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> I've done several training classes with him, but they were all focused on treat training. What I have now is a dog that will only listen to me if I have a treat for him.

This is more so an issue with not fading the treat/being too reliant on treats rather than USING treats. You can learn about the training process from beginning to end and fading treat dependency here (in particular, check out the Rate of Reinforcement article and this article from Karen Pryor on Fading a Lure).

>She says treat training doesn't usually work for a Mastiff and she wants to do corrective training.


EEehhhuuuuurrrr....be careful with that. I am not going to say positive reinforcement is the absolute only way to train an animal, full stop - but really be aware of what your trainer is suggesting, WHY, and the cause/effect of your actions. It is important that you TEACH a dog what you WANT from them, not just correct them when they 'guess' wrong. That is when frustration sets in.

>She told me to tug harder when he did that, so I did. He started to bite at the leash, then he even started to bite at me.

Remember what I just said before about frustration? This is it. Your dog knows what has worked in the past, but now the rules have changed and he is being punished for doing what he has always done and doesn't know what you actually WANT him to do - just that being slower than you hurts and you jerk him around a lot. What type of 'training collar' are you using? Here is an exercise to teach heel without corrections.

>She told me she expected it and it's a normal response to what he sees as a challenge for dominance.

Dominance theory has been discounted.. You are not a dog and your dog knows that - he is not trying to be an 'alpha' or 'dominate' the situation. As I said before, your dog is frustrated and confused that he keeps getting 'corrected' and doesn't know what to do. Imagine trying to teach a child how to read by only 'correcting' them but never telling them when they are right (you just let them 'continue' when they are right) - if they already know a skill REALLY well, that may be fine! But if they don't they are likely to get very frustrated and want to give up. Any trainer that dismisses aggression like that is a huge red flag.

I wouldn't keep working with this trainer. She WAS right about one thing, however - if you are spoiling the dog (free treats, lots of treats, no varied training methods, very easy or light expectations, little or no structure or rules), that is going to make a lot of things much more difficult.

I would recommend reading through our wiki and also picking up Don't Shoot the Dog and Culture Clash to get a look into dog physiology and motivation so you can have a better understanding about your relationship with your dog and how to leverage certain needs and wants for training.

In terms of "what do you do now":

• Seek a different trainer - find one that uses positive reinforcement with a mix of different reinforcers.
  
  
• Introduce varied reinforcers - if your dog is highly treat motivated, that is GREAT, but try mixing it up with using toys or play (or life rewards like going outside or getting on the couch) as reinforcers, too! That way your dog will learn to work to get things in life, not JUST to work for treats. (see Nothing in Life is Free).
  
  
• It is also important to down play the use of treats - treats are a bonus. Focus on making training a game and building rewarding behaviors, not JUST on treats. Keep treats in a pouch or pocket and use empty hands and a calm tone to build direction for a behavior - do not just lure with treats! Look into clicker training to help break that reliance on treats and focus more on building behaviors.
  
  
• Treats should never be in a 'free for all' type of scenario where he is competing with other dogs. Treats are NEVER free! Where was he that this incident happened? Keep treats out of dog parks and if there are other people training around you, keep your distance. Teach a strong 'Leave it' command to help keep your dog focused and away from these types of situations.
  
  
• Your Mastiff is still very young so understand he is not going to be 'perfect' and will still likely be pretty excitable and energetic. Be patient and consistent with training. Keep sessions at home short (3-5 minutes) and frequent (3-5 times a day) and focus on one skill each session. If you are going to be working with a trainer, skip or postpone your prior meal to the session (so if you train at 6PM, skip dinner if you normally feed dinner at 5PM) and make sure he gets in a good amount of exercise to help keep him focused (a nice long walk, games in the yard, etc).
  
  
• Resource guarding is an issue with many dogs - if he only nipped to get a treat that is not AS concerning as biting/growling/attacking another dog - he was just being a jerk and a pig (but no damage was done). Nipping is how dogs communicate with each other - it is 'unacceptable' to us, but it how he tells other dogs to "back off". Unless you have other dogs in your house, keep him out of situations where he is 'competing' with other dogs for treats and work on reducing guarding tendencies in low key areas (feeding from your hands, working on 'take it'/'drop it', swapping out items instead of just taking things away, etc).
  
  
• In terms of children, I NEVER let our dog near 'stray' children I do not know. Many dogs get anxious around children and many children do not know how to properly interact with a dog. It is best to just avoid these scenarios at his age. If you have family members with trusted, younger children, you can try introducing them to him in low key areas at quiet times (arming them with treats and helping them toss them and teaching them to wait until he approaches - letting him eat treats out of open hands - showing them to pet on the chest or the back, not the face - etc).
  
  
• There are tons of exercises you can do in terms of desensitization to people on the street and capturing calmness. If you need more help with this feel free to search through our wiki, the dogtraining reddit or ask. It is a pretty indepth topic so I am going to skip the nitty gritty for now.
  
  If you feel like 'treat training' is not working out for you, focus more on the positive reinforcement aspects of it and less on "treat training". Work on teaching your dog WHAT you expect at gradually increasing levels of difficulty. When you are confident he knows his stuff THEN you can introduce more requirements/negative reinforcement. I am not talking choke chains or shock collars or pinching or anything along those lines - but more so that you expect your dog to do X before Y happens - no exceptions. If your dog KNOWS how to sit and KNOWS that he needs to sit at doors - give him 5 seconds to sit at the door to go on your walk or you dont go - go do something else for a few minutes and try again later. Raise your expectations as your dog's level of skill increases.
  
  As a further example, when working on leash skills, maybe you let your dog walk where ever as long as the leash is loose to really nail down a proper walk. Then, when he is great at responding to leash pressure, require him to be at your left side or the walk stops - etc. You can be 'corrective' without being 'punishing' and without using a single treat (but treats are always good to strongly reinforce a new or shakey behavior).
  
  Things like Martingales, head harnesses or front clip harnesses can be great tools for fine tuning or getting extra help (particularly with walking skills) but there is a time, place and method for using these things. Unlimited slip collars, shock collars or physically jerking, poking, pinching or otherwise antagonizing your dog are not the best ways to approach training - especially with shaky skill sets. You may find you need extra help from a training tool and that is FINE, but, again, be sure that you understand what you are subscribing to, the method/ideaology behind it, and how it can and does affect your dog.
  
  Instead of 'training' think 'teaching' - There are a million ways to teach a child and not any ONE way is right for every single one. You may need to be more delicate and dish out piles of rewards for one child, and another child you may need to be more strict. You need to find that balance for your dog. But remember, there are very VERY few instances out there where it pays to teach by only being aggressive or only giving out rewards for every little conceivable thing (e.g: always relying on that choke chain to let pain/intimidation teach your dog or always using a food lure and giving out 'jackpots' and rivers of treats for skills your dog has practiced many times).
  
  /r/dogtraining very strongly backs positive reinforcement. As someone who has used pretty much every method on the training spectrum I can say that for most dogs in most situations? A flavor of positive reinforcement is going to give you much better results then focusing on corrective or 'dominance' based training ideas. If you have questions about what positive reinforcement and how it is different from dominance based methods - check out the sidebar. There is a ton of great information on WHY we back the methods we do.

> eager to please


The Eager to Please Fallacy:

by Jean Donaldson in 'The Culture Crash'

http://www.amazon.com/Culture-Clash-Jean-Donaldson/dp/1617811122/

The anthropomorphic spin on dog behaviour is not limited to exaggerations of their intelligence. We also misinterpret their regard for us. When are we going to put to bed once and for all the concept that dogs have a "desire to please"? What a vacuous, dangerous idea. I'm still waiting to meet this dog who wants to please his owner. Indeed, where is this dog who is interested at all in the internal state of his owner except with regard to how manifestations of this state impact events of relevance to the dog? Actually, let's start by tracking down a dog who can form representations of another being's internal states at all. Although praise works as a reinforcer for some individuals in the total absence of any competing motivation, this effect is limited, and casts some pretty extreme doubt on a "desire to please" module.

Closer scrutiny makes the case even weaker. Rule out, for starters, that the praise functions as a safety cue--a predictor of extremely low likelihood of aversives. This is evident in traditional obedience classes. The primary motivation is said to be praise. The primary motivation is actually avoidance of aversives, called "leash corrections". If the trainer is any good, the dog learns that if a response is praised, a correction has been avoided, and so the praise acquires meaning and relevance. But does this mean the dog is employing this sound as evidence of some internal state of the maker of the sound? This is unlikely.

Praise can also acquire some "charge" as a secondary reinforce in the day-to-day life of a dog. People tend to praise dogs more before doling out cookies, attention, walkies and games. This all is more evidence of what we already knew and should be exploiting with a tad more sophistication: dogs learn by the immediate results of their actions, and by tip-offs to important events in their lives.

And yet the use of food in training meets moralistic resistance among a staggering number of owners. I Once spoke to a traditional trainer who poured scorn on the use of food as a motivator. The line he trotted out, and which still makes me retch even to this day, was: "If you use food to train, the dog is doing it for the food and not for you." This man's dog, trained by avoidance with a strangle collar, was supposedly doing it for him because the only positive reinforcer was praise. Trainers who make claims about dogs working "to please" or strictly for praise seem oblivious to the main motivator they employ: pain. The first task in training any animal is finding out what motivates it. No motivation, no training. All animals are motivated by food, water, sex, and avoiding aversives. If they are not motivated by these at all, they die. A lot of animals can be motivated by play, attention, and the opportunity to socialize with or investigate other dogs and interesting smells. All animals can be motivated by signals that represent one of these primary reinforcers, provided the relationship between the signal and the primary is kept adequately strong. This is mostly where praise comes in, as sort of a imprecise marker that tells the animal the probability of a primary has improved. If you opt not to use positive reinforcement, you end up, like they all do, using aversives and announcing that your dog is doing it for you. Pathetic.

None of this is to say praise isn't good or important. I personally praise my dogs an embarassing amount because I like them and I like doing it. They like it when I'm in a good mood because Good Things Happen for Dogs when She's in a Good Mood. I personally love it when someone like my Kung Fu instructor, who has power over me, is in a good mood, but not because I'm genetically wired with a desire to please him. My interest in my teacher's mood is pretty selfish, and I;m supposed to be a morally advanced human. Any interest you dog has in your mood is based on what he has learned it means for him. And that's okay.

Praise does work as a primary reinforcer for some dogs. They like it enough to work for it, especially when it's the only game in town, but this is weak grounds on which to marginalize those dogs for whom praise does not work as a primary reinforcer. It is also weak grounds to support the hypothesis of an underlying mechanism of desire to please. A lot of dogs seem to kind of life praise but won't reliably work for it. This is fine. There's a difference between expressing affection to the dog, for what it's definitely worth to the human and for whatever it may be worth to the dog, and relying on praise as a principal means of motivating an animal in training or behaviour modification. In other words, don't confuse bonding activities with training and behaviour mod. For the latter, heavier artillery is usually needed.

Some people feel disappointed to discover the necessity of using heavier artillery like food and access to fund and games and other primary reinforcers in order to condition their animal. They feel like their particular dog is a lemon because "he listens when he wants to," "only does it when I have a cookie" and has in short little or no desire to please. Generations of dogs have been labeled lemons for requiring actual motivation when all along they were normal. In fact, many people are actually put off by the intensity with which dogs will work for strong primary reinforcers such as food. It too directly assaults any cherished belief they might have in the desire-to-please myth, and makes them feel less important to the dog. ("Wow, is this what motivation looks like?") I'm still waiting to meet a real dog with desire to please. If he shows up, I'll send him for therapy.

The desire to please thing has been fed, largely, by the misreading of certain dog behaviours. Dogs get excited when we come home, solicit attention and patting from us, and lick us. They are very compulsive about their greeting rituals. They often shadow us around when we're available and become gloomier or even anxious when we leave. They are highly social and genetically unprepared for the degree of absence from family members they experience in a human environment. They also bounce back amazingly well, to a point, from the immense amount of punishment we mete out at them. They monitor our every movement. I can see how this could be interpreted as worship, but it's important not to get a big ego about it: they are monitoring our every movement for signs that something might happen for dogs.

My dogs' brains are continuously and expertly checking out the behaviour of humans, working out to eight decimal places the probability at any given second of cookies, walks, attention, Frisbee and endless hours of deliriously orgasmic games with the latex hedgehog. They appear devoted to me because I throw a mean frisbee and have opposable thumbs that open cans. Not to say we don't have a bond. We both are a bonding species. But they don't worship me. I'm not sure they have a concept of worship. Their love is also not grounds for doing whatever I say. It is, in fact, irrelevant to training. To control their behaviour, I must constantly manipulate the consequences of their actions and the order and intensity of important stimuli. Interestingly, some of the most sophisticated training jobs are done where no love and little bond is present. THis is not to say that training is not one of the best ways around to foster a bond. It is. But it's not a prerequisite of training.

The dog's ability to cope with stresses, deal with new/unexpected things, and interact with new strangers/dogs as an adult depends on two primary things: genetics and socialization. There are some dogs that naturally tend toward the anxious, reactive, suspicious end of the spectrum. There are others that naturally tend toward the stable, friendly, unshakable end of the spectrum. Every dog should be socialized to make the best of the genetic foundation you start with.

Socialization is more than just exposure. Your puppy class may have even done more harm than good, if he spent the whole class afraid and overwhelmed every week. Socialization should be about exposing the dog/puppy to new things at controlled, manageable levels (so maybe starting at a distance or at a low volume, or starting with a single very calm decoy dog or single very calm dog-savvy adult that totally ignores your pup) and making the experience positive and fun, so he enjoys it. Work at the level the dog is okay with. It's also about setting up and helping him overcome little challenges, letting him "win" the situation to build confidence. It's okay for him to be a little nervous at first sometimes, but the situation should feel safe enough and be positive and rewarding enough that he recovers and wiggles within a few minutes. If he spends the entire time he's exposed to the new person/dog/whatever feeling afraid, that can simply teach him that that sort of person/dog/whatever is something to fear.

• Patricia McConnell article (PDF) on how fear begins in puppies
  
• Paws4u post about genetics + experiences contributing to fear
  
• The Cautious Canine (McConnell) (pamphlet on fearful/anxious dogs)
  
• http://fearfuldogs.com
  
  A starting high level plan at this point would be:
  
  
• set him up to feel safe. Crate train, if you haven't yet, to give him a safe spot to hide and relax. If he doesn't yet love his crate, take the door off and only use it as a spot for fun, safe things. Feed him there, hide treats for him there when he's not looking, put the most comfortable dog bed there, cover it so it feels more secure, and position it in a place where he will like to use it as a bed. Other things that might help him feel safe include using Dog Appeasing Pheromone sprays/collars and playing white noise like static and fans to minimize how often he's startled by noises. When he's in his "safe spot" (crate), there are no strangers, nothing new/scary is presented, nothing scary happens. Helping him feel safe in at least one context, so he can retreat there if he's overwhelmed, is a step people tend to forget but it's really really important. Work on a mat settle if you need a more portable safe spot in addition to your crate. Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out does a good job of explaining how to do that.
  
