Xena the Couch Surfing Standard Poodle.

Meet Xena!

Xena is one classy lady. She is intelligent and collected, but exuberant and friendly when warranted. All in all she is one rather well behaved poodle. We met with her owner for a general training session, rather than for something specific though, as with any dogs, Xena had her quirks... Turns out Ms. Xena is quite the couch hog! If her owners settled down for a nice evening, Xena would hop right up with them and take up exactly as much space as she wanted — which ended up leaving very little room for her owners. This is a behavior we see all the time, and told Xena’s owner that we had a simple, easy solution for it.  Xena's "mom" said:

“But I like it!”

This is also a behavior we see all the time. One of the most common questions we get from clients is “Should our dog be allowed on the furniture?” What is nice about this question is that there really isn’t a right or wrong answer! The better question would be: “Do you like to have your dog on the couch with you?” If you asked a group of dog trainers whether or not their dogs are allowed on the furniture a majority of them would likely answer “Yup!” (And not a small number would even admit to letting their dogs sleep on the bed!) Some people don’t want to have the dog on the couch, but other owners enjoy having the company — especially on a cold New England night.

We tell clients that it is perfectly acceptable to curl up on the couch with their dogs — but we have a set of rules we recommend. We don’t want your dog to jump up anytime they wish. Make it a privilege; your dog is only allowed on the couch when you give permission. This will not only prevent unwanted couch hogs, but also allow you to have company when you want to, and even use the sofa as a reward for good behavior! This is especially useful when playing Rewarding With Love.

By implementing a few simple rules you can reclaim your couch while keeping your furry heater by your side!

For more information on Rewarding with Love, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Bon Appétit, Let ME Eat!

This gorgeous gal is Layla, the friendliest yellow Lab you could ever meet.  Don't be suckered by her adorable-ness — this girl's a beggar... at the dinner table, that is.

Mealtimes can be challenging for dogs, especially those who've made a hobby of scooping up tidbits food they've found under the table.  Layla's "dad" just needed her to relax in her pen while he prepped and ate his dinner.

Our goal was to teach Layla that when her dad was eating, she not only had to behave, she had to entertain himself.  If your dog is a beggar, let him know that whining and pawing at you at the table isn’t the way to get attention!  Teach him that he's being rather rude. Show your dog that the only mealtime behavior you respect is politely waiting for you to finish eating.

With Layla, we first tried to outsmart her by using a tether.  A tether is an indoor leash that you clip to your dog’s collar with one end and attach the other to something solid and heavy that your dog can’t move, like your living room sofa.  At mealtimes, it’s best to tether your dog to something far from wherever you’re eating.  In other words, we weren't going to tether Layla to the coffee table when her owner's friends came over with a pizza to watch the game.

Another technique we discussed for Layla is using a crate to contain her or a baby gate to separate her from where her dad eats.  No matter what you works for you — crating, separating or tethering — give your dog something to do while you eat.  Bully sticks and other long-lasting chew toys are great things to give your dog.  Sweeten the deal by trying a few things out, identifying your dog’s favorite and using that exclusively at mealtimes.  This way, your dog will be excited when it’s time for you to eat!

Something else to consider is scheduling your dog’s mealtimes at the same time as yours.  If you do this, just remember 99% of dogs eat faster than most people do. Food acquisition devices (like the Busy Buddies made by Premier) are fantastic since your dog has to nose, paw and move these toys around in order for kibble and treats to fall out.  A huge extra bonus of using food acquisition devices is that playing with these toys is mentally stimulating to dogs — wouldn't it be incredible if your dog got tired just from eating dinner?

If your dog finds using a food acquisition device to be confusing, teach him how it works.  Get down on the floor together, bat the toy around and let your dog see (and lick up) all the delicious morsels that fly out of it.  He’ll get the hang of it, and soon you’ll have a dog who loves it when you eat!

For more information on dining around your dog, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Help! My Dog Chews EVERYTHING!

It's a question we get all the time: "How do I make my dog stop chewing on X, Y, and Z??" The truth of the matter is that dogs are naturally inclined to chew. Dogs explore the world with their mouths the same way we explore and investigate with our hands. They also chew when left home alone because it's something they enjoy doing! The problem comes when your dog decides that it would be fun to chew up your nice new pair of shoes. So what can you do to solve the problem?

