Cute Jack Russell Terrier dog puppy doing his toilet, pooping
Article originally published on TheSprucePets. Written by Adrienne Kruzer. Refer to the original article here.
For more information, feel free to check out this comprehensive guide on indoor potty training here.
Potty training a new puppy can be difficult if you don’t know what to do, but there are several aids you can use to help your puppy go potty where you want it to go. Using potty pads (also called puppy pads, or pee pads) is one way to help teach your puppy where it is appropriate to use the bathroom. Consistency is key to this training technique, which you can then use to also teach your puppy to eventually potty outside.
Choosing a Potty Pad
The idea behind using a potty pad is to provide a visible, consistent area for your puppy to go potty. You’ll want to choose something that is absorbent, easy to clean up, and large enough for the messes that your specific puppy makes. Large breed dogs may need heavy duty options compared to toy breeds. Newspapers, paper towels, cloth towels, and store-bought pee pads or indoor/outdoor carpet potty stations are all options.
Newspaper and paper towels can be messy and difficult to clean up after your puppy potties on them, but they are inexpensive. Cloth towels are absorbent but will need to be washed regularly, and your puppy is more likely to try to chew on it like a blanket or toy. Store bought pee pads are the most popular option due to their absorbency, size options, and ease-of-disposal. If you plan to train your small dog to use the potty indoors, then indoor/outdoor carpet potty stations specifically designed for dogs are good options.
Introduce Your Puppy to the Potty Pads
Allow your puppy to see and sniff the potty pads you chose. This will help it get used to the new item so it isn’t scared of it at potty time. Let your puppy walk on the pad while you repeat a consistent command that you plan to say at potty time, such as “go potty.”
Anticipate When Your Puppy Will Potty
While potty training your puppy, you’ll need to keep them close by so that you can anticipate when they are about to go potty. There are a few key times and behaviors to watch for that will help you anticipate your puppy having to urinate or defecate:
Puppies usually potty after sleeping, eating, drinking, and after playing. After your puppy does one of these things, you’ll want to pick it up about 15 minutes later and place it onto the potty pad in anticipation of it having to urinate or defecate.
If your puppy starts sniffing around on the ground instead of playing or chewing on a toy, this is a good indication that it needs to go potty. You’ll want to pick it up and place it on the potty pad if it starts doing this.
Your puppy may have to go potty every two to three hours. Get in the habit of taking your puppy to the potty pad every few hours.
Reward Your Puppy
Praise and treats work wonders with puppies. If your puppy goes potty on its potty pad, make sure you immediately praise it. This can be verbal in an excited tone of voice, by petting your puppy, or by giving it a special, soft treat reserved only for potty time.
Be Consistent
Keep your puppy on a regular schedule. This will make it easier for you to anticipate when your puppy may need to potty.
Say the same command phrase each time.
Keep the potty pad in the same place until your puppy starts going to the potty pad by itself. Once your puppy knows what to do on the potty pad, you can slowly move it closer to the door or outside where you want your puppy to eventually use the bathroom without the use of the potty pad.
Training Mistakes to Avoid
Do not encourage your puppy to pull or chew on the potty pad, eat food on it, or play on it. This may confuse your puppy as to what the purpose of the potty pad is.
Do not move the potty pad around until your puppy knows what it is for and is going potty on it consistently.
Be sure to find and use a treat that your puppy is really excited about getting. This will help with the training process.
Problems and Proofing Behavior
If your puppy isn’t making it to the potty pad on time, try putting it closer to where it usually plays or eats, and then slowly move it closer to the door if you aim to eventually teach it to potty outside.
If you are having issues keeping an eye on your puppy and it has accidents when you aren’t looking, try the following strategies:
Add a bell to its collar to help you hear where it is.
Leave the leash on for the puppy to drag behind it, which will leave somewhat of a trail for you to follow.
Consider putting your puppy in a crate or exercise pen to nap, which may encourage it to whine if it has to potty since dogs don’t like to mess where they also sleep.
If your puppy seems to be constantly urinating, talk to your veterinarian about potential problems that some puppies are known for having.
Article originally published on The Spruce Pets. Written by Amy Bender. Refer to the original article here.
For puppies, the entire world is a chew toy. Puppies, like babies, explore the world with their mouths. Unfortunately, their explorations are not limited to their own toys. Your shoes, furniture, children’s toys, and anything else lying around your house are fair game for a teething puppy.
Unfortunately, your puppy may chew things that can harm it. You can put a stop to your puppy’s destructive behavior, but It takes time and consistent training.https://959980d490ba4ceaa2688c409992c87e.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
Why Do Puppies Chew?
Most of the time, chewing is normal behavior for puppies and dogs, and it serves many purposes, such as strengthening their jaws and relieving anxiety.
Like babies, puppies experience discomfort while teething, and gnawing or chewing on things provides some relief. Boredom is another reason that puppies chew. Dogs are social animals and need stimulation for their mental health. If you’re not exercising your pup enough or giving it sufficient one-on-one time, it may seek attention by chewing inappropriate objects.
NatalieShuttleworth / Getty Images
How to Stop Destructive Chewing
There aren’t many medical conditions other than teething that cause a puppy to chew on things, but it’s worth a trip to the vet just to be sure. If the vet gives your puppy a clean bill of health, there are several ways to prevent your puppy from wrecking your abode.
Puppy-Proof Your Home
Puppies should not have the full run of your home until they are completely trained. Many people choose to use the kitchen since it’s easier to clean up accidents on an uncarpeted floor.
Once you’ve decided on the areas where your puppy will be allowed to play, take a good look around and begin puppy-proofing. Pick up or move any objects that your puppy might decide to chew. Get down at the dog’s level to see what might appeal to it. Remove or cover any electrical wires, houseplants, garbage pails, children’s toys, and anything else you don’t want your puppy to chew or knock over.
Crate Train Your Puppy
While crate training is usually talked about in terms of house training, it is also a good tool for curbing destructive puppies. When you’re not able to supervise your puppy, crating can keep it and your home safe. If you don’t have a crate, you can confine the dog to a small, puppy-proof room such as a bathroom or kitchen.
Provide Your Puppy with Toys
Chewing allows puppies to ease teething pain, and it alleviates boredom. To prevent your puppy from getting in the habit of inappropriate chewing, make sure you provide it with lots of appropriate things to chew on.
Toys that work well for puppies are rubber toys with a hollow center, stuffed animals with squeakers inside, and nylon bones. Avoid animal bones, hooves, and antlers.
Don’t give your puppy old shoes or socks as playthings; you’re likely to cause confusion between which shoes are OK for chewing and which ones are off-limits.
There is some controversy over the safety of items like rawhides, pig’s ears, and other edible chews. Be sure to talk to your veterinarian before giving any of these items to your puppy.
Mint Images – Norah Levine / Getty Images
Rotate Your Puppy’s Toys
Since puppies chew to alleviate boredom, it’s a good idea to rotate your puppy’s toys every few days. A puppy will be looking for something new and interesting to sink its teeth into. By changing its toys around periodically, you’ll be keeping it interested in the things you want it to chew, and it will be less likely to start gnawing on the kitchen cabinets.
