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| answered a question | Why does my dog terrorize the house whe he sees my male fiance leave? It sounds to me like you are dealing with separation anxiety. I do not recommend using physical punishers (such as spraying with a water bottle) to stop the behavior. Remember, the real issue is emotional, and that's what you need to work with. Punishers only make the situation more scarry. Instead, you will want to help your dog learn to relax (emotionally) when your fiance is gone. Go to YouTube and look up "Karen Overall Relaxation Protocol". That is designed to help dogs to relax over a period of about 14 days. You will need to work with your dog every day. Fwiw, I do not take anxiety issues lightly when I train. Imagine being trapped in a state of a panic attack. It's a terrible place to be emotionally. You might want to consider getting help from a force-free trainer (you can look up one in your area at the Pet Professional Guild website). |
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| answered a question | How do I train my small rescue dogs not to be overly excited? Thank you for rescuing. I volunteer at a Husky rescue, and I see constantly see dogs that need good homes. I realize this post was from a couple of months ago, but I thought I would chime in in case others have a similar issue. It's pretty common for dogs to get really attached to their new human family members. When you have a dog who is that excited to see you, you will want to teach him to remain calm with your arrival. You will also want to avoid physical punishers (such as squirt guns). Rather, train him to respond differently for a greeting. A common approach is to ask for a "sit" (not in a "firm" tone) instead (this assumes you've taught a sit already). The pup doesn't get any attention until the butt goes on the ground. If you need help keeping him on the ground, use a small food lure (a piece of a slice of turkey about the size of a fingernail normally does it). While he eats the turkey with all four paws on the floor, give him attention. If he jumps up again, ask him to "off", when he goes down, give him a treat and attention, and then immediately ask for a sit (before he gets a chance to jump back up). Reward heavily staying on the floor with a few treats and more attention. Without seeing the situation, that would be my quick, general advice. Fwiw, as a trainer I do not advocate anything that would cause the dog discomfort (known as "aversives") when training. Rescue dogs need to heal emotionally, and aversives do not help with that. I hope things are going well for you after a couple of months. Could we get an update? |