First of all, you can prevent our dogs from chewing non-dog items by keeping them all out of his reach. You can make sure to put our shoes away on a shelf when we get home. Or to put away all of your socks in the place he can't get to. If your dog likes paper, pick up a couple of trash cans with lids to keep him from getting at any Kleenex or napkins. If you need to, don't be afraid to use a crate for your dog while he is learning what he can, and can't, chew on — just put his favorite toys (such as a stuffed bone or Kong) in his crate when you leave. And remember: a tired dog is a well behaved dog! Before you leave in the morning, take your dog to the park, go for a jog, or even play fetch in the house — get him running and panting any way you can.

You also want to teach your dog what he's allowed to chew on by providing plenty of legal alternatives. Have a good variety of types and textures of toys for your dog to play with and chew on. He will be less likely to get bored with what he has and more likely to find a fun toy to play with. Also, notice what your dog likes to chew. If he tends to chew on socks or gloves, make sure he has a nice plush (but durable) toy that he loves. If he starts to devour the baseboards in your home, get him a nice hard stuffed bone or an antler to chew on. You can use they toys (especially the plush ones) to play games like fetch or Tug of War to get him interested in the new toys — and to tire him out!

To help him learn what he can, and cannot, chew on you will want to keep a sharp eye on him so you can interrupt him when he goes for something he shouldn't then refocus him on one of his toys. When you see him start to sniff or chew something other than his toy, simply tell him "uh-uh", stop him from chewing and offer him one of his own toys. If you take a minute to play with him with his toy, he'll turn his focus to his own toy more often. By using these three steps, you will be well on your way to teaching your dog what he can, and more importantly can't, chew on!

If you notice that your dog primarily chews while you are gone, or tends towards more destructive chewing, it might be a sign of a larger issue. If you have questions or are concerned please give us a call at (617) 233-5496!

To learn more about Solving Problem Behaviors, check out Zen Dog Training Online!

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/francapicc/

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.

One of the Many Uses of The Name Game.

Meet Karma!

Karma is a fluffy doe-eyed Havanese. He is absolutely adorable and as you can imagine a magnet for attention. Karma shares a home with five humans in a large high-rise. There's never a shortage of willing participants to lavish attention on him. At times there can be a lot of unpredictable activity in the home which can be very overwhelming for a dog like this. In the last month he's resorted to barking at even the slightest stirring, and in a multi-level apartment complex this is a disturbance which later can lead to serious consequences for his owners.

With a household this large and this busy, it can be an epic challenge to get everyone on the same page. Without a steady schedule, it can be difficult for Karma to feel safe and secure in his surroundings. When a dog feels insecure, there are many ways in which he might act out. Left uncorrected, this could lead to other more drastic behaviors. Before things got too out of control, Karma had to learn that barking was not the way to solve his problem.

We introduced many games to help not only build up Karma's confidence, but also to include every member of the family. It can get pretty confusing for a dog living in a busy environment, so we wanted to make sure that Karma get some clarity. One one the games we played with Karma was the Name Game. Name Game has multiple applications such as teaching Karma to come to us for the exchange of a treat. This game would prove very useful when strangers appeared at the door. Instead of barking Karma could play this game and he could play it with every member of the family.

For more information about the various applications of techniques like Name Game, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Jolly Talk.

Meet Bella!

Bella is a two-year-old Yorkie/Jack Russell cross who had lived with two other families before moving in with her current owners. In her newest home she was so fearful of strangers and loud noises that it had resulted in her owners completely abstaining from actual walks. Bella would panic and pull violently towards the house on a regular walk. She even began barking at the construction going on at the neighbors. She was simply terrified of the world outside of the house.

When dogs are subjected to a lot of inconsistency, they often lack a sense of security with their surroundings. Desensitizing a dog from things that seem scary is a way to help acclimate them to big changes. Bella's owners were asked to bring Bella outside to a section of the neighborhood that felt tolerable to her and just sit. As Bella began to get anxious and nervous her owner's were instructed to use what we call Jolly Talk.

Jolly Talk is basically using a calm but confident tone to say things to your dog like "It's fine, Buddy" or "Relax." Using Jolly Talk with random treats helped Bella to build a positive association with the outside world. When desensitizing a dog you must be very careful not to push the dog over threshold. This mean that you want to start out with something simple and work on that until your dog no longer shows signs of fear or nervousness rather than get your poor pooch in over their heads.