Offer a Swap
Try giving your puppy a treat in exchange for whatever inappropriate object it has in its mouth. This is a good way to train your dog to learn the command “give” if you repeat it before giving the treat. Over time, your puppy should learn that “give” means “give me that thing in your mouth!”
Just take care not to lavish your puppy with praise when it swaps the inappropriate object for a treat. You don’t want to turn it into a game where your puppy expects a reward for chewing on the wrong things.
Redirect Your Puppy
When you see your puppy begin to chew on something inappropriate, don’t scold it. Instead, move the puppy away from the object and redirect it to something you want it to chew. Make your puppy’s toy more interesting by squeezing a squeaky toy or shaking a bone while talking to it in a happy tone of voice. Give the pup lots of praise for chewing its toys.
If you think your puppy is teething, you can give it a doggy version of a teething ring: Dampen a washcloth; then place it in the freezer for about an hour. Give it to your puppy to tug and chew on, allowing the cold to soothe its sore gums.
Give Your Puppy Plenty of Exercise
A tired puppy is a happy puppy. Be sure to give your puppy enough playtime and cuddle time. If it’s had all of its puppy vaccinations, make walks part of your dog’s daily routine. If left to its own devices, your puppy is going to start looking for ways to burn off energy. This leads to destructive behavior. A puppy who gets regular exercise is much more likely to be well behaved.
Article originally published on The Spruce Pets. Written by Sally Bahner. Refer to the original article here.
Cats may eat litter—and other undesirable materials—for a variety of reasons. This behavior is referred to as pica, the eating of non-food items.
Pica has a variety of causes and may stem from a mom abandoning her kittens, which can manifest itself in nursing behavior. Cats with pica can target all types of materials: plastic, fabric, string, paper, dirt, and even litter.
Some forms of pica may be relatively harmless or annoying—such as licking plastic bags—but eating non-food substances can cause intestinal blockages. Also, it can be a sign of an illness.
Why Do Cats Eat Litter?
If your cat or kitten is eating litter, it could be either a health or behavior issue. If you suspect it’s a health issue, you should bring your cat to the veterinarian right away, especially if the behavior appears suddenly.
Some kittens may eat litter purely out of curiosity and will grow out of the behavior with close monitoring.
Anemia
Eating litter could be a sign that your cat is sick, and in particular, anemia is a condition where an affected cat could be exhibiting this sign. Anemia occurs when there is a lack of red blood cells and hemoglobin. Cat owners should check for gums that are pale, white, or bluish. Anemia can indicate a deficiency in iron, trace minerals, vitamins, or essential fatty acids.
Additionally, if your cat is eating litter, this could also be a sign of leukemia (which causes anemia in itself) or kidney disease.
Your veterinarian will perform a standard exam, including a complete blood count (CBC) and urinalysis. The blood count will determine if the cat indeed has anemia and the urinalysis will reveal the concentration level of the urine; urine that is too dilute is an indication of kidney disease. If your cat shows symptom of a blockage, your veterinarian will do radiographs or an MRI.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Your cat could be eating litter if it’s not getting sufficient nutrition from its food. Deficiencies in Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), L-Carnitine, Magnesium, Pyruvate Kinase, Sodium, and/or Taurine may also trigger litter eating in cats. Clay-based litters contain minerals, which may compensate for the deficiency. Your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist can recommend dietary changes or supplements.
Curious Kittens
Kittens may eat litter out of curiosity, so it’s recommended not to use clumping litter until they are older. Ingesting clumping litter may cause an intestinal blockage. Be sure to use a non-toxic litter and monitor use. Remove your kitten from the litter box if you see it’s eating the litter—just be sure your kitten has finished its business first.
Adult cats may also snack on litter if the type of litter has been changed recently, for instance, to a wheat- or corn-based litter.
How to Stop Your Cat From Eating Litter
Once your cat has received a clean bill of health, you can concentrate on redirecting his behavior from eating the litter. Of course, there are many types of litter: clay, clumping (scented and unscented), corn-, wheat-, or paper-based. If your cat is eating one kind, try another.
Your cat may be bored. If you see it eating litter, redirect the behavior with play. Toss a crinkle ball or toy mouse, or dangle a fishing pole toy and lure him away from the box.
Reevaluate your cat’s diet. Upgrade the food you’re feeding, especially if it’s a supermarket-grade dry food. Many high-quality food options are more nutritionally complete.
Enhance your cat’s natural prey behavior. In addition to ramping up playtime, look into food puzzle toys, which encourage natural foraging behavior. There are many ways to make your own using common household items, as well as different models available in pet stores. Puzzle toys are fun ways for your cat to work to get its food, thus distracting it from undesirable behavior.
Try offering a pot of cat grass. Again, this is a distraction from the litter and gives your cat something else to chew on. And don’t forget that happy cat standby—catnip. You can grow your own and offer it fresh, sprinkle it on scratchers, or buy catnip-filled toys.
For people that know me personally. I am very candid and transparent about my dog’s (Kobe) behaviour. I often tell people not to do certain things because my dog might or will become aggressive. Although I might sound rude and too straightforward sometimes, my intentions are good, because it’s for the benefit of the dog and the human.
Am I a victim of Kobe’s aggression? The answer is yes. I often tell myself that I would rather he bite me, than anyone else gets hurt.
So what is resource guarding?
Resource guarding is when a dog reacts when they feel threatened by a valuable resource in their possession. It feels that they are about to lose whatever they have, so they take action to guard it. Resource guarding doesn’t (often for my case) always have to end with growling, lunging, biting, or fighting by doing that is to discourage another to take, or get too close to, an object or valued area in the dog’s possession. Sometimes it could be as simple as a look, head turn, or slight baring of the teeth.
Well, the thing is that guarding resources is a natural instinct. We humans guard our own resources too. Access to resources like food, water, and a safe space is essential to survival. It’s hardwired into animal nature to protect the things we believe we need to survive. While it is a normal dog behavior, it’s not a desirable one. Resource guarding becomes a dangerous problem if a dog is willing to bite or fight to keep an item. This is especially worrisome in a home with young children, elderly family members, or if the dog is not predictable in what items they decide to guard. In multi-dog households or environments, resource guarding becomes a problem if the dogs resort to fighting over their resources, and the environment is not managed to prevent these conflicts from escalating.
Guarding toys
So like what Cesar Millan says
“ There are three degrees of food aggression:
Mild: the dog growls and may show its teeth.
Moderate: the dog snaps or lunges when approached.
Severe: the dog bites.
While it’s easy to assume that all cases of food aggression are a show of dominance, this isn’t necessarily the case. In a dog pack, the alpha dogs always eat first after a successful hunt, and then the other dogs get what’s left according to their pack position.
For an Alpha, showing food aggression is a form of dominance, but for dogs with a lower pack position, it can be a sign of anxiety or fearfulness. Remember, in the wild, dogs never know where or when their next meal will be, so it’s very instinctual for them to gobble up whatever food there is whenever they have it — and to protect it from anything that approaches.”
Guarding toys.
