7 Ways to Help A Leash-Reactive Dog

Dogs in our Home and Public Manners class learn to focus on their calm owners around distractions.

Dealing with a fearful, reactive dog can be very stressful. We all want the perfect dog who happily walks past another dog, not the dog who snaps and snarls, pulling at the end of its leash. Sometimes the dog is being demanding and trying to drag his owner over to say hello, and sometimes the dog thinks it needs to protect his person. There are many things you can do with simple body language, whether the dog is being demanding or is acting out of fear, to show your dog that you are in control of all situations and he can calm down.

1. Stay calm and relaxed. Your energy flows through the leash to your dog. If you begin a walk stressed out and tense, your dog will be on the lookout for something to go after. Maintain a calm attitude from start to finish on your walk, showing your dog there is nothing to worry about.

2. Keep the leash loose. Walking with a tight leash tenses up your dog. If you struggle with loose leash walking, we go over this in our Home and Public Manners class. A loose leash is vital for a relaxed walk!

3. Stay between your dog and the distraction. If someone is walking toward you with a dog, instead of letting the dogs meet as they pass, move your dog to the opposite side so that you are in the middle. This simple act tells him that you are taking care of everything.

4. If your dog is out of control, move toward him and walk away. Then come back and try again. In doing this, you are telling him that every time he barks, you start over.

5. Claim your space. If your dog is jumping all over you in the house, he picks up on your weaknesses and thinks he needs to protect you in public. Instead of backing away from your dog when he jumps on you (essentially taking your space from you), stand tall and walk towards him as you see him moving in your direction. Claim your space and show your dog that you can stand up for yourself so he does not need to.

6. Teach your dog to sit to be released through a doorway. Waiting to come through not only builds your dog’s attention on you, it also shows him that you are going to take care of him on either side of the door. Whoever exits first is the one that gets to scope things out, so let him know that this is your job.

7. Sometimes professional help can be necessary, especially if you do not feel comfortable or need extra guidance. We offer a Feisty Fido class that has helped many dogs overcome their issues and learn to walk with better manners in public. Talk to a trainer about what is best for your dog.

Kersti Nieto
Certified Dog Trainer
K9 Solutions LLC
nck9solutions.com

7 Ways to Prevent Separation Anxiety

Having a dog with separation anxiety can be a huge financial, safety, and emotional stress. It is so much easier to prevent, prevent, prevent, than fix it. Sometimes owners don’t even realize they are setting their dog up to be anxious when left alone until it’s too late. Here are some ways you can set your dog up to be happy and confident, and keep that terrible anxiety away.

1. Exercise! Make sure your dog always has plenty of physical and mental exercise. A tired dog is a happy dog is a happy owner. Burning off excess energy leaves you with a nice calm dog when you leave. Teaching your dog commands and tricks is also a great way to mentally stimulate them.

2. Don’t feel like you have to spend every waking moment with your dog. Make time during the day for “down time” – it doesn’t have to be hours and hours – but just a break so your dog gets used to being alone.

3. Don’t make a big deal out of leaving. When you leave, if you want to give your pup lots of love and pets, do it 30 minutes before you leave, then gather your things up, and leave calmly. If you give your dogs tons and tons of attention while they are over the top excited, and then you suddenly leave, it makes it much harder for the dog to deal with you being gone.

4. Same goes for coming back home – walk into your house calm and confident. If your dog is going crazy jumping and dancing to see you, keep going about your business, greet your family, set your things down, totally ignoring the dog until they are calm. Then when that energy is down, call them over and love on them like crazy! Always be aware of what state of mind you are rewarding.

5. Give your dog something to do when you leave so you leaving is actually fun and rewarding! A stuffed kong, knuckle bone, antler, or any other safe heavy duty treat that will last a long time will keep your dog busy while you’re gone.

6. Socializing to new places can be a huge help in boosting your dog’s confidence. Going new places not only gets them used to new things, but also tires them out more. This increases their confidence in you, seeing that you can take care of yourself and them. If your dog knows commands, or even fun tricks, do them while you’re out and about in new places.

7. If you do all these things with your dog but still seem to be having a hard time with constant anxiety, panting, whining, or excessive drooling, it may be time to talk to a professional trainer/behavior consultant to diagnose the anxiety properly and get additional tools under your belt.

Kersti Nieto
Certified Dog Trainer
K9 Solutions LLC
http://www.nck9solutions.com

7 Ways to Avoid Pack Issues

Having multiple dogs can be a rewarding (and therapeutic!) thing when you have peace in your pack. Issues can arise when you have dogs who are bossy or competing to be leader, especially when you yourself aren’t assuming the position. Without a doubt, humans are the leaders of the pack, allowing our dogs to relax, sit back, and follow our rules. Here are a few pointers on maintaining that leadership role to keep a happy household of dogs.

