Red Light, Green Light.

Meet Jayden... again!

In our follow up session with Jayden, we were pleased to discover how much progress he and his owner had made. Jayden's owner was now armed with the knowledge of how to handle his dog's overzealousness and their walks were more enjoyable. Jayden's owner was planning a trip out of town and would be leaving Jayden in the care of a good friend. She wanted us to show her friend how to properly walk Jayden on the leash.

Jayden and his owner were in the habit of playing a little game we like to call Red Light, Green Light. This game involves halting the walk when the dog pulls on the leash and rewarding the dog for a loose leash by continuing the walk after the dog has ceased pulling.

Outside with all it's sights, sounds and smells is far more interesting then what ever commands we are blabbing at our dogs. In times like these you'll find that actions speak louder than words. With consistency and lots of practice Jayden came to realize that the only way he got to go for a long walk was to pay attention to the movements and pace of the person walking him. During the winter when sidewalks are good and icy, this can be especially important.

For more details on games like Red Light, Green Light, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Nothing For Free.

Meet Jayden!

This extremely affectionate and cute Yorkie-poo really wants nothing more than get tons of attention but due to his owner's busy schedule he hasn't received nearly as much exercise and training as he would prefer. With that said he has decided to speak up on the matter -- quite literally, I might add!

Jayden and his owner just moved from a quiet suburb to the big city. Unfortunately, when he was a puppy, he did not get enough time socializing with other dogs.With this setback and the long hours of studying that Jayden's owner regularly puts in, has added up to a bit of frustration on Jayden's end.

The main complaint is Jayden's behavior on leash walks, which is his main source of exercise and attention. When approached by other dogs, Jayden starts to bark very assertively and pull at the leash. Needless to say, this has resulted in shorter and fewer walks for Jayden and his owner! Upon observing this behavior it appeared that Jayden is more frustrated than anything. He is simply so excited to see other dogs and has so much energy that he over-expresses his excitement at seeing another dog.

Jayden needed to understand that acting obnoxious is not the way to receive attention. The first steps are simple: better tools and equipment on walks, having a plan for what to do when seeing (and hopefully meeting) another dog, and implementing a Nothing for Free attitude in the home.

For example, asking Jayden to sit calmly before walking out the door will help teach him to earn the walk. By withholding attention from Jayden when he acts out and giving him attention for desired behaviors we can communicate to him how we would like him to behave.

We'll be following up with Jaden soon to see how the training is going! Success in a case like this depends on how much time his owner has to exercise and train Jaden himself. Even with the right plan, working with an under socialized dog takes time!

For more information on socializing your dog visit Zen Dog Training Online.