such a case, you would present situations under the threshold and focus on training a replacement behavior that is highly rewarding, far more rewarding than wanting to interact with the other dog. If on the other hand, your dog doesn't have a history of doing well with other dogs and his barking and lunging is his way of asking for distance, you would instead work on the issue keeping your dog under threshold and using systematic desensitization along with counterconditioning. Here are some explanations for these terms: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/overview-behavior-modification/ Now differentiating the two isn't always easy. This is a new dog, so you might not have much history and his body language and behaviors appear ambiguous at times. I would therefore suggest having a dog behavior professional perform an in-person assessment and to guide you through behavior modification. Now, when training dogs to perform certain behaviors like sit, down, heel, tricks and prepare dogs for sporting events, the ideal professional to enlist would be a dog trainer. When dealing with behavior issues such as anxiety, fear, aggression, etc, instead the ideal professional to consult with would be a dog behavior professional. Ideally, this would be a veterinary behaviorist, (DACVB) or a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB). These are the specialist of the field. Dog trainers though (like me) often take courses on behavior issues and pursue additional education on behavior, but the latter mentioned are professionals who have made of behavior exclusively their area of specialty. I must emphasize the importance of finding a professional who uses kind, behavior modification methods. Using correction-based methods risk exacerbating the issue (eg. giving a dog a shock -or other form of correction- when the dog sees another dog and reacts risks exacerbating the issue because dogs may be conditioned to associate the presence of other dogs and people with the shock (or other correction), which only creates more anxiety. Obviously, my response implies that your new dog requires your total focus on walks so to keep him under threshold so that you can implement productive behavior modification. This means that he needs your exclusive attention and you don't want to simultaneously walk him with another dog who may be potentially reactive (regardless if he barks at people or other dogs) and your dog feeds off his emotions.

I really like Jennifer's "tag team" system suggestion!

You are very welcome! Feel free to post anytime you need support or have any questions.

If you haven't browsed the course in its entirety yet, there is a section on training dogs to walk nicely on leashes in the obedience 101 section. Here is the direct link: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/ Again, it would be best to train the dogs better leash manners individually so to prevent them from feeding off each others' emotions and also so that you can focus entirely on one dog. Training polite leash manners takes watching the dog's body language carefully and scanning the environment almost constantly at first so to redirect as needed when you notice stimuli that may trigger pulling. Barking instead is covered in the behavior training for dogs course. Here you can find some reads that may be of interest to you: barking. You will also find the "look at that game" found under module 5 in the brain training course helpful because it offers a good starting point to distract your dog from barking at the sight of outdoor stimuli while changing his emotional response. Here is the direct link: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/ Start indoors, with your dog under threshold until you get a nice response and then move on to perform the exercise outdoors, on leash first, and then once responsive, off leash in the yard (if you have one) or on a long line if you don't have a fenced yard. For barking directed at sounds that aren't visible (e.g your dog hearing neighbors but not seeing them) you may find the "hear that" method helpful. You can find it covered here under my case studies: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/

Not all all, these exercises are beneficial in the long term and you should then start seeing a conditioned emotional response. In other words, from dreading the sound produced, to a look-forwarded-to -event: "I just heard the sound, where's my treat!" Kudos to you for finding that sweet spot with distance for making him less reactive. It's quite normal for some barks to slip through in the initial stages of behavior modification using recordings as this behavior has likely been rehearsed for some time. If he's grabby, it's likely because he is still a bit over threshold and can't focus on gauging the pressure of his jaws. You can toss the food on the floor rather than hand feed. Remember that the barking sound is the predictor of food, so feed only the treats while it's playing. After the sound is off, no more treats. They are put away and everything gets boring. As you witness an emotional response, you can then raise criteria and move on to playing the recording louder, closer and for longer and even during pleasant events such as during meal times or during play if he's very play oriented. You can start playing the recording briefly as you release him to eat a bit of food from his bowl. Then, if he does well, you can feed more and play it for longer. Once the bowl is empty, no more playing of the recording. This is how gun shy potential gun dogs are trained to not be worried about gun shots, by the way. The gun shots become a cue that meal time is coming! Then, you can try to progress further and start adding the visual aspect of watching dogs through a window and feed treats as outlined in the main course section at the "look at that game." If on walks, you cannot find a a way to work your dog under threshold, either because your dog's reactivity levels are too high or because the environment you are working at allows little to no distance from the trigger, there may be some options, but I would have a professional walk you through to evaluate your specific circumstance and to avoid setbacks. These are some options: -Exercise the dog for an hour prior to the desensitization session. When tired, some dogs are less likely to be reactive. -Find a calming aid to take the "edge off" so your dog will be less aroused. In some cases, DAP collars, L-theanine supplements, Thundershirt, or Anxiety Wrap may be helpful. -For severe cases, ask your veterinarian for advice. Your dog may need prescription anxiety drugs and a behavior modification program with the help of a behavior professional. -Find the highest value treats and try to use counter-conditioning. While it's ideal that counterconditioning is combined with desensitization, using counterconditioning alone with the aid of some calming aids may be productive. I couldn't find many professionals in the Bunbury area, but there are a few in the outskirts area. This website offers lists of trainers and consultants invested in using positive behavior modification methods in Australia. https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/SpatialDirectory

