Hi Julie, My dog is completely housetrained within my own home - the problem is he feels a need to mark in OTHER people\’s homes (and occasionally in places that are sort of gray areas, like garages or patios — not really a home, not really outside). He especially marks in houses that have dogs. It\’s not that he\’s incontinent or really has to go — I really feel he\’s purposely leaving his calling card. When I\’m there with him in someone else\’s place, I try to watch him like a hawk but 1) that\’s exhausting and no fun and 2) when you\’re socializing, you\’re bound to be distracted at some point. This also makes me hesitate when someone else offers to dog sit him for me at their house — something that would occasionally be very convenient! I have no idea how to go about stopping this, since he seems very aware that he has to do it only when no one\’s watching.
Tracy

Hello Tracy,

I can understand how frustrating this could be when you want to be at a friend’s house and have to worry about him peeing on your friends furniture! Marking territory is a totally different issue than housetraining. It is an instinctual behavior that dogs use to communicate to other dogs. The scent of their urine lets other dogs know all about them. Some dogs mark their territory out of stress or anxiety and others to let the dogs in the area know they are here and they may want to dominate this territory.

Since dominance issues or anxiety issues can be the reason behind the marking you can sometimes eliminate the problem by working on those issues through a positive based obedience program like the one I offer online at: webDogTrainer

If it is a dominance issue and you can communicate to your dog what you expect of them through a positive program you can often eliminate the problem. If it is an anxiety issue, positive obedience can build a dogs confidence and also eliminate the problem.

Here are some suggestions to eliminate the problem:

1. Neuter. Some studies suggest that neutering can help solve male dogs from marking territory as a problem behavior so that could be something to consider if you haven’t done so already.
2. Begin a positive based obedience program with your dog so that you can communicate what is acceptable and what isn’t to your dog more effectively.
3. Use a leash. Practice having your dog on leash in the area you plan to socialize with friends and work on catching him in the act to stop the behavior before it starts. Sometimes if you let the rules be known in the beginning they will understand your expectations of them. Do not punish your dog by hitting them for this kind of behavior or any other behavior or you may cause more problems. Positive based programs are more effective. Watch your dog carefully and you will get good at spotting their body language BEFORE they mark so you can stop the behavior easily and without punishment. If you see them about to mark, quickly say No and move them away from the spot. Take them out to empty their bladder and watch them carefully when you bring them back in. You need to be consistent for this to work.
4. Remove all urine odors with special odor neutralizers so that you remove the temptation to mark a spot where they smell urine.
5. Prevention. Either keep your dog on leash with you or confine them to an area that will prevent them from marking when you are not able to watch them.
6. If all else fails you can try something like a bellyband that fits around a dogs belly and covers their penis temporarily. You can place an absorbable material inside of it so if they start to urinate the urine will not get on friends furniture. I do not have personal experience with this so I cannot say if this is a good option or not but I have heard of it. You can ask your Vet about it to be sure it is a safe option if you choose to try it.

I know you can solve this problem and enjoy bringing your dog with you to friends again soon!

Let me know what you think!
Happy New Year!

Julie
www.webDogTrainer.com 

Like this info?  Comments are appreciated!

Teaching the Come Command

Excessive Barking

Dog “forgot” commands

Hi Julie,

I have a one year old black lab. She is great but can sometimes be a bit of a pain. For example we have a fenced off pen in our backyard that we let her in and out of. Problem is she doesn\’t want to come back in, so when she barks at the door we try to let her in and she runs down the stairs thinking your going to play with her. The only way we get her in is to lure her with bones. Another thing is that she is an excessive barker. How do we get that to stop. One last thing is she went to puppy school at our local Petco and she did pretty well but the commands we taught (sit, come, lay and leave it) have seem to worn off and she doesn\’t respond unless there\’s an award. How can we solve these problems? I found you on facebook and I live in Massachusetts!  I appreciate the help thanks!

Ben

Hello Ben!

Almost all three of your questions need to be solved with more exercise and a few additional tips.  She sounds like she wants to play with you so you may need to exercise her some more.  A young active dog needs about 30-45 minutes of exercise twice a day.  You can judge what is enough for each dog if they come home to lie down and rest when you get home than you know it is enough.  They also need to get out and explore the world, go on walks, new streets, new parks.  Once you know you’ve exercised them enough and they’ve gotten out you can move onto resolving the issues you’ve described.  I mention the exercise first because without it, you won’t be able to fix the issues.

Question One Subject: Teaching the Come Command:  If you teach the come command properly you can get your dog to come to you EVERY time you call them.  I have a great method to teach this on my online training program if you are interested in learning it. 

Question Two Subject: Excessive Barking: Barking is often a result of isolation, fear, frustration, boredom or a learned habit that they know produces attention.  Dogs need to be exercised a lot at least twice a day as well as go out and explore the world.  They do not do well to be left alone for long periods of time and also need to go out for walks, explore new sights and smells and not just stay at home every day.   A tired dog is a good dog and will most likely spend a lot of time sleeping if they have had their needs met. 