For more information on Jolly Talk, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Rhody the Portuguese Water Dog.

Meet Rhody!

Rhody is a thirteen-week-old Portuguese water dog who lives in a large home, in a quiet neighborhood. He's got all of the best doggie amenities: a huge fenced in yard, plenty of toys and treats, and another dog companion.

Most puppies at this age are ready to take on the world. They're excited, inquisitive and always looking for new adventures. Rhody, on the other hand, seemed more than content to stick to his own little world, which was safe and certain. That wasn't always the case outside the confines of his puppy palace!

New people and loud noises were scary to Rhody. He took to growling at or chasing strange people on bikes or joggers, and barking at loud trucks and the mailman. He also ran away from meeting new people. Rhody's lack of exposure to new experiences had made him extremely sensitive to changes in his usual routine.

Dogs tend to do one of two things when they feel threatened:

• They will flee from a scary situation, or
• They will stand their ground and put up a fight.

As a puppy, a dog has to have plenty of positive exposures to as many new people and situations as possible. This is know as socialization!

For Rhody, it was clear that he would need to be systematically desensitized from things that frightened him. One of the ways to do this is to Treat for Confidence. By giving Rhody treats for tolerating gradual exposure to something or someone new, we helped him make a positive association that took the place of a negative one.

It's important to pay attention to your dog's reaction when introducing him to new things. You do not want to introduce your dog to too many things at once or to something he's clearly not ready for yet. This of course can have the exact opposite effect. If things seem questionable or you are uncertain of the situation, don't risk it.

To learn more about socialization and Treating for Confidence, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Outsmarting Your Dog

Meet Roux!

This sixteen-week-old newly-adopted hound mix has a real lust for life! Bouncing, jumping, scratching and mouthing, anything to get your attention, and any attention will do. Roux's owner wanted help get control of these problematic behaviors before things got out of hand. It's easy to forget that even negative attention serves as a reward to a dog looking for consideration, especially when they are barking up a storm or chewing on your furniture.

Your first line of defense against unwanted behavior is to Outsmart your dog. This entails a whole arsenal of management strategies, like having the proper tools, such as indoor leashes and treats. These tools prevent your dog from making the wrong choice in the first place. Managing your dogs environment is another way to illustrate good decision making, by crating or setting up safe areas to confide your pup in while you cook dinner.

There are times when you may fail to get the drop on outsmarting your pooch and poor conduct will commence. Let's say your pup displays attention seeking habits such as play biting you, in times like that, outsmarting or managing the situation just isn't an option. The fastest way to ensure that the behavior stops, is to indicate disaproval and to remove your attention. This will teach your dog that the only way to GET your attention, is by acting the way you prefer them to.

For more information on the Zen Dog Training System, 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.

Fear is Not The Time To Train.

Meet Daisy!

Daisy had a tendency to be fearful of men, especially when they come to her door, the mailman being the main culprit. Daisy takes her self appointed position of guard dog pretty seriously. Barking to drive the intruder away was her major line of defense but things got scarier for Daisy if the intruder actually ended up on the inside of her house. There all kinds of thing you can do to manage your dogs environment and to set things up to discourage barking but if fear is a factor, than you may have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

If your dog is acting scared or uncertain towards something or someone it's very important to realize that what's happening is NOT a training moment . When fear is the emotion your dog experiences, an instinct known as Fight or Flight tends to kick in. Your dog is simply not able to apply your human logic to the situation and as a result, will most likely pay no attention to you or worse, escalate their behavior. Keeping your cool is a large component of successes at times like this. Stay calm, take a Yoga Breath or some Jolly Talk ( clam and reassuring comments to your dog ) and offering your pooch a treat for confidence can help to desensitize their fear. When your dog has calmed down then you can resume training.

For More information in Jolly Talk, Yoga Breath and Treating for Confidence visit Zen Dog Training Online.

How to Speak Dog.

Meet Cody!

Cody the cockapoo is handsome as they come. He loves to have company because he loves being the center of attention! In fact he is so accustomed to the limelight that he absolutely demands it.