1. Always maintain a calm, confident, and assertive attitude. If you are freaking out and worrying about your dogs going after each other, stressing over how your relationship will be, then all you will have is a stressed out pack of dogs who are snappy with each other. Dogs feed off of our emotions, so always project confidence.

2. Regular exercise is vital for burning off energy. If your dogs get along great and you use playtime for them to exercise, that’s great! But don’t allow playtime to substitute for a walk. Walking as a confident leader (relaxed and in front with dogs loosely beside or behind) shows the dogs who they are supposed to follow and gets their brains concentrating on you.

3. Have your dogs respect thresholds. Practice by having everyone sit at the doorway. If you have lots of dogs, especially big ones, you can always just have them wait at the door before you call them through. Whichever dog is pushiest should come through that doorway last. Reward good, calm behavior. This will help your most demanding dog see that things happen faster when they are calm. Not rushing the door shows that you control all space, coming and going, and prevents a pack of dogs from hurdling past, through, and over you.

4. Balance your attention and affection. You may have a great pack of dogs, but don’t forget to treat them as individuals. Find the things that each dog enjoys most and then make time for that. For attention, make sure nobody is pushing anyone else out of the way. Spend time with one pup and then on your terms, call the next one over to you. Always show them that you dole out the affection on your terms and never reward a demanding, bossy dog.

5. Be involved in playtime! A rumbly tumbly pack can be having a wonderful time before Fluffy chomps Fido’s ear a bit too hard and then everyone joins in for a brawl. Get your dogs used to your presence between them, bump around while they’re playing happily and practice calling everyone, separating them, maybe have them sit, and then release them to play again. You can do this many times throughout playtime, always supervising and splitting them up when they’re still having a great time. This keeps them focusing on you, keeps playtime fun, and makes recall a part of play so it’s always fun to come to you!

6. Don’t let your dogs guard anything. As the leader, you are the only one who is allowed to protect anything – food, bones, toys, etc. Supervise feeding times and don’t let anyone steal from anyone else’s bowl. This lets everybody know that you are going to stick up for them and keep the peace. If a dog gets growly over a bone, claim the object by stepping on it and backing the dog away, and then they lose that bone. Be the mama dog and let the other dogs know you are keeping everything even.

7. Another great way to maintain calm is by having everybody sit for their dinner. If your dogs haven’t mastered this, you can practice sit for dinner one at a time before you graduate to everyone sitting before being released. Sitting for dinner is showing that you control mealtimes and that it’s no time for wild and crazy play. Like the doorway, the calmest dog gets to eat first.

Kersti Nieto
Certified Dog Trainer
K9 Solutions LLC
http://www.nck9solutions.com

7 Things to Never Let a Child Do to a Dog

We have discussed in the past proper children and dog manners, but it can never be stressed enough the importance of supervision and proper dog-kid interactions. Educating early is the best way to encourage good interactions, prevent dog bites, and help our little humans grow up to be great leaders.

1. Never allow a child to pet a dog without permission. Some dogs may not be good with kids, may not feel well, or are in training for service or general good manners.

2. Never allow a child to run up to a dog. They should always approach at a relaxed pace, stopping before getting to the dog, and then allowing the dog to sniff you and close the gap. Since children are at a lower level, a child running straight up to a dog’s face can be very intimidating, especially if they are yelling or waving their arms.

If you don’t know the child approaching, step in front of your dog to block the child and engage them first, while at the same time showing your dog that you are taking care of everything.

3. Never allow a child to pet a dog if the dog is trying to avoid being petted. If the dog is turning away, suddenly panting, staring with a wide eye, turning its back, or all out trying to get away, the worst thing you can do is force a dog into the situation. This is a huge breach of trust and the dog will think you aren’t going to protect her from something that makes her uncomfortable, leaving her no choice but to protect herself.

4. Never let a child pull on, climb, poke, tease, or harass a dog in any way. What seems like affection to us does not say the same thing in dog language. Climbing on, wrapping arms around, or placing ourselves on the dog can be very dominating, making the dog uncomfortable. Some dogs don’t care, some dogs tolerate it, some dogs tolerate it until they have a breaking point, and some dogs hate it from the start. The best thing to do is to respect the dog’s space and not test whether they like it or not.

5. Never allow a child to disturb a dog who is sleeping, eating, or playing with bones. While no dog is allowed to guard resources, the grown ups can should take care of these behaviors and prevent incidents.