Common Items That Trigger Resource Guarding in Dogs
While most often seen around food items, a dog can develop resource guarding with any item that they deem “valuable.” This might be something we don’t consider very important, like a ball, but that ball could be your dog’s most beloved possession.
Food and Treats
Food Bowl (filled with food or empty)
Bones and Edible Dog Chews
Toys
Space (dog bed, crate, their position on the couch or bed)
Their owner (from other pets in the home or even from other people)
Signs of Resource Guarding in Dogs
These are the most obvious signs of resource guarding:
Growling
Snarling (Bare teeth)
Lunging and Air Snapping (a no-contact bite)
Biting
Kobe my dog, does all the above.
For mild and moderate case of resource guarding, a dog might show less intense (and therefore less obvious) signs of guarding behaviour. I am not a certified in anything but what I believe is that you will often see these more subtle signs like:
Freezing
Eating faster
Taking item and moving away
Braced body position over the item
Side eye staring or tracking of the person or pet approaching
Raising lips and baring teeth
Ears pinned flat against the head
death stare
I am trying to let Kobe know that there’s no need to guard food, toys, or space because we are family, and we live together. So now I’m trying to teach Kobe to give up something to me willingly. “Drop” / “Leave it” use a balance training and reward, so that hopefully resource guarding will not worsen over time.
Unfortunately, I started my way of dealing with Kobe’s resource guarding all wrong. So let me tell you that Using punishment and aversives as a response to resource guarding can result in more resource guarding.
So… Base on my blood, sweat and tears, I’ve concluded what we should NOT to do if your dog growls or shows other signs of resource guarding.
Don’t Punish the Growl
Never punish a growling dog. You can punish away a growl, sure, but all you’ve done is make a dog bite more likely. If your dog learns that growling to express their discomfort at your approach results in an aversive (such as yelling, hitting, a “tap” from a shock collar), and the loss of the item they were guarding, the next time you reach for it, they’re more likely to skip the growl and go straight for a bite. (Which is what happened to me)
If someone keeps stealing my mala shaker fries after asking them to stop, the next time they reach across the table, I might smack their fingers away (or worse … so don’t steal my shaker fries). Ignored warnings will escalate behavioral responses, in both humans and dogs. You don’t want to take away important warning signs that your dog needs to communicate with you.
Don’t “Play” With Their Food and Chews
Someone once told me after I expressed my concerns with Kobe’s Resource guarding issues is that: “To prevent resource guarding, we’d always stick our hands in our dog’s food bowl while they were eating, or randomly take away their chew. That way, they know who’s boss and that the food or chew belongs to us.” Instead of fixing the issues, now Kobe will just bare teeth and snaps when I reach for the bowl or lashes out even if I was just standing there or walking past him.
All you’re doing is annoying your dog and teaching them that when you reach for something, they’ll lose it. So please don’t be like Me.
Don’t Leave Out Items That Your Dog Might Guard
Kobe loves to guard hard chews or any form of treats that takes time to eat, so I DO NOT GIVE HIM ANY. I will just remove the opportunity of him guarding. Don’t leave items lying around that your dog might find valuable enough to guard. I pick up his food bowls between meals after he finished eating and have walked away.
Once I gave Kobe a Kangaroo Rib. He took it up my sofa to enjoy it for a while, and I went to the kitchen to grab a drink and return back to the sofa just to sit down and continue my Netflix. I wasn’t even gonna take the chew, or to touch him, but he side-eyed me and gave me a low growl, and bared his teeth slightly. I immediately stopped myself from sitting down, and I called him into the kitchen and trade him with an air-dried mince lamb and while he’s enjoying it, I quickly rush to the sofa and remove the rib, and then never bought those ribs again. BUT IF only all my resource guarding encounters with Kobe were that simple.
So now you’re wondering, did I manage to successfully desensitise the behaviour?
I am still working on it as I’m writing this article.
Every day I’m risking my hand getting bitten, or chewed off. But it’s all about being consistent. It’s not about you being afraid that you might get bitten, and just allow your dog to do its thing even if he is the sweetest thing on earth and that One behaviour is undesirable, and that’s ok. NO ITS NOT OK.
Kobe my dog, he doesn’t have a lot of self-confidence, so every day I am trying to build up his confidence and teach him that his food and space are safe with humans around.
Theres are a few guarding behaviour that I’m known of, as of now.
Guards his food.
Guards any treats that cannot be eaten immediately.
Guard his space when he’s resting.
Guard his bed, during bedtime.
SO what is my own process of desensitisation and conditioning training? I am not certified, and all dogs work differently, so here’s mine:
Part 1
For food guarding aggression a friend advised me to let my dog work for its food, and hand feed IF I CAN.
First week of desensitisation for food aggression.
Sit stay before mum mum
I put Kobe on a sit-stay command right in the middle of the living room where’s he doesn’t feel cornered. I stand about a meter away in front of him while he is having his meal. Each day I move a bit closer to him to test the threshold of the aggression.
Second Week of desensitisation.
I have already made sure that he is now cool with me hanging around while he is having his meal. Now I proceed to his food bowl while he is eating.
At first, he isn’t very comfortable with me making eye contact with him while he is eating off from the bowl I am holding. So I will avoid eye contact while just holding the bowl while he is eating. Every day I will move my body bit by bit to face him and eventually let him realise it’s ok to make eye contact.
Third Week of desensitisation.
I will ask Kobe to go back in sit-stay halfway while eating. Then remove the food bowl, and put it back again, and eat on command. Just to let him know that it is okay, the food is gonna come back.
Fourth Week of desensitisation.
I made Kobe do a bunch of tricks to work for his food, and I start hand feeding. And his food is used as a form of treat to reward him for doing tricks. While hand-feeding Kobe. I will often make some physical contact bit by bit. To make him realise it is ok to feel all these things while eating because the food won’t run away.
And now I am just doing this everyday.
As for guarding treats that cannot be eaten immediately. I just don’t buy that kind of treats anymore.
Guarding his personal space while sleeping.
First week of desensitisation for personal space aggression.
The nun awaken?
This period I am trying to find out how close can I be around him while he is resting. And when he starts to growl or side-eye me. I will stop and just sit there use my phone, and once he realise I’m just sitting there minding my own business, he falls back asleep. So for the first week, I just sit at the rough distance that we both establish to be okay for me to hang around.
Second Week of desensitisation.
I start to move closer to him. And now I am almost right by his side. He starts to get angry at me when he feels me around him physically. Meaning if his butt touches my thigh, he gets angry. So I just hang around 1-2cm away from his body and mind my own business again.
Third Week of desensitisation.
I start to put my hands on him. Just placing it on him gently and slowly without moving.
Fourth Week of desensitisation.
The patting on the chest is a way of me coping my fear.
I start to do mini intermediate stroking sessions. Maybe between 5-10 seconds I will stop and freeze my hands on him. And if he shows he is ok, I will do another 5-10 seconds and repeat.
So now I am still trying to desensitise the personal space when he has tired aggression, I just recently got bitten again after being too confident and trying my luck.
Key is that you just have to keep working on it even if you’re scared. I am scared, but I love Kobe. So I will do it.