• Countercondition and desensitize any of his fears to whatever degree you can. If you're working on fear of noises, stick with lower level noises like youtube videos of fire alarms on very low barely audible volumes. Follow each with something fun or exciting that makes him wiggle. You say he's not terribly food-motivated, but something gets him excited when he feels safe at home (toys/play maybe?)--use whatever that is, and keep the noise level very very low until you see a solid conditioned emotional response (he wiggles automatically when he hears the noise). If you decide food is still the best option, using high value food like lean chicken, liver, low-fat hot dogs, and low-fat cheese will work better than anything crunchy or most commercially available dog treats. If money is tight, tubs of raw chicken liver (fry or bake, then cut into tiny little bits before using) will be the best bang for your buck because they're cheap and highly palatable for even the pickiest dogs. Remember to decrease how much he's fed to make up for the added calories, and/or feed all of his food by hand for training exercises. You can also cc/d him to being handled, which sounds like a good idea given that he doesn't even like you touching him much. His life as a dog will be less stressful overall if he enjoys or at least isn't afraid of being touched. one example of counterconditioning paw touches. a kikopup example with collar reaches/touches/grabs
  
• Get him on board with willing husbandry behaviors. Teaching him a nose touch is a good start, because it lets you guide his head willingly with no physical force, by asking him to willingly nose your hand. That's also an easy way for him to control distance and initiate a positive interaction, and is a behavior he can (eventually) practice with other people too to become acquainted. When he can touch with his nose, work on a paw target too--that's a nice lead in to paw handling, because it lets him initiate the paw touching on his own.
  
• Look into BAT 2.0 and other methods that give the dog as much space and time as he needs to acclimate to someone/something new. Treat and Retreat is another good and easy technique, especially good for meeting new people. He's not going to "get used to" socializing by being forced into it; that can actually make things worse. Methods that give him space and time and let him learn to make decisions will help more than anything else.
  
• Talk to your vet about meds. If your dog is fearful and anxious all the time like you describe, you should at least make yourself aware of pharmaceutical options. That won't take the place of training and isn't a permanent solution, just helps training go more smoothly in some cases.
  
• Rethink socialization, as noted above. Whatever additional socialization you do with him as an adult should give him as much time and space as he wants, never forcing/encouraging him closer to new things than he's comfortable with, and focus heavily on the experiences being positive, easy, and having him walk away feeling good and confident about whatever he was being exposed to.
  
• Look up some trainers in your area. I know money is tight, but just be aware of the good trainer options near you in case you need them later, or your money situation changes, or you decide to allocate some of the medical fund for behavioral issues, or whatever about your situation changes. How to find a trainer. Some of my advice and references did mention using food, but it's generic advice. Food is a reinforcer for any living thing that eats, it's just a matter of how it's used and how excited the dog gets about it compared with current stresses. If a dog normally takes treats (say, will eat chicken off of the floor at home when there are no strangers or loud noises present) but can't take treats from a stranger, then that tells you more about the stranger being too overwhelming than the treats not being reinforcing. Even if he's less excited about food than average, having a non-food-motivated dog does not make him un-trainable by any measure, if you choose a good trainer--the trainer would need to work with you in person to identify what reinforcers do work for him in place of food.
  
  edits: clarity/wording, fixing scatterbrained thoughts.

Virtually any dog in the universe can fit the criteria of what you described, but all breeds have their little variations.

For example, my favorite breed is the German Shepherd. And there are German Shepherds that do really well in apartment life, and others that don't. If you go to a breeder for your dog, you're going to want to find a breeder that emphasizes pet quality, safe, sane dogs. The difference between a Labrador from hunting lines and lines bred for therapy and service dog work is night and day. If you go to a shelter to adopt a dog, I would recommend taking a qualified trainer with you that's well-read on selection testing dogs, and most of all, use the resources at your disposal. Talk to the people who run the shelter and/or the rescue. They have the most experience with the dog. They will be able to help you the best.

With the two breeds you mentioned (Golden Retrievers, specifically) keep in mind the shedding issue. Labs shed too, but Golden's are just about as bad as Shepherd's (which are both, very bad.) If you have carpet, be prepared to vacuum everyday. If you intend to let your dog sleep with you on the bed, or chill on the sofa, be ready to clean your furniture daily. Your clothes will be covered in hair if you do not. Your boss will not like you showing up to work wearing your dog.

Also, please, if you haven't already, look into your apartments restrictions for pets and dog breeds, and keep in mind that if you intend on moving, you will be taking your dog with you. I love all breeds of dogs, but apartments do not. Rottweilers, German Shepherd's, Doberman's, Pitbulls (and mixes) come under notorious scrutiny when moving. For your future dogs sake, pick a breed or mixed breed that your landlords are cool with.


Some of my favorite books include:
Dog Training for Dummies which is a very basic introduction to how dogs learn, and explains the different methods available to you in an unbiased manner.

Some of my personal favorite books include:
How To Be Your Dogs Best Friend by the Monks of New Skete.
The Art of Raising A Puppy by the Monks of New Skete
The Divine Canine by the Monks of New Skete

If you haven't already guessed, I'm a huge fan of the Monks of New Skete. The put huge emphasis on calm, structured leadership and positive method obedience that works in real life situations. Plus, they're German Shepherd people. Double points.

Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin.

Dr. Temple Grandin is a high-functioning autistic that teaches at Colorado State University's veterinary science department. I've taken several classes with her, and her understanding of animals is absolutely impossible to challenge. This book is more about genetic theory and science-backed training methods. It's good reading material if you want to know more about animals (she discusses dogs and livestock in detail) but is not a training guide. She also has a lot of technical articles available on her website here.

Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Harowitz. This is a cursory introduction to canine ethology. It is not a guide, but if you want to know about how dogs think (how dogs can "smell time" for example) this is where you start.

How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren emphasizes communication with dogs, backed in animal biology and evolution.

Canine Body Language: A photographic guide by Brenda Aloff describes in vivid detail what dogs are "saying." It's not a training guide, but will help you understand your dog much better.

Katz on Dogs by Jon Katz, a great common sense training guide to working with dogs in the home, and outdoors.
Soul of a Dog also by Jon Katz, which goes into greater detail on the personal side of working with dogs, with very helpful examples.

Imagine Life With a Well Behaved Dog by Julie Bjelland. Great book on structure and positive method dog training.

Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Dr. Pitcairn was one of my college textbooks and it's a great start for dog nutrition and chemical-free health care for dogs. This is not a training guide, but nutrition and health are just as important (if not more) than training, so I figured I'd share.


With the exception of the first book on the list, all of these books are fairly detailed. I would highly recommend the Monks of New Skete books before any of the others. But they're all very good.

Additionally, you can read many of the articles on the AKC.org website regarding dog training, and Leerburg has some great comprehensive advice on training the working dog, which can also be applied to training family pets. He also sells a variety of videos and ebooks on the same subject matter.

TL;DR How To Be Your Dogs Best Friend & The Art of Raising A Puppy explain everything you ever need to know about training a dog, ever.

>You can get plant from that river what.

Technically yeah your brother is correct. Java fern originated from our own local rivers.

>Uncle: what fish you're rearing? None? What's the point?


Owhh boy, there are tons of beautiful fishes in the planted tank. Guppies and neon cardinal tetras. All of it suitable in our local climate, and if you hardworking enough at keeping the environment stable, guppies and neon tetras can breed more fishes.

I recommend this channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv3ih_zLt4Q

James Findley (refer to the guy in the video) usually use top of the line equipment from ADA (aqua design Amano). Expensive for beginner or someone that doesn't have a deep pocket. My suggestion is to cut some of the equipment to a more cheaper alternative. ADA tank is beautiful, but super duper expensive. My recommendation is, get a tank suitable for your budget per square cm. Which mean, get what is the biggest that you can afford, because of the bigger space, the lower the chance of mess up (like overdose fertilizer etc). For soil, ADA still the best for value. Get the Amazonian soil, and get the granular type, not powder as the granular type is less "cloudy" when pouring water.


For plants, get Monte Carlo for carpeting plant. Don't get hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'. From my experience, monte carlo is more forgiving than HC. Monte Carlo can survive without CO2 injection. HC need cooler water and CO2 injection. It is doable for HC to survive in a hot climate like Malaysia, but need a CO2 injection. Monte Carlo is like a big version of HC. Usually, HC is for a nano tank. Owhh yeah, these kinds of plants usually float. So you will need to be careful to anchor them. For java fern, you can anchor to the rock. Java moss you can either glue (use waterproof glue) or better use rope. ADA has a biodegradable rope. I recommend using the rope rather than glue, and ADA rope is cheap IMO.


For CO2, depends on budget. You can DIY (not recommended because it fizzles out quickly in a few weeks), or get proper canister + regulator and solenoid. As I said before, you can get away from not using Co2, especially in Malaysia, as Malaysia has higher rate exchange of O2 and Co2 due to the temperature (don't quote on me, I forget the source). That's why our tropical rainforests are among some of the oldest in the world. As our climate suitable for plant growth (we don't have winter, and tons of perennial species). It translates also to underwater growth from seaweed and local flora. You can get away from Co2 by using some of the plants that are originated from our own backyard. But if you truly interested, I'm recommending this book: https://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Planted-Aquarium-Diana-Walstad/dp/0967377366. But a bit warning, without CO2, the growth rate is slower than using Co2 injection. So need to be patient, and cannot overdose on fertilizer. Need to keep that in mind. Fertilizer is like a vitamin. Better low dosage than overdose. I recommend Seachem Flourish. If you want to keep red plants, you must buy the iron supplement. But for a beginner, just get the balance (NPK is the exact ratio like 10:10:10 with trace elements). ADA also have their own fertilizer, but you will need to check their local price. I'm using DIY method because I've already had my own liquid fertilizer from Serbajadi. Serbajadi also has liquid fertilizer intended for a normal household plant, but the ratio of NPK is super duper high (21:21:21) with trace elements. This is too high for the aquarium and if you are not careful, algae will grow rapidly in this setup. I'm preferring this method as it is cheaper than buying top of the line aquarium fertilizer as I have my own plants (chilies, tomatoes). So usually I dilute the fertilizer and shower the plants and use the rest for the aquarium.


Buy also API freshwater masterkit. Expensive, but worth every ringgit. Why? You can test almost every metrics available, from PH to water hardiness. Our local tap water PH usually ranges from 7 to 8. A bit "hard". So keep that in mind to always check the source water. Not only that, you can use the kit for a nonspecific test that is not aquarium related. For example, testing local river water quality (for fishing).


Filtration. Get an Eheim filter if you can afford it. I'm dead serious. My Eheim filter still running for 2 years. Most of the cheap filter dead less than a year. Some anecdotal review stated Eheim filter can last up to 10 years. That's how quality it is. It is super duper quiet and you literally can sleep beside it and not hear a single decibel. If you prefer overhang type, get the Fluval. Cheaper and if you get the C4 version, it has tons of filtration. If you literally broke, just use cheap pump and overhang box. Or better still, DIY like this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL271pKi_qY

Don't sacrifice filter or not using a filter in the setup. As a good aquarium need a good filtration and water movement to facilitate bacteria growth and gas exchange/diffusion of Co2 and O2. Don't believe any videos that showcase aquarium without a filter. Also, the filter can act as a vacuum pump for mosquito larvae, a problem in Malaysia that Aedes mosquito like to breed in fresh, clear and clean water. A stagnating water is good breeding ground for mosquito. Keep that in mind.


For lighting, get an LED lamp. Cheaper actually using LED as it uses less watt and less heat issue. Get the full spectrum 6500K version for freshwater. DONT get the blue spectrum LED. That lamp usually for a saltwater tank. I believe in Mid Valley shopping mall, there is an aquarium shop on the top floor. And it has tons of aquarium light selection. You can buy online if you like. But a bit cautious buying lamp from China, please ensure you get proper voltage and proper ballast. If you too afraid to dive into thousands of LED selection, I'm suggesting for you to get an Ikea lamp desk that has an E26 socket. And use LED bulb 6500K from Phillips. Hang it over the tank. Same thing, and you can change the bulb whenever you like. Also get a timer. I'm suggesting about 4 to 6 hours daily light. Don't over 12 hours. Trust me. Algae can grow much quicker than plants. More exposure of light means more algae can outgrow the plants. Also, most of those videos don't tell you this, but for the first few weeks, you cannot put fishes or shrimp in the tanks. The filter and the biodiversity still cannot support the additional load of fish. This is called nitrogen cycle: http://freshwater-aquarium-passion.blogspot.com/2010/10/nitrogen-cycle-for-dummies.html


That's where the API master kit is useful. You can test the water parameter until it is stable. Usually, it takes one week. If you have any more questions, feel free to join on https://np.reddit.com/r/PlantedTank/. Good luck.

Alright. Here's my 2 cents. Except it's probably gonna turn out to be 50 cents because I like to type, so bear with me.

1. Throw your preconceptions about crate training OUT the window. Especially with a velcro breed like a German shepherd, crate training will be your best friend and key tool. If you need the dog to not be up your ass for a little while (which it will, I guarantee you, that's shepherds for ya), you'll need a place to put it. Since it takes time to train a long down-stay, a crate is your best bet. Proper crate training teaches the dog that the crate is a safe, cozy place for the dog to relax and chew a bone or take a nap or just chill. So find some books or online articles and read up on how to do it because it's great. Seriously. I promise you, when done right, it is absolutely not cruel whatsoever. This article is a good place to start.
   
   
2. Again, read up on it. I haven't had many experiences introducing cats and dogs, so I can't give you my own anecdotal advice, but like with anything else take it slow and keep it positive. Reward the dog for calm behavior around the cats and if s/he tries to chase them, give a time-out or separate them for a while. The cats are the real wild cards here, because if they have not been socialized to dogs then they are of course liable to get angry at the dog. If the dog hasn't been socialized to cats then the dog will perceive the anger as excitement and may try to play or fight, depending on the dog. So try to keep the cats calm and give them plenty of spaces to escape to; if they like to climb, get them a tower or a shelf that's all theirs, for example.
   
   
3. Nah, not necessarily. Every dog has different toy preferences so if you get a bunch now you may find that your dog isn't even interested in half of them. I would say wait until you get the dog and then go to a pet store together and figure out what it likes then. However, one thing that is useful for almost every dog is a Kong or two (or three...). If you want to start stocking something now, I would strongly suggest putting a little money away per week/month/pay period in a savings account so you have some financial cushion if the dog suddenly needs expensive vet care. Or just for general expenses for the dog. Because they are expensive.
   
