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What your puppy learns about people and his environment now will stay with him for the rest of his life. From his fourth to twelfth week a puppy acquires almost all of his adult sensory, motor and learning abilities. The more loving interaction you establish now, the stronger the bond your dog will have with you later. Plan to spend at least two periods a day playing with your puppy. Use playtime to teach your puppy the basic training commands. As soon as your veterinarian says it's safe, you should also begin exposing your puppy to as much of the outside world as possible. Introduce your pup to a variety of positive experiences. Visit three new places a week and introduce him to five new people at each place (find a variety of people). Take your pup on regular car rides-use a carrier to insure safer driving. Puppies may be predisposed to developing phobias between 8 and 11 weeks of age. During this time, you may want to be cautious when exposing your puppy to particularly stressful experiences, like large crowds and unusually loud noises. If he does become frightened, reassure him in a cheerful voice and pass it off quickly. Keep in mind, your puppy will sense feelings from you, so keep your response fairly matter-of-fact. Too much attention to a frightening experience may actually encourage a phobia. Brush your pup daily with lots of affection and reassurance to make it a special time for both of you. At the same time, handle your pup's feet and ears and open his mouth for inspection. Massage him all over. If the pup fusses, say "no" firmly. When he is quiet, talk to him in a soft, pleasant voice. Similarly, teaching your puppy to allow you to wipe his paws now will be a real asset when he's full grown, bounding inside with wet feet on a rainy day!
Most people don't have the time to take a young puppy for as many relief walks as it requires (at least every two hours). The temporary use of an indoor doggy toilet confines the problem of going indoors to a small, protected area. While paper and litterbox training is a necessity for most people, it does have a few drawbacks. Paper and litterbox training a pup turns housetraining into a two-step process. First, you teach the pup to go indoors on paper, then outdoors on grass or concrete. This transition can be difficult, especially if you live in a big city where a pup may have a hard time learning to go from a small, quiet room on paper to a busy street on concrete. The transition can be made easier by making the indoor toilet as similar to the outdoor toilet as possible. As strange as this may sound, you can get a slab of grass turf or a thin slab of concrete and place it in a large plastic litterbox. Also, remember to make an effort to take your dog on leash to the indoor toilet so it learns to feel comfortable with you there and so you can reward it for going in the right, albeit temporary, spot.
This is a really simple way to let your dog or puppy know that it's behavior is unacceptable. For example if your puppy growls or attacks other dogs or people. The time out is taking the dog away from the family, whether people or other animals this is very traumatic to the dog/puppy as it would be to most of us as well. here are 6 easy steps to sucess.
Most people put a leash on their puppy and then proceed to drag the puppy in the direction they wish to go. This is not the ideal way to get puppy to do what you want. First you have to get the puppy used to having the collar and leash on, so while you are right there with puppy (and only while you are right there with puppy) put on the collar and leash and let puppy drag it around for a while. After a bit, pick up the leash, get down to puppy level, and start calling the puppy to you. When puppy comes to you, PRAISE...good dog, good puppy. After puppy has come to you several times, then start walking and calling puppy to you...each time puppy comes, PRAISE. Remember...puppy isn't used to this new contraption you've put around it's neck. Be patient. Once puppy is walking on the leash without too much trouble, they usually decide they are going to take YOU for a walk. Now's the time to get this problem under control. Hold the leash loosely and as soon as it gets tight (dog getting too far in front of you), use a voice command such as "steady" or "easy". If the dog doesn't slow down, use a corrective pull on the leash and reverse direction. As the dog is walking next to you (or slightly in front of you with a still loose leash) use the "steady" or "easy" verbal command. Always praise when dog is doing the right thing. Remember...the key to all training is "be persistent and be consistent."
When puppies are teething they want to chew everything...and usually do! Here's a tip that really helps because it gives them something to chew, and also helps ease the pain.Take and old sock and fill it with ice cubes. Tie knots in the sock and put it in the freezer. When puppy starts chewing up the house, give him/her the frozen sock to chew instead. Remember, don't leave puppy alone with the sock. They could chew off pieces of the sock and swallow it which would lead to more serious problems.