Selfie while he is going to sleep. That took some courage for me.
Its all about rehabilitation. Being patient is the key.
You can read here for more information on what and why crate training is important
So commonly when we adopt an older dog, we will often wonder if it is still necessary to crate train?
Of course Puppy guardians will find the crate more useful for training purposes than the guardians of older dogs. Still, there are some reasons you should crate train an older dog, such as for preparation in the event of emergency.
So I personally feel that these are best reasons to crate train an older dog:
Security in an emergency situation
Safe transportation via car/plane
Easier veterinary visits and long-term care in case of illness or injury
Providing a comfortable and safe location in high-stress environments
Crate training a dog of any age can be tricky because “being trapped” in a “tiny box” is scary! However, many dogs that are properly introduced to a crate may truly enjoy their relaxing time inside. Of course the ideal crate size has to be big enough for them to stand up and turn around without restriction.
Who’s the mastermind here?
Kobe is crate trained, but not on command. Kobe is peepad trained, so he gets to do this number 1 and 2 on the shower area where the peepad is placed. And the rest of the space is where his water bowl is, and toys to keep him busy.
My foster puppy in his new adopter house
I know one high-energy SS puppy that’s being crated (His crate is the common toilet) for a few hours at a time while his mom is at work, chooses to hang out in his crate frequently in the evenings, weekends and overnight. Hence, it’s important to crate train properly. Because crates don’t come with instruction manuals, they can easily be unintentionally misused, causing your dog severe distress.
So like I mention, crate training doesn’t come with instructions, so it can easily be unintentionally misused. So I will highlight again.
Of course if you choose to crate train your dog like me in the common toilet, please make sure there’s no toilet paper to shred. HAHA
Introduce it Casually
The worst way you can introduce your puppy to the idea of a crate is to bring it home and lock him inside it immediately. People don’t like being trapped against their will, and neither do dogs. Instead, you should initially treat the crate like it’s just another piece of furniture — but one that he can enjoy. To this end, place it in a part of the house that he frequents, add a blanket and a toy or two, and keep the door open. Then back off and give him a chance to explore it. Some dogs will immediately start sniffing around and going into the crate, which is a great sign. If your puppy isn’t quite so bold, encourage him to check it out by placing favorite foods and toys near and inside the crate. The ultimate goal is to get him comfortable with going inside, and this is something that could take days. Be patient with the process.
After he’s willing to enter the crate, your next goal is to get him comfortable with staying inside for extended lengths of time. One of the best ways to do this (and create a positive association with the crate) is to start putting his food in the crate. If possible, you want to place the food at the back of the crate so that your dog goes all the way in. Some dogs may not be willing to do this, though, so you can start with the food just inside the crate and slowly move it back with successive meals. As soon as your dog is eating his meals while standing all the way inside the crate, it’s time to close the door. After he’s done eating that first time, open the door immediately. You’ll leave him in longer and longer with each meal, adding just a few minutes every time.
It’s possible that your dog may whine. If this happens, open the crate immediately and don’t leave him in as long next time. However, if he whines again, wait until he stops before letting him out or you will teach him that whining equals open door.
Once your dog is hanging out in her closed crate without signs of stress, it’s time to lengthen her stay. Use a favorite toy or treat to encourage her to enter the crate, then close it. Hang out by the crate for several minutes, then go into a different room for a few minutes so she gets used to the idea of staying in the crate alone. When you return, don’t open the crate immediately. Instead, sit with her again for a few more minutes and then open the door. Keep increasing the time as you do this until your dog is able to stay in the locked crate for half an hour without your presence. When she’s able to do this, she’s ready for you to leave her for short periods and possibly even sleep in the closed crate overnight. The key here is to make crating seem completely normal and avoid excitement. Encourage him to get into the crate and praise him when he does so, but keep it brief. When you come home, stay low-key and ignore any excited behavior that he shows.
Rules for successful crate training
Never leave a dog inside a crate for longer than five hours at a time (with the exception of overnight).
Make sure the crate is large enough for your dog to comfortably stand up, lie down and turn around in. The more space the dog has inside the crate to get comfortable, the better.
If you have a very young or very tiny puppy whose bladder is underdeveloped, never leave them inside a crate for longer than they can hold their urine. (Unless you planning to peepad train him)
The same goes for a senior dog with a weak bladder that needs to urinate frequently.
And also make sure your floor mat is beyond reach. LOL
These training tips can help your dog love the crate
Never force your dog inside the crate or close them in it for longer than they’re ready for. They must choose to go in on their own.
Help your dog to choose to go into the crate by throwing a treat, leaving a bully stick or pig’s ear or placing a puzzle toy filled with high-value treats (i.e., peanut butter, hot dogs, chicken) inside.
Gradually increase the period of time your dog spends in the crate. Begin by luring them in, closing the door for a couple of seconds, then letting them back out. Repeat this several times, then increase the interval by a few seconds. Repeat, slowly increasing the time they spend inside with the door closed.
Place soft bedding inside the crate and provide access to water.
Remember to NEVER leave your dog inside the crate with the door closed for longer than five hours at a time. The one exception to the rule is crating overnight, which is okay as long as your dog is a good nighttime sleeper.
If your dog is having trouble adjusting to the crate and begins to howl, dig, or bite at the bars, put a sheet over to minimise visual stimulation.
All the information I shared is base on my knowledge and my research on how and what’s the best for crate training. Of course certain things I said you might not agree to what I say, or maybe it doesn’t work on your dog. If you have other ways or a better way of crate training, please leave on the comment below so we all dog owners/lovers can learn something too!
People often associate with Kobe as a sweet loving boy, who is super friendly with strangers and other animals (Dogs or Cats). But what you guys don’t know is that this sweet loving boy, has a side of aggressiveness thats hard to tame. 9/10 times he snapped at me, often bleeds and leaves a scar. Some people advise that I should assert dominance, Some people advise that I should choose force-free / positive reinforcement.
Trust me, I did both and shed a fair share of blood during these process.
We count ourselves lucky because we are aware what triggers Kobe to turn aggressive. So we can manage or prevent any situations that causing him to behave aggressively. EG: Feeding time (Resource guarding); or when Kobe gets tired (Cranky)
For other owners, there are so many drawbacks in living with and loving aggressive dog. That may include manage feeding time, the arrival of visitors, or seeing other dogs. There’s the constant concern of an incident happening despite your best efforts at prevention. It may be impossible, or at least challenging, to join others for group walks, journeys to the park or to visit family over the holidays. But sometimes the worst part about having an aggressive dog is that other people don’t see the dog you love.
They don’t see the sweet dog who cuddles with you at night
I strongly believe that most dogs with aggression issues are lovely to be around in most situations, however badly they may behave in others. Many aggressive dogs are not at their best when out in public around strangers or other dogs, but are kind and lovable around the family, including small kids and even the cat. When you have a dog like that, it hurts when other people don’t see the good side of your dog, even though that’s what you see most of the time.
If you have an angel who is all too often an angel in disguise, what do you wish other people could see in your dog that you see every day?
