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 Indoor Activities for Cold Days

During the winter sometimes it is harder to spend as much time outdoors as we would like. Whether it is pouring rain and freezing, or just too cold to be out, there are alternatives to spending time with our dogs that do not have to be in the cold elements.

1. Read what your dog is saying. If you wake up and see that your dog is also snuggled in tight, chances are that he is just as comfortable and content as you are in your warm bed. We all have a habit of worrying too much if our dogs are receiving enough attention or getting enough exercise, but sometimes we can learn to relax from them.

2. Kongs, bully sticks, knuckle bones, and other long-lasting chewies are always your friend. You can keep your dog busy and happy while you get work done around the house.

3. Interactive toy games are a great activity for one-on-one time. Watching and helping your dog find a treat through a challenging maze not only gives him something fulfilling to do, but also shines a light on his talents and quirks.

4. Work on obedience commands. Even if your pooch has already mastered sit, stay, down, come, etc., you can still make a fun game out of drill work. Practice back-to-back commands to see how fast he can do them or how long he can hold them before being released. Lots of praise and fun!

5. If you have always wanted a dog who could twirl, roll over, or pick up his toys, bad weather can be your friend. If you would rather not bundle up and go out, but your dog is bored to death, add lots of mental stimulation by teaching your dog tricks.

6. Play Hide and Seek. You can play it to practice recall, get the kids involved, and teach them the foundation to search and rescue. Have one person hide, ask your dog to go find them, and then give lots of praise when he finds them. You can also hide their favorite toy somewhere in the house and have him search. This really gets them using their noses and makes a nice tired dog!

7. If you get cabin fever and want to take your dog somewhere, car rides can be an adventure, even if you do not plan on taking your dog out. Visit your favorite pet store and walk down all the aisles, practicing sit, stay, down, leave it, and come. Tire your dog out and then as a reward he can pick out a treat or toy.

Kersti Nieto
Certified Dog Trainer
K9 Solutions LLC
nck9solutions.com

7 Ways to Build a Reliable Recall

Have fun with your dog and make coming to you a great thing!

If you want your dog to come when called, it is not something that just happens. Recall takes practice and it will be something you work on throughout your dog’s whole life. A dog who does not come when called can lead to all sorts of frustrations. Not only is your dog blowing you off (especially if you know he knows his name), but it can become a safety issue if you are near a road or somewhere unfamiliar. The good news is that it is very simple to practice and only takes a few minutes of your day.

1. Always make coming to you the most wonderful thing in the world! You want to give your dog over-the-top praise, especially if you have a young puppy, to set the bar for how meaningful it is to you. When your dog sees how happy you are for that behavior, he will always want to please you.

2. Use your dog’s name to get his attention, then only say “come” when he is moving towards you. Saying, “Scruffy, come!” while he is sniffing leaves across the yard gives him a chance to ignore you. Make sure he is on his way before adding the word “come.”

3. Build small, and work with a leash to practice. If your dog does not come to you when called from two feet away, he definitely will not from 10 feet. You can practice come from close by, reeling him in on leash and eliminating the chance for ignoring you. This reinforces recall all the time and builds on small successes. Gradually build the distance to working on a long line, and follow through with lots of praising. For an example of working on a long leash, watch this short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOBF-3N08nw.

4. You can also use high value, extra tasty treats here and there, but you do not want to rely on treats all the time. Nobody wants to carry salmon treats around forever! Use treats sparingly, not always. Some dogs figure out that “come” is only when you have treats, so keep him on his toes. Maybe you have something, maybe not, but the reward is your happiness and praise!

5. Make “come” a game outside! As a family, or with friends, stand in a big circle, and take turns calling the dog over. This will get him used to coming to everyone in the house. If you are comfortable in the yard, you can move to playing at a park with bigger distractions. Keep your dog on a long leash so you can step on it and reel him to you if he gets distracted.

6. Throughout the day when you are home, call your dog over to you when he is not paying attention. This is great practice and makes it become a regular habit to check in with you.

7. Keeping recall positive means never calling your dog when you are mad, frustrated or for something he will not like. Instead of calling “Scruffy!” for a bath, nail trimming, or something he hates, go to him and lead him. Always keep “come” a good thing!

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