Also, make sure you praise your dog and give it attention when they are NOT barking.  We often mistakenly give our dogs attention when they bark which rewards the behavior and forget to give the attention when they are quiet.

I would highly suggest you begin an obedience-training program using positive methods.  You can train your dog to behave the way you want them to if you practice daily obedience with them in a positive way and with good timing. 

You also need to be very consistent with your dog and establish clear rules.

Here are some steps to follow for immediate results:

1. When your dog is barking say a command firmly, like “Stop Barking”, or “Quiet!” Pick one of the commands and stick to it as a family.  Do not be angry though and let your dog sniff a treat while you say that command.  Generally, when offered a treat a dog stops barking to smell it even if only for a second. 
2. Then, when your dog is quiet, give a treat and say “good quiet” or “good no bark” in a praising way.  Continue this but expand the amount of time you expect your dog to be quiet from say 3 seconds, to 6 to 9 and so on.  So the wait for the treat is delayed. 
3. They start associating the fact that you say that command, they stay quiet and then they get a treat. 
4. This method may take some time but it is one way for you to work on the barking problem right away.  It also establishes the meaning of the command to the dog so that over time you can just say that word and they will stop. 

There are many ways to resolve this problem and this is just one example.  It is important that you work on obedience training right away if you want to be able to handle your puppy well.  Do not wait or more behavioral problems can develop. 

Question Three Subject: Dog “Forgot” Commands.  Dog training is an ongoing, daily task.  If you do not keep up on the training that your dog previously learned, they will “forget” the training in a sense…well actually they didn’t really forget as much as they realized you are not being consistent, so neither will they!

Think about joining my online training program to learn how to more effectively communicate with your dog. This program includes access to email me 7 days a week throughout your training.  Your dog deserves it and you will feel much happier!  If you are interested, sign up at the join now page: http://www.webdogtrainer.com/join.php  

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Like this blog?  Make a comment below or Join webDogTrainer to learn more!

All the best!

Julie

Julie,

How do I get my 9 week old english bulldog/boxer mix to stop wetting the carpet? She goes outside handles her business there and then comes in a few minutes later does in inside. HELP PLEASE.

Lou

Hello Lou,

I know it can be frustrating and time consuming to housetrain your puppy but there are ways to help make it go successfully.  Prevention and education are the keys to making this work and that comes from you.  You’ll get there if you follow these steps below:

Housetraining your puppy:

Establishing a routine with your puppy is one of the most important things you can do.  It may take several weeks to housetrain or longer for smaller breeds. 

1. Take puppies out regularly-at least every 2 hours and after eating, drinking, and a nap.
2. Observe your puppy outside and as soon and give it a name like: “do your business”.  As soon as they pee or poop praise and treat at the exact moment they complete it.  Plus, it is important to observe if they did eliminate, because if they didn’t you’ll know you need to bring them out again in a half hour or less. 
3. Puppies need to be fed about 3-4 times a day on a regular schedule.  Make sure you take them outside after eating. 
4. When the puppy is inside with you watch them close for signs they may need to go-it can be a great idea to attach their leash to you so you are always close to them in the initial phase of housetraining so you can have good timing. 
5. Confine them to a small area when you are unable to watch them.
6. If you must leave your puppy for more than two hours you need to give them an amount of space that offers a sleeping area, play area, and elimination area with newspapers on the floor.  Leaving your puppy for long periods of time will prolong the housetraining though. 
7. If you catch a puppy in the act of eliminating indoors, quickly say ‘no’ in a matter of fact way and bring them outside.  Do NOT get angry or punish your puppy for accidents inside.  At this point it is up to you to prevent it and you can cause behavioral problems if you punish your puppy for this. 
8. Clean up all accidents well to remove odor or puppy may want to eliminate in that spot again. 
9. When your puppy has had no accidents indoors for a few weeks you can begin to offer more freedom with you in the same room watching closely.  Slowly offer the freedom and observe closely to be successful. 

With patience, consistency and prevention you can be successful but it can be a lot of work so go into it knowing what to expect and everyone will be happier!

Good luck!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Julie

Hello,

And thank you for your services. I appreciate you being here for me!

I found you through Facebook, somebody recommended your link. I thought I would check it out. I am from Illinois, where we lock up our politicians.

First of all this is our fourth dog as a married couple. Each of us has had dogs before. This is our second Wire Fox Terrier that we are trying to crate train. The issue is, I thought dogs would not soil their own beds. Magic, our 10 week old puppy dog, has a crate covered with an old sheet, a heater to keep the room warm, an appropriate sized plastic box that has a clean towel/rag in it, for comfort. We recognize the fact that puppies are going through a difficult transition period. We let her outside to relieve herself before bedtime. The water has been removed at 7pm. She is exercised before bed, good idea about keeping her up before bedtime though, I will remember that. But in the morning I would expect some soiling in the cage, but her bed has always been wet, and twice I have found feces there as well. There has been feces in the cage area in the past.