I‘m thankful that people viewed Kobe as a dog that’s very approachable in public, with humans or other dogs. Today I decided to share this because having Kobe is not all rainbow and sunshines. People often react negatively when they see an aggressive dog. It’s hurtful.
Not all dogs are the same. Not all training works for all dogs at every situation faced. Training also depends on human’s lifestyle too. So why did I choose Choke Train old school training, instead of the hype R+ training for Kobe?
Well.. For what I understand. Treats do have their place in training your dog. And if your dog is food motivated, then you can see quick results using treats. But, and that’s a big BUT, treats won’t train your dog around major distractions. Say another dog that wants to play, or the grab food guy ringing the doorbell. Treats can be good for training your dog, but all in moderation. With a Positive Reinforcement Dog Training will be teaching your dog basic commands using treats to lure the behaviour.
There is no correction in Positive Reinforcement Dog Training (aka treat training). If the dog does not perform the command, you can continue to offer the treat or get a higher-value treat. Something tasty and more motivating. Which was I wanted because I never wanted to “abuse” my poor 3-legged dog. He have been through so much during his puppyhood. I just want to give him the best.
But Kobe is an insecure dog who is not treat/food motivated. So how am I supposed to make it work? A trainer advise me to be consistent, be confident! I did. But it still doesn’t work, what should I do? Kobe is zig-zagging his way with his then harness. Getting afraid of every single human that jogs pass him, or a bicycle, almost everything. People were afraid of him too? Wouldn’t you be scare seeing a dog so ‘out of control’? I tried putting a treat on his nose to redirect him, he don’t even bother to sniff it. Did I try? Yes.
So I decided to engage a trainer that uses Choke Chain for Behaviour Training. Did the training work for Kobe? Yes.
In less than 3 days. Kobe was heeling beside me. Sit down when I stop walking. Somehow magically, he was minding his own business while a bicycle passes us in lightning speed, he did not freak out! Did I get stares and comments from passerby? Yes.
“Why are you choking our poor dog? He only has 3 legs! Just let him do what he wants.”
“Why are you treating your dog like this? Its abusive!”
Kobe is happily walking beside me, enjoying the scenery and fresh air without feeling afraid. Choke chain was just a chain hanging on his neck. Its just dangling there. Oh well.. People judge from what they see.
There is a place for treats when training your dog. Treats are especially great for training a puppy.
I only use treat training when:
Potty training a puppy or dog
Treats are a great way to train young puppies (6 months and younger) basic commands. You can use treats to teach him to SIT, DOWN, COME, and do fun tricks such as PAW, BOOP!
Crate training
Occasional treats are great to reinforce any training commands, but should not be used as the only tool.
I believe that positive/treat training has become today’s popular method only because people are afraid to discipline their dogs! And somehow correcting your dog has been twisted into animal cruelty.
Please ask yourself, is it crueler to:
A) Never discipline your dog and allow him to misbehave and do as he pleases whenever he wants, pull on the leash whenever he sees a dog, bark at strangers, etc.
OR
B) Train your dog and correct your dog’s bad behavior one time with a good correction so he learns right from wrong the first time?
Choosing the right training method is very important to you and your dog. You as the owner need to be comfortable with your choice, but keep in mind what you expect from your dog.
Using treats can be fun for you and your dog, but remember that we all need discipline in our lives to be balanced.
When you think about training your dog, what comes into mind? For many of us, it’s a list of things to check off. Can I suggest that while that’s useful because it helps us be goal-orientated but that’s also VERY UNHELPFUL. Why? Because it becomes GOAL centred and we should GROWTH centred.
What is GROWTH? Growth doesn’t necessarily only mean our dogs can exhibit a behaviour. Growth takes into the account that we are considering other factors like our dog’s age, it’s emotional maturity, it’s cognitive capability, and its capacity for learning. If our dog isn’t hungry to learn, there’s no point in making a lesson a lesson.
Being growth centred means we take a more wholistic approach to development. We measure the dog’s response instead of the result. We measure our response with our dogs as well. We look into our development as much as we care about our dog’s.
WHAT YOU MEASURE MATTERS
Fellow dog owners have asked if I ever get tired or nonchalant about training. My answer is NEVER. My secret is because I don’t measure my dog on the response. I measure my dog on her overall ability to handle life’s pressures and her ability to RECOVER from those stressors. E.g. Lady-Mae is sensitive to sounds and vibrations, to this day, you can see her get startled. I’m not measuring her on her response. What I look for is how she deals with it. Even though you can still see her body react, she brushes it off and goes about enjoying the environment. That’s GROWTH.
The feedback that we receive from our dogs is a CONVERSATION, not an indication of how great or bad you are as a handler. If your dog has its tail tucked, stop fussing. It is sharing with you that it’s afraid of something. When that happens, I usually look around to see possible triggers. If there’s none, I just ignore it and continue what we’re doing. This is how it will sound like if the dog could speak: Dog : (Tail tucked) “I’m scared.” Human: (Look around assess the situation, calmly continue the walk) “I know you’re scared but nothing her to be scared, I’ve got you.”
Stop measuring the response and start measuring the recovery time your dog takes to offer the desired behaviour. And, START having a non-verbal conversation rather than reacting to your dog.
KNOWING YOURSELF WELL MATTERS
Too many dog owners have very little self-awareness. By this I mean, you have got to know what motivates you and how to motivate yourself. For example, I enjoy partnering with people to work on a common goal. I enjoy being able to consider risks and find the best options in training. I enjoy things better when I have clarity and I enjoy spontaneity and variety.
If you read what I enjoy, you’ll quickly realise that I won’t make a very good dog trainer because dog training is about consistency (repetitions) and being predictable.
When I adopted Lady-Mae, I thought about what kind of a dog I would like her to be in the midst of people who did not like dogs. My motivation to raise her to be a balanced dog came out of “I want other people to enjoy my dog too.” It wasn’t because she could make my life easier but it was the benefit of my community.
The second way I keep myself motivated is always evaluating the risks and options I have during the training process. Sometimes, this can look like I’m always changing my mind. If I’m training for others, I make it a point to communicate my intentions and why I made a change in decision.
The most important thing for me is CLARITY. Without this, I’m often frustrated. So, when I adopted Lady-Mae, I was constantly reframing my goals until I had clarity of the kind of dog I wanted to raise. My WHY gives me emotional clarity and helps me to be focused on Lady-Mae’s growth rather and goals. It helps me to also not compare myself to other handlers and keeps me focused on what Lady-Mae’s strengths are.
Lastly, I don’t have a habit of training my dog for more than 5 mins at a time, because I enjoy variety, I work on a few things that are related in the developmental process. And in order to beat the bore of predictability and repetitions which drains me, I don’t have a fix schedule on when I train the dog. I also don’t have a fix goal that I need to check off each day. I keep it fluid within the week. Instead of having daily goals, I have a weekly one that I work towards. That helps me manage my weaknesses while leveraging on my strengths.
So the next time you’re struggling with your mojo, you may have to have clarity about your GROWTH plan. Or you may have to change what you’re measuring or you may have to take time to know yourself better because it could be what’s hindering you from helping your dog unleash its potential.