   
4. Bones are fine. Make sure they are raw, because cooked bones can splinter and cause damage. My person lrule is that if they are small enough to swallow or soft enough to break down into swallowable pieces, they don't get them while unsupervised. Also be careful with super hard things like antlers at first. I've never experienced this, but apparently some dogs have softer teeth than others and can break their teeth on antler chews. Antlers are great for puppies who are chewing maniacs but again, just supervise them at first. Rawhides are also hit or miss; many people give them to their dogs without issue but ingested rawhide can sometimes swell up from moisture and cause intestinal blockages. Apparently. Most people agree that it's unsafe to give rawhide to puppies.
   
   
5. Positive reinforcement trainer. Don't settle for anything else. Look for a trainer who is a certified behaviorist (will have a master's or PhD), has an animal behavior degree, has credentials through the Association of Pet Dog Trainers or the Karen Pryor Academy (there are a few others but those are the most common), and/or a combination of two or more of those things. You can search for one here or here. And here is a worst-case scenario story of what can happen when a dog that just has a few bad manners gets "trained" abusively and irresponsibly.
   
   
6. Hmm. I have no idea what a fourteener is, but I'll give this one a shot. Hiking, in my experience, is not too strenuous exercise for a dog. If you were running the dog really hard in a game of fetch or taking him/her on a jog without giving it breaks, that would be one thing. But leisurely hikes, where the dog can slow down or speed up or stop and sniff at its own pace, should be just fine. What I like to do with our dog is put her on a 20'+ leash and just let her drag that so we don't have to hold a leash and she can run ahead and then wait for us, which she likes to do. She sticks pretty close (she's a shepherd too), but a recent rescue may not do the same. I would recommend, if you do the long leash method, clipping it to your belt/loop with a carabiner. That way, dog gets to run ahead or lag behind, but can't run off. ...Aaand I got sidetracked. Watch for signs of tiredness: excessive panting, lagging behind, stopping and sitting/lying down, low head and slow movement, etc. Just make sure to at first give doggie lots of breaks (and offer water every break!) and work up to longer hikes.
   
   
7. Depends on what your dog is interested in. Some dogs just want to run and chase a ball, and only that will tire them. Other dogs will be entertained by a few training sessions or a game of Find the Treat/Toy. Others are more relaxed/lazy and will be content lying around the house with you. That's probably not the case for many German shepherds, but if the dog is older it may be. I like to feed our dog with a food ball or puzzle toy, because it takes her longer to eat and is more interactive and entertaining than her just guzzling her food out of a bowl. I will also give her a stuffed and frozen Kong (usually it has food and/or treats and some peanut butter) if she is especially bored and I don't have time to play with her or walk her. I suggest teaching your dog lots of fun tricks because s/he will pick them up quickly and then you can have them do the tricks if they're bored. :)
   
   Other tips, even though this is getting ridiculously long - Read! Educate yourself! Explore as many possible resources as you can to find what is right for you and your dog! Here are some good ones:
   
   

• Whole Dog Journal (website/periodical)
  
  
• The Other End of the Leash (book)
  
  
• The Culture Clash (book)
  
  
• Clickertraining.com
  
  
• Dogmantics.com, and her YouTube channel
  
  Damn. Sorry that is so long. If you somehow have any other questions after all that, I'd be glad to answer them. I have had many, many family dogs, currently share a beloved whiny baby German shepherd with my boyfriend, am pursuing a BS in animal behavior, and work at a positive reinforcement dog training facility. So I am a fountain of fun facts just waiting to be asked questions!

> if I'm not particularly doing this 'exercise' but going for regular walks, how should I react to the triggers?

Any walk can turn into a training exercise for us if triggers appear. Not ideal, but that's the dog I have. Runners are trickier because they're moving faster and by the time you see them, the dog's likely over threshold already. Ideally, you'd avoid runners while you work on controlled training exercises, but a dog's gotta walk, and a few people can devote all their time to training. Do the best you can, and understand setbacks happen. When in doubt, I think creating distance is best. Sometimes for me that means doing a 180 and literally running in the other direction with my dog to move as fast as I can away from the trigger.

Learn to be clear with kids about not approaching your dog. I've found they often listen better than most adults :/

> she started barking I tried to divert her attention to a treat and moving a bit away from the trigger, but to no avail

Thresholds are an important concepts for reactivity. I think one of the biggest issues with people first starting out in training is that they often attempt to work when their dog is already over threshold. Working under threshold is key to progress. This is some good reading.

> I know I should avoid giving the treat AFTER she barks at all costs, because then I'm basically telling her I love it when she barks at the triggers

Not necessarily, I don't think. You could also be rewarding for stopping barking and focusing back on you. For example, if my dog starts barking at another dog, I might first create distance between us and the other dog, then when I get her attention back on me, reward. Take a few steps closer to other dog with her attention still on me, reward, and continue to work with her under threshold.

Keep in mind that you'd also (and preferably) want to be rewarding when there's a trigger when your dog is calm and before she actually reacts. Ideally, you'd never put your dog in a position where she'd react and never need to reward for attention back on you, but that's impossible to achieve with a reactive dog in the real world.

> I'm very interested in dog psychology to be honest.

I highly recommend Patricia McConnell's books and blog for people just getting into it. She has a book for reactivity training, but The Other End of the Leash is great for a more general read.

Also check out r/reactivedogs and the resources on their wiki as well as those on the reactive dog support group here.

Hmm well I'll see what I can answer since I actually have an A. avic. As for as getting one, if you can't find one at a pet store you can order online. Avics are more common so you shouldn't have any trouble. The list in sidebar, under Popular Threads, of Tarantula Suppliers is still good. If you still feel ill at ease about any of the suppliers listed go check out their facebook pages. Many of them do have them and update them regularly. See most suppliers didn't get into selling Ts for money. You aren't going to make much. They sell them because they just love tarantulas so you don't run across many bad stories about suppliers. Not saying they aren't out they just I don't see or hear anything really other than good things about them.

Now the question is should you get an Avic. Rose Hairs are more common for a reason. They are the beginner's beginner tarantula. They are easier to keep and handle if you're going to do that. Avics while not super hard to care for are harder and they can be flighty. I don't know how you plan to have your students interact with it but that's a big point to consider especially considering whatever level of experience you have with tarantulas.

As for webbing, that's up to the tarantula. If they're in a good environment I think they are more likely to web. Mine was perviously owned and never webbed for them. She was in a set up for a terrestrial enclosure though. It wasn't long after she was in a proper arboreal set up she webbed a lot. Stress also can affect them so you'll have to make sure the kids know what they can and cannot do. They are partly responsible for the life of another living creature and it's their job to give it them best possible life. As as far as interesting to watch, sure my girl moves but only at certain times during the day. The rest of the day she's dead still. That's still more than a Rose Hair but just wanted to let you know it's not going to be moving all the time or anything. The most interest is when their fed.

Now, in the mean time I recommend getting the Tarantula Keeper's Guide. It's considered pretty much the tarantula bible by enthusiasts. Read it and teach your kids about it before you make the step to actually get a Tarantula. There's nothing like seeing and learning about something in person but it will help greatly when you do make that step. Maybe even make a few lessons about them from information in the book. Or games. That way your future T will be that much happier and healthier for it and your kids will get the most out of it too. I hope that helps! I do hope you are able to get one and love that your even willing to do this. I'm sure this entire subreddit, myself included, would be willing to answer any more questions you may have or just help in whatever way we can with teaching your kids more about our favorite arachnids :)

P.S. you should also consider how long any T you want to get will live. Females will naturally live many years long than males. 10 years or more is not an uncommon lifespan for a female tarantula. Just something to keep in mind since it's longterm care will ultimately fall on you.

Apologies if I repeat things mentioned elsewhere. I'm looking at a sleeping, year old lab/border collie mix, so I still have a lot of this info fresh.

• I can't recommend The Art of Raising a Puppy (https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0316083275/) enough. Lots of good information in there and a ton of things you don't think about.
  
  
• Socialize the crap out of your puppy! People, dogs, puppies, kids, etc. Look for free and/or cheap puppy play times and go to them. Your pup needs to meet something like 50 to 200 other dogs in the first 16 weeks, might be way more.
  
  
• Not specifically called out in socializing, but exposure to all kinds of things. As mentioned, kids, other dogs, walk near play grounds, loud traffic, crowds, airports, etc. Yes, you will have to deal with "Oh my god! Can I please let your puppy?" And you are within your right to say "I'm sorry, but no." Be polite, but stern. Make sure your puppy sees people in all sorts of outfits. Coats, hats, etc. You don't want your dog to be afraid of things that are normal* things.
  
  
• Work on a meal/potty schedule! This will make sure accidents, which will happen, are less frequent. This is highly dependent on your schedule. Make sure you allow enough time for elimination after feeding.
  
  
• Crate training is amazing. You can verify that your pup won't get into things when you can't watch them. It also gives your dog a place that they can go when they just want to chill out. My dog is in his teenager phase and goes to his to listen to loud music and play guitar... ;)
  
  
• Finding a good trainer/class and sticking with it! We learned a lot from the 2x 6 week classes we took, and are actually looking to take some others. Click training is also nice.
  
  
• Patience. Puppies are going to pup. Let them learn. You don't need to be a helicopter parent, which you likely will be the first couple off-leash park trips. Just walk away, take a deep breath, remember you're training your future best friend and companion.
  
  Love the crap out of your dog! You are looking at a year and change that will not only define your dog for the rest of their life, but will be the hardest part of raising a dog. I've wanted to ring his little neck more times than I care to mention, but goddamn I love this dog and I'm pretty sure he likes me.
  
  Sorry for the wall of text. I typically lurk, but having gone (still going) through this, it's good to take a second and think about what worked, and what didn't.
  
  Good luck and I wish you both the best!

After years and years of wanting a dog, I adopted a dog... who promptly turned around and greatly preferred my boyfriend, who is a cat person and generally is ambivalent about dogs. It sucked. After owning him for ~11 months, my dog prefers me now but it was an uphill battle.

Some tips:

• If feeling loved is important to you, get a friendly, outgoing dog who loves everyone like a lab or a golden. My dog is generally aloof. I know he likes me because when given a choice, he'll follow me around rather than my boyfriend. But he still follows me into a room and lies down in a corner, rather than wanting to be super close to me. He doesn't love being petted, but tolerates it. He will leave after 30 seconds to a minute of petting. It's not because he dislikes me but he doesn't like petting. A typical lab, on the other hand, will lean against you and accept petting forever.
  
• Don't get a velcro dog who prefers one person but is aloof to strangers... something like a German Shepherd would fit this. Could the dog pick you as his person? Sure. But he also could pick your SO, which would be a bummer.
  
• Read more about dogs. Here's a list of books. The Other End of the Leash would be a good place to start. I thought I knew a TON about dogs before getting one but was definitely wrong. Especially some of your terminology in those post - it doesn't seem to line up with current research and thinking about dogs. Do you know about canine body language like calming signals? Learning more about that will help you bond better with your next dog. Some dogs put up with corrections just fine but you need to learn how to read your dog before you make that decision. My dog, for example, when I said "no" after he walked around the hoop instead of jumping through it, just refused to try again for a while. He's a very sensitive dog and needs a light touch. He's not a very expressive dog, either, but with the help of a more experienced trainer, I learned how to read his subtle signals and stop pushing him too far when he's stressed.
  
• Training classes and daily training helped me bond with my dog a LOT. It's the interaction he looks forward to every day and what helped tipped the scale in favor of me over my boyfriend. It works their brain, which keeps them happy, and having a well trained dog will make you happy.
  
  Even after all of that... your dog might take a long time to come around, and might never be the ideal loyal companion. Mine certainly isn't, but I've found ways to appreciate his personality. It has helped me bond with him a lot more. For months I was comparing him to my ideal dog and it really hurt both of us. I'd say ask a LOT of questions of the foster, vet the rescue organization well, and see if you can have a trial period with the dog. My foster was inexperienced with dogs and read Finn's personality all wrong.

Come on over and join us at r/reactivedogs.

First off, it’s important to set some realistic expectations. You almost certainly can get this dog to a point where you can walk her around the neighborhood without her reacting to everyone and everything, but she’s probably never going to be the type of dog that is friendly and outgoing to other people or dogs she doesn’t know, or one that you can take to the dog park, crowded public places, etc. Many dogs are just not like that, and that’s okay. That would be like expecting your introverted shy anxious friend to morph into being a social butterfly and life of the party after getting her anxiety under control.

Medication can really help a lot of anxious dogs, but it is important to realize that it is not a cure- just a tool to help bring your dog to a level where training can be productive. It sounds like you are pretty committed to working with this dog, so I would certainly encourage you to talk to your vet about trying something like Prozac (which is a great one to start out with because many dogs respond well to it, and it’s very inexpensive.)

Here’s a list of resources that I’ve been compiling (pardon the copy and paste) that I’ve found very helpful with my own dog (a GSD/pit/husky mix). We’ve also been working with trainers well versed in reactivity, so I’ve included some of the skills we’ve been working on.

————

About Leash Reactivity and how to deal with it:

Dealing with Leash Reactivity: Best Friends Animal Society

The Reactive Dog: Your Dogs Friend Workshop (Video) It’s long, but seriously, watch it. Lots of good info.

Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash Reactive Dog - A short booklet by well-renowned behaviorist Patricia McConnell who has lots of experience dealing with reactivity.

From Crazy to Calm: A Training Plan for Leash Reactivity

——————-

The Goal: Changing Perceptions with Counterconditioning and Desensitization

Introduction to Desensitization and Counterconditioning

Helping Your Shy Dog Gain Confidence

—————

Foundation Skills

When dealing with reactivity, being able to get your dog’s attention or employ a distraction at the right moment is really critical. These are foundation skills for dealing with reactivity.

Name game (a clicker is not essential- you can use your praise word instead.) Goal: focus.

Look at Me. Goal: Focus

It’s Your Choice. Goal: Impulse control

Leave It (Make sure you are giving a different treat, not the one they’re supposed to leave.) Goal: Impulse control

Emergency U-turn. Goal: Management- being able to get out of a situation that will cause the dog to go over threshold.

Find It Goal: Distraction/diffusion

Engage/Disengage. Goal: counterconditioning and desensitization.

Start by working on these skills in a quiet area indoors, gradually increasing distractions. Then start practicing outdoors in an area with few distractions, again gradually increasing distractions. This is the key to getting a distracted dog to pay attention to you outside. If your dog can’t focus, you need to take a step back (quite literally, in some cases). Set your dog up to succeed- try not to put them in situations where they will fail.

1. I would baby gate him in a dog/baby proof room. No carpet just in case he has an accident. No pillows or blankets in case he decides those look fun to destroy. Ask the foster family what their normal routine is for leaving him alone in the house.
   