Second, figure out why your dog is barking. Is she barking out of boredom? Is it scared barking, in reaction to something that the dog is uncomfortable about? Is it request barking, where the dog is trying to get your attention for something he wants? Or is it alarm barking, alerting the "pack" of intruders?
The first type, boredom barking, is the easiest to fix. Simply make sure your dog is not as bored. This does not mean you have to get up in the middle of the night to play with your dog when he barks. It means you need to give your dog more to do by himself when you can't play. These include hiding toys for the dog to find, leaving chew toys, and leaving chew puzzles. Don't run up with a toy when the barking starts, though, since this will just reward the barking. Prevent the barking by keeping your dog occupied. Most continuous barking that happens when the owner is away is this type.
The second type, scared barking, is fixed by exposing your dog to more things, or in other words, socialization. The more familiar your dog is with mailmen, bicyclists, passing dogs, sirens, loud noises, strange noises, things that loom up suddenly, etc., the less likely your dog will get alarmed when she encounters them. It's never to late to socialize your dog. Make sure that encounters with new things are positive experiences. Reward your dog for calmly accepting new experiences with treats, toys, praise, petting, attention, and food. Be aware that if you try to "comfort" your scared dog, you may unintentionally be rewarding scared behavior. From your tone of voice, the dog might think you're saying, "Good dog! It's right to be scared of that!" when you're really saying, "Don't be scared! It's not so bad!". Some barking that happens when the owner is away is of this type. It's not alarm barking because your dog isn't trying to alert you to a possible danger. Instead, the dog is trying to warn the scary thing away from herself.
The third type, request barking, is also easy to fix, but requires patience and a strong will. The theory is that the barking will stop when the dog realizes that it's ineffective. So if the dog is barking to get your attention, ignore it. Don't open the door, don't pick up the toy, don't go get the leash. In practice, it's hard to ignore a barking dog, and in fact when you start to ignore it the dog may bark more (at first). Be patient. When the dog finally does realize that barking no longer works, he will try something else. As long as it's something acceptable to you, like lying down (moping), reward it with attention, praise, and a treat (food or a toy). If it's something unacceptable (like pawing you), ignore that, too, until he tries something you like.
The extra attempt at barking when you ignore it is called an "extinction burst" and it's the exact same thing you do to an elevator button when it stops working. Instead of going immediately to the stairs, you push the button again and again, and push harder, before finally giving up.
This type, alarm barking, requires actual training -- and lots of patience. You will want to train the dog to bark on command -- and then to stop barking on command. First, find out what can trigger the dog to bark, for example, the doorbell, other dogs passing by, or you standing just out of reach with a favorite toy. Then, work in the following sequence:
Don't try using the "Quiet!" command in the real-life situation until you've practiced the Barking Game a lot, and the dog's gotten very good at it. In other words, only try it when you can turn barking on and off again easily. The first time you try it in the real world, for example when someone actually comes to the door, be ready with a really good treat and go back to showing it to the dog to get his attention as you say "Quiet!" (you won't need to give the "Bark!" command, since the person at the door started the barking anyway). Expect a very short period of silence at first, and reward it heavily. If you go to open the door and he starts barking again, start over with "Quiet!" and a good treat. (You might want to put a sign on your door: "We're training Fido not to bark too much. Please be patient; the door will only be opened after he's quiet.")
Until you've practiced the Barking Game a lot, just ignore barking that happens without your command.
Many dogs will bark through the fence at people and other dogs passing by. This often starts out as a friendly greeting, when a young puppy is eager to greet those that he sees. This is a strong instinct that dogs have - to investigate strangers and greet them. Over time, however, he learns that his every effort to get the attention of those walking by fails. He begins to associate the view of strangers walking past with the acute frustration he feels. This feeling of frustration is so strong that it acts as a strong aversive, and the dog begins to feel that "strangers walking past" means "pain". The barking often changes in tone, and becomes a furious attempt to drive away what the dog now sees as a cause of his own discomfort.