I often get asked what do I do if I don’t see results in a training session with my dog. Everyone does it very differently, so please do not take this as the ONLY way. It’s been a way that I’ve used to raise all my dogs. There’s no formula, it’s just a set of principles that I live by.
PERSPECTIVE MATTERS
How and what you define as training matters. I don’t “train” my dogs. I RAISE them. It’s two very different perspectives because when we think about training, there are goals, learning take aways, a curriculum, objectives a format etc.
RAISING a dog is about teaching the dog to experience and do life with us. In this perspective, even a walk in the park with a reactive dog is training. It’s a lifestyle. A way of being. It’s like a artist taking in an apprentice and mentoring and coaching that apprentice by showing him/her the ropes. It’s takes a longer term view and it focuses a lot more on the behaviour rather than obedience. It’s an old school but instinctual way of living with a dog.
Raising a dog, however, is harder because it requires owners to always be present physically, psychologically and emotionally. It means owners have to always be ready to either reward their dogs because their dogs offered a behaviour that they want to reinforce or to give out an appropriate consequence for behaviours that they want to diminish. There’s no TURN OFF time as long as we are living with our dogs.
When I get a puppy, I immediately think about what I want the puppy to be able to do with me. What activities do I want to take my dog on? How much of my life do I expect my dog to share with me? All these has an impact on how much “training” is required and that forms the development plan for the dog from puppy to the day it takes its last breath.
This process is what I call the EXPERIENCE. Yes, like an employee experience. How do you communicate your company’s vision, mission, culture and values to a new employee?
I usually start with short walking drills. I use it to communicate a culture that I wish to set for my dog. It’s like an orientation programme for a new employee of a company. It’s an induction into the way of life, the way I communicate, my values, my vision and mission. It’s highly intentional. It starts out with an end in mind and each session is about creating a successful experience, meaning that the dog learns to trust my decision making all the time, every time.
From my perspective, anything and everything is training. I’m constantly mentoring and coaching my dog. I’m constantly evaluating our growth and making adjustments to facilitate learning and development not just for my dog but for myself as a handler.
DO MORE FUN THINGS TOGETHER AND LESS HOMEWORK
Nobody enjoys homework every day. I’m sure you’ve heard of the famous saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Similarly, no dog enjoys heeling every day for like the entire park. If I am teaching a dog to heel at a new environment, I usually don’t walk the entire park with it trying to teach it to heel. I just choose a spot and walk up and down with the dog at one area. The moment the dog heels well for 3 to 4 steps if it’s my first time there, I’d stop the exercise and reward the dog by giving it a release command to communicate, it’s now time to go do dog stuff. I don’t continue with the exercises after this either. Instead, I take the dog AROUND the park and we enjoy the sights, sounds and smells together. Why? Because I am still training the dog.
REMEMBER THE SABBATH
Everyone needs rest. Hey, even God needed a rest. The Bible says He created the world and He rested on day 7! So if a supernatural being needed a day off, I reckon, we need more!
I don’t just give the dog a rest day. I have several sabbaths. After each intentional session with me, if it’s a young dog, I’ll put it back in its crate or pen or space and allow the dog to rest and finally sleep for at least 2 to 3 hours. I want the dog to process all the information that we experienced together earlier.
I don’t have a designated day off. It depends on my work schedule. Similarly, dogs who live with me do not know when their day off will be but they do get one. On their off day, I don’t do any formal training. By that, I mean teaching the dog to “heel” or teaching the dog to “leave it” etc. So there’s no formal session. On a dog’s off day, I either let it laze at home, if it’s a lazy dog or I take it out to do something it likes! For example, my dog Lady-Mae either likes to snooze at home or she enjoys a romp in the off the beaten tracks of Singapore!
ENJOY THE PROCESS OR THE JOURNEY
Too many dog owners focus too much on the Obedience commands. I didn’t even teach Lady-Mae the obedience commands until she was 14months old. When I adopted her at 3.5 months old, I took the first year to introduce her to how life would be like with me. We went to all the places that I would want her to go with me.
Frankly, Lady-Mae was an Obedience School drop out. She only mastered basic obedience at 20months and at 2.5 years, she mastered the advance obedience commands reliably. Even though she didn’t know the commands, she was however a balanced dog by the time she turned 12months.
Knowing what you want from your dog will help keep you focused on your journey. It will stop you from following what is trendy. I take the perspective of raising a dog because I think about my dog’s development not just in the early days but I look at it from a life long journey.
Lady-Mae may be 8 but she’s still learning. As a senior dog, we need to start looking into her mobility. How do we help her continue to be mobile, agile so that she can continue to live out her best life. If you have just gotten a puppy, your current focus will take on a very different trajectory from mine.
HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION WITH YOUR TRAINER
The last thing to do is to have an honest conversation with your trainer. Don’t keep the frustration to yourself. Rant and learn to trust your trainer with your failures. This is the best way to grow and learn. I didn’t become a good dog handler in 1 or 2 years. It took me 15 years to encounter a full cycle of raising a dog from puppy to the day it passed on. During this time, I had people who were dog breeders, trainers, handlers and my vet coaching me actively. Your dog trainer became a trainer because he/she wanted to help people. If your dog trainer says I’m here to train dogs, then he/she isn’t a good trainer because in reality, YOU are the trainer of your dog. Your dog trainer trains YOU. When you are able to say I cannot do something, your trainer will have clarity about what you can do because there’s a gazillion ways to train a dog. Your dog trainer is trying to find a style that’s unique to you and your dog.
I hope you will find these five pointers helpful and I hope it’ll give you something for you to consider and try out. If you have a topic that you wish to have addressed, either leave me a comment or send me a DM on instagram @theroyaltail and if it’s something I have experience with, I’d be happy to share with you my perspective.
In our previous article, we mentioned about the arduous journey that we took to tackle Porkchop’s excessive barking. We tried various methods and finally settled on using e-collars. With all the commotion going around about e-collar bans, we thought that this would be a good time to share our reasons on why we continued using the e-collar and our experience using it as part of the training. (we said part because you will know when you read more below)
Just to be very clear, the e-collar that we used was the mini Educator and this article will be referencing this tool only. You can check out the link here for product specifics. We do not support any other brands as we do not have any experience using them. We also don’t want to provide a blanket statement that all e-collars are harmful. From our experience the mini Educator works for us.
It is not painful.
The mini Educator does not electrocute your dog like a criminal. It delivers a tapping sensation similar to vibration but more intense. More intense like how? Well the best way to gauge this was to try it for yourself.
When we first got introduced to it we had a face to face meet up with our trainer who let us try on the collar first hand and we did not feel any pain. It was uncomfortable yes, but not painful. It did not cause our skin to itch or make us jump. The key thing here that our trainer did was to help us understand the tool, what it is, how it works before you get into it. He educated us to make sure that we understood this is a tool to help us say no to Porkchop in an annoying way and that the e-collar brand that we were getting was equally important. Don’t go around buying cheap $10 ones because that would be a whole different story.