Hello, and welcome! It really depends on your individual situation. As you can see in Jennifer's post, there are variables that can make training both together an advantage or disadvantage. Generally, with dogs who weren't trained before, I would encourage training one dog at a time at first just because in the initial stages of training, you want one-on-one attention without too many distractions going on. For example, if your dogs are prone to barking/alerting to stimuli, they will also likely feed off each others' moods which negatively interferes with training creating disruptions. If they have had little training before they will also likely want to play with each other rather than pay attention to you. You also don't want one dog getting in the middle because he smells treats. In these cases, one-on-one training can be easier in the initial stages until you have better control over both dogs. The great news is that once both dogs are getting more and more fluent in performing the desired behaviors, you can get them to perform the behaviors they were taught together, which works great as part of the proofing process (dogs responding nicely despite the distraction of each others' presence).

Oh my, so sorry to hear your trainer uses such training philosophy. It really clashes against many things offered in this course (see the article on dominance debunked in the course archive section). I am glad that you stopped by and are questioning these methods as they sure sound adversarial. I hope no major damage was done during this time. About the threshold issue at the recordings, did you pair desensitization with counterconditioning (play the barking recording at a very low volume and for a very brief time and pairing with a high-value treat, rinse and repeat several times)? We are aiming to obtain a conditioned emotional response here. Treats happen only when the recording is being played, and then stop abruptly once the recording is stopped. Counterconditioning may be the missing puzzle piece here for this exercise and can provide you with a starting point to progress then to exercises such as "Look at that" using a smacking sound followed by a treat upon seeing dogs and people walk by behind a window, preferably with the help of a professional who can create setups. You can change behavior, although there are never guarantees. The fact he is still young is a plus. You only need to find the right professional to help you out for an in-person assessment and implementation of behavior modification for safety and correct implementation. If you can provide me with your zipcode or the closest big city near you, I can help you find some possible trainers/behavior consultants that can help you out.

