Juliet the Great Pyrenees/Lab Mix

Meet Juliet!

Juliet is one beautiful lady! Unfortunately she was found abandoned and severely malnourished on the side of a road. Unfortunately, while Juliet is living in a wonderful and loving home, what she learned on the road (food guarding) was a hard lesson to unlearn.

Shortly after adopting Juliet her new family discovered that she was protecting her food. This is understandably a serious problem which was compounded by having a young child in the house. If not first managed, then actively trained - one wrong move to create a very bad situation– especially if it happened when young children were visiting!

Before we got started on a training plan we checked to make sure that the environment was safe. We suggested tethers and baby gates in various locations throughout the house but especially near the dining room. If Juliet came to the dinner table trying to scrounge for food her owners could simply Ask her to go to her bed (reward her when she did), or Refocus her and physically take her to bed (tether her there) and rewarding her for "staying" by giving her a special bone/toy.

We also recommended using tethers for the food guarding training as well. By working with Juliet near the end of her tether her owners could remain safe if anything happened. Next, we suggested hand feeding Juliet, playing Taking Treats Gently, as well as, sharing bones with her (low value at first) and practicing Leave It and giving her fantastic treats when she complied – of course giving her the bone back!

We wanted Juliet to learn that she was now safe and would be cared for without having to hunt or guard food. However, this is not an easy behavior to work on without help.

If you have a dog who you suspect is getting possessive over food, toys, bones or even the couch, please call Zen Dog Training to get help. More information about Resource Guarding can be found on Zen Dog Training Online, as well as homework sheets for Ask, Refocus, Leave it, and Taking Treats Gently.

How Zen Dog Training Cured my Dog!

Letter to New Dog Owners.

Congratulations on the newest addition to your family!

Whether you have adopted a dog in need or purchased a pedigree pooch, owning a dog is a journey filled with love, excitement, and responsibility. If you’re reading this, then you’ve already taken the first step towards being a responsible dog owner by recognizing the need to teach your dog good manners.

Zen Dog Training is based on the idea that dogs communicate and learn differently than humans. In the past, this language barrier has made the training process frustrating for both dog and human partners. That’s why we created Zen Dog Training Online. Members have access to over eight hours of videos in 2-3 minute clips that cover everything from separation anxiety and housetraining to “The Six Puppy Essentials” and why it’s so important to start training as soon as your puppy arrives in his new home.

In our Theory section, we break down how to teach commands in a way that has been scientifically proven to be the fastest and easiest way for your dog to learn. By watching videos, reading our eBooks and playing our games, your dog will learn to understand you faster than you imagined possible! With Zen Dog Training Online, we have provided you and your family all the tools you’ll need to create a training program that is simple, effective, and dog-friendly:

• Printable eBooks to read and share with other members of your family
• Videos to help you learn subtle training secrets
• Our Five-Step Solution to Problem Behaviors
• Over 45 specific solutions to common problems!

Our website is dedicated to teaching people how to humanely and gently communicate with their dogs to simply and effectively reach their training goals. We hope you join, learn new ways of understanding your dog and discover how to peacefully get the behaviors you want from your dog. Go ahead, log in, sit back, relax and start watching!

Have fun training,
Gordon

p.s. Although all dogs speak the same language, your dog is unique. If at any time you feel threatened by your dog or just think your dog may need special attention, contact a professional.

p.p.s. If you are lucky enough to live in the Boston area, call us to set up an In-Home appointment!