We wash down her cage and her bed with 3/1 Vinegar. We change her bedding each time. What can we do? We have never put any of our dogs in our bedroom, especially un-crated. This dog loves to bolt to the carpet area to relieve herself.

Thank you for your time and consideration in your suggestions.

Paul

Hello Paul,

 Nice to meet you!  At 10 weeks old your puppy is not capable of staying dry from night through morning.  You will need to bring them outside every 2 hours at this age to eliminate.  Having a puppy at this age is a lot like having a newborn baby that you have to get up and change their diapers for!  It can be a lot of work but it will be worth it in the end.  If you do not get up and teach the dog to soil their bed that can be a problem later and they may never stop doing it.  So how long do you have to do this?  For every month of age add one hour….so if your puppy is 2 months old they can go about 2-3 hours before needing to go outside to eliminate.  So it won’t be until your puppy is about 6 months old before they can go about 6-7 hours at night.  I know this is tough news if you like your long sleep at night!  But, it has to be done, so take shifts with your wife.  Pick the puppy up, bring them to eliminate, praise when they eliminate and put them back to sleep…don’t play at this time…just do their business and go back to sleep.  Time will pass quickly and soon you will be through this difficult puppy stage!

 Good luck!

 All the best,

Julie

Julie,

Thank you for your reply. Yes, it looks like the inevitable. Shift work like when we had our child to bring up at night. oye, we thought that that was over. Oh, well the Joys of puppy hood :0

Paul

 Hi Julie!

Wondering if you could offer me some quick advice.  We have a 15 year old Lab/Aussie shepherd mix.  She\’s still super sharp mentally, but she has very bad hip problems and she\’s gone essentially deaf.  When younger she was always very active, as you can imagine, but because of her physical condition it is hard if not impossible to keep her stimulated.  Most days she gets 2 walks, 20 minutes or so each, and she can\’t walk much longer than that without resting.  She can’t play ball in the house anymore which she used to do incessantly.  The upshot is that she has taken to barking, we suspect just out of boredom.  She never barks when we are away, just at us.  But like I said, she can’t really play anymore, she just hangs out and woofs.  Before she went deaf she responded well to voice commands, now of course she can\’t hear us telling her to calm down.  We’ve tried sending her to her bed which used to be her punishment when she was bad, but now she just barks from the bed.  She used to be very well trained, now she\’s just obstinate.  Any ideas how we can get her to calm down?

Steve

Hi Steve!

I can understand a little bit about what you are going through because my own dog is now in his senior years and experiencing hip problems.  Life has begun to change for us as well. 

As dogs age they can undergo physical changes that can affect them in different ways and even alter their behavior. They may vocalize more and show signs of not wanting to be left alone.  Painful underlying medical conditions such as arthritis or dental problems can cause a change in your senior dog. A change of vision or hearing can cause different sensory problems that may also result in changes in behavior. Sometimes even decreased mobility can affect how a dog reacts to events. You’ll need to discuss this with a good Vet and see if there are treatment options to help make her more comfortable.  Make sure your Vet does a thyroid check on her as well because senior dogs often have thyroid issues that can actually cause anxiety.

I know how important being busy and exercise is for a dog’s state of being, and how difficult it can be on them once it becomes harder to do because of the arthritis. Does she like car rides? My dog loves going in the car so that might be another possibility for something to do- new smells to smell, etc. Also, try taking her to new places-she doesn’t necessarily have to walk so far these days but the sites and smells of a new park can be quite stimulating to reduce boredom.  Just like people, dogs like to explore the world. 

If you wonder how to replace the full exercise routines she once enjoyed you might try looking into Canine Hydrotherapy, which can be great for dogs with Arthritis.  Water is a wonderful way to support joints while still providing exercise and stimulation.  Also, a type of massage called the Tellington T-Touch, which is a method that uses specially designed circular movements of the fingers and hands all over the body has many benefits, and has been used extensively to improve circulation and possibly reduce your dog’s pain levels. I first became aware of the benefits of using this method while training at Guide Dogs for the Blind. It puts your dog into a calm state, which may also reduce the barking.  This would feel great to your dog too!

Regarding being deaf:

Keeping up on your dogs daily training expectations can still be important even if she can no longer hear.  You’d be amazed at how well deaf dogs can be trained; you just have to go about it a little differently.  Here’s an article I wrote about training a deaf dog that may be helpful to you:

Training a Deaf Dog

Deaf dogs can make great pets. They adapt to their hearing loss quite well because a dog’s primary sources of communication are through body language and scent. You might notice that when two dogs greet each other, they communicate all kinds of signals to each other without using any sound.