The critical point here is to manage the intensity. With the mini Educator, we are able to control a huge range of intensities. However, we are taught to manage the levels according to Porkchop’s state of excitement and reaction. The idea here is not to make him jump or squeal. Just a slight irritation for him is enough to get him to understand or remind him.
It is consistent.
When we read up more on dog training and got ourselves educated, we realized that one key thing to success was consistency. We had to make sure that our actions and our training were always the same so that Porkchop got it. After understanding how the Educator works, we used the Educator to help us to achieve this.
One of the main difference we found when we were trying leash correction vs mini Educator was that the leash correction was highly dependent on us executing it correctly without going over the line and hurting Porkchop, but yet managing to provide the correction effect that we wanted him to have. That brought out a lot of trial and error on our part because we didn’t know what level of leash correction he needed in which situations which meant that our efforts were very inconsistent. The leash techniques varied from person to person which also added to the inconsistency.
With the Educator, it was really clear for him and us. If we needed to correct the behaviour, we tapped and it was the same consistent stimulation throughout. If the situation was more distracting or he did not respond, we tapped at a higher intensity. It allowed us to change and adapt to situations easily, providing a consistent way to say no.
A post shared by Bethany | Dog Stuff (@walkingdogtraining) on Aug 29, 2020 at 7:43am PDT
Like any form of dog training, the important part of correction is to catch the behavior at that instant and correct it. For us, it was difficult to capture the barking behaviour at home because we were not always beside him or near enough to correct. By the time we went over to correct, the timing was gone and he was unable to comprehend the reason for the correction. What we needed was a tool that could help us to capture that moment quickly. When he barks, we tap straightaway and he stops because he knows he is not allowed to bark. With this consistency and accuracy, he is now less sensitive to strangers outside the door and does not bark at them much anymore.
It works for us.
From our previous article, we mentioned about excessive and attention barking which was one of the key issues we had when we first got Porkchop. Honestly as first time pawrents we started off with zero knowledge of how to train him and we thought that reward based training would suffice, since he did follow and managed to learn sit and stay at home through this training method. Well, it works. To some extent.
It became a different story when we brought him out to dog parks or walks. He didn’t have any food drive and was not responding even when we brought his favourite treat to get him to listen. He did not come when we called him and just ran off because other dogs were more interesting than us. Besides the excessive barking which made the whole family wakes up at 4am in the morning, he also had really bad leash pulling issues. It always felt like he was walking us whenever we brought him out on walks because he was just so excited and stimulated by the surroundings and wanted to rush off everywhere.
We needed an effective way to say no.
After we got the Educator, we used it as a tool to tell him no. When he pulled us on walks, we tapped to say “hey, that’s not right” and he came back immediately. We then added this training with reward based training. When he obeyed and came back, we praised him, gave him our pat of love and rewarded him with a treat.
See what we did here? We did not just tell him no. We also rewarded him to tell him yes. This was what we meant by part of the training – we did not discount reward based training and only stuck with the Educator. What we learnt was to use a hybrid of training methods so that Porkchop knows very clearly what’s yes and what’s no. It works for us. It is a case of negative reinforcement used in conjunction with positive reinforcement. These two methods work brilliantly hand in hand for us.
Our stance.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CE5OgvOpMKJ/
Having a dog is like having a child. You care for them, you train them, you love them and you want to keep them safe. There are many ways to do this and it’s up to the parents to make decisions based on what works for their child. You can’t tell every child that you will buy them an iPad if they do well in exams every year. It might work for some children but it might not work for others. (Some might even just be happy with a lollipop)
In all honesty, we did face backlash from our family when we first started using the Educator. Everyone felt it was inhumane, thought that it sent shocks into Porkchop’s body, he looked pitiful etc etc. However, we then educated (no pun intended) our family by letting them try the Educator on themselves and also taught them how to use it when we were not at home with Porkchop. The result was that it corrected his behavior really well and our family was impressed by how well behaved he became. Porkchop’s grandparents even started to advocate the Educator and shared with close friends his success story.
For us, we understand that every dog is different and we feel that as an owner, it is your responsibility to train your dog and make sure they are obedient. What we need is not a ban but a close look at the products in the market on a case by case basis to understand what works and what doesn’t. Next, set up an education system for owners to learn how they can use the tools correctly and accurately. If we can have lamaze class for first time parents, shouldn’t we have some form of education workshop for pawrents as well?
In short, don’t blame the tools. The pawrents who are using it should be responsible and educated to use them correctly so that they don’t anyhow.
Resources
If you would like to read up more on the mini Educator and training, check out the links below:
*disclaimer: we are not trainers! we are just sharing our experience on what we did with her and how it helped her 🙂
We have been very happy to receive questions from new adopters and fellow owners who are having a hard time with their skittish and fearful dog. Since we have already been sharing so much on instagram, might as well document it down! I have still yet to meet/hear from any owner who has a fearful dog to the extent of Mayo so I’m not sure how much these tips will help because most dogs are better off hahaha which is a good thing ok!
To give some context, Mayo came to us in Feb 2020 and would absolutely not walk on leash. She was dragged around by the shelter and completely shut down every time it was time for her walks. For the first month or so, we had to leave the house completely and watch her on our doggy cam so that she would eat and drink. She didn’t leave her bed/spot AT ALL for an entire month before we worked with her on that. We couldn’t touch her or be near her if not she would start shaking and running away. When we were out on walks she would be so nervous and anxious she would pull us just so that she can get home quicker and end the walk. Upon seeing triggers like runners, kids, bicycles and etc, she would panic and buckle (we lost her once cos of that). After 7 months she still has yet to warm up to us so we really like to go to the basics and work with building trust. It’s not like she wags a tail when she sees us hahaha. That being said she’s still a work-in-progress and hasnt fully warmed but anyhoo! lets go into some tips we felt really helped her with some of her issues and helped us with relationship building.
Hand-Feeding we did tons of research on how to best bond with newly rescued dogs and hand-feeding always came up. The guiding principle for us is ‘Good things come from my hand’. You could expect that Mayo was initially not quite comfortable with approaching us to eat from our hand but we didn’t relent. If she was too scared to eat (actually I don’t remember if she was ever), we will try again at the next meal. As long as she ate 1 bite from my hand, we would put the food bowl down next to us and let her eat. Of course, it helped to feed her food of very high value to start the process. When she first came, we prepared fresh salmon, beef, and all sorts of meat and had her take it out of our hand for a few minutes a day.
When Mayo lived as a stray, her pack of dogs wouldn’t really let her eat. She had to be fed separately by her kind feeder. Another reason why hand feeding is great for fearful dogs is that I think it gives them some sort of security knowing that no one will be able to snatch their food bowl away or attack their bowl. Actually now, she loves being hand-fed hahaha. In stressful places with other dogs around, she will only eat from my hand because I figure she knows she can trust my hand.
No Hiding On Mayo’s first day home, we set up some playpens in the kitchen for her to chill out in. We thought it would be too stressful for her to be close to us so we left her alone in the kitchen to hide. What happened subsequently was every time we went into the kitchen, she would jolt and start shivering. After 2 weeks of that and receiving some advice, we shifted her out to her current spot in the living room, far enough from us to not be triggered but at a place that she could at least observe us, hear our voice, watch our movements and slowly come to understand us as a different species.