   
2. Will depend on the dog. Mine was minimal because my dog had not interest in chewing things or getting himself in trouble. Some good things to do would be to ensure no access to garbage and recycling. If you have plants make sure he can't knock them over or eat them. You have children so just think about what you did when you baby proofed the home.
   
   
3. Fromm would be a good upgrade from Blue Buffalo. Fromm Gold specifically
   
   
4. I like Lupine Pet Products. I also really like rope style leashes and biothane. Biothane is water proof. I but a lot leashes and collars on Etsy.
   
   
5. I just lock my dog in there over night. However, he sleeps in his crate all day on his own. It is his safe spot. I would never ever stick my arm or hand in there to try and grab him. That is his personal space and I do not violate it. Make sure you teach your kids to always leave your dog alone when he is in his crate. If your dog has a good relationship with his crate he will retreat there to rest and relax on his own. It should always be available to him.
   
   
6. This book and a clicker. Super straight forward and fun. Don't buy too many toys to start. Buy a few different ones and see what your dog likes and that are safe to give him. I would also pick up some bully sticks
   
   
7. Don't overwhelm him with new experiences to start. Don't have visitors over for a couple weeks. Limit his exposure to new things. Take him out for walks but don't bring him to the pet store until you guys can build a relationship together.
   
   
8. I would be careful with hugging, grabbing collar, kissing the dog's head and just being too affection. Humans are primates and dogs are canines and each species has different ways of communicating. Hugging and face-to- face contact is the way to communicate if you are a primate but not if you are canine. It is scary and can be threatening to a dog. Patricia McConnell has a great book on this subject.
   
   
9. Look into the two week shutdown. Do not feel the need to rush him to the dog park or your kids soccer games in an effort to socialize him. He has probably had a lot of changes in his short life so just take it slow. Once he is settled in a month or two look into doing a pet obedience class at a training club. It is a great way to learn more about dogs, get your kids involved in dog training and get your dog out the house for some fun. You will also learn the basics for having a well behaved dog.
   
   
10. I'd take him in a month or two unless the adoption contract requires to take him in sooner.

Kritter keepers aren't ideal, but they also aren't bad, 5 of my Ts are in them. They won't kill your T, but there are better options.

The three I always recommend are the A. avicularia, the G. rosea, and the B. smithi. All three have great characteristics. The price point is good, they're fairly docile, and they're fairly hardy.

The avic is more finicky about its environment, the smithi is prone to kicking hairs, and some rosies can be temperament, but that's really each one's only flaw. All three look great, are readily available, and are pretty easy to care for. I have all three, they're still some of my favorite Ts.

I also always recommend picking up the tarantula keepers guide. Read through it, is super interesting and has everything you'll need to know to care for your new spider friend

So I have a high energy dog as well. A little younger than yours (1.5 years) but very much of the same.

The key with dogs you just literally cannot tire out is to (A) mentally tire them out and to (B) teach them how to relax.

For mentally tiring out my dog, here are some things I've found that are fantastic:

• Going to a new place/a place with lots of stimulation. The pet store is great for this if yours is busy. We work on being calm around distractions. So I'll head into petsmart, have her go into a sit stay for a while, then go around the store allowing her to sniff everything, then do some more sit-stays. This wears her out more than anything besides training class
  
• Training class! While you obviously can't do this every day, going to an in-person training class is super tiring for my pup. Having to focus with all those other dogs around is super hard
  
• Nosework. Some other people have mentioned this. It's a good mental stimulation exercise, but I have to admit it seems only minimally tiring for my dog. Still, it saved our butts when she wasn't allowed to run due to an injury
  
• Agility. I really like this one because it's active but also mentally stimulating. Even if you don't have access to a lot of equipment, you can do a lot with just three jumps (or things kinda shaped like jumps - I've heard suggestions putting binder clips on two plungers and then putting a broomstick on the binder clips to make a jump) that are awesome for your dog
  
• Shaping. Shaping is far more tiring for my dog that teaching her tricks through luring. It takes a while to get it down (hell, we're still working on it) but it's a lot of fun and really gives most dogs a huge mental workout.
  
  
  Teaching your dog to relax - this I think is super key. We're trying this with our pup right now. I'm going through the method outlined in Fired Up, Frantic and Freaked Out. We've just started and I haven't been working on it terribly diligently, but I'm hoping this will work.
  
  There are some other things that are good for this such as Karen Overall's Protocol for Relaxation that you may want to check out (this one is free here)

I am currently working with a fear-aggressive dog. The absolute best thing to do is find a positive trainer who is experienced with this. Do not punish the barking, any negative reinforcement will increase the anxiety your dog feels. You want to move her to a distance where she feels safe and have someone come in, give her treats if (and only if she stays calm.) You need to try to find a distance where she is not too aroused. Have a friend come and stand by the door if thats what you need, then once she is calm have them jiggle the door knob, etc. If that is too much you can start by rewarding her for staying calm for noises outside. You can also practice giving her a cue to lie down on her mat before ever having anyone over.

Another helpful trick is "go home" once you get cricket to the point where she is comfortable when people enter if she is far from the door you can train her to go to her mat on cue, so that you can tell her to go to her safe spot when people come over. A relaxed down (stretched or on her side) is even better than sphinx style. She will learn that when people are over and she is on her mat she gets treats, otherwise she gets nothing.

To do this teach her 'down' and then have her lie on her mat. Every time she does this say "good go home!" once she has gotten the cue that "go home" is the same as down when she is on her mat, move two feet away and try again. This will take some patience, she may not understand immediately that "go home" means she needs to go to her mat. Just wait, if you get too frustrated you can move closer. Slowly increase the distance you are from the mat when you tell her "go home." It will help to give her the "go home" cue and then feed her on her mat. My dog gets super excited about it now. It can also help to have the manners minder so you can reward from a distance.

I would also suggest Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt. Particularly the "look at that!" game - where you teach your pup that whenever she looks at what she is afraid of she gets a treat.

Another excellent book is On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Ragaas it's a really easy read and a really good introduction to doggy behavior. When dogs get nervous they have a whole range of signals they show to calm themselves down and to tell other dogs (or educated people) that they are nervous. You may see her flick her tongue, yawn, shake, sniff the ground, etc. You should reward these behaviors, since encouraging them will help Cricket stay calm.

Obviously I could go on and on. The main thing is try to make people coming over as good an experience as possible for her so that she becomes less and less afraid. You will also need a reward marker - for instance "Yes!" or preferably a clicker. The idea is you click exactly when she does something good. She lays down click. She yawns click. Yes! is somewhat less precise and it's undesirable to have inflections that she will try to interpret. Obviously teach her what these markers mean before using them in the stressful situation. (click then treat, click treat, Cricket! click when she looks then treat, etc.)

EDIT:

One more thing - be sure to completely ignore her barking. Do not try to comfort her, or give her treats. In fact the best thing to do is have your friend stand there and let her tire herself out. As soon as she stops and takes a breath reward her (a clicker is really useful here.) You can even have the friend move farther away when she stops. The idea is "barking gets you nothing, calm gets you everything." Obviously do your best to limit the times when she triggers, but they will inevitably happen

Good luck!

Oh, and there is a very low traffic dogtraining subreddit where dog nerds like me will be happy to go on long training rants for you any time :-)

This book is a great resource for better understanding canine body language:
http://www.amazon.com/Canine-Body-Language-Photographic-Interpreting/dp/1929242352/ref=pd_sim_b_5/189-4595631-1886760?ie=UTF8&refRID=04AEDTWQFB8NV00GW42G

What you were describing with the one dog humping yours, that's an incredibly dominant behavior- it's not about them mating. When a dog does that to your dog, it's the equivalent of someone coming up to you and puffing up their chest and shoving you. The fact that she only told him off with a sharp bark is very tolerant and a good sign that she's doing well on keeping her attitude adjustments on other dogs reasonable.

When you say she 'attacked' your sister's other dog- was there blood and was the other dog damaged in any way? If not and it was just a scuffle with a lot of noise, that's not an 'attack'. Judging by nothing more than the terrible behavior of the other dog, that may well have been a warranted telling off.

Most cattle dogs in particular are dogs that do NOT tolerate fools well. Someone tries to dominate them and they do not have any of it, no matter the size of the other dog. If a dog stares at your dog, puts it's chin on your dog's back, humps your dog, etc- these are all dominant behaviors and often cause another dog to seem 'aggressive' for not tolerating them to people who don't know better.

Some dogs also have a bigger 'bubble' than other dogs. Herding breeds tend to be in that category. They want more space from other dogs they don't know. Managing initial greetings and meetings is important. If another dog is being dominant to you dog- stop that dog's behavior. Do not punish your dog for correcting that dog (assuming your dog isn't injuring the other dog). It's your job to let your dog know that you will handle it if other dogs are being jerks. Then your dog won't take matters into her own 'hands'.

The interaction with the Pug- well, they sound really weird to non-short nosed dogs. My dog thinks that their weird breathing is growling so he's been known to growl at them, too, and he's incredible well-mannered and social. I'd skip greeting Pugs or French bulldogs for now until you guys are better understanding each other.

This is a long, but good article from a pro dog trainer on body language and dominant behaviors:

http://suzanneclothier.com/the-articles/he-just-wants-say-hi

Other good articles on her site:
http://suzanneclothier.com/articles

I have an Australian Cattle Dog (heeler) and a Cattle dog/Catahoula mix. They are both city/suburb dogs. The make like a tree trick works with my CattleHoula, but my heeler I just say, 'no, with me' and pat the side of my leg until he comes back (though I do stop moving). When he is there, we walk on. When he gets too far ahead, he has to come back. It's like the tree method- they don't like backtracking that much. You can start it out with treats though- get her to stay close that way and praise her when she gets what 'with me' or 'heel' or whatever command you want to use, means.

Some dogs don't greet others well on leash. They feel the leash as a weakness that the other dogs can (and have) use to attack them. You are holding them back- they are not free to defend themselves or get away. So, I tend not to do leash greetings myself. If we are meeting dogs who have good body language or I know, I drop the leash (leaving it attached in case I need to grab it) and my dogs' behavior changes drastically. I know that's not an all the time solution, especially on roads, but then, you don't need to greet every dog you meet for your dog to learn social skills. That's better done off leash, in a controlled environment with dogs you know to be well-mannered (your sister's dogs do not sounds like they have good doggy manners). Once you know she can be trusted and she knows to come to you if there's an issue and YOU will sort it, then things get easier.

I used to take mine on walks to a nearby ball diamond and then play fetch with them there. Then walk them home. If other dogs came, we left. My dogs are stellar with nearly all other dogs, but you have no idea what a strangers' dog is going to be like. I don't like taking chances with my dogs' safety. We used to go to dog parks a lot, but so many dogs have no manners and their owners are clueless, hence the ball diamonds.

If you aren't sure of her recall, work on having a word that means she comes to you right now, no matter what and only use it when you need it. There are training classes (short ones) that teach it, or you can check out this booklet:

http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=dtb813

It helps with the times you are out and need her to get away from a situation (before it develops) so that she stays safe and you don't have to worry about her.

Good luck! She sounds like a great dog (and frankly, sounds like a typical heeler despite the Golden half- heh!).

Well, I'd caution first time dog owners against adopting a stray off the street rather than through a rescue that has evaluated it. If its a puppy its one thing, but older dogs who have been strays or ferals for a while can come with some challenges. If nothing else, do try to rescue the pup and contact local rescues (especially if you can guess the breed and find a breed rescue) as puppies get adopted pretty fast. If you do choose to keep the pup yourself, search for a local trainer using the terms "Positive only," "positive reinforcement" and "clicker training" to local a positive-based trainer. Avoid trainers who advertise "balanced," "traditional," or talk about "dominance", "pack leader", or "alpha."

There are a ton of wonderful resources out there, and here are some very worthwhile books to look into

Before And After Getting Your Puppy

Puppy Primer

Power of Positive Dog Training

Family Friendly Dog Training

And specifically addressing house training -
Way to Go!

Anything by the following authors (who also have online articles) is pure gold:

Patricia McConnell

Pat Miller

Ian Dunbar

Suzanne Clothier

Grisha Stewart

Pia Silvani

Jean Donaldson

Sophia Yin

Also check our Dr. Yin's amazing series of youtube videos

And for general training (as in obedience and tricks) Kikopup is phenomenal.

I've worked in rescue for years and I foster harder dogs. If you every need any advice or questions answered you are welcome to contact me individually as well :-)

-There are many great beginner species. Most popular and the cheapest is a Grammostola rosea, or chilean rose hair. Brachypelma species are some of my favorites, and Brachypelma smithi are one of the most well known. They are your iconic Mexican red knee that you think of when someone brings up tarantulas. With this being your first T, you I'd recommend either of those, and you'd be just fine.

-You can check local pet stores and that would be fastest, but stay away from big chain stores such as petsmart or petco since they usually don't care for their animals properly. Try to find the smaller unique shops that really specialize in their exotic section.

-Bedding and housing is very simple. Both of the species I listed above are very hardy and don't need much. A proper amount of substrate (coconut fiber would work great for you), a good water dish, and a hide i s all they need to be happy. The rest of the setup is up to you for aesthetics, as long as you keep their home safe for the T. Check out the links on the sidebar for more information

They are very easy pets to maintain, and you won't regret buying them. They are fascinating to watch them grow as you learn more about them. A great source of knowledge that can answer just about any question you have is The Tarantula Keeper's Guide. This is a must have for any hobbyist, beginner or experienced, and I highly recommend picking up a copy. If you have the time and patience, buy it before you get a spider and read through it all the way. You'll learn so many things to help you in the future. Good luck!

I'm sorry you're dealing with such a tough situation. It's possible to turn this dog's behavior around, but it's not easy and will need a lot of patience and consistency. Cesar Millan is the exact opposite of what any dog needs; Millan is the living embodiment of the joke, "Beatings will continue until morale improves." His methods of flooding overstimulated dogs, forcing them into a frightened, shutdown mode, and often just kicking them in the stomach are just inhumane. Kikopup is a step in a better direction, and she's actually on my list.

Here's my go-to list of training resources; many of them get recommended around here a lot. I like these folks because their methods are humane and ethical as well as effective. Pretty much every issue that can pop up is covered by them in some way, easy to find with Google.

• Victoria Stilwell
  
• Jane Killion (Great book: When Pigs Fly: Training Success with Impossible Dogs)
  
• Karen Pryor (Great books: Don't Shoot the Dog & Reaching the Animal Mind)
  
• Sophia Yin (Great book: How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves)
  
• Jean Donaldson (Great books: Fight! & The Culture Clash)
  
• Pat Miller (Great book: The Power of Positive Dog Training)
  
• Patricia McConnell (Great book: The Other End of the Leash)
  
• Ian Dunbar. He's done a lot of work with puppies and has a blog and tons of articles as well as a TED Talk.
  