While barking and growling are additional ways dogs send messages, they aren’t their primary method. So in training, too, verbal language isn’t necessary. In fact, dogs pay more attention to cues in our body language and facial expressions than to what we are saying to them.

When training any dog, the most important factors are:

• Be clear in what you are asking your dog to do
• Reward for the correct behavior

This is true for deaf dogs too. But since they’ll be relying on visual cues as opposed to your voice, it’s important to be very precise and clear with your hand signals.

Even though your dog is deaf, it’s important that you have the same behavioral expectations you would of any dog. Don’t make the mistake of allowing your dog to get away with negative behaviors, just because you feel sorry for her. A well-trained dog is much happier anyway because she gets to spend more time with you and the family. And like all dogs, a deaf dog will thrive in a home in which expectations are consistent.

Hi Julie,

My name is Jurga and I have a very cute and loving 9 weeks old Lab (Black/Silver mix) Koby. We brought him home on Monday night and for 3 days now trying to crate train him. He is making a lot of noise when in crate and last night even started to bark. He is very attached to me from day one and wants to be next to me at ALL times.

I just read your article about crate training, which is very helpful! However, what I’m struggling to understand is what to do with the dog during the night when he is not in the crate.  He cries and whines all the time if he is not with us in the bed. And the last thing we want is for the dog to sleep in our bed! We have put the crate in our bedroom as per many advices I found on the internet hoping that he will feel close to us and sleep but it’s the same story he just doesn’t stop crying and whining. We hardly slept for 3 nights now and I feel like I\’m doing it right and it will effect dog\’s behavior. I would appreciate if you can give advice on how to handle this.

Thanks in advance.

Jurga

Hello Jurga and welcome to webDogTrainer!

The first few days with your new puppy can be a very difficult time.  They are often missing their littermates and/or mother and it can take time for everyone to adjust to the new routines.  There are a few things though that can hopefully make it a little easier for you. 

Putting the puppy in the crate in your bedroom for the night is probably a good idea as long as the crate is a positive place for the puppy.  As you read about in my article, teach crate training the proper way through positive reinforcement.  (Note from admin: This step-by-step article for teaching the best way to crate train is available through webDogTrainer when you become a member-here’s the link: http://www.webdogtrainer.com/join.php). 

Being near you while you are sleeping, even if in a crate is a chance for your puppy to bond with you.  To use the crate successfully you must never punish your dog by putting them into it, you want the crate to feel like a very happy place for the dog so continue to follow my steps as outlined in the article. 

Some people use a short tether attached to the bed to keep the dog nearby.  If the puppy is allowed to roam freely in the room they may have an accident but if they are tethered to a smaller area they tend to not want to soil their sleeping area. 

Do not let your puppy sleep in the bed “sometimes”.  It would not be fair to your puppy if you allow them to sleep there sometimes and then other times do not.  It will only confuse them and make your training more difficult.  Keep in mind how large they will become!

Dogs learn quickly from routine.  Do the same thing the same way every night and they will catch on quickly.

Here are some tips to get through the night with your puppy:

1.      You’ll want to stop make sure your puppy doesn’t have any food or water after about 7pm, unless it is hot weather.

2.      Try to keep your puppy awake for 2-3 hours before bedtime.  You don’t want your puppy to have napped for 3 hours and then be ready to play when you are ready to sleep!

3.      Tire your puppy out just before bedtime so they will be more likely to sleep.

4.      Then, the last time you let the puppy outside to eliminate before going to sleep you want to make sure you give your puppy enough time to fully eliminate and pay attention to what they are doing so you know if they emptied their bladder completely. 

5.      Expect to get up every 2-3 hours to take your puppy outside to eliminate. 

If your puppy is whining in the crate at night:

1.      If you know that your puppy has just eliminated outside and it has only been a couple minutes, it is best to ignore the puppy.  If you give the puppy attention when they are whining you teach them that whining is good and it will continue. 

2.      If it has been a couple hours and your puppy was quiet and then suddenly starts whining it is best to bring them outside to eliminate.

3.      When you do take your puppy outside to eliminate do not play with your puppy and give them the idea that it is playtime.  DO praise your puppy for eliminating but then go back inside to sleep.  You want your puppy to understand that it is time to eliminate and not playtime. 

4.      Make sure your puppy has not been left in the crate all-day and then again at night.  They should not spend too much time in the crate during the day. 

5.      Exercise your puppy a lot during the day!  A tired puppy sleeps well at night!

With consistency and some patience you’ll soon be through the difficult puppy stages and sleep a little longer each night! 

Good luck and let me know if you have any further questions!

All the best!

Julie

 Hi Julie,
 
Thanks for your detailed response. Just wanted to confirm if I understood you right.. So you think we can try to keep him in the crate for all night? But what to do if he doesn’t stop crying for about 2 hours, is that ok? I’m afraid he will start hating the crate. We play a lot before putting him to crate and take him outside of course. But then once he in the crate he starts crying and whining and even barking.
 
