How to stop your puppy from barking

One of my clients has been having trouble getting their puppy to stop barking. They have tried ignoring him when he barks and rewarding him when he's quiet, but it hasn't been working. A friend of theirs suggested taking a  can of pennies and dropping it on the floor when the dog barks. They want to know what I think, so I thought I'd put my response in my blog so others could benefit.

Here's my advice:

Don't use a can of pennies.
I would not recommend using a can of pennies. Whatever you wouldn't do with a toddler, you shouldn't do with a dog, especially a young puppy. Basically, what the can of pennies does, if the best case scenario is achieved - meaning the noise was timed exactly right - the dog will learn that barking causes the feeling of a momentary heart-stopping fear of getting physically hurt. I won't go into all the reasons why using these types of methods in training is harmful and risky, but I will say that it usually swaps out one problem for one or several much bigger problems. In the case of barking, what if the puppy was barking because he had to go outside? Or if he wanted to warn you of danger? Or of anything else that you actually might want him to be able to communicate to you? Then you're not only teaching him not to bark, but not to tell you when he wants to go outside, or not to alert you when he things something is really wrong or when he's distressed. If he's barking for attention or some other reason, whatever is in his mind or environment at the time of the can dropping is going to be something he's going to avoid.

Why isn't the no-punishment approach working?
Anyway, enough warnings. What do they do about it, then? Their neighbors are angry and they are pulling their hair out.  And they've tried the force-free approach of ignoring him when he barks and rewarding quiet, which, like I said before, is not working. This is because changing behavior is a 2-pronged endeavor, and doing one or the other simply will not work 90% of the time. What these particular dog owners are doing is the first prong or component - they are attempting to install an alternative behavior. They're removing the reward for barking and rewarding for quiet instead. Great. However, they are not doing the other component, which is equally crucial. They are not preventing the unwanted behavior from occurring in the first place, thereby addressing the cause of the behavior.

So what should they do?
They should use the 2-pronged approach to behavior change - they should 1. prevent the unwanted behavior and 2. install an alternative behavior. Here's how:

1. Prevent the unwanted behavior
Pups bark for three reasons, usually. For attention or to communicate, to alert to something in the environment, or out of boredom. So to prevent these from happening, we want to do the following:

• For attention: continue ignoring barking for attention. 
• Use white noise and visual blockers to keep the pup from hearing every little noise and seeing squirrels, leaves and other things moving around outside. Wax paper is a good way to block a window but still let in light.
• Give your pup the equivalent of a really good novel to get out all his mental energy. This takes creativity - I have yet to meet a puppy who is challenged and interested enough in a toy you just pick up off the shelf at petco. Use food-dispensing toys in creative ways - with interesting scents like fish oil or coconut oil - that are intriguing to your pup. Find ways to get him thinking and working and he'll have less mental energy left over to bark. This is major. If you do nothing else, do this, and you will probably see a change. In addition, this is necessary to success. You can do all the training in the world, but if your dog isn't getting enough mental stimulation, it won't work.
• Make sure your pup is getting enough physical exercise and jaw exercise. Running and chewing.

2. Install an alternative behavior
We don't want our pups to bark, but we can't expect them to never want to get our attention or alert us to things. They depend on us for survival, so it is unreasonable to simply remove all their tools for initiating any communication with us as their caretakers. So here's what to do:

• Reward for quiet in situations where he would usually bark. Alone in his pen, when a squirrel runs by, when someone walks up the stairs, etc. Also, reward when he stops barking - meaning, when he skips a bark, or seems to think to himself, "Is it possible this human won't respond to my barking?" Then you want say, "YES, that's exactly it, I don't respond to barking, I respond to you standing there and thinking about how to get my attention."
• Train auto-behaviors. These are behaviors that your dog can offer without being asked to get your attention or to get a reward. For example, you can train your dog to "sit to say please." 

SO, that's my advice. Tried and true, and no risky punishment training involved. I'd love to hear other peoples' stories, ideas and comments - do you have any great ideas for setting up sensory barriers to stop your dog from alerting to every little thing? Or how to keep your dog busy for long periods of time? My favorite is a squirt of whipped cream in a Kong Genius. I'd love to hear your ideas.