Hello and welcome to the forum! I can deeply understand your situation. I must admit that I have been through this personally. Here's my little story. When my hubby decided to get our two Rotties, one main reason was to keep them outside since we live in a remote, rural area with 5 acres of land. We even fenced off the whole perimeter of an acre just for our dogs contentment. The idea was for them to enjoy the great outdoors while keeping an eye on the surroundings hopefully alert-barking should anything be amiss. Well, big mistake. When we got the two puppies, all they did when we sent them outside, was wanting to come inside, unless we were out with them! They didn't want to play together, they didn't want to explore, they had little interest in keeping an eye on our surroundings. All they did was bark and stick to the door asking to be let in, and if some time elapsed, they engaged in destructive behaviors and I think they did this out of frustration and because they learned that scratching the door and chewing the garden hose got our attention. It finally kicked in that they weren't meant to be the "guard dogs" hubby and I wished them to be. Moral of the story? Since then, they were never left unattended outside alone and when they were out, at least one of us was always with them. This turned out to be perfectly fine though. Actually, I really think that's how they turned being the great dogs they were meant to be because they developed a strong bond with us and we were always there to redirect them and give them guidance as needed. Being out with them also meant no more barking to comeback inside, and it also meant no more getting in trouble. Because left alone, they were likely to chew on sticks, eat things they are not supposed and rehearse troublesome behaviors such as digging, barking and chewing stuff. Puppies can quickly get in trouble left unattended outside. When working for the vet, I accumulated countless stories of outdoor dogs getting into toxic plants, ingesting balls or parts of a garden hose that required a costly surgery, and other costly and disheartening mishaps. Here's a fact: most dogs love to be outside, but they ultimately what to be with their family. Being left outside alone is perceived to many as punishment. Of course, there may be a few exceptions with some independent dog breeds or dogs who enjoy being out with another dog, but these are just as mentioned "exceptions". Some dogs can do well with a bit of time spent outside, but most of them want to shortly come back inside. Puppies in particular can be particularly clingy and want to stay closer to their owners, but you may notice that things may change a bit during the teenager stage which in your puppy is just around the corner. Here are a few tips/ideas to teach him to remain outside without you, but I would only do so for brief periods of time and while always watching him from the window to ensure his safety. Puppies are like toddlers and they can easily get into mischief, especially when bored or frustrated. - Consider that by putting a dog outside, it is often perceived as punishment because he is being separated from his family. It's therefore helpful to provide some form of reinforcement when outside alone. -Leave him outside with something to do that is reinforcing. For instance, let him have a long-lasting safe chew or an interactive toy to engage with. -When you provide a safe chew or interactive toy, don't leave him out alone cold turkey. Practice leaving for a few seconds, then gradually a bit more, but sometimes mix in shorter absences in the midst of the longer ones. -If he needs outside time, it would be best if you (or any other family member) can go out with him. This way he can enjoy the great outdoors, he is supervised and prevented from getting in any trouble and you are there with him to redirect him and provide guidance as needed. Being out with him, you can also take advantage of training him. You can reward voluntary check-ins (praise and give a treat when he explores, and then on his own comes to you) and you can practice fun recalls too. -If you put your dog outside when he needs a timeout, a better option may be to use a crate or area behind a baby gate, and provide him with a safe chew toy. -If he is being put outside because he has too much energy, this may not be ideal as he will likely at some point become frustrated and engage in troublesome behaviors that may be difficult to eradicate. Best to keep his brain occupied at home with brain games or do some fun games or training in the yard together. Or if he already does all of those, just let him chill and sniff/explore/eliminate and just be granted some time to just be a dog while under your supervision.

Thanks for the update. Sounds like you are doing a great job! Kudos to you for the effort, it's sure rewarding when the dogs start running to you enthusiastically. Zuke's minis are a big favorite of mine, great tasting, the perfect size and low-calorie. A win-win!

There are chances that your dog may be unable to zero in on where the sounds are coming from. When training a blind dog to come, you want to use auditory stimulation starting from a close distance at first and taking baby steps gradually increasing distance. Use high-value treats to reinforce coming to you. Start in a hallway from a close distance and call your dog or clap your hands. It's important to continue calling or clapping until the dog gets all the way to you and reward. This helps the dog orient and follow preventing him from losing track of the auditory stimulation. Of course, for safety, recalls for blind dogs should not be practiced in open spaces where there are no fences and dogs are exposed to dangers.

Yes, please separate for safety. Ideally, it would be best to have a professional (preferably a veterinary behaviorist or dog behavior consultant) take a look at the interactions in person and guide you through correct implementation of behavior modification, but since this is not an option, you really need to play it safe to avoid injuries and a potential redirected bite (which tends to happen when you try to separate fighting dogs). It sounds like Jack is trying to be a bully and if Reddington doesn't give in, he may resort to aggression and things can get ugly. There seem to also be issues around resources since these episodes appear to take place around bones, attention and food. Have you introduced them first on neutral grounds?

Hello SarahB, Welcome to the forum, It would be important to evaluate why being placed in the crate causes so much distress in the first place. Here are some starting points to evaluate: -Does your dog suffer from separation anxiety when you leave the home? Have you recorded his behavior on camera/remote surveillance when you leave the house? If so, what does your dog do? -Does he have a history of trying to destroy the crate when he is enclosed? -Is the crate placed in an area where he can still see you/hear you when home? -Is the crate of the correct size? -Have you tried placing a blanket over the crate? Have you tried darkening the room? -Has your dog been given time to acclimate to being in a crate since being a puppy? There is a section in the archive on how to introduce crates and make them a comfy place to be. -Have you worked on creating positive associations with the crate? -Is he provided with a safe chew toy interactive toy (like a Kong stuffed with goodies) so he can wind down and relax chewing prior to sleeping? Chewing helps dogs relax and get ready to nap. -Is your dog being exercised, walked, provided with brain games prior to being placed in the crate? -Has his barking/howling been rewarded with attention or opening the crate in the past? If so, you may have provided a reward history and when you ignore, you may be triggering an extinction burst. -How long has this behavior been going on for? Is it of recent onset?