When we visited Cody's home, he exhibited one attention-seeking behavior after another. When no one responded to his attempts, he quickly escalated to being extremely pushy and somewhat brash. While sitting on the couch he would throw himself into someone's lap and when they tried to remove him he would retaliate with a growl or a nip. This behavior was totally unacceptable especially since Cody's household includes two children.

It can be very nervewracking to have an extremely cute dog that is unpredictable. Everyone wants to interact with him, but you can't be certain of how he's going to behave. If your dog is protesting your directive with aggressive behavior, you may want to just give in to your dog's demands simply because you're unsure of the proper way to handle the situation. This will unfortunately give a dog the false impression that he's the one calling the shots. In short, there is a lack of balance between you and your pet, and it's unclear to your dog what exactly is acceptable and what is not.

Communicating to your dog can be difficult since they don't speak English! They do, however, understand some of our words. Using simple words like "YES!" or making noises like "EHH!" or "AHH!" can help establish clear positive and negative indicators for your dog. Words are fine and dandy, but they need to be accompanied by reinforcement in order for dogs to understand the words' meanings. Praise should be immediately followed with rewards like treats or attention, and reprimands should have consequences like being ignored or excluded from what's happening at that moment.

For more information about establishing clear means of communication with your dog, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Preparing Your Dog for the Arrival of Your New Baby.

Meet Chloe!

Chloe is a 90 pound Boxer/Great Pyrenees Mix and she is used to being the center of attention. That's until her owners came home one day with a brand new baby!

Other than a little curious, Chloe seemed fairly comfortable with the families newest addition. Chloe belonged solely to her male owner first and her female owner had some problems getting Chloe to obey her commands as obediently as her husband's commands. Add to that the daunting tasks off having a new baby and I'm sure you imagine a whole list of possible problems that could arise. Lucky for Chloe her owner's realized the need for some professional help and that's when they contacted Zen Dog.

Honestly, the best possible time to start preparing your dog for the arrival of a baby is NOW. If you wait until the baby arrives you'll find yourself in a very comprising position and allot less free time to devote to your dogs training. Working on basic obedience with Chloe and both her owners would help ensure prompt responses to commands given as well as help define the new rules for Chloe. One of the most important things to get Chloe to understand was not to use her teeth for any reason. For Chloe her size alone was an issue and even incidental contact of her teeth could cause injury to an infant or small child. Games like Taking Treats Gently can greatly improve your dogs bite inhibition. In this game you present your hand with a treat concealed inside to the dog and wait until the dog gives up trying to use their mouth to access the treat then you feed it to them open handed.

Last but not least was introducing the idea of an indoor tether. A tether is a leash anchored to a secure object that you attached the dog to the end of. This would prove extremely useful when mom was home alone with the dog and baby. For example when someone comes to the door or the phone rings, when ever a situation comes up in which there disciplining isn't an option.

For more information about games like Taking Treats Gently, visit Zen Dog Online.

House Training an Adult Dog.

Meet Bella!

Bella is a sweet and even tempered, newly adopted Boston Terrier. Bella's new owners have owned Boston Terriers before and have a good handle on the basics as far as training goes. They stumbled on to a perplexing problem when they discovered that Bella was not necessarily house trained. Since one of Bella's new owner's is physically handicapped and the other works a very full time job, this became a significant issue.

First off I must disclose that when an adult dog starts soiling indoors or at inappropriate times, it may indicate potential heath problems. A visit to your veterinarian to rule out a medical condition may be in order. In Bella's case we were able to determine that it was due to a drastic change in her normal routine, post adoption. Even dogs that may be reliably house trained can breakdown when exposed to major changes. Most likely due to anxiousness and confusion.

When this happens, simply go back to the basics of house training. Re-establishing the rules will help your new dog understand what's expected of them and what is unacceptable. Some tips and tools that can help you take control of the problem are:

• 100 percent supervision is the only way to guarantee that your pooch won't make a mistake.
• The use of crates or indoor leads for when supervision is not an option.
• Restriction of food and water after certain times of day.
• Keeping a log of your dogs natural elimination habits to help create a routine for you and your dog.
• Rewarding successful outdoor eliminations with tasty treats.

For more information on Housetraining or to schedule and appointment with a Zen Dog Trainer, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Home Alone Training.

Meet Sully!