Salty Paws Solution

Booties.

I live near Prospect Park.  I took advantage of the snow day to bring my dog to the meadow to romp in the snow (which he loves - he's truly a sight to behold).  I saw at least three people on the sidewalks carrying their dogs (one definitely over 60 lbs) to avoid the salt stinging their poor paws.  I would have done the same exact thing.

BUT, my dog was wearing booties.  And I did my homework - the best booties are the ones WITH VELCRO.  All other ones will come off.  My dog has houdini-ed his way out of many a bootie.  True, running in 2 feet of snow in a meadow will knock off any kind of doggie footwear, but I take off the booties when we get to the meadow because there's no salt there anyway.

If your dog has paw sensitivity issues, there is definitely hope.  My own dog would cower and hide when he sensed I was even thinking about coming within a foot of his paws.  With a little desensitization and counterconditioning, we worked through it, and now I put his booties on by tapping each leg one by one and saying "Lift." It can be done.

And now, here's a hilarious video of dogs wearing booties for the first time.  Don't worry, they get used to it.

When teaching cute tricks backfire

I love Dr. Sophia Yin.  She's brilliant.  Here she is teaching her dog to fetch a tissue when she sneezes.  Cute!  But, I can see how this could backfire.  How?  When the dog doesn't realize this behavior is only good when it's requested, not offered.  This is crucial.  Otherwise, when her dog sees that she has something he wants, he'll resort to what all dogs resort to - trying all the tools in his toolbox to earn access to it, including fetching tissues.  That could be messy!

I had an unfortunate experience with a cute behavior recently.  I was in the process of teaching my dog Riis to push my baby daughter's swing.  However, I hadn't gotten to the point where we were putting it on cue yet.  So, one day, my husband had just spent 45 minutes getting our daughter to sleep, and placed her carefully in the swing so as not to wake her. What does Riis do?  He goes right over and bumps the swing with his nose, swinging it like a champ, and waking up the baby.  Needless to say, my husband did not think that trick was very cute.

You might have had this problem with teaching your dog "Paw" or "Shake."  Often they start to paw at you whenever they want your attention.  It is important not to reward this, and to reward only when you ask for it!  Not only will this get rid of the annoying unsolicited pawing, but it will teach your dog that she needs to take advantage of the opportunity to earn a treat when you ask her for something.  It will make her that much more attentive to you.

Nose Work for Dummies

Hide half your dog’s food in different places in your house.  He’ll tire himself out using his nose to find it!  Dogs are hardwired for hunting and enjoy doing what they do best.  So he’ll be satisfying a crucial part of his daily needs as well.

Doggies on Diets

Does your dog have to watch his figure?  Retire his food bowl for a while and use his food for training.  Feed it to him during his morning walk, for example, to reward loose leash walking.

Tip of the Day: Leverage Prey Drive

If you’re having trouble getting your dog to come to you, try making a crazy sound and running in the other direction.  Sounds bizarre, but it’s a good bet in a pinch.

Thinking is exhausting...

Remember that for dogs, working their brains can be just as tiring as working their bodies.  Get some food-dispensing puzzles so that your dog has some good mental stimulation on a daily basis.

Tip of the Day: Bones.

Ask your butcher if he’s discarding any bones that week.  Take them off his hands, freeze them, and give them to your dog when he’s bored.  He’ll love it!  Just make sure they are dog-safe - chicken bones, for example, are not.

Tip of the Day: What to tell your kids

It’s not safe to instruct children to put their hands near a dog’s nose so he can sniff them.  Instead, ask them to make a fist and hold it down by their knees, and if the dog wants to engage with them he will approach.  Otherwise, it’s not safe to pet that dog.

Tip of the Day: Personal Space

Not all dogs are comfortable with strange dogs approaching them while they’re on leash.  Respect other dogs’ space and avoid possible altercations by looking at the other dog’s body language, and then always asking the owner if a greeting is permissible.