• Zak George
  
• Kikopup
  
• Kristin Crestejo
  
• A great article on canine body language/calming signals: Calming Signals: The Art of Survival by Turid Rugaas.
  
  For you, check out Jean Donaldson's Fight! Jane Killion's When Pigs Fly is always the book I recommend most for training in general, even if your dog isn't a typically stubborn breed, as it's all about how to find what motivates your dog and use it to get the behavior you want.
  
  I highly suggest Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0 (BAT) as well.
  
  Good luck!
  
  

First of all congratulations on having a dog! Obviously you are a concerned owner and eager to learn and this is a great thing!

Everything you written about her being confused, refusing food, even not going up the stairs is probably due to the fact that she was taken out of her everyday environment. Allow a couple of days for her to get used to you and for you to get used to her. Read about training through positive reinforcement (use the clicker for best results). I strongly recommend reading Pat Miller's The Power of Positive Dog Training as it leads you through the process of teaching your new dog new commands from week to week. Before actually using the clicker, read about it or watch a must see playlist by kikopup.

The easiest way to train your dog is to use food as a reward and lure. Combined with a clicker to mark the exact moment when your dog did the right thing leads to great (and very fast) results!

And now to your specific questions and some other stuff I think is related and important:

Crate training should be done gradually and in a very positive way (refer to kikopup or the book I've mentioned). You will basically teach her to want to go there on her own as a safe place where she can take a time out and relax. If she hasn't been crated in her previous home, she might not take it to well. Be sure to leave the gate open and start working on closing the gate and leaving the room gradually. This means that in the beginning you reward her for going near the crate. Then throw a treat inside the crate. Then reward her for staying in the crate and so on. As with everything else in dog training it is better to put lower expectations on your dog so you "set your dog up for success".

Stairs: she maybe never encountered stairs. If the vet said she's healthy I'd say she just needs to get used to them. In case the stairs are "see through" (like these for example) many dogs won't go up them because they probably think they'll fall through them. As generally dogs don't like to be carried around, she won't get used to you carrying her up and down the stairs in the beginning. After a few days try luring her with treats (holding a treat in hand in front of her nose and slowly moving it forward) the instant she follows your hand - give her the treat. And then repeat for every step. You can also put treats on stairs to motivate her to come up. You'll have to see what works best.

Food/treats: you should see what is the recommended daily amount of food for your dog. Take one half of that and use it as treats and the other two quarters use as morning and evening meal. You should remember that treats shouldn't be an extra on top of dogs food for the day. In that way the dog will be food motivated and eager to please you in order to get the treat.

Establishing dominance. I'm not in favour of people downvoting a post whenever someone says "dominance". It is an old concept, but all of dog training up until recently was based on it so it is very normal that people who are not into dog training still think that this is the way to go. I'm sure you can read about the theory (sidebar) and why is it wrong. As long as you don't use any painful or intimidating methods and respect your dog's boundaries and body signals you can call it whatever you like (but preferably don't call it dominance so as not to confuse people :P ). If you don't want your dog sleeping in the bed with you - teach him where should she sleep. But if you're ok with the dog sleeping on the bed but you're afraid she will turn out into a dominant werewolf if you allow her - you have nothing to worry about.


Good luck!

I am going to suggest a book for you. Most of the folks on here do something called a NPT (Naturally Planted Tank) or Walstad tank. Lots of plants and garden soil or organic potting soil as the substrate capped with Flourite substrate. That makes keeping plants much easier. I would recommend a book to you: Diana Walstad: The Ecology of the Planted Aquarium. That should help you out greatly when it comes to getting your tank up and running.

Some cavets. Even she has backed down on saying that you can immediately add in fish. Still wait for your tank to cycle and do a fishless cycle to get it started. You can put plants in right away and they will help complete the cycle quicker. Also, when they say heavily planted, they mean HEAVILY planted with very little space.

I do more of a true Walstad than most. 20G with 3" of substrate (1.5 of potting soil and 1.5 of flourite cap)and very thickly planted. A true Walstad wouldn't use a filter and would just use a pump, but I like having my Marineland 360 canister. I just have ceramic filters in there, no sponges or anything like that however. I HIGHLY recommend canister filters over HoB (Hang on Back) units. Totally silent and they provide great flow. I have a sprinkler bar so I get nice even flow around the tank. Water movement is very important.

You will want good lights. Don't cheap out and expect to pay something for them. I would say go LED as they are by far cheaper in the long run. T5 after that but remember you have to replace T5 bulbs.

Hope that helps. The sidebar is useful, as are sites like this. Try to ask specific questions and you will get better answers. You will need to get testing kits. The API ones are okay for a simple freshwater planted aquarium. Start with Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and PH. Test your tap water first to get base values. If you have Ammonia or Nitrate in your tap water, you will want to invest in a RODI system and additives to put minerals back in it. Ask your LFS about those.

I hope that helps!

Hi, well done for reaching out for help! sounds like a handful of a pup, and in a difficult situation too...

Ok, how much of the time are you at home? If you are with her most of the time, then I'd recommend you keep the dog leashed to you most of the time, and start the Learn to Earn program.
https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/the-learn-to-earn-program-implementing-the-program/

It's a pain having the dog leashed to you all the time, BUT it really pays off in terms of teaching the dog to automatically sit and control its impulses to 'bad' behaviour. Once the dog sits automatically for you then you can get it to do the same for other people in the house, and then for visitors. Oh, one trick when you have the dog on leash and are worried it might jump: stand on the leash (be sure to leave enough slack for the dog to be able to stand and sit, but not enough for it to jump up). To avoid pup nipping your hands, cross your arms with one hand on each shoulder and 'pretend to be a tree'. Generally, you want to try to wear clothes, shoes etc which don't encourage the nipping (e.g. avoid shoe laces and clothes with loose sleeves or ties).

It sounds like you will need to start from scratch with crate training and GO SLOW - when you shut the door, do it for only a second, then open and reward. And GRADUALLY increase the time the door is shut with you in the room. And then get the dog used to you being out of the room, at first coming straight back, then GRADUALLY increasing the amount of time you are out of the room.
https://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101/wiki/index#wiki_crate_training

Or, think about whether you can use baby-gates or set up a play pen for the pup in an area of the house where she can see you and be part of the family (many dogs adjust better to this than to crates, and it sounds like your dog may already have developed an aversion to being shut in the crate.)

There's lots of good advice on the r/Puppy101 wiki https://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101/wiki/
and the r/dogtraining wiki:https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/index

Alternatively, If you don't already have a puppy book, Sophia Yin's Perfect Puppy in 7 days is a GREAT guide https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Puppy-Days-Start-Right/dp/0964151871 - and
This book will also be helpful: https://www.amazon.com/Behave-Behaves-Revised-Updated-Editon-ebook

Sounds like you will need to train some humans too... remember humans (like dogs) respond better to positive reinforcement, so be sure to notice and thank them when they do things like you've asked (even if you need to grit your teeth when they do things differently!)

Edited to add: when you have visitors, - for now stay with the dog in another room and use it as crate training time. You will have to be anti-social for a few weeks while you work on this, but it's worth it in the long run.

The most common way, at least in my experience (please chime in with other ways/paths that you've taken) is exposure and mentoring.

Exposure is just work with as many dogs as you possible can. For me, I worked at a dog daycare/boarding/training/grooming place as a dog handler (officially Animal Care Technician but whatever.) I thought I knew a lot about dogs before going in. My close family had had several growing up, I'd helped raise for service puppy organizations, etc. I did not. I did not know nearly enough about dogs in general. There's nothing like being in a playroom with 30 dogs every day to rapidly teach you about dog body language, communication, habits, warning signs, the works. I worked there for a couple years and I was constantly learning. The biggest hurdle in getting to be a dog trainer is just exposure to lots and lots of different dogs, different breeds, different temperaments, different learning styles, different stimulus, different everything.

Next usually comes mentoring with an experienced trainer. I lucked out in that the trainer who started working at the daycare facility about year after I did was awesome. Totally positive and we clicked. We became really good friends fast. I officially mentored with her for just over a year. I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I can't really speak on more arduous methods of finding a mentor.

Read. Find groups like this one and find their recommended literature. Training is important both in theory and practice. My first books were Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out, Ahimsa, and When Pigs Fly and they were the beginning of my positive-only approach as well as my drive to become a trainer. But there are tons and tons of books to really dive into.

Check out the sidebar for info on APDT, and look into getting your CPDT-KA. The training industry isn't really regulated, but this is kind of The Certification.

As far as career, both myself and my training mentor left that facility. We started our own training business together. She works that full time, though her SO has a nice cushy job to fall back on in times of famine, so the two of them do alright. While I might do alright working it fulltime, I am crazy stupid anxious about being totally on commission. I have another full time job (night shift manufacturing. Cog-in-a-machine type work, but it isn't mentally taxing leaving me mostly focused mentally on training. Also benefits are awesome.)

While starting your own business isn't common or uncommon, there's other routes too. You can work in a big box store (think petsmart, petco, etc) as a trainer. Though you'll see on this sub we kind of have a hesitant view on them. It's either hit or miss. You end up with an awesome trainer who is working there on the path to bigger and better things, or.... you don't. You could work at a facility like the dog daycare place I worked. From my experience pay is meh but not terrible. The biggest problem was ideology differences and goal differences (what's best for the dog vs what's best for the business.) Though I tend to have a negative bias about it so take that with a grain of salt. You could work at a training facility that brings together a bunch of trainers. You could work at a humane society. There's a lot of options, some commission, some hourly, some a mix. It all kind of depends on your experience, your connections, and honestly, your luck.

This... kind of rambles on a bit, but feel free to ask away! A lot of my career came just from being in the right place at the right time so I realize that's not much help, but I can try.

Good luck to you!

If your parents allow you to keep the cat I would highly encourage you to check out some resources on cat behavior and cat care, as many people new to cats don’t really know as much as they think they know.

Basic important information you need to know off the bat:

• Remember that your cat is not a dog. Oftentimes people not familiar with cats try to treat the cat like it’s a small dog that meows, which leads to lots of stress and frustration on the cat and the owner’s parts. Cats are cats- their behaviors, body language, thought process, and needs are different than canines and it’s not fair to the cat to expect it to act like what it’s not. Appreciate your cat for the awesome animal that it is.
  
• DON’T DECLAW!! It is a barbaric procedure that involves amputating the tips of the cat’s toes, and leads to painful joints and behavioral issues later on. Scratching furniture and people can be prevented through training, and being aware of how to properly interact with the cat. Items like Sticky Paws furniture tape and Soft Paws claw caps are useful tools to prevent furniture scratching.
  
• Provide the cat with a good sturdy scratching post and some way to get up high, either using cat furniture or shelves. That way they have territory they can “claim” and feel confident in your home.
  
• Don’t free feed (where you keep their bowl filled with food 24/7). This is how you end up with a fat cat, as cats will continue to eat all day even when they’re not really hungry. Figure out what is the proper daily portion of food for your cat and divide that up into 2-3 meals throughout the day.
  
• Play with your cat EVERY DAY! This is one of the most important things you can do for your kitty! Sooooo many cat behavioral problems can be totally avoided or gotten rid of by simply playing with your cat and allowing them to get rid of all their built up energy.
  
• Clean the litter box yourself EVERY DAY!! Do not get lazy with this chore and make sure you do it without having to be asked first!!!! This will help prevent “going outside the litter box” issues (as cats don’t want to use a filthy, stinky bathroom anymore than you do) and will make your parents more likely to allow you to keep the cat. Something like a Litter Genie makes cleaning the litter box easier, as then you only have to take the waste to the trash once a week-ish instead of every day.
  
  My recommendations for more info on cats:
  
  
• Jackson Galaxy. Amazing cat behaviorist who’s videos are super helpful in explaining cat behaviors and addressing issues! Definitely watch his videos on playtime, petting your cat, and feeding.
  
• Cat Behavior Associates. Great website with detailed information on cat behavior and training.
  
• Think Like A Cat. This book is a handy guide on everything related to cat ownership- health, behavior, communication, food, cat furniture, etc.

I actually just set up a 29g tank recently. I did a bit of research, so there's a few things I would recommend. First and foremost, if you have time, get this book: Ecology of the Planted Aquarium. It goes over all the science, but in a way understandable to laymen, for everything you need to know about the tank: substrate, lighting, to CO2 or not CO2, what plants are best to start with to avoid algae problems, etc. Her methods have become known as the Walstad method.

For cycling, you can do fishless or fish-in. I did fishless, as the fish I wanted to stock my tank with aren't very hardy and wouldn't tolerate cycling. I didn't want to buy a hardy fish just to cycle the tank with. Here's a guide for fishless cycling: here. All you really need is bacteria from your LFS (most give it out for free), and some ammonia (any place that sells cleaning supplies will have it for ~1 dollar/jug). Most people recommend getting the API liquid testing master kit to measure ammonia/nitrates/nitrites. Don't get use strips.

In a planted tank, filter isn't too important. As long as it is rated for your tank size it should be fine. Plants eat up fish poop and left over food as macronutrients.

For substrate, there are several ways to do it. I can't remember exactly offhand, but I think what Walstad recommends is about 1'' of potting soil (organic i.e. no fertilizers in it) and around 0.5'' of sand on top, but not more as it the fine grain can choke off the O2 supply for the soil bacteria underneath.

For fish, it's up to personal preference. I used AqAdvisor. It's not perfect, but it helps tell you determine how many fish your tank can hold and whether there are glaring compatibility issues.

For bottom feeders...I think this is also personal preference. I have 3 otocinclus cats and maybe 7-8 cherry shrimp running around. Just make sure your tank is big enough.

For plants, try a bunch of different species and see what sticks. Fast growing plants like water sprites are good at sucking up nutrients and reducing algae growth. If you're going for a certain look, I would draw out a rough sketch of what type of plants you want where (i.e. foreground carpet, tall background plants, driftwood/rock placement) before you fill the tank up with anything. It's easier to place and plant these things before you fill the tank up with water.

Other things: If you get a lot of plants, you'll want good lighting. Lots of guides on that, lot of choices too. LEDs have gotten pretty good recently, but are pricey. But they need to be replaced less often. As for CO2, again, it depends on how many plants and how often. I know some people that get away with just daily dosing of fluorish excel (liquid carbon), but if you are really going the whole hog with plants, might want to look into DIY CO2, which is what I'm using for my 29g tank or even an expensive pressurized CO2 system.

Tl;dr - Buy/get your hands on Walstad's book before you make any big decisions so you understand why you're doing it, not just because some guy told you to do it. If you really don't want to pay, here's the super spark notes version: here.

Hi! Glad to hear you’ve been able to get a Sammy!!

As you’ve only had the dog for 3 days, this isn’t surprising at all!! It’s going to take weeks and even months of repetitive training to help your infant dog learn what you expect from them.

There’s a couple of different strategies for crate training and potty training your dog.

