From Frustrated to Fabulous!

Training your dog can be frustrating.  Maybe you have a puppy and you are frustrated with house training. It seems like every time you take that puppy outside, he chases leaves, and the second you bring him indoors, he poops on the carpet.  Or maybe you have a young dog who pulls on leash from the second you hook it on, dragging you out the door and down the block. Or perhaps you have a middle-aged dog who just won't stop barking in the yard, or an elderly dog who has to be coaxed to do anything at all.  I hear you.  All of these scenarios are frustrating and yet I see them all as opportunities.  Opportunities to switch it up, try something different, look at the problem from a different point of view with, potentially, a less-frustrating outcome.

In classes, I feel like I am always telling people not to "marry" themselves to any one training tool.  While you may love your dog's behavior when you walk him on a head halter now, that doesn't mean that this will necessarily be the magic tool for pleasant walks for the rest of the dog's life.  Conversely, if you need to use a choke chain or a pinch collar to gain control, that's okay too. It's likely you won't have to use it forever either.  Pet owners need to be flexible and open to trying to new things.  Throwing up your hands and declaring that your dog will "never walk nicely on a leash" doesn't help anything, least of all your relationship with your dog. Instead, try something new. If you have been using a front hook harness, why not try a Thunderleash or a head halter instead?

And for that barking dog.  Why is your dog barking?  If this is nuisance barking, that's one thing.  But maybe there is something there.  First you have to identify WHY your dog is barking, then apply a consequence.  Yelling at the dog isn't going to work.  Now, you are barking too! Instead, find out why the dog is barking and respond accordingly. Nuisance barking?  Redirect and if that doesn't work a time out.  Barking at the neighbors, squirrels, trucks going by?  Acknowledge their vigilance, ask for the quiet, and then redirect.  If barking persists, it's time out time.

Oftentimes, when you look at the situation from your dog's point of view, the solution becomes much more obvious.  We all need to let go of preconceived notions of how dogs *should* behave and think about how the dog in front of us *does* behave.  Reward the good stuff, stop emphasizing all the bad stuff, and take a new approach to find the solution that works for you and your dog.

As always, if you need help strategizing, I am here for you.

Ozzie and Desi hard at work for a cookie they don't usually get!