Tip of the Day: Brushing for Calm

Brushing your dog isn’t just good for getting out knots in long hair.  Short hair or long, brushing with a soft-pronged brush or mitt will help distribute oils in your dogs skin while helping her relax.  Make sure you brush with long, slow strokes.

Tip of the Day: Too Many Leftovers!

Don't know what to do with all your leftovers? Put them in a Kong, wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap, and freeze it.  Your dog will appreciate it!  Just make sure all the food is dog-safe.

Puppy socialization: 5 reasons to socialize your dog... from a very vet-friendly dog trainer.

1. You can't go back in time.
This fact of life throws a wrench in a lot of otherwise great plans.  Sports betting, for example.  But I'm talking specifically about how the impossibility of time travel pertains to our dogs.  They have a certain window of time when they're young to be socialized to all kinds of different people, dogs, animals, objects, terrains, etc. that they will encounter in their lives.  If you miss this window, you'll probably find yourself in the land of counterconditioning and desensitization later on... which might hold you hostage for months on end.

2. It can be embarrassing when your dog is not well socialized.
Dogs are supposed to enrich out social lives.  Let them do that to their full potential.  Don't end up with a dog who freaks out every time you approach him with your puffy jacket on or has a heart-stopping reaction to the occasional encounter with a bearded man.  It can be pretty embarrassing, to say the least.

3. Dogs like it.
Puppies like stretching their little brains.  Socialization should always be pleasant and sub-threshold, never stressful, or you're giving your dog a reason to fear instead of relax, which is counterproductive.  Also, it's a great way to tire out a rowdy puppy so you can take a breather once in a while!

4. People like it.
Self-explanatory.  I doubt you'll have trouble finding any shape, size or color of person to greet your puppy.  If you do, they're just crazy.

5. Your life will be easier later on.
If you're going out of town for the weekend, you will have a better chance of being able to comfortably leave your dog with a friend if you don't have to warn them about her tendency to attack the strange humans on the street with the giant reflective eyeballs (sunglasses) or ask them to refrain from vacuuming as it may send your dog into shock.  That's a really unsettling situation.

The good news is.. these scenarios are often so easily avoidable!  Contact us for more info on what to do if you've just brought home a new puppy - and ask for clarification if you feel you're getting conflicting info from your vet.  Safety should always come first, but socialization is vital!

DIY Healthy Dog Treats = Revolution in my kitchen.

Yours truly has just received in the mail a brand new food dehydrator.  I couldn't be more excited.  Now, I've been known to go above and beyond when it comes to treats for the many dogs in my life, but this is different.  I know everyone's not going to make fish brownies (see photo) or liver cakes (both recipes from the book How Many Dogs?! by positive trainer Debby McMullen).  Although if you do make them, your dogs and/or cat will thank you profusely.  (And any humans you live with will threaten to throw up all over the kitchen if you make them again).

Anyway, despite the fun that that activity inspired, there is an easier way!  BUY A FOOD DEHYDRATOR.  Dry meats from your nearest Halal butcher or fruits and veggies from the farmer's market.  They will last forever, they're cheap, and they are HEALTHY.  I highly recommend it.

Not only will this save you money, you'll be doing your dog a favor by avoiding preservatives and other junk that's in store bought treats.  If your dog has a weight problem but you still want to continue the fun training you've been doing, this is a solution.  If your dog has a sensitive stomach, this is a solution.  Hot dogs and cheese aren't the only way to feed your dog something she loves.

And now I have to go - getting ready to dehydrate some goodies for the lovely dogs at the Humane Society tomorrow.

A few days later:  I just came across this warning about various jerky treats being dangerous to your dog.  

The age-old complaint, "my dog only listens when I have food."

I was volunteering this past summer for a rescue organization, handling a black lab mix-looking puppy who couldn't have been more than three months old.  I was having a great time getting her to do a few basic skills for potential adopters.  She clearly hadn't had any training before, and the woman who worked at the kennel where she was being boarded confirmed this.  When I told her that Mandy (the puppy) had been successfully practicing Sit, Down and Paw, she said, "Yeah, well, of course she'll do that for treats."