Your puppy is naturally a pack animal, and has just been separated from their pack, and so being alone at this stage can of course leave them upset. It’s going to be a slow process of acclimatising them to the crate, and spending time away from you.

Things that might help are making sure they’re exercised and played with well before giving them crate time. How often are they at home alone? Are you at home with them all day at the moment? How often did you get up to help them potty outside overnight? At this stage it’d be normal to expect to get up 1-2 times overnight to ensure they don’t have an accident.

Some helpful resources for you would be some of the Reddit threads in positive reinforcement based training, or some books or YouTube videos. As Sammy’s are so bright, they can be a handful initially, but do respond well to training, especially incentive based and positive reinforcement training, and a well trained Sammy is a friend for life!!

A useful book is Perfect Puppy in 7 Days Perfect Puppy in 7 Days: How to Start Your Puppy Off Right https://www.amazon.com/dp/0964151871/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CcnTAb1WQG7C4

You might find these YouTube videos useful: https://youtu.be/Y00iHQeTzdY
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL91WyqCpBlSVqbu_CghxAH_WvnkiybG3O

And a broader explanation on positive reinforcement puppy training: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL91WyqCpBlSWIn66BlXRN_gQy4hgHcqGv

Fair enough, but most dogs in rescue haven't been abused - it's much rarer than people tend to think. As I said before, neglect is much more common. There are issue that go along with that, undersocialized dogs can definitely have issues to work through.

For this particular dog, and future rescues, I always say to err on the side of caution. I know FAR more happy stories about foster pups that fit right in with no issues at all than I do ones that don't work out, but when there's kids in the mix it's always better to start off more careful and relax as you go.

Something that might help both your and your wife feel safer would be to learn extensively about dog body language - that will do far more than anything else to help you know when you can move forward with your foster pups and daughter safely.

I'd start with these; On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas and Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog by Brenda Aloff As well as Kids and Dogs: A Professional's Guide to Helping Families by Colleen Pelar.

Here are my favorite positive training book

The Other end of the Leash: this one is a really fantastic book on understanding dogs, dog behavior, interacting with them, building a relationship with respect versus dominance. Anything by Patricia B. McConnell is going to be solid advice and techniques.

101 Dog Tricks - just gives a really good guidelines on luring your dog into tricks versus forcing them, plus a lot of good tricks that help with mental stimulation.

Play with Your Dog: Just another really good book on good training, playing, and positive relationship building.

Ahimsa Training manual: This is the training manual from one of the best training facilities in Seattle. There are really good positive trainers.

BAT Book: Behavior Adjustment Training by Grisha Stewart: This book was a life saver for me. Shibas are prone to being really reactive and sometimes have issues with aggression and predatory drift issues, and this book really digs deep into understanding your dog and helping them make the right choices and building them up for success. I personally don't think you need to have an aggressive/reactive dog to get a lot of good info from this book.

Anything by Cesar Milan will NOT be positive training methods. He very much does not follow that philosophy. Positive training techniques do not use force, aversion, do not believe in alpha dominance theory, no physical punishment. It is a give and take type of relationship. Cesar Milan style tends to not do well with primitive breeds especially the Japanese dog breeds.

OK. So...first the basics.

You don't need a heating pad. A heating pad/light isn't necessary and could even be harmful to your tarantula. Just get rid of it. They will do just fine in anything from 60 degrees F to almost 100 degrees F. Warmer is generally better than cooler, but anything in the 70 - 80 range should be fine.

Don't worry about humidity with these guys. If it has a full water dish (which should be about the same size as the tarantulas leg span, AND NO SPONGE, adding a rock that overhangs the water level isn't a bad idea either), it's fine on humidity.

Tarantulas are the "Ron Popeil Set and Forget It Oven" of pets practically. All you need to do is set it up with some substrate (I prefer cocofiber, but vermiculite or untreated potting soil is also OK), put something for a hide in there, a water dish, and check up on it every once in awhile to feed it and see what weird "spider things" its doing, and they're fine.

Here is some information for a beginner and more specifically on G. Roseas. From one of the best sources you can find.


Stan's Newbie Introduction

Stan's Rant

Care And Husbandry of the Chilean Rose Tarantula

Also, as an added bonus (In true Ron Popeil fashion) HERE is a great book to get you up to speed (authored by the person that authored all of those links I just sent).

One thing I'll add about the book however, is that it is a few years old, and therefor, some of the information in it is a bit out of date. Tarantula keeping is still pretty much in its infancy and we're all still learning/debating on what the "best" ways to keep these guys are. Take EVERYTHING you read, learn, hear, believe with a grain of salt. Always ask questions, and take the experiences of others to heart, but always be skeptical.

One thing I always like to mention because as new keepers, we get anxious over the little things:

If your tarantula is doing something "weird" and doesn't seem to be hurting itself, just take a deep breath and repeat "The spider knows how to be a spider better than I do" over and over.

Good luck, and welcome to the club! =P

Her theory could not be more false! You can totally train with treats and wean off them, but really I don’t see why. If trained correctly you can get fanatic responses without always needing treats. Not just for “tricks”. However, you can use other rewards too like a short game of tug (but this can amp up overly excited dogs more).

Dog park could be ok, but I would go on off times when there are only a few dogs and see how she responds. If it seems like too much, maybe hang out across the parking lot from a pet store or groomers, less action and pretty predictable routes for the dogs.

Edit: As a side thought, the "treat dependency" she's talking about may be more in the line with luring (I still disagree with her whole heartily - all professional training programs and schools use treats/reward based). Luring is showing the treat before the behavior and prompting/leading them into it. This CAN lead to a treat dependency, which is why the cue and behavior should come first, before the treat. Police dogs can be trained with rewards, then perform in the field without or even ignoring treats, so saying that treats always cause dependancy is hogwash.

Check out the wiki for how to find a good trainer, and look for someone who uses positive reinforcement and has some sort of certification (Cpdt-ka,KPA-CTP). Anyone can call themselves a trainer, and I've met so many people who are not qualified. Also get a copy of the book Fired up, frantic and freaked out. Great book, easy to follow and inexpensive.

Congrats on your new pup-to-be! And thank you for doing so much research, there aren't nearly enough people who do their homework first :-)

My favorite potty training resource:

Why Crate Train

ABCs of Crate Training

Dos and Don'ts of Crate Training


I, too, highly recommend The Other End of the Leash

Books I also really like:

Training Your Superpuppy - it's pretty basic but it covers a little bit of a lot of topics

My Smart Puppy I really like this for a puppy training book- it comes with a DVD as well which I found very helpful

101 Dog Tricks - For some fun training and bonding exercises. There is a puppy version, but I found that my Border Collies have been able to keep up with the 'adult' book just fine. I also really like Kyra's Do More With Your Dog, just a fun book if you're looking for more activities with your dog or just to learn about other canine activities.

The Dog Wars - It's not a training book but more of a dog politics book, but it should be required reading for any Border Collie enthusiast IMO

If you have any interest in working livestock...

A Way of Life

Top Trainers Talk About Starting A Sheepdog

Herding Dogs

Talking Sheepdogs: Training Your Working Border Collie

Stockdog Savvy

Also-

Collie Psychology - I just found this book online while looking for links for the others. I know nothing about it, but reading the description looks like it could be interesting (anyone know anything about it?)

Edit: Really... once again, I'm the only comment here with a downvote?! If you've got a problem with the things I post, say it to me. Raise an issue, start a discussion. Christ.

Congratulations on your new puppy, she's a cutie. You are gonna have a ball! It's practically impossible to totally screw up a puppy unless you are abusive. They all seem to survive our bumbling and inability to speak their language.

If you are new to dogs you don't yet understand that they have a language that you can learn. Please do yourself and your dog a favor and learn a bit of it with this inexpensive invaluable book. it will help you understand what your dog is trying to tell you.
http://www.amazon.com/On-Talking-Terms-With-Dogs/dp/1929242360

Here is her web site with some quick info:
http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=1

Please please throw the Purina food away. If you google the ingredients you will see that it is worse than McDonalds. It contains animal byproducts which is from dead and dying animals as well as any bit of crap they can't put in human food. It also contains corn which dogs can't readily digest and many are allergic to.

Buy a good food made without wheat or corn and with meat as its top ingredient. Here is a link to food ratings. http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/

You want to choose a 5 star food if you can afford it, or a 4 star. Look at the ingredients and remember that this is the ONLY food she will get, she can't go out and buy anything else. You have to feed her the best you can. Follow the directions on the bag for amounts for the dry food.

To give her the best nutrition mix in some good quality canned food or make up a nice chicken stew, with lots of chicken and vegetables like green beans, broccoli and cauliflower to put on top. She's a baby and good nutrition is important. Besides if you love her it makes you feel good to provide good healthy food and watch her bloom.

The bath for the fleas was good. She needs to see the vet right away and he or she can advise you on what to use for her. Vet care is important. Have her microchipped if you can because rural dogs can get lost.

The crate should be big enough so that she has a place to sleep at one end and a place to go potty. If you have a secure room you could put her in there as well. Be sure to give her toys that are soft and squeak and toys that she can chew on. Gently discourage her chewing on anything but her toys. Sometimes a dab of peanut butter on a toy can make it more interesting. Don't give her rawhide chews (avoid giving Greenies at all) when you aren't home though, as they can choke on them.

There are lots of resources on the net for housebreaking. Dogs don't like to potty in their own home so after a few fits and starts she will get the idea. It will be some time before she can hold it for 8-9 hours though. Keep an eye on her after meals and take her out. Watch her and when she goes be an absolute fool about praising her and talking baby talk and anything else she finds exciting. You want her to associate it with good things. :)

Have fun reading and learning. Keep reinforcement positive. If you fuss at her make it short and forgive her immediately. Dogs don't hold grudges, they scold one another and move on. Humans could learn a lot from them.

We have very similar dogs (mine's a chihmutt too, possibly chihminipin). We've had her for 7 months, and she's basically plateauing after the initial training we were able to give her for the reactivity. She also does really well at doggie daycare and adores/trusts all the attendants there. They say she's blossomed and come out of her shell and is more sociable with the other dogs too. She was found on the street, probably dumped with her leash and harness still on. She's also on clomicalm and previously dog prozac. Both of which have worked a little but nothing dramatically different.

Not sure what specific training you got, but here are the big things that made the most impact for us.

• on walks, lots of counter conditioning along with 'look at me' (basically lots of high value treat dropping when seeing dogs and strangers). Her threshold used to be ~50 yards before going nuts but now she's a good 8-10 feet. It's so hard to see the progress you've made because the impact of their negative behavior can be so stressful. I feel you!
  
• managed introductions: so not just letting new people come in the house without meeting them outside first (with high value treat dropping as soon as we meet strangers). She normally barks a little but as soon as doggy meatballs or people food drop she starts eating them. People are always instructed to ignore, ignore and ignore. We walk for a few minutes around the block and then when we get in the house she's much more calm. Still NO petting or staring/attention from friends in the house. Basically, she's treated like a cat, with attention only on her terms. While they're in the house, lots and lots of treats dropping every 30 seconds (nobody hand feeds either, just dropping snacks to the ground). She hates it when people put hands out for sniffing for whatever reason, so people don't do it either. It's really the most helpful for people to completely ignore her until she decides she wants to sniff or ask for attention. After ~20-30 min, she's usually begging for attention (they can't pick her up, but she finally asks for some scratches). This method has been absolutely, positively fantastic. We've had several couples over and a dinner party of 6 people. I'm guessing your dog never got to meet strangers either :(
  
  ​
  
  Books/podcasts/websites that I recommend:
  
  
• On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals. I felt like this book opened my eyes to how dogs talk to each other. Now I can look at her, identify her body language and intent AND see what other dogs are thinking/feeling based on their body language. It's a simple, yet super helpful book.
  
• Feisty Fido. Not sure why your trainer suggested a stroller, but that seems really strange. This book was excellent for managing our walks a bit better as well.
  
• Youtube Channel: Kaelin Munkelwitz Trainer. She films her client visits so you can see what she's doing with the dog in real time.
  
• Youtube Channel: Sophia Yin. (rip). She's well known in the training world and is so amazing with the dogs she trains on her channel.
  
  We struggle with her every day, just like you and I know exactly how you feel. There's no going back with her.
  
  At least your dog can be crated while you're gone. Ours has separation/isolation anxiety and is overly attached to my husband as well. So even when I'm here, she doesn't care so much because he's not. We've barely left our house because we haven't been able to find evening sitters :( We're almost $500/ month on doggie daycare so we can go do things during the day when I'm off of work. It's been a slow, uphill climb.
  
  Hang in there, you're an amazing dog parent and he's so lucky to have both of you!

Whew, ok, lots to unpack here.

First question: does your dad know you're about to give him a GSD puppy? You're signing him up for a pretty big 2 year commitment here (and that's just the puppy phase), so please make sure he's 100% on board with the idea of raising a landshark demon spawn before bringing it home.

Secondly, breed standard puts an adult GSD somewhere in the neighborhood of 24" tall and 60-80lb. This can vary widlly based on sex, line, and breeding quality. My poorly-bred GSD male is 29" tall and a scrawny 85lb. I've also seen some pretty petite females come through my rescue.
On the subject of lines, do you know what kind of GSD you're getting? There are various working and show lines, and the personality and structure of your GSD can come out all over the map. If you don't know the answer from talking to your breeder, run away, because you're not getting a well-bred dog. Poorly-bred GSDs are health and temperament nightmares.

Thirdly, the breed standard calls for a confident but aloof personality, but again, temperaments may vary depending on lines and breeding quality. GSDs need to be socialized thoroughly but carefully to lock in that confident-but-also-aloof sweet spot. Flooding your puppy with tons of new people and places will create a fearful adult, but so will keeping your dog locked up. I have seen lots of success using a puppy-led gentle exposure technique. Take your dog to lots of places, but don't make the novelty into a big deal. Don't force your puppy to interact with every person and dog you see, and call it a day if your puppy seems overwhelmed or scared. A puppy builds confidence by exploring on its own, you're just there to moderate the experience and make sure it's a positive one. I can't recommend a group obedience class enough for young GSDs...learning to focus in a controlled environment around other dogs is a valuable asset for future life skills. Consider finding a local trainer that does group positive reinforcement based training, or at least very positive-leaning balanced training. Avoid anyone who mentioned "alpha" or "pack leader" because that school of thought is outdated and disproven (but is holding on forever in GSD breed circles for some reason). Also avoid anyone who wants to put a prong or choke collar on your dog without evaluating their behavior first.

Honestly, if I were you I'd stop and do a little more research before bringing home a GSD. They're a little more of a "lifestyle breed" than your average family pet, and will find and exploit any weakness in your dog-owning abilities. Read some books (recommendations here: 1 2 3 4), talk to your dad, take a good look at your breeder, maybe find a local trainer with a good positive puppy class, and try again with a little more information under your belt.