6. Teach children to never run away from a dog. Running from the dog can increase its prey drive, especially if the child is squealing too. Teach children to “make like a tree” and stand still.

7. Never, ever, ever allow a child to play with a dog unsupervised no matter how great the dog is. So many things can go wrong and it certainly has. Safety first.

Kersti Nieto
Certified Dog Trainer
K9 Solutions LLC
http://www.nck9solutions.com

7 Tips for Introducing a New Dog to Your Pack

Having a multiple dog pack can be beneficial. Not only is it therapeutic to us, but it allows our dogs to have canine companions as well and give them great outlets for exercise and socializing. If you are considering adding a new dog to your pack, whether you already have one or multiple dogs, here are a few things to consider when introducing the new family member.

1. What is the activity level of your household—yourself and your dog(s)? Are your dogs content with being couch potatoes? Or do they love to romp and play together outside? You want to match the energy level for yourself and your pets. Also consider your dogs’ prey drive if you are considering a small breed. Talk with a trainer about what energy and temperament is a good fit for your family. Rescue groups are always willing to make sure you have a good match as well.

2. When the day comes to bring your new dog home, go straight for a walk. If this is the very first time the dogs are meeting, have someone start walking the original dogs, and then join up with them so the dogs will form one pack. The faster you walk, the easier the dogs will fall into place. You can also take turns walking one dog in front of the other so they have a chance to smell each other while they continue moving. A big walk tires them out and helps them have a calm energy when you get home.

3. As long as all dogs are relaxed and happy, invite them inside the yard or in the house. Remember that this shouldn’t be a big deal at all, so stay relaxed. If you are anxious for them to get along, take another loop around the block and come back to the house fully at ease. Dogs will pick up quickly on nervous energy, so stay cool, confident, and relaxed.

4. Always supervise their initial interactions. If one or both dogs looks like they are becoming excited or stressed, take a break, separate or crate them, and revisit when you are ready.

5. Claim objects as your own to eliminate resource guarding. Your current dogs may want to rush in and grab up whatever bones or toys are around, but humans are the only ones allowed to do that! Have everything picked up so that nothing is lying around, and then make an exercise of it. Show them you are the giver of all things good and tasty.

6. Pay attention to how they are feeling. If it seems like interactions are too much for one dog, maybe the new dog is overwhelmed by change, or the old dog is too excited, continue with the pack walks until you feel comfortable that the energy is more relaxed. Not all dogs are the same, so it may take some longer to adjust to a new setting.

7. Treat each dog like an individual. With the introduction of a new dog, don’t forget the old one-on-one time you had with your first dog(s), and remember to find what makes the new dog tick. You may have one dog who loves jogging by your side, while the other would love nothing more to play fetch for a few minutes. Spending time together is always wonderful, but it’s also important to find outlets to let your dog’s “personality” shine through and build your bond bigger.

Kersti Nieto
Certified Dog Trainer
K9 Solutions LLC
http://www.nck9solutions.com

7 Ways to Introduce Your Dog to Your New Baby

When bringing home a new member of the family, start thinking about introducing your dog well in advance for this lifestyle change. Don’t bring your baby home and expect your dog to automatically respond correctly or change bad habits overnight. Preparing your dog months ahead will help him accept a new baby in the house more easily when the big day arrives.

1. Think about daily life in the house with a baby. Are there bad habits such as jumping on you or laying on the couch that you would rather undo at this point? Work on these training loopholes now instead of when baby comes. Practice walking around with a baby doll so he gets used to you having a bundle in your arms that he is not allowed to jump on. Same with not jumping on the couch or the swinging chair.

2. Teach your dog the “Wait” command so you can have it handy for not going into any rooms that you want temporarily or permanently off limits such as the baby room while you change diapers or the kitchen while you feed baby.

3. Practice having your dog walk politely next to a stroller before baby comes, including by distractions such as dogs, joggers, squirrels, etc.

4. If your dog has never been around kids before, you can acclimate him to children by going for walks near parks and playgrounds. Be sure your walk is relaxed with your dog besides you.

5. Your dog still needs routine. A lot of times a dog is forgotten and begins to act out to get attention. As your baby grows, supervise all interactions and remember to never allow your dog to get involved when he is not invited or where you are not comfortable with his presence.

6. Have your husband/mother bring the baby blanket from the hospital to allow the dog to smell it to get used to baby’s arrival. When baby comes home, allow your dog to get used to the little bundle in your arms, chairs, etc. around the house and also by taking walks. Take your time to do the actual introduction even if it takes days or weeks.

7. If you are nervous about the actual introduction, wait until you are comfortable so the meeting is positive and happy rather than risk your stress or worry to affect your dog. This will reassure your dog that even though baby has brought a big change to the household, his leaders are not worried and are taking care of things.