It's best to stop this sort of barking before it starts. Make sure that your dog cannot see strangers going past your property: keep the curtains closed or move furniture away from the window so they can't view out, and if possible put in a solid fence or cover your fence with something the dog cannot see through. Be sure to allow your dog ample opportunities to meet, greet, and play with other dogs at appropriate times.
Note that "barking at the mailman" is slightly different: most dogs feel that they have successfully driven off this "intruder" each day that he visits. "If I hadn't been here to scare him off, that guy would have come in the house and stolen everything. You should be thankful I'm so powerful and fearsome," your dog seems to say. If your mail carrier is willing, the best thing you can do is have him (or her) give a treat to your dog each day (you can leave a bag of them out there for the carrier to use). If that's not possible, you might want to consider installing a mailbox out on the street (if you have one close to the house). Be sure to take your dog around friendly uniformed people (outside of the post office is a good place!) so that your dog gets a lot of experience meeting nice mail carriers.
Many dogs bark when in a group class situation, and there are many different reasons for it. Dogs might be nervous, and bark at other dogs to tell them to keep their distance. They might be excited, and bark at other dogs to get them to play. Or they might just be barking at the situation in general.
In general, in a dog training class situation, break up eye contact between your dog and others': stand between them, get your dog's attention on you or on a toy or chewie. Keep your dog occupied by practicing commands that he knows, or give him peanut butter smeared on a spoon or in a cup. While he's licking the peanut butter, owner stroke him gently from his ears to his tail. Don't accidentally reward him with attention when he barks, but do try to calm him down between barks if he's nervous. If possible Move the dog further from others, and ask the instructor if you can set up some sort of visible barrier so your dog can't see the other dogs (but you can still watch the class demonstrations!).
Use calming signals (yawn, turn away, be bored). Use Rescue Remedy. Make sure that you are not nervous. If necessary, use your dog's desire to leave the situation as a reinforcement -- click & step towards the door for non-nervous, focused behavior.
Of course, reward your dog when he's quiet. Use a clicker to capture that moment of silence and really let him know how rewarding quiet attention to you can be with great treats and attention.
Please note that punishing your dog for barking won't teach him to not bark. It will only cause a temporary stop. It gives you the opportunity to ask for and reward a behavior you like better, like sitting, lying down, getting a toy, or being quiet. If you just punish the dog, she won't learn that it's wrong to bark, she'll only learn that it's dangerous and scary to bark when you're around. If you reward her for doing something else, she'll learn that it's better for her to do that instead. Note you can reward her for being quiet — in fact, it's essential.
The most effective "punishers" — things that will buy you time to reward something else -- are things like squirting the dog with a short spurt of water or using a citronella collar (available in most pet stores). In other words, they startle the dog, not hurt him. As far as the dog knows, he isn't being "bad". He's just doing a natural behavior, and it happens that you don't like it. You want to stop the behavior, not "make the dog pay for it".
Since it's as hard to get a punisher to the dog at the exact moment of the behavior as it is to get a treat to them, pair the punisher with a marker like "No!". The punishment-marker will work just like the reward-marker (the click in click-and-treat) to indicate that that behavior will result in a punishment. (Be sure not to use the No Reward Marker that you have for when they "guess wrong" and lose out on the chance for a treat!).
Dogs want to be in our faces. They know communication happens from our faces. The only problem for them is our faces are out of reach! So, in order to get there, they jump up on us. For non-dog people, this is disrespectful and annoying. For most dog owners it is, too.
As in teaching any new behavior, a command needs to be attached to the action. "OFF" is my choice, because "no" is already said TOO often. Many people choose "down", but that command usually is already used for putting the dog in a prone position. If given the choice, they may make the wrong decision:
When Bailey my Golden Retriever was young, I thought I could use "down" for lying on the floor, as well as getting "off" people, as well as getting off furniture or beds. One day, my mischevious adolescent jumped onto the bed and was using it as a trampoline. I demanded "DOWN!", and she laid down on the bed! Now, she did NOT disobey me, she just made the wrong choice for the meaning of the word! As the light went off in MY head, I had a REALLY good laugh!
OFF can be used to remove paws from bodies, counters, or furniture; it will mean the same to the dog. Before any OFF training begins, the SIT command must be trained and understood (see related article). Sit is the foundation for control and leadership. Sit will then be the choice for the dog to make instead of jumping, or after OFF.