But why? Why not give her her own space and let her hide for as long as she wanted? Why not give her time? You see, it is a little like humans being trapped in our heads or having a fear of heights we are trying to overcome. We just need to take ONE STEP. If I allowed her to hide, who’s to say she would magically be comfortable enough to step outside? For all I know, I might be feeding into her anxiety by allowing her to constantly think ‘outside the kitchen is scary’. She was still cautious whenever we stood up or walked around or when she heard new noises for the first time like typing of the keyboard, remote control on the table, clinking of our utensils as we ate. But at least now she could see what we were doing and associating clinking to eating. If she was in the kitchen and only depended on her ears, every sound will consistently be scary isn’t it?
3. Leash/Collar Pressure/Tethering This, I learned from our friend @theroyaltail who also happens to dabble in dog training. (p.s you can check out her writing on Pawjourr too!) If you watch videos of Mayo walking in the shelter, she had no understanding of leash/collar pressure – which is why having anything remotely touching her aka leash would send her jumping, shutting down flat out on the ground and refusing to move. Now I’m not a trainer so i don’t think I can correctly verbalize what it means to teach a dog collar/leash pressure – but my understanding is to apply LIGHT pressure, and as soon as the dogs give in to it, reward!
We also did tethering exercises for 5-10mins everyday after her walks. After coming back from her walks, we kept her on the leash and walked her to different parts of the house. E.g we will walk her to the sofa area and sit there for 5 mins without talking to her or looking at her. In that 5 mins, she might be uncomfortable but as she processes whats around her we really saw her feeling braver to explore new parts of the house. We also took that opportunity to teach her things like ‘come’. When she sits far away from me (this is to be expected when you first start the tether especially if they are not warmed up to you) , I will put GENTLE GENTLE pressure on the leash and ask her to ‘come’. The moment she takes one step forward towards me, I mark the behavior with a GOOD GIRL and reward her with food if I have it on me 🙂
our tethering exercise
4. Walking Ahead No, I’m not trying to tell you to dominate your dog and prove you’re alpha and all that (that’s another discussion for a whole other day). Don’t misunderstand – for fearful dogs, a lot of owners have shared that this tip was very helpful to them.
This is what I observed from Mayo and also after hearing feedback from owners with dogs fearful of the outdoors. Some people will tell you to let your dog sniff, let them walk anywhere they want to and discover. But for a fearful dog, personally, I find that when they walk ahead of you, they are more subject to reacting negatively and scaring themselves. When a bicycle is coming towards you and your dog, is it easier to manage if the dog is behind/beside you or ahead of you? I can’t count how many times Mayo will veer to another side when she sees a bike and her leash almost causing an accident with the bike. It is my personal opinion that fearful dogs need direction and leadership, solely because they have no clue how to deal with anything. Food is not going to work when a surprise bicycle comes heading for us, or when she’s already so occupied with fear from just leaving the house. However as a fellow owner rightly pointed out – fearful dogs also need to sniff assess their surroundings and be allowed to make choices. 100%! What i’m saying is if you notice your dog not focused on sniffing but in a panic mode, try walking ahead and redirect her 🙂
After struggling with her leash walking when she got lost, a fellow owner shared her own experience with her fearful dog. She asked me to check my own confidence level on our walks and try to own the walk. That one day I picked up the leash confidently and whenever mayo got into her panic pulling, I stopped. Walked in front of her to block her and continued walking. She calmed down a significant amount. Since then, whenever we approach triggers or if she sees something that makes her a bit unsure, I set her to walk behind me and keep my leash short so I can easily manage her and she can just follow me confidently as we walk pass her triggers. That way she can watch me as i am giving her an example to follow and she doesn’t have to ‘face them alone’ (assuming she’s walking ahead) and over time will understand that these ‘triggers’ are nothing scary, we just need to walk pass them calmly. Of course now as she gets more and more confident, she gets to sniff wherever she wants to and pee/poop whenever and wherever she wants (;
5. Start Small – don’t be over-ambitious & be patient In order to get Mayo comfortable around the house, besides hand feeding, we tried conditioning, shaping & capturing desired behaviors. For example, in the first week, we tossed high-value food to where she was. At most, she would have to stand up and lean forward to get it. We increased the ‘difficulty’ and distance as the days go by. At 2 months, we tossed high-value treats around the house from a distance and she would have to run around the house to get them. After a while, she will realize walking around the house is not scary and that she does have the permission to walk around even in our presence. After a month of the tossing treats activity, we slowly increased the difficulty and made her come to us for the food. Subsequently, we hovered our hands over her head, and then adding a ‘touch’ cue where she would voluntarily let us brush ONE time on her head and immediately get a reward – associating the human touch with a positive thing.
Because Mayo couldn’t be touched and wasn’t warmed up to us humans it was almost impossible to teach her any tricks. We had to be extremely patient and wait for her to give us the desired behavior e.g sit, and I would ‘capture’ that behavior with a ‘GOOD GIRL’ every time she sits and toss her a reward. After a while, whenever she sat I introduced the word “SIT” and then mark it with a good girl followed by a reward. 5 months later….. she can sit. HAHAHA.
BONUS TIP!
6. Talk less When we go on walks and meet a reactive dog, I always hear owners do this: ‘ NO NO! FRIEND FRIEND! EH WHY YOU LIKE THAT! NO… NO…. BUDDY NO…. DONT’ SCARE PEOPLE AH. HEY! NO! Stop it! FRIEND FRIEND’
Bro, even I don’t know what you want la. Do you think your dog understands everything you are saying? Dogs don’t understand English. They don’t know what you are saying and only associate the words to behaviors and your tone of voice. Talking to your dog excessively only confuses them especially when you are training because they don’t know what you want. For example, when I want her to sit, I say, ‘Mayo, sit’. And if she doesn’t, I don’t go ‘why mayo why you don’t sit? come on, sit for me please. good girl, sit la…’ Can you see how confusing that would sound? I just maintain, ‘Mayo, Sit.’ if she does – GOOD GIRL! Try not to overwhelm with talking also because the attention can be too much for them. A lot of us are guilty of that – i think of course there’s no harm in baby-talking our dogs especially when they come for a manja sesh. But personally when it comes to training and when you want to give a clear direction – the less you talk, the better. I also want my words to have weight and meaning and not yap away like a duck. Like Ronan Keating would say… “You say it best when you say nothing at all.”
And that’s all for now folks! 5 tips + a bonus. Let us know what you think! Does it make sense? And if you are going to try them let us know if it worked for you! But remember that every dog is different and they progress at their own time. Different dogs also need different levels of support. I have a fearful dog that shuts down instead of reacting and I can’t speak for the other spectrum of dogs 🙂 Also, success is not linear. If you face some set backs here and there don’t give up. It’s really part of the process.. If you have a tip for us, share it with us too!
Again we are not trainers but I would like to think Mayo has progressed A LOT after being with us and working with her. Thank you to everyone on our social media who have supported us and asked us for help! We are so humbled and we hope this will help you 🙂 Hang in there! You can do this <3
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