Yes, Mandy would do all those things for treats.  And lucky for us that she would, because that's what makes it so easy to train her.  Why would I not use treats?  If you have poor eyesight that can be remedied with prescription glasses, why not get the glasses?  Yes, you'll have to wear them on your nose, and they  might be cumbersome at times.  But wouldn't you rather that than not be able to see?  I would rather have to reinforce my dog's behavior with treats every once in a while than have to either intimidate them into compliance or just have an ill-behaved dog.

But I am, in fact, being kind of unfair to the kennel woman.  We aren't referring to the same practice when we talk about using food in dog training.  Debby McMullen, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, explains that food can be used in dog training in three ways: as a bribe, a lure, or a reward.  The woman from the kennel was deploring the use of food as a bribe.  I am endorsing the use of food as a lure or a reward.  And it's true - she's right that using food as a bribe will likely teach your dog not to listen to you unless he sees the food in your hand.  And that's not good.

So in conclusion: Use food.  Use it sparingly to get your dog into the position you want to reward.  Then fade out the food by faking out your dog.  Use the same hand motions but without food in your hand as a lure.  Your dog will perform the same behavior, thinking you have food - so start to make it clearer and clearer that you have no food visible on your person as you cue him to the behavior.  He will realize that not seeing food does not mean that you won't produce it out of thin air if he just does what you ask.  That food magically appearing out of thin air is the reward.  Reduce the frequency of the reward, but keep it present so the behavior remains strong.  That's a quick description of how to correctly use food.  Don't bribe your dog, and you won't teach him to expect that.

Buckle up your dog

A lot of you are probably planning to travel with your dog over the holidays. If you're going on long car rides, it's a good idea to buckle her up. You don't need a special dog seatbelt, although those are probably safest. You can just use a back-fastening halter. Attach the leash, then wrap it around the headrest.

Actually, I recommend using harnesses for your dog any time they are on leash. It's just much safer and more comfortable, not to mention an easy training aid for the dog that pulls. The harness doesn't put pressure on your dogs trachea like collars do, and a damaged trachea is a lifelong problem. Even if your dog doesn't generally pull, she can still do plenty of damage with one lunge towards a squirrel. And the front clip doesn't let your dogs forward pulling pay off - it swings them around without letting them move straight forward. If it fits correctly, you'll see results.

Welcome DC Dog Lovers! Useful tips from a DC dog trainer.

Welcome to my new blog.  I hope you find it interesting and informative.

I remember when I got my third dog several years ago, and I was confident that I knew all about dogs.  Training them, interacting with them, etc. - I had lived with dogs before, I watched a lot of Dog Whisperer, and read a book or two about obedience training.  But I was sorely mistaken - and very unprepared.

Riis (named for Riis Park in NY, where I'm from) is a mutt that I adopted from a rescue organization.  He was found with the rest of his litter in a cardboard box on the side of a road in Memphis, Tennessee.  By the time he got to me, he was about four months old, ten pounds, and full of fear and anxiety that manifested itself in a whole host of behavior problems.  He was reactive to other dogs, had severe touch sensitivity - would flinch when touched anywhere on his body, and completely freak out when you went near his ears or paws - and was generally fearful of any unfamiliar noise or movement to the point that he was literally stopped in his tracks a dozen times a day.

Nothing I did to train or modify his behavior was working.  All the information I found was either really distasteful (using shock collars and other aversives) or I didn't understand enough to really believe it would work.  I felt guilty for failing to help my dog and myself, I felt confused about why I couldn't change him using all the expert advice I had come across.

Finally, I found a trainer who employed positive training methods.  For once, her reasoning made sense to me.  So much so that it changed the course of my professional life.  I've been working with dogs ever since, and it has made me a more observant and compassionate person to people and dogs alike.

The contents of this blog, then, should hopefully provide some comfort to dog owners who feel like they're out of ideas, at the end of their rope, or just want to learn more about how they can interact and understand their dog in a more positive way.

Riis, fixated on a piece of broccoli on our kitchen table.

Happy reading!