> Any books or guides you recommend?

• A well balanced trainer so you can properly socialize the dog.
  
• Ian Dunbar's Before and After.
  
• The Puppy Primer and Perfect Puppy.
  
• kikopup
  
• zak george
  
• Pam's Dog Academy
  
• Donna Hill
  
• Training Positive
  
• Kristin Crestejo
  
  > Crate recommendations (we will be doing crate training)
  
  Crate Games and the weekend crate training plan -- adjust as necessary for your dog. Remember, never reward the dog for crying if you know they don't need anything (aka, they've been pottied, fed, etc).
  
  > What should we be prepared for? What will a rough schedule be like for having a puppy around? When do we start leaving the crate open and letting him roam all day?
  
  It can be a bit rough the first two weeks, but get onto a schedule you like ASAP. Feed at x AM, potty after, feed again at x AM/PM, etc. It'll make your life substantially easier. I take water away just before our last potty for the evening. You can start leaving the crate open and letting him roam after the teenage-angst-kill-everything phase. That'll vary by dog.
  
  > There are always debates on the best dog food for puppies and adults, so any input on that would be awesome as well
  
  For the first month, keep the puppy on whatever s/he's on. It makes it substantially easier. Too much change can really upset their digestive system. :) Honestly, I'm a firm believer in keeping your dog on what they do well on.
  
  > When we get him, should we take him right to a vet for a check up, to get established there or no? Are there routine/annual checkups we should be doing?
  
  I personally would. Shelters aren't always the most thorough in their examinations. It isn't really their fault. But, it also allows you to start the socialization process for the vet. Take lots of treats, and reward heavily during the exam - reward whilst the mouth is looked at, paws, etc. It's never too early to start that. Just keep him/her crated or off the floor until s/he's had all the vaccinations!

Training Positive is one of the best resources out there for newbies, IMO. He has a variety of different behaviors and really explains the WHY very well, so ideally you can take the information and apply it to behaviors he doesn't even cover. His information is all accurate and up-to-date with scientific research. He explains things very well -- I watch his videos to get ideas on how to better explain concepts. This is a good place to start!

As for books: Don't Shoot The Dog is a great one by Karen Pryor. She compares the same learning and behavior principals to people, which I think is hugely helpful in dog training (it's better to focus on our similarities than our differences). For actually teaching specific behaviors, The Power of Positive Dog Training is fantastic. Super simple, practical guides with explanations of WHY it works behaviorally.

Good luck in your research!! Already you're off to a great start just for being WILLING to research.

Weird, your friend and I have a lot in common (I too am a dog trainer who has a few dogs and my biggest interest in the world is dog training with a love for agility). I want to be friends with your friend! Anyway some idea are

"multiuse or convertible" leash like 1 or 2

A fun tug toy like a rope w/ball on it or nice handled tug toy

A good Kong or two (original either red or black in the appropriate size for her dogs)

Good dog training books like The Dog Trainer's Resource or When Pigs Fly

A fun collar or two (am I the only one here who has 4+ collars for each dog and still wants more?)

If she likes hot drinks and you want to focus more on her funny/cute dog mugs are always good

Bumper stickers/magnets with her favorite breed or dog mom or a cute dog saying

It's great that you're planning ahead and trying to do everything right.

> I intend to train my puppy since day one,

For information on puppy training, you'll want to check out /r/Puppy101. They've got stuff in the sidebar that you'll want to read.

>cesar millan philosophie on nose

You can skip the Cesar Millan stuff. He is a television star, not a dog expert. See our wiki page about Cesar for more info. You would rather get great information from well-qualified dog trainers. Our sidebar will lead you to some great stuff.

>What should I do? I don't want the perfect dog (submissive yeah, but not a lab), but I want to well train him, but keep him happy and me happy.

Start by reading everything in our sidebar - we put some great links there for you! Our wiki has lots more information on dog training. You might want to read a few of the books in our book list. Or follow the link to kikopup's videos (see sidebar) and watch her techniques.

>He will have at least 2 times a day intense exercise, 1 morning: he will walk with me (I fatten a little, stop running, now I'm picking the pace) 3.5 km (mountain type of track) and in the future run with me, in the same track, the 2 time on a large space where he can run free of leash, the rest is only pee on the tree, nothing fancy and play in the house. 1 or 2 times a week beach or some rustic mountain or new park for him to explore (and me).

Be careful not to do too much while your puppy is young. His joints can't take a lot of exercise while he is a baby.

>I think this will be enough to keep him soften, but the house training (housebreaking) is the thing that I am more afraid of

The Manners and Everyday Life section of our wiki includes a house training page. Start there.

> P.S. What's the name of that book that talks about training bull terriers? Well famous and I think that I saw it recommended here a lot of times.

You might be thinking of When Pigs Fly!: Training Success with Impossible Dogs by Jane Killon.

Hope this helps!

For the fertilizer doses, I'm not really an expert, but you should get some good ideas from the Tom Barr website...his website is actually a lot more technically helpful than reddit on some of the more scientific aspects of planted tanks.

You can be much more precise measuring your fertilizers (and its cheaper) to buy dry ferts. I like to buy mine from greenleafaquariums.com

Your substrate choice will affect your experiment as far as fertilizing. Some, like organic potting soil, or aquasoil, will contain fertilizers. Some, like sand, are completely inert. It may make your life easier to measure the effects of fertilizer dosing with an inert substrate. Or have a sand as a control tank or something. Some of the special planted tank aquarium substrates don't contain nutrition themselves, (like fluorite, etc) but they bind them easily, and store them for plant use. Again, not sure if that would affect your experiment or not.

You'll need to make sure you take your lighting into account as well. That will affect your plant growth rate a lot.

Fast growing and minimal maintenance can include water sprite, water wisteria, amazon swords, dwarf lilly.

Edit: http://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Planted-Aquarium-Diana-Walstad/dp/0967377366/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422486719&sr=8-1&keywords=planted+aquarium+books&pebp=1422486721098&peasin=967377366

Amazing resource for you to cite for any paper you have to write.

>Clearly he doesn’t see me as a “pack leader” and I need some help to teach him that I’m the boss.

The first thing to do is to completely put this mentality out of your head. Dogs do not see humans as "pack leaders" - you do not need to teach him "respect". That model for dog/human interactions stems from old school dominance theory hooey that has long been debunked.

The second thing to do is reframe how you're characterizing your interactions with your dog. Your dog is not "fighting" with you or in a spat with you. Remember that dogs are not actually cheeky, or spiteful, nor do they "hate" in the sense that we do - we can joke about anthropomorphizing them, but when it gets down to training, we have to remember that dogs don't think like humans. Projecting human emotions and intentions onto your puppy is a recipe for frustration.

When it comes down to it, dogs think in terms of what is rewarding and what is not rewarding. What I see in your post is a typical puppy - he gets excited at times, he gets frustrated at times, and he enacts behaviours that get him attention (i.e., a reward!) - even if, in your mind, it's negative attention.

Remember that every interaction is an equation to your puppy - when you ask him to do something, he weighs how rewarding that behaviour is against all his other options. He will pick the most rewarding behaviour, every time. Thus, the way to get him to do what you want is simple enough - reward, reward, reward. If he is especially reluctant about something, even if you're offering a very high value reward, make a note in your mind. Something about the behaviour you're requesting has a significant downside for him. For example, when my guy was a puppy, I could offer him all the steak in the world and he would not come near me if he thought I was about to clean his ears. He feared ear cleaning more than he loved steak. It's simple math.

In terms of managing behaviours you don't like - make sure the foundations for a happy dog are there. A safe, puppy-proof environment, adequate mental/physical exercise, and lots of positive reinforcement of desired behaviours. Then, with all that covered, you can tackle undesired behaviours.

Negative punishment (removing the ability to receive rewards) is the only type of "punishment" we endorse in the sub. This usually means removing your dog's access to you/your attention for a brief period of time (30-60 seconds). This is one way to address undesired behaviours like barking, nipping, etc.

Another way is redirection - if your dog is doing something you don't like, help him build new habits by redirecting him to a desired behaviour and heavily/frequently rewarding that behaviour. For example, my guy loved to put his paws up on the counter while we were eating. Teaching him "off" was part of addressing that, but this was reactionary training. I was reacting to his behaviour rather than setting him up for success by giving him a more rewarding alternative from the get-go. So, whenever we sat down to eat, I asked him to go lie down on his mat and I regularly rewarded him as long as he stayed there during the meal. Now, his instinctive behaviour when we eat is to go lie down. I didn't need to get him to "respect" me or show him I was the boss - I just needed to give him an alternative.

>Does not like to be told no

I typically recommend that people never use "no" when training their dogs - this isn't because I think dogs shouldn't have boundaries. It's because the word "no" is essentially meaningless and not helpful feedback for your dog. It's doing training the hard way. People often use "no" in every single situation where they want their dog to change their behaviour, ignoring the fact that dogs struggle to generalize. So, when their dog gets confused or doesn't respond to the "no" in the way they expect, they assume the dog is simply being stubborn and they lean into it, by using intimidating body language, or raising their voice. This is not training. This is not teaching your dog what "no" means. It's much more effective to teach (and reward!!) specific commands like "off", "hush", "leave it", "drop it", etc.

You're using a lot of loaded language in your post - your puppy is a "fighter", you put him in his kennel when he's being "bad", etc. I think this is really souring your relationship with him. Remember, he's an animal. He has no sense of right/wrong. He will, however, pick up on your frustration, or anger, and respond to that. He will be more anxious, or on edge, or excitable around you. The behaviours you stack up to misbehaving or acting out sound like pretty typical signs of heightened stress. I would highly recommend checking out this book on canine body language - it might help you pick up on some signals from your dog that you're missing.

Edit: typo.

Okay so, I have tons of dog books to recommend. Obviously it isn't an apples to apples translation for horses, but they will help you get a solid understanding of clicker theory, and a lot of the exercises could be applied to horses, with some creative tweaking. You can usually find some inexpensive used options on Amazon that may make it more practical to buy these books, since with the exception of the Karen Pryor book they only cover dogs. If you have questions or want more recommendations let me know!

When Pigs Fly!: Training Success with Impossible Dogs https://www.amazon.com/dp/1929242441/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_41JXBbXWEPN78 This is a good basics of training books that will give you a solid introduction to actually applying clicker training.

Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us About All Animals https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743297776/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_J4JXBb9X374P5 This will get you really in the weeds on the theory and development of clicker training, plus a lot of examples of how Karen has used the methods. It is very readable, not dry and overly academic. I found it light on giving you step by step application instructions for a variety of situations though.

The Official Ahimsa Dog Training Manual: A Practical, Force-Free Guide to Problem Solving and Manners https://www.amazon.com/dp/1478176415/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_G6KXBb7XTZPB3 this one is another really good basics book. The author has another book called Behavior Adjustment Training that uses positive methods to deal with hyper-reactive and problem behavior. It might be a good one just so you can see some of the creative ways that they use positive training to overcome things like food aggression, fear of strangers, etc.

It really doesn't sound like this is going to be a good environment to raise a healthy, well behaved dog. I think you guys need to put the hard brakes on this decision and reevaluate your choice here...but I somehow doubt your family is going to say no to a puppy so...

Leaving it alone all day will almost certainly create behavioral issues (chewing, self harm, destruction, barking, anxiety, aggression, etc). That's not a nice life for a dog, especially a puppy by itself. I leave my dog 6-8 hours, but he's grown and I know he can handle it thanks to the looong walks we take before and after work, and all the other work I've put into training him and steps I take to prevent separation anxiety. People have to go to work, but look into daycare or at the very least crate training to help. Try to get the family to re-prioritize getting home sooner to let the dog out.

>they're kinda crazy and very yappy / bark a lot.

A dog's behavior is 80% a direct reflection of the owner. Although this can be complicated when the dog has been adopted by various people. Sometimes the current owner is dealing with someone else's mistakes.

If dogs could be BRED to BEHAVE then there would be a lot more "naturally well-behaved" dogs. Breed and other genetic factors can play a part in your dog's personality, but early exposure and training will always be the PRIMARY determining factors of how your dog behaves.

Small dogs and big dogs have the same brains. People try to act like they're almost separate species in order to excuse their bad training. You will see more yappy little dogs because people let them get away with it. A german shepard that angrily barks and lunges at anyone passing by is not going to be around for long.

Dogs are a lot of work, especially the first year of training. You will get what you give with a dog. The dog's energy level matters, this is the 20% inherent personality that you have to shape and influence with your 80% training. Regardless of breed, you can find a low-energy, high-tolerance puppy in most litters...but it sounds like you picked a random pup, so it's luck of the draw for you. Might be the high-energy, reactive pup of the litter, or something in between.

Training a pom can be hard because they are cute and tiny and it's easy to let them get away with very bad behaviors that you would never tolerate from a big dog. I found it helped to always imagine that my tiny fuzz ball would one day be growing up to be a Samoyed. Would I let a Samoyed puppy jump and bark and bite, knowing that behavior would soon becoming from a 100lb dog? No way! So same for a tiny pom.

I read all of Cesar Milan's books, and also Monks of New Skete. There are also some good youtube channels to check out. At the very least watch the "what to do before/the day you bring home a puppy" vids, so you get the crucial first step right! Zach George channel and perhaps most helpful; "are you ready for a dog?"

Cesar is pretty strict with dogs, more about obedience/dominance
The Monks are middle ground
Zach is very positive reinforcement/treats
So check them all out a bit and see what style will realistically work for you and your family (could even do various approaches from different people).

Honestly it seems to me like it's almost the norm for people to impulse buy/adopt dogs, be very lazy about training, and leave them home 8-12 hours a day. You're not doing anything outlandish. However the consequences of these decisions remain. The fact that you clearly care about what happens with this dog should go a long way. All it takes is someone stopping for a minute to consider the dog's needs, rather than only the humans' needs, and you'll be on your way. Feel free to ask questions or PM me.

edit: other random pom-specific advice!
http://www.petpom.com/ -- this website has a lot of info you need! Buying their PDF is worthwhile.

Don't cut or shave the fur, esp in the first year, or the coat will be ruined.

Little dogs need lots of exercise too, multiple daily walks for their mental health. They are tiny so the walks can be sort.

Poms can be quite fragile so be careful. #1 cause of death in poms is being dropped. Be wary of letting strangers hold your dog.

Poms are subject to low blood sugar and seizures, so make sure as a baby it eats often.
Dogs are never too young to be trained. Start from day 1. The first few months are mainly about establishing a relationship and communication though.

Dog health insurance is a good idea, there's a comparison website online for plans in your area

Good dog food is a long term investment for the health of your dog. Cheap food = expensive health problems. You can also google the best brands of foods. I usually go for Acana or Wellness. Human food can also give them the same health problems so avoid it as much as possible!