Sully the old English sheepdog has traveled the world with his owners. He lived for many years in Europe and now resides in the heart of Boston. Being a very dog-friendly city, Boston is filled with all kinds of people that are big admirers of canine companions. On any given walk there's a plethora of folks just itching to say hi to Sully.

The etiquette where Sully was living in Europe was quite different. Most of Sully's European neighbors were comfortable with dogs, but were more "hands off" than Bostonians. Imagine Sully's confusion when his walk suddenly included groups of strangers waiting to manhandle him! In addition, one of Sully's owners is frequently away on business, so most of the time it's just him and one other person at home.

Sully reacted to this new enviorment by barking at anyone "strange" and desperately trying to avoid being left alone. He became anxious about being home alone. This was a problem for many reasons, mainly because Sully's owner could hardly walk out the front door to collect the mail.

Having the right tools for the job at hand is a big factor. Having to deal with Sully's barking when a construction crew needs access to the home was a monumental task. We suggested using a tether for Sully when people came over to the house. A tether is simple a leash or cable tied to something secure to prevent a dog from getting to the door when a visitor arrives. This is a way to manage the behavior. It was also very helpful for Sully's owners to give him a delicious bully stick when they needed to step out for a brief moment to curb some of his anxiety. Together these tips helped Sully feel more comfortable in his new environment.

For more information about tethers and Home Alone Training, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Addressing Demanding Behaviors.

Meet Simon!

This a tall and hansome young shepherd mix was in several different homes before we had the pleasure of meeting him. Needless to say Simon didn't really know whether he was coming or going. Once we entered the courtyard at his home, we were greeted by loud and macho barks. Once inside it was abundantly clear that Simon was mainly interested in being the center of attention. His persistence almost always surpassed that of his new owners. Simon's biggest challenge, however, was his aggressive behavior towards other dogs.

Right off the bat we introduced a tool called the drag line. A drag line is a leash that you use indoors. The drag line would help manage Simon's habit of guarding the front door and prevent any negative incidents from occurring. Simon also had a tendency of harassing everyone in the room for attention with such behaviors as mouthing and pawing. As a large and still growing dog, this behavior could pose a serious problem down the road. Making sure that Simon was not dictating his owner's behavior was accomplished by implementing a Nothing For Free policy. Simon would have to learn to earn peoples attention by exhibiting acceptable behavior.

Simon's dog aggression is an all together different issue and will take time to recondition. For help with dog on dog aggression or information on techniques like Nothing for Free visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Recalcitrant Waiter.

Meet Ollie!

This sturdy and dapper yellow Lab is just about a year old, which is entirely to old to be climbing on top of the dinning room table! But that's exactly what he did at Grandma's house. He also thinks the trash can is more like a treasure chest full of delectable treats just for him but then again, why wouldn't he think that? After all it is at his level and teeming with discarded food. His owners have yet to address these issues because, well, it happens when they are not at home.

Dogs are binary creatures, so in their world things either get better or worse. In order for them to learn that the trash can is not a buffet, there has to be a consequence attached to the act... which is impossible if you are not at home! Ollie was in the habit of doing whatever he wanted when no one was around.

As you can imagine this kind of behavior led to a prompt visit from Zen Dog. One of the ways we got Ollie to understand that his owners were in charge was to insist that he do thing their way. He can't simply help himself to whatever he wants whenever he wants! A good way to show your dog that compliance reaps great benefits is to practice eliciting appropriate behavior, such as laying down calmly while you partially fill his food bowl, in order to receive the reward. This is what we like to call Recalcitrant Waiter. At feeding time you can make it clear that helping yourself and being pushy just won't fly. Ollie had to learn that food came from his owners when he was being polite.

For more information on techniques like Recalcitrant Waiter, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Implementing an Ask Strategy.

Meet Sammy!

This terrier cross is a new and young addition to the household, where he lives with Bailey the older cock-a-poo and Ziggy the chow mix. All three dogs have very different needs and personalities, so the big challenge for Sammy's owners is controlling their dogs' environment.

Sammy had been showing extremely reactive behavior towards people when they try to physically handle him. A routine visit to the vet turned into a very stressful episode for poor Sammy. Sammy's owners had the good sense to understand that he needed some help adjusting to their busy household.