Kersti Nieto
Certified Dog Trainer
K9 Solutions, LLC
http://www.nck9solutions.com

7 Steps for Easy Living with Kids and Dogs (Part 2)

1. Teach your kids to always ask to pet dogs, even if it is a dog you know well in the neighborhood, and then listen to the owner’s instructions. Dogs, like people, can have bad days and may not always feel like being petted. The owners may tell kids to pet a certain way, may ask the kids to pet one at a time, or they may even say no.

2. Dogs should respect the humans’ space, but, equally so, dogs should have their own safe place to retreat. Teach children to leave dogs alone if they are in their crate or bed, especially if sleeping. Let the crate be just for dogs, and no playing inside it.

3. Teasing is also a big no-no. Dogs should not have to tolerate poking and prodding. Tolerating only lasts for so long before there comes a breaking point. No lying on, hugging, pulling, poking, jumping in dogs’ face, or any sort of teasing that can stress them out. Instead, promote calmness and good interactions such as proper petting and playing.

4. You can also teach kids about dogs’ body language, such as dogs turning their head away or hiding his face. These are big communications that dogs wants to be left alone.

5. Teach how to properly give a treat without getting fingers nipped. Holding fingers and thumb close together in a flat palm, kids can offer a treat to dogs without them confusing which pieces are food and which may be fingers.

6. One especially important rule is to teach kids to never approach dogs they do not know! Whether on a walk, out at a park, walking by a fence with dogs behind it, or come across a stray dog, the best rule of thumb is to stay calm, not look at the dog, and keep moving. Seeing a dog you do not know and running or yelling with excitement can excite dogs more and engage its prey drive.

7. The best thing you can do for your kids and dogs is supervise all interactions. Especially with little ones, you do not want to leave them unattended together, not even for seconds. Supervising sets them up for healthy interactions and allows you to intervene before things escalate.

Kersti Nieto
Certified Dog Trainer
K9 Solutions LLC
http://www.nck9solutions.com

Friday Canine Friends: Loving your Own Species

My beautiful Shepherd Coyote has never cared for dogs. I found Coyote years ago as a stray and took him to German Shepherd Rescue’s picnic to meet the president and get listed for adoption. Well, everyone sure knew we were there with his performance! So we started our training to walk politely past dogs.

During our early weeks of practice, as we were walking past a dog and he was having a difficult time keeping it together, I blurted out “this is your own species!”

As we continued walking, I thought about my own words and contemplated at how myself don’t always like my own species. When exposed to some of the neglect and abuse stories that we are, it is easy to get hard feelings toward humanity and sometimes even cynical.

I choose daily to focus on the good I see in others and I do always find it. The folks who drop everything to help a stray, the folks who foster, the ones who work tirelessly in shelters and rescue to find homes for their protegees, the ones who feed strays, spend hours talking to adopters, discount training and health services, build fencing for chained dogs. The goodness of humanity is indeed endless when you stay focused in the right places.

Sylvie Pleasant
Certified Dog Trainer and Behavior Consultant
K9 Solutions LLC
www.nck9solutions.com

Friday Canine Friend: Choosing Peace

I am amazed when I watch dogs interacting at how hard they try to avoid conflict. You can see it in multiple-pack households and dog parks. It makes sense as their wild counterparts need their energy to survive, not squabble.

I encountered a situation lately where false assumptions and even lies were told about me. A couple of years ago, this would have devastated me. I would have felt victimized, hurt, defensive, and just gone down that dark road that takes days, sometimes weeks and years, to get back up from. And I probably would have confronted the situation leading to more conflicts.

But I decided to learn from our canine friends and at the very moment that I received this information, I made the conscious choice to choose Peace and simply let the matter go. The incredible plus in this is that I am actually feeling gratitude because the end result actually saved me a lot of hassle. Sometimes what seems like a negative situation is certainly a blessing a disguise, or maybe they always are and we just don’t see them as such?

I have to say that it was so much easier to make that choice than to go down the path of conflict I would normally have taken.  Now, I wonder why it’s taken me so long to get there when our canine friends seem to be born with this gift. But I will thankful for this test and for the ability to make that choice.

I would urge anyone who is faced with a difficult  situation to just say to yourself: I choose Peace and see where it takes you. Choosing Peace does not always mean avoiding conflicts. Sometimes choosing Peace may very well mean finally standing up for yourself and establishing boundaries. We have seen our confident, calm leader dogs suddenly correct another dog that has crossed the line, but it is quick and when done, they move on.

Keep casually observing your dog and  learn from their simple ways. They are amazing species.