Advice from Gordon

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We just adopted a nine-month-old Manchester Terrier mix female.  She is a very smart dog that seems to have had some training but she jumps on the kids and wants to be up on the furniture and beds.  I would like to start off on the right foot and not give her mixed signals and get the whole family on board.

Bringing a nine-month-old dog into a home with children will always be challenging.  A "training secret" we'd love to share with you is how to Outsmart Your Dog.  

One essential tool is the Drag Line, which is pretty much a four-foot leash that you clip onto your dog and let her drag on the floor behind her when she's inside.  Use it when other kids are visiting or when your kids come home from school so you can quickly interrupt your girl from jumping up by stepping on her leash.  When you're on walks, let people who want to pet your dog know that she must sit first. 

Here again, people who won't or can't play can be thwarted by your stepping on the leash. We always recommend going back to outsmarting your dog! Solutions like this can be found on ZenDogTrainingOnline watch the videos for Jumping and download the document Outsmart Your Dog. 

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Our vet said our puppy looked a little "slender." He weighs eighteen pounds and is almost four-months-old. He eats about two times a day and has two peanut butter kongs a day!  He doesn't always seem too interested in his food. He has been and currently is eating Eagle Pack since we got him.  Do you recommend another natural puppy food brand?? Or any other suggestions?

I have never heard of a puppy starving to death! Twice a day with all those peanut calories is probably plenty.  Unless his stool is runny or you think there's a medical issue I wouldn't worry about it too much.  And, from what I hear, Eagle Pack is great food!

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I have a thirteen-week-old Kooikerhondje. The biggest issue is the mouthing and nipping.  I have eight-year-old twins who he likes to chase and bite their shorts.  He's much better than he was but I'm looking for some direction on what to do consistently to correct this behavior. 

Remember that your dog is still just a puppy.  Treat him like one!  Use more tools to prevent behaviors from starting in the first place: drag lines, tethers, confinement areas where the kids can run out of the room if he gets out of hand...

Teach your dog that unwanted behavior is noticed — everyone should say "Ouch!" if nipped, and then ignore the dog.  You can also actively ignore him by grabbing his collar or leash and taking him out of the room for a mini time out.

We've got guides and eBooks on this and many other topics at Zen Dog Training Online.  I recommend Puppy Playbiting, Out of the Pack, Tools and Equipment, and How to Punish.

Don't worry — you dog will grow out of this stage!

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Our puppy is almost one and she is still quite a jumper.  When we come home, even if it's after just a short time away, she's all over us.  It's even worse when we have friends over. What can we do about this?

Did you know that a dog that's about twelve months old really is the human equivalent of a fifteen-year-old?  So, technically, your "puppy" is really in the middle of adolescence!  

To stop jumping up, we recommend you play a game we call Radioactive Dog.  In Radioactive Dog, everyone (kids, adults, friends) "actively ignores" your jumping girl by making a sound of disgust —  I like "UGH!"  Next, whoever has been jumped on should cross his or her arms and turn away from the dog if she continues jumping.  This works better than yelling at your dog or giving them more attention!

At Zen Dog Training Online, you can find videos under Jumping Up, as well as a one page PDF about Radioactive Dog that you can print  and share with your family!