What I do during the day – I keep the door open and put all his toys and treats in the crate. He is happy to go in and stay there as long as the door is open. I even managed to convince him to sleep in there for an hour or so. But once I close the door in the night it leads to never ending crying…. So I just want to make sure I’m doing the right thing at this point and with the time he will be ok to stay in without making any noise.
 
Thanks
Jurga

Hi Jurga,
 
Yes, as long as you KNOW he has eliminated fully just before putting him in the crate it will be ok to leave him in it for the next 2-3 hours, even if he whines.  He may whine but if you ignore him it should stop.  You will need to take him out of the crate every 2-3 hours to eliminate outside though, he is too young to hold his bladder all night and you do not want to teach him to soil his bed.  A good rule is add one month to their age and that is how many hours they can stay in the crate at night-so if he is 2 months old he can stay about 3 hours in the crate as long as you KNOW he has eliminated just prior.  Then, after 2-3 hours, take him outside to do his business and watch him to make sure he did empty his bladder then put him back inside the crate.  Keep up with your positive crate training so it is never a bad place to be.
 
If you occasionally take him out when he whines to pet him and console him even when you know he doesn’t have to eliminate than you will never teach him to stop whining and he will always think that will work so he will continue to whine.  I know the first few nights may be tough but it usually only takes a night or two of being consistent for him to understand you won’t come when he whines.
 
You can do it!  You will get through this rough patch if you are consistent.  I know it can be hard to ignore a cute, whining puppy but in the end you are being kinder to him by setting firm rules in the beginning.
 
Good luck and let me know how it goes!
 
Julie

Thanks Julie! Now I know that I’m on the right track :-) I will keep you updated.

 Hello Julie,

Please help!  My puppy is aggressive towards other dogs.  We have two dogs, both female Australian Bulldogs.  The first is one years old - She is a great dog who loves other dogs. We socialised her a lot as a puppy and she has always been very submissive and very playful. I have never seen her even attempt to nip another dog. We have put her through puppy school and basic obedience training and all round she is a great dog. We walk her every night at a big off lead dog park and have done so since she was 12 weeks of age. She loves it.

We now have a new puppy that is 13 weeks of age. She is a pleasure around the house and loves our older dog. They play happily all day. They both also attend Doggy Day Care one day a week and they have advised me that they are both an absolute pleasure and play well with other dogs. We have had other dogs visit our home often and also have taken the little one to friends places and basically everywhere we go as we did with the older dog. We know it is very important to get your new puppy around as many new situations as possible. However tonight when we took her down to the off lead dog park now that she has had all of her vaccinations, the little puppy was very aggressive and attacking other dogs. She was stiff, growling and trying to bite. We were quite concerned and shocked as we have never seen this behaviour in her or any of our previous dogs for that matter so did not know how to act. We have her enrolled in puppy class but I would be interested to know what else we can do to nip this behaviour in the bud now before she turns into an aggressive BIG bulldog! I\’m sure there are training techniques however never having this problem before I\’m not sure how to go about it.

Thanks for your time. Lesley from Victoria

Hi Lesley,

Good for you that you have been so diligent about socializing your puppies and knowing how important that is.  No two dogs are alike though so it seems to me that your new puppy probably felt pretty overwhelmed by other unknown dogs approaching it.  Many people believe that 13 weeks is too young for dogs to be in an off-leash dog park because there are so many different types of dogs that we cannot control which ones are approaching our puppy to provide positive experiences with other dogs that are also well socialized.  Your puppies response was to keep them away from her.  Adult dogs that are well socialized tend to allow puppies a little room but will let them know what is appropriate dog behavior and what isn’t, which is why we like to have puppies meet these types of dogs during this crucial development.  Adult dogs that are NOT well socialized tend to teach your puppy bad manners which can escalate into problem behavior.

So for awhile I would suggest limiting your puppies interactions with dogs to just a few KNOWN dogs at a time rather than dozens of unknown dogs at a dog park.  If you do notice your puppy growl you’ll want to discourage that behaivor and not coddle them during the behavior.  If you pick up your dog for example and give them attention after they have just growled we have rewarded that growling and told them we liked it which will of course encourage growling in the future and possibly escalate aggression.  So instead say a quick No! and later try to socialize the puppy with the dog it growled at in a more controlled environment, one on one.  You can practice positive obedience near the dog that the puppy growled at, for example ask your puppy to sit and when she performs the command well offer her a treat.  You can slowly work up to being closer to the other dog (who should be on leash). 

Do not force your puppy towards another dog or person that they seem to want to pull away from.  Be patient and give her time. 

It’s great that your puppy is doing well in the doggy daycare, perhaps that situation feels more secure to her whereas the dog park felt more overwhelming. 