I wouldn't be too concerned about them choosing to chill with your hubby and seeking him out. Much more often, it happens that dogs for some reason are not very comfortable being about around one family member and that sure is a major problem. Likely, your hubby comes home just at the right time when they are in need for relaxing and they have had their load of fun and activities from you. Think of it like kids with stay-at-home moms who run to greet their dad and look forward to being around him for the rest of evening. I think if you were the one going to work and hubby took care of them most of the day, the same thing would happen.

Hello Brendanelson109, I hope you are enjoying your Labor Day so far, in case you are celebrating it. Glad to hear you have been enjoying the course so far. What your dogs are doing sound like totally normal behavior. Many dogs love to follow owners around the home, sit by the door and wait and lie by the owner's feet. Lying at the feet is dog's way for "keeping tabs" of where the owner is going when sitting down as they feel any movement of the owner denoting he is about to get up and move. That's good that they show no signs of anxiety when he goes to work as clingy behaviors as such sometimes may spill into separation anxiety. What may feel odd though is why are they displaying this behavior towards him rather than you who is the primary caretaker? Until dogs can talk, we can really only make assumptions. Maybe the theory of scarcity is at play here? Perhaps because they do not see him as often makes them look forward to sticking around them. Maybe since he leaves the house more, they are more concerned about his tendency to leave and need to keep an eye out on his wheareabouts. Maybe they just enjoy relaxing near him and know there are zero expectations from them and that makes them gravitate towards him, while they see you more as the active/fun/exciting one who walks them, trains them, grooms them. It could also be just one dog likes to stick by and the rest just follow. Several possibilities there. Maybe he is sneaking them cookies! ;)

Hello, and welcome to the Brain Training Course, There is a section on potty training filed under the puppy section in the archive. You can access the archive here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/ Feel free to post in the forum if you are encountering a particular issue. Best, Adrienne

Hello Brenda, The problem you are encountering is not unusual, it's a sign of lack of impulse control, but the good news is that training accomplishes just that: it teaches dogs to have more control over their impulses. The Airplane Game in the brain training course may come handy as it teaches your dog to perform a behavior before having the treat. You can find it here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/the-airplane-game/ It's very important that you avoid letting your dog have the treats when jumping up or trying to steal it from your hands or treat pouch. Make it clear that treats are earned only contingent upon the exhibition of the desired behavior. If you are at the luring stage, it's OK for your dog to gently try to nibble on your treats lightly, but let your dog have it only once he has completed the exercise. If your dog is overly excited about high-value treats, then the method of lowering the value of food can always be used (think kibble which dogs see every single day). If your dog likes kibble and will work for it, that's great. Kibble works wonders for many dogs and can be used with success when training at home or in low distraction areas without the added calories of treats.

Hello, and welcome to the forums, Resource guarding or simply fear or losing a possession can sometimes get in the way with games like fetch. So sorry to hear another dog messed up all the great training you have been doing. Usually, the onset of fear of losing a possession due to the threat of another dog stealing the ball doesn't generalize so easily to humans, but perhaps this event had such a big impact that outside she's not comfortable at all now dropping her possession. Usually, when there are struggles with behavior performed well inside but not outside, it means that smaller, intermediate steps need to be taken. Perhaps a good place to start would be to first practice in the yard before going to other places. You want her to feel comfortable and build a strong safety and reinforcement history. To make the process more gradual in transferring the behavior from inside to outside, it may therefore help to open the door and stand inside and throw the ball outside or stand outside and throw it inside and gradually move further and further outside. Also, it may help to limit to throws that aren't very far, no more than 5 ft initially. You want to make dropping the ball very rewarding, so make a big deal out of her bringing it back, lots of positive feedback. And of course, never try to get the ball out of her mouth, you want her to learn to trust you totally and give up the ball willingly because it's so rewarding. No keep-away games even from people your dog may trust. It may also help avoiding playing fetch in the area where the other dog has stolen the ball or in its vicinity, as your dog may associate it with the mishap and instinctively become more protective. If it happened once in that place, there are chances it may truly re-occur if this dog who stole the ball is rountinely a frequenter. And of course, a disclaimer is warranted here: when dogs are reluctant to drop items, there is an element of resource guarding at play and there may be some associated risks. It is always advised to play it safe and have a professional assess the situation.