There are several ways to teach "OFF" -- some are more confrontational. The least confrontational way to deal with OFF is to turn and/or back away from the dog when he jumps on you, using the OFF command, then SIT. Always PRAISE when the dog makes the correct choice. Most jumping dogs can be seen before they make contact. Try raising a knee in the air BEFORE the dog connects with you, and use the OFF command. Jumping on you will be difficult and uncomfortable because your knee will be in the way, and some of the more exuberant dogs will hit your knee and find it unpleasant. If you raise your knee AS the dog jumps on you, your timing will be off, and your dog may be hurt. I don't recommend this method because it may be too forceful for some dogs and may cause injury, it puts you off balance and is not a nice gesture for other people (especially kids) to see.
My favorite method to teach "OFF" is to have a training collar on the dog and put him in a sit in front of you with his leash attached to the collar. Let the leash dangle onto the floor, and firmly step on the leash where it angles onto the floor. "Set up" the training by making the jumping inviting (talking cute, "eating" a treat, etc). When the dog tries to jump, he will self correct WHILE you are telling him "OFF! SIT!". Do this several times in a row, and most dogs will start to get the idea after the 2nd or 3rd try. Some of the more exuberant dogs will seem to be dense about it, and have to be reminded a little firmer. This method needs to be done a couple times a day, for several days or more. Each time you practice, the dog will remember quicker. After you think the dog understands what "OFF" means, you can then do the same thing with the leash, but actually act like you are inviting him to jump: tap on your chest with both hands, talking cute - "Do you want to come up?" and then reinforce with "NO, OFF, SIT!". Be careful you don't praise so enthusiastically that you inadvertantly encourage your dog to jump up again. Two people are needed for this method: one to handle the leash and dog, and one to "encourage" the dog to jump. The dog needs to have on his training collar and leash. The Handler and dog approach the helper, and the helper encourages the dog to jump. The Handler MUST have good timing, and needs to give a quick "pop" on the leash and collar with the command "OFF!" (the tug should be in a downward fashion, in the opposite direction of the helper). NO PULLING the leash - the handler must TUG & RELEASE ("pop") the leash and collar. If done correctly, the dog's paws NEVER touch the helper! SIT should come after OFF, and the praise comes from the Handler, NOT the helper. This should be done 5 to 6 times a session, depending on the dog. The last method is the person the dog jumps on takes each forepaw in each hand when the dog jumps, holds them, and walks INTO the dog, repeating "OFF, OFF!", and the dog will roll into a sit or walk clumsily backwards. If necessary (ONLY IF), the paws can be squeezed and/or the rear toes can be lightly stepped on.
"But what about when someone comes to the door?", you say. Have a leash and training collar readily accessible by each entry door. Call out the door: "Just a minute! I'm training my dog not to jump!" I'm sure the people on the other side of the door will be more than happy to wait! Then use the moment as a training opportunity! Or, if you don't have time, crate the dog. But remember no teaching happens to a crated dog!
Never use your hands to push the dog off of you, because dogs will misunderstand the touch as petting or praise. If the training method you are using doesn't require the use of your hands for leash control or grabbing paws, then your arms should be folded away from the dog.
A few last words about OFF: After your dog understands the commands SIT and OFF, your command to the dog, if your timing is right, will be "SIT!", and no paws will touch your body. If your timing is not good, then the command will be "OFF! SIT!". Also, once the dog understands what OFF means, then the word can be used as a reminder BEFORE he jumps up. Remember - dogs DO NOT understand "sometimes" or "maybe". If you don't want your dog to jump, he should never be allowed to jump! Dogs also don't understand when you are in your work clothes (therefore "no jumping") as opposed to your weekend clothes (OK to jump)!! Once OFF, always OFF, or you have a jumping dog and you deal with it! I myself have dogs who jump because I have allowed it, but they also understand the "OFF" word. I also have a word to invite them to jump up. I tap my chest and say "UP!" As always, consistency and praise for appropriate behavior is the answer.
information from Pam Young, LVT