When your puppy is greeting other dogs on leash make sure that your puppies leash is loose because a tight collar can create frustration which can lead to aggression.  Also, make sure that you feel calm and not nervous or your puppy will sense you are uncomfortable and feel the same way which can turn the greeting into something negative. 

It sound like you do understand the importance of socializing your dog well be introducing them to all kinds of different experiences.  Just remember, this puppy may not react the same as your first dog so you’ll have to adjust things accordingly.  Keep up the doggie day care and that’s wonderful you have enrolled her in a puppy class.  I would talk with the instructor of that class ahead of time about your concerns as well so they can be on the look out for the behavior.  You’ll also want to get a feel for how experienced the instructor is for this type of behavior so you can make sure you do everything right.  If you don’t feel confident in the insturctors individual experience try to find one that you do feel has the experience and is willing to work with you if needed. 

It sounds like you are on the right path to resolve the issues and I can see you are dedicated.  You are a great role model for people who notice something about their puppy and plan to do something to fix it rather than let it turn into a problem that will be much harder to resolve as an adult.  I am proud of you for that!  Good job!

Let me know how it goes and if you need any other advice!

Best of luck to you.

Julie

Hi Julie,

Thank you very much for your reply. 

I realise now that it was probably very overwhelming for our little puppy at the dog park and we will most definitely take a couple of steps back and wait until she is a older before we take her again.  I feel a little bad about that now,  I shall keep her on lead in future and ensure that she has gained more positive experiences around dogs in a controlled and less confronting situation as you have suggested.  I think Puppy School should help and I will make sure I advise the trainer and ensure we all keep an eye out for this behaviour to properly correct it.

I am no dog expert but a true believer in puppy socialisation.  Our older dog is such a pleasure to have around and we always get comments from people on her behaviour.  We have only ever used positive reinforcement for training and lots of love.  We know that by putting all the hard work in at the beginning has rewarded us with such a great adult dog. (but is it really hard work when they are gorgeous little puppies?  I don’t think so.).  If we can do it, it must be easy and I’m out there telling everyone to do the same!!

We have our hands full with this feisty little one but it should be OK.  Nothing like a challenge.

Thanks Again for your advise and i will let you know how I go.

Lesley.

Hi Lesley,

You are welcome!  Sounds like you are on the right track now and I am confident you will do well!

Julie

Hi Julie,

Our family recently came into owning two dogs quite suddenly.

One is a pure bred German Shepard (Prince) that a family member bought then decided they simply didn\’t want him after a year of ownership and lack of training. They rescued him when he was roughly 2 years old, so I think he is about 3-4 years old now.

The other is a Rottwieller that we rescued. She is 2 years old. She is sweet and loving but you can tell her previous owner\’s didn\’t want to take the time to train her or give her love.

I haven\’t owned dogs since I was a little girl so I feel quite lost. Both dogs seem to understand simple commands like stay and down. Getting them to obey consistently is another story.

Taking them on walks is somewhat frustrating. They both are so large and powerful it\’s hard to control them. When we walk them, we stop them often and make them sit patiently (or as patiently as they can) then start the walk again.

The GSB acts as though we don\’t exist when he is off the leash though. It\’s like he loses all ability to hear, see or obey us and will take off running. A few weeks ago he wiggled out of his collar while on a walk and took off running and we couldn\’t do anything to get him to come back. We chased him for such a long time before he was simply too fast and was gone. We ended up picking him up at the pound the next day (and almost $150.00 later).

The rottwieller (Ruby is what we named her) seems anxious to want to please us, but she gets so excited and has a hard time sitting still long enough for us to teach her basic obedience. When she is in a calm state she seems more willing to listen, make eye contact and obey.

How do I get Prince to listen consistently even when off a leash? And how do I get Ruby to calm down long enough to listen?

I see that you mention the gentle leader for walks, but if Prince can slip out of his collar easily, will he be able to slip out of the leader?

I am committed to keeping and loving these dogs for a lifetime. They both have such gentle hearts and I couldn’tt bear them being sent to yet another home, I just need some training so I can train them.

Also, is it ok for us to have our children be an active part in training the dogs?

Rachel

Hello Rachel,

Thank you for making the commitment to these dogs, it is a great thing you are doing and the dogs are lucky to have you!

Off-leash training:  It is common behavior for dogs that haven’t been trained to “act like you don’t exist off-leash”.  They actually aren’t doing anything wrong in their mind because you haven’t “trained” them otherwise.  In order to later be successful off-leash you will want to begin to teach the come while on-leash so that you can back up the command with good timing.  What I mean by this is; imagine you have called your dog to come to you while off-leash and they don’t come; you have now begun to ruin that word for them because they realized they really don’t have to come to you.  But if the dog was on leash when you called them you could have made sure they came to you no matter what which makes the command itself have more meaning.  Of course you will later have that off leash control but if you do not first practice it on leash you cannot have the proper timing to make it extremely successful.  Use treats and praise for positive reinforcement. 