Sammy's reaction to the vet was clearly fear based and so playing games like the Name Game with him was perfect to help build a bound between him and his owners as well as accustoming him to being physically handled. The Name Game is an exercise in which you help build a positive association to when your dogs name is being called. You can also use this game as an Ask Strategy, to elicit a different behavior when your dog is showing signs of apprehension. We also talked about creating confinement areas for the dogs to help control and manage situations like when visitors enter the house and when the dogs needed to be separated from one another.

For help with your multi-dog household, visit Zen Dog Training Online.

My Walk!

Meet Gunner!

Picture a massive ninety pound ball of energy and affection, then put it on stilts... now you have Gunner. This exceptionally handsome Pitbull/Great Dane cross was the one calling the shots in his household. Now think about this: Gunner's owner is a lovely woman who is absolutely no match for his strength.

The fact that Gunner is part Pitbull unfortunately means that he and his owner may fall victim to discrimination from ignorant and fearful people. Because of this Gunner will be expected to uphold a greater level of obedience and manners. To add to the dynamic of his situation, Gunner's owner has brothers that like to rough-house with him. Fortunately Gunner's owner was keen to recognize that changes needed to be made before Gunner's conduct got out of hand.

It was plain to us trainers that most of Gunner's delinquencies were predominantly juvenile responses. He would, with proper adjustments, grow out of these behaviors. The first suggestion was to modify the rough-housing to structured games of Tug of War. By enacting specific rules and maintain consistency, Gunner's relatives could still play with him but without the effect of riling him up. Another solution that helped Gunner's owner gain more control during walks was the Red Light Green Light exercise. This taught Gunner that he was not in-charge and in fact he would have to look to his owner for approval.

For more information on Zen Dog games like Tug of War and Red Light, Green Light visit Zen Dog Training Online.

Addressing Problematic Behaviors -- Barking.

Meet Kiley! Picture a classic black lab and cross it with a Dachshund. Then add playfulness and an insistence on being the center of attention an you have Kiley! Kiley is also very sharp and has a lot of energy. Kiley's owner is a student and the Resident Assistant of her dorm. Her owner regularly visits with other students in her dorm room throughout the school year. Kiley's attention-seeking behavior can get pretty intense. She has been barking excessively at the door and even biting/mouthing visitors! Over time this behavior will get worse. Not only disruptive to other students but it is very uncomfortable for visitors who aren't familiar with dogs. Kiley's owner decided to take control of the situation before the new school year and called Zen Dog Training. Having the right tools for the job is key. One suggestion for Kiley's owner was to install a tether in her room. A tether is a leash or cable that is attached to a safe and secure place, away from the door while you let visitors enter your home. This is a good way to ensure that your company doesn't get bombarded by an excited dog. This also helps break your dog's habit of charging the door! It's OK to let them see the front door, but by making sure Kiley has calmed down (the barking has lulled for at least 2-3 seconds) she can teach her the right was to greet company. To learn more about how to manage a barking dog when you have guests, check out Barking at the Door at Zen Dog Training Online.

Treating for Confidence

Meet Madison!

You can't quite help yourself around this adorable seven-month-old Shih Tzu puppy. Everything about her says "LOVE ME!"

Madison lives with three humans and a ten-year-old Shih Tzu sister named Lindsey. At home, Madison is a playful and curious pup, quite typical for her age but when her environment expands or changes, she becomes very shy and tentative. Madison's owners wanted to fine-tune a few behaviors but also understand how to build her confidence in new situations.

Puppies start out with pre-established behaviors that we as humans tend to forget are completely normal. Behaviors such as playbiting or or peeing in the house. It is our responsibility to teach the puppy how we would prefer them to behave. Puppies under six months easily accept and attempt new things; beyond that age your pup becomes more and more resistant to new things if not regularly socialized.

Madison's wariness when around a large group of strange people or dogs is most likely attributed to a lack of socializing. She has reservations about new things and places and in order to change that we have to provide a positive association to these new elements. Giving your pup treats at random intervals when she is confronted with unfamiliar circumstances help largely to create a positive association. We call this Treating for Confidence. Allow your pup to investigate things and people at her own pace, being particularly careful not to force things on her. Pressuring your pup to do something before she's ready to can result in making your pup even more fearful. Be calm and reassuring and your dog will learn to follow your lead.

For more information on Socialization and Treating for Confidence, please visit Zen Dog Training Online.