My online training program has exact step-by-step directions on how to do this the most successful way and there is too much information for me to put in this one note so I encourage you to join and you’ll be amazed how easy it is when you know what to do.  I’ll be there for you along the way as well to answer any questions you have.  Because you are taking on rescues: Here’s a $10 off promo code:  10DOLLARSOFF which means the training site will only cost you $25 right now and here’s the link if you are interested: http://www.webdogtrainer.com/join.php

Listening calmly to obedience instruction: Because you are having trouble getting your dog to be calm enough to listen to obedience I would recommend that you exercise your dog BEFORE the obedience practice.  Some dogs need this.  Think of it like a little kid who has tons of pent up energy and you are forcing them to sit still and concentrate on work-that’s why schools invented recess! Ha.  Drain their unreleased energy and they’ll be able to concentrate better.

Dog collar:  To answer your question about the gentle leader, I highly recommend it and if you attach it appropriately it should not slip off.  I also have photos and descriptions of how to fit it and how to introduce successfully on my training site.  But, if you want to you can go to the pet store or Vet with the dog and have someone who knows about the head collar help you attach it properly.  This head collar will help prevent the pulling and give you more control over large, strong dogs instantly. 

Children part of the training: Yes your children can be involved in the training!  Use positive reinforcement with praise and treats and supervise and teach them how to do it properly and it you will see great reward!  Dogs generally tend to listen to whoever trains them so everyone can be involved so the dogs respect and listen to the whole family!

I think it is wonderful you are seeking out information on how to train the dogs well.  Best of luck to you!  Let me know how it goes!

Julie

Dominant Dog .

 Good Morning,

I\’m hoping you might be able to help me with an issue I am having with one of my 4 dogs that I can\’t seem to figure out.  I have 2 - 5 year old \”Shipoos\”, a 2 year old Lab, and a 1.5 year old German Shepherd that we adopted earlier this year.  Overall everyone gets along really well and there are very rarely any issues beyond one consistent issue with our German Shepherd.  The problem is that she is constantly walking up to one of the two small dogs, stands over them, then puts her paw on their back and just stares them down.  This obviously irritates them so they do growl at her but she just keeps on doing it and after a few seconds if she doesn’t\’t stop they will nip at her which makes her upset and she fights back.  I try and stop it when I see it happen but I simply don\’t understand why she is doing it and have not been able to get rid of problem.  It\’s almost like she\’s trying to show dominance over them as she literally hovers over them when she\’s doing it, just staring them down with her paw on their back.  I’ve tried distracting her, rewarding her for stopping, crating her, etc when she does it and nothing seems to work. She\’s just so focused on doing it and if you pull her away when she\’s doing it she will go right back to them and do it again.  If you have ANY advice I\’d really appreciate it, I\’m at a total loss!

Thank you kindly, Kristin

Hello Kristin,

It sounds as though your German Shepherd is being dominant.  You can control this behavior if you take over as your dogs pack leader, and this can be done through positive obedience training.  The pack leader decides how the pack behaves and if you are an established leader of your pack you will be able to stop any behavior you do not want.  If you are not their leader and in charge then some dogs decide THEY are in charge and this is where problems develop.  If you want the most successful relationship with your dog and a dog that trusts you and is happy, you need to do obedience training.  In order for obedience training to work you have to be a well-established pack leader.  A dog will only listen well to you when they trust you and see you as their leader. 

For some dogs seeing you as leader is hard for them.  If you feel you have difficulty with your dog being dominant than it is a good idea to add a few more things, such as changing the way you feed them, in addition to your daily obedience routine to solve this problem.  Since food is an important part of their lives they will see whoever has their food as very important, so instead of just putting down the food bowl and walking away you can carry the food with you and only hand out the kibbles here and there over a period of a couple of hours.  They will begin to see you as very important.  Also, ask them to sit or perform a task BEFORE offering food to them.  Dominant dogs should ALWAYS be asked to perform a command before being given food. 

Also, exercise and drain your dog’s energy to the point they are so tired they lay down, every day at least twice a day.  At age 1 ½ your dog is in its teenage years and will need a lot of energy drained or you won’t be successful at managing any of these behaviors.

I have great information on my training site that can help you resolve these issues with your dog if you need more assistance along the way AND I am available 7 days a week to work with you through email support to help you through it.  Here’s the link:  http://www.webdogtrainer.com/join.php

You CAN resolve this and you’ll all be much happier.  Good luck!!

Julie

 Hi Julie,

I used to have an australian shepherd growing up. Two actually. We also raised Siberian huskies, bred one, kept the pups and I did training with the mail, we even showed in obedience and in confirmation. That however, was a bit ago. So I am trying hard to remember everything. I live in a two story house. THe living area is upstairs and we have wood floors and a deck. We have a mostly fenced in back yard but would get a dog run. The dog would mostly be in, but out when we leave the house. I am just wanting a refresher again on what to expect, time wise and exactly HOW to potty train, etc. Also we need to find a breeder, if you have any resources there. I started with the breeders directory from australianshepherd.org. Any other ideas as we embark upon this?

Thanks!

Jamie

Hi Jamie,

It’s great you are looking into being prepared before you get the dog-that’s so important an responsible! Have you considered going through a rescue group instead of a breeder?  Such as this one: http://www.norcalaussierescue.org/index.htm   I highly recommend this avenue-you can find all types of wonderful dogs this way, that is how I adopted my German Shepherd years ago.  He was about 2 when I adopted him and turned out to be an amazing dog.  A lot of these rescue dogs were given up because the owners couldn’t handle the puppy phase or the early teenage phase, but they are still great dogs.  Puppies and dogs less than 2 years of age are A LOT of work and would be like having another baby in the home.  I know that with children, I have less time than before and that may be something to consider.  One great thing about rescue groups is that they tend to know the dogs really well and can place them with the right “match”.  They often don’t place a dog with children unless they know it has lived with children before, so a lot of thought goes into the match.  Adult dogs can bond with your family just as well as a puppy and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you “saved” a life-in fact, that bond can be more strong than a puppy bond.  Plus, you know what you are getting when you adopt an adult dog, regarding temperament, energy level, size, etc. AND you don’t have to housetrain them and they are past the chew everything phase! Just something to think about.  Also, the rescue groups are often looking for fosterers so that can be a chance for you to dip your toe in the water by trying out a dog before committing.  Just a thought.  You should go to an adoption day and talk with the fosterers and visit the dogs available for adoption.  You don’t have to commit, but it can be a lot of fun to see the dogs and you can meet several that way in person. 

If you do decide to go with a breeder, make sure you visit in person and see the conditions the mother and puppies are being raised in, you wouldn’t want to buy from a puppy mill accidentally so that is why you should visit in person.   Check out my article about this: The Best And Worst Place To Adopt Your Next Dog

Here are some things to think about regarding Australian Shepherds:  They are VERY active dog and need a lot of exercise to prevent behavioral problems that may develop if their energy needs are not met.  They like a job to perform, whether that is obedience, agility or some dog sports for example.  One of the reasons a lot of these dogs are given up is because people don’t realize how much energy this particular breed has.  A typical dog will need at least two long walks a good 45 minutes each, twice a day and this breed will need a lot more.  They often also need off leash running time everyday with Frisbees or balls for example.  You’ll need to tire them out at least twice a day, meaning they come home and lay down to rest AND they’ll need a job to do.  Here’s a good list of things to expect from an Australian Shepherd: http://www.norcalaussierescue.org/aboutAussies.htm They are a herding dog so this is another consideration when having children.   Just prepare yourself well before you adopt; make sure you understand the commitment, have the time to put into their energy needs, and train them well. 

Check out my media article on Responsibilities of adopting a dog:

Responsibilities of Adopting A Dog

Houstraining your puppy:

Establishing a routine with your puppy is one of the most important things you can do.  It may take several weeks to housetrain or longer for smaller breeds. 

1. Take puppies out regularly-at least every 2 hours and after eating, drinking, and a nap.
2. Observe your puppy outside and as soon and give it a name like: “do your business”.  As soon as they pee or poop praise and treat at the exact moment they complete it.  Plus, it is important to observe if they did eliminate, because if they didn’t you’ll know you need to bring them out again in a half hour or less. 
3. Puppies need to be fed about 3-4 times a day on a regular schedule.  Make sure you take them outside after eating. 
4. When the puppy is inside with you watch them close for signs they may need to go-it can be a great idea to attach their leash to you so you are always close to them in the initial phase of housetraining so you can have good timing. 
5. Confine them to a small area when you are unable to watch them.
6. If you must leave your puppy for more than two hours you need to give them an amount of space that offers a sleeping area, play area, and elimination area with newspapers on the floor.  Leaving your puppy for long periods of time will prolong the housetraining though. 
7. If you catch a puppy in the act of eliminating indoors, quickly say ‘no’ in a matter of fact way and bring them outside.  Do NOT get angry or punish your puppy for accidents inside.  At this point it is up to you to prevent it and you can cause behavioral problems if you punish your puppy for this. 
8. Clean up all accidents well to remove odor or puppy may want to eliminate in that spot again. 
9. When your puppy has had no accidents indoors for a few weeks you can begin to offer more freedom with you in the same room watching closely.  Slowly offer the freedom and observe closely to be successful. 

If you plan to get a puppy make sure you designate a good 2-3 weeks or more of intense observation.  With patience, consistency and prevention you can be successful but it can be a lot of work so go into it knowing what to expect and everyone will be happier!

Good luck!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Julie