>the nicest person I've been in touch with

Thanks :) You've been pretty reasonable and interesting to talk to also (sometimes thats really hard when you're passionate about something).

So, if anything I've said so far seemed to make sense to you, I'd recommend you get and read a few books that talk about how dogs (and animals in general) "work". They're all fairly cheap, interesting / easy to read, and are written by really qualified animal behaviorists / trainers:

• Don't Shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor
  
  
• The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by
  Patricia B. McConnell
  
  
• The Culture Clash by Jean
  Donaldson
  
  (They're in /r/dogtraining's book list, but I think these 3 are a really good place to start)
  
  They aren't going to turn you into a behaviorist just from reading those 3 books, but they'll give you a good background / base of knowledge to build on. Your girlfriend will probably think they're interesting too, and think you're pretty cool for researching / being interested in what she thinks is the best way to train / change behavior.

You can start training your puppy now, just keep in mind that small puppy=small attention span. Training sessions should be 2 minutes tops, keep them exciting and full of positive attention. Start out by getting him used to being handfed, then move to an easy-to-train command like "sit". Once he's got that down or seems to need more variety, gradually begin to introduce more commands.

As for treats, you can use kibble from his main diet as a minor training reward to start out with. You can also use soft treats like training treats or freeze-dried liver. Just don't go too overboard on rewarding!

Get as many friends and family of a variety of ages to come and visit/treat your puppy in the next couple of weeks as possible. Socialization is key and the 8-10 week window can, in a lot of ways, determine your dog's demeanor going forward. I'm sure you know, but you should avoid taking the puppy out to meet other dogs or into areas with high dog traffic until he is finished with the parvo series of vaccinations.

This is just the tip of a very large iceberg of puppy info. I'll put in a plug for /r/dogtraining and /r/puppy101 here! Both are great resources. We also relied heavily on the advice of Ian Dunbar while training our corgi. His website is here, he also has a great book Before and After Getting Your Puppy which was our bible. We basically did a less intense versions of his errorless house, chew toy, and crate trainings and our corgi was accident free by 3 months, is happy and bark free in his crate, and has yet to legitimately destroy anything.

Congratulations on your new pup and happy training to you!

Ok, I had some things to do, I wanted to reply to this earlier...I love this stuff :D

I dunno if you're looking for a specific training (general obedience, agility, protection, etc.), so I'll include a bit of everything that's helped me or that is well-regarded.

For general understanding of dog behavior, I really, really intensely love Jean Donaldson's "Culture Clash." It's not a workbook for obedience, it's more of a compilation of different techniques and why the author chose to move toward the training style she did. It's a little scathing at times. It's also relatively short (I think I finished it in a day or two), so as a general introduction, it works great.

If you have a puppy and are looking for puppy-specific knowledge, Ian Dunbar is the go-to name. There's lots and lots of Dunbar stuff out there, just plug his name in and go to town! Paul Owens' "The Puppy Whisperer" is also pretty good.

For general/pet obedience work, you really can't beat Pat Miller's "The Power of Positive Dog Training". Karen Pryor, a pioneer in clicker training (bridging the gap between marine/whale operant conditioning and dogs), also put out a great one, "Don't Shoot the Dog! The New Art of Teaching and Training". Really, anything by Karen Pryor is worth picking up if you're interested in the subject.

There are certain facets of dog body language and behavior that are pretty essential to know, and which are often neglected or incorrectly labelled in dominance-heavy learning (for instance, appeasement behaviors and fear aggression). A great start here is "On Talking Terms with Dogs" by Turid Rugaas, a Norwegian dog trainer and behaviorist.

Let's say you have a specific problem. Here are some good starts to overcoming common doggie fear issues: Patricia McConnell's "Cautious Canine and Ali Brown's "Scaredy Dog! Understanding and Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog.. Patricia McConnell's "I'll be Home Soon" is great for separation anxiety, Terry Ryan's "The Bark Stops Here" for barking. One of my faves is Emma Parsons' "Healing the Aggressive Dog".

Finally, a book that I cannot stress enough in its awesomeness is Jane Killion's "When Pigs Fly! Training Success with Impossible Dogs". If you're stuck with a breed that was bred to work independently or you often feel that your dog is just plain ignoring you, this is a great thing to pull out.

If you're not so big on books and want videos, hop on youtube and look up kikopup! She's utterly brilliant and has a ton of videos to choose from. If you want to get more into that angle, look up the terms "shaping," "capturing," and "luring" - three different but related methods for encouraging dogs to do specific behaviors.

Finally, if you want to get down to the science of it and think more about wolves, L. David Mech is the name you want to watch for. And I have more sources on specific dogsports (gundog work, agility, etc.), but this post is already hideously long, so I'll leave it as is.

Hope that helps!

I have a very similar story with my American Bulldog. I got her at 9 months and she was very friendly with other dogs until I took her to another friends house with an aggressive boxer that kept trying to jump on her back and bite her neck. She hasn't really been the same since. She isn't aggressive towards other dogs, but rather fearful of other dogs which leads to nervousness when other dogs approach... which will eventually lead to lashing out at them if they get too close. I took her to a trainer who specialized in aggressive dogs... he didn't really tell me much except for the obvious(and charged me $150!).

So, I took it upon myself and read up a lot on the subject. I have been slowly getting her more comfortable being around other dogs. I would recommend reading Calming Signals first so you will at least know a little more about what your dog and other dogs' body language is saying.

I started by walking her a few times a week with another very calm and very polite dog (I think the right walking partner dog is very important). After a while she became very comfortable around the other dog and even became excited (the happy kind) when she would see him walking up. Eventually, they were able to be off leash in a backyard (I wouldn't recommend your own back yard initially as different territorial issues might arise). I also bring along her favorite treats on all our walks to 1) Reward her for good behavior and 2) to determine her level of nervousness (i.e. she refuses the treat = very nervous, she takes the treat but spits it out = somewhat nervous, takes the treat and eats it = calm).

Good luck.

I have a GSP, so similar but bred for slightly different things.

Recall will be important, but do not ever expect this dog to be reliable off leash. Like, ever. Even if the dog seems reliable, some day you will definitely have a lost dog. So keep everything on leash (invest in a long leash and harness) or in fenced in areas.

Exercise and mental stimulation will be insanely important. These dogs were bred to work in fields all day, and that doesn't translate well to being a house pet. But as you own an ACD, you should be familiar with smart high energy breeds :)

But, on that note, training will not be quite as easy as with your ACD. Where an ACD is biddable and was bred to work with its handlers, a coonhound was bred to do its own thing without much direction from its handler. So you're going to have to establish a strong bond with your dog, and understand what is possible, what's not possible, and what's just not worth it (compromise!). I strongly recommend this book.

Get on top of leash training now. I like Zak George's leash training method for dogs like this.

If you have any other questions, just let me know!

You sound like you have a smaller version of my dog (70lbs).

STRANGERS: Does he have a crate? If not, get him one. If so, teach him to go to the crate when people come over, and go there anytime he's feeling stressed or overwhelmed. No one bothers him there, and no one approaches him there. Give him his space. You can close him in there for safety, or if he's OK (and/or my next suggestion here) leave it open for him to go in and out as he feels the need.

Have you tried muzzle training. Teaching him to wear a basket muzzle while people are over will give him the opportunity to move around them, take treats and get acclimated all while keeping your guests safe. The muzzle may also be useful for walks. KikoPup has an excellent video on teaching your dog to wear a muzzle. If done right your dog will enjoy putting on and wearing his muzzle. I know mine does, he has trouble staying still while a fasten it on because he's wagging his tail so hard.

WALKING: Do your best to take him for walks during the quieter parts of the day. After dark, early morning and early afternoons are usually good. If having a job seems to help him, put him to work. Teach him how to focus and pay attention to you at home, then start asking for it on walks, then pausing to ask for different "tricks" along the way. Keep him guessing as to what you're doing next. Don't be afraid to pull out the "big guns" when it comes to treats for high distraction and problem areas like walks. Is there any food he goes nuts for? And not just the commercial treats; lunch-meat, cheeses, green tripe, bacon. Try a bunch of things and see what really lights him up, reserve that item for walks. If he's big on toys you can also use a toy to reward for good behavior or distract him.

FOOD AGGRESSION: I can't recommend MINE! by Jean Donaldson enough. It's a wonderful resource, with easy to follow step by infinitesimal step to help your dog be more comfortable with you around his food. Also, if you have a crate (or go get one), you can feed him and give him his extended chewing items in the crate.

IN GENERAL: It sounds like you've been doing everything right. If you get really frustrated don't be afraid to ask for more help. Sometimes training and time aren't enough to help our dogs. Do not be afraid to work with a Veterinary Behaviorist (not a person who calls themselves a behaviorist, or your general practitioner vet). Medication can HELP. If you have a continuously anxious dog, even at a low level, can cause chronic health issues for them (and since you're stressed because he is, you too). If after speaking with a veterinary behaviorist, they think medication can help, don't wait, go for it. The help of a veterinary behaviorist and medication has helped my dog become a happy dog, who can actually go out in public as long as no one tries to grab him, and can snooze in his crate while we have guests over.

I'm not sure what you mean by negative reinforcement - in learning theory terms, that means stoping a bad thing (negative - taking away) to encourage them to do something again. I believe what you meant was positive punishment - doing a bad thing (positive - adding something) to discourage that behaviour in the future. You are right to stay away from physical reprimands (positive punishment) but I would still keep verbal corrections. NO is a very common word in our everyday lives though and they get desensitized to that fairly quickly, so I use NAH AH, or a gutteral EEEEIIIHHHH (rhymes with hay).

For training specific commands like sit, I'd recommend not adding a verbal cue until you have an 80% reliable response to a hand signal, otherwise, they may learn to associate the word with other things instead of the behaviour you want. The Power of Positive Dog Training is a very good book for describing detailed methods of positive training, it has a great 6 week program outlined for basic obedience training plus some fun tricks.

You can definitely train him to respond to his name better, either that one or a new one. Simply say the name, and give a treat when he looks at you in response. A clicker helps greatly in capturing the correct respone. And if he doesn't look at you right away, make yourself more interesting, baby talk, flap your arms, jump and squeal and scoot away, whatever gets his attention. You should also never say his name in anger, he needs to learn that his name means pay attention and good things will happen, not his name means punishment.

There are over the counter supplements and products you can try that may help such as: adaptil, calming care probiotic, zylkene, solliquin (l-theanine). They can help take the edge off for some anxious, stressed out, or freaked out dogs but they aren't true behavior medications.

When was the last time that the vet was consulted about medications? Does the vet know the real extent of these behaviors or were they downplayed a bit? At the end of the day, vets are not behavioral experts. I would recommend seeking out different opinions with a vet with behavioral knowledge and experience, or consult a veterinary behaviorist because its unfair to the cats, to you and your partner, and the dog to have this sort of stress in your day to day. If you want to pursue medication options, a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist is a vet who has gone through additional behavior residency and has the best range of knowledge to prescribe, combine, taper on/off and transition medications.

The alpha thing is bunk nonsense in dog-human relationships. When you try to 'correct' her or try to get her to listen she's most likely just afraid and nervous and not as familiar with you, so she is running to the person she finds most comforting and trusts more. What region are you in? Perhaps there is a trainer or resource we can recommend to help.

I also read in your comments that you work from home and are therefore with her all the time - I'm betting that this is really, really exacerbating things. Its hard to work, relax, chill, have a good relationship with a dog that is putting you on edge all day and night! Have you explained this to your partner? Does he truly realize how challenging and exhausting this can be? I went through the same thing when we first adopted our dog because I was freelancing from home and with her 24/7 for nearly a year. It drove me bonkers and I was on edge - turned me into a reactive human! I recommend just taking a step back and finding an activity you and the dog enjoy doing together and spend some silly quality time with her. Could be blowing bubbles, cuddling, playing with some toy, making dumb noises, whatever.

And lastly - this is a really good, short read on Resource Guarding, which seems to be one of the primary issues you are dealing with. It is one of the most highly regarded resources on this issue so I would strongly recommend giving it a read!

I would recommend picking up a copy of the book, Fired up, Frantic, and Freaked Out. It teaches a technique for dealing with reactive dogs, but is a technique that I think any dog owner should have up their sleeve.

The basic idea is that you have a 'security' blanket or item that the dog learns to relax on. Once you have the basic relaxation down you start to present sounds/items/actions that would otherwise put the dog on alert while the dog is relaxed on the mat. The idea is to teach the dog that they can make a choice not to freak out, and to stay relaxed.

I've been using this technique with my extremely reactive Basenji/Pit mix for the past two months. With my dog it is very slow progress, but with a dog that is otherwise well behaved and non-reactive I could imagine this taking only a few weeks to work. Eventually with this technique the dog should start responding to stimulus by relaxing rather than going on alert. In turn, by being relaxed he/she should be able to respond to command much more readily.

Shadow is probably very stressed out right now. Moving houses is a nightmare for cats because they depend on everything being the same from day to day. There are four things I would recommend looking into.

First is, if I'm understanding correctly, she has free access to the entire house, but only hisses in your bedroom? If that's the case, have there ever been any other cats or dogs kept in that bedroom? Could there be another cat's scent in there, maybe from a cat spraying or having litter box problems? A black light flashlight can help you find these spots on the carpet and walls if they're there, and then you can use an enzymatic cleaning product called Nature's Miracle to remove the scent. Remember, cats can smell things that we can't.

One of the pheremonal calming products people have been mentioning is Feliway. I think you could really benefit from a diffuser for your room. I know it says it's for scratching and urine marking, but it works for stress in general. It does also come in sprays which you can spray on certain things like cat carriers, furniture, etc. but supposedly it does need pretty frequent application, just so you know. Don't be discouraged if the diffuser doesn't seem to work right away. It can take a week or more but I've seen a definite improvement for my cats.

You might also want to pick up a book called Think Like a Cat, or something similar. There are so many things we as humans do that cats find threatening, startling, upsetting, etc. and we don't even know it. The truth is that she is hissing at you for a reason, whether it's the way you're approaching her, something she now associates with you, who knows. I bet you could figure it out with some insight from a good source.

One final thing that's pretty important. Cats who hiss, growl, or jump when touched sometimes are doing so because they're in pain. Pay attention to how exactly she's reacting to you. Especially since you say she has a heart problem, it's possible that she is physically uncomfortable. You may want to explain what's happening to your vet and see if they can find a physical cause.

And of course... a little sprinkling of fairy dust for luck ;)

Oh, how we feel your pain! This sub will be your lifesaver--it's been mine. Here's a great place to start: http://careforreactivedogs.com/

Also, check out YouTube videos by Dr. Sophia Yin and Patricia McConnell. McConnell has a great booklet on reactive dogs, and you can get it pretty cheap used. https://www.amazon.com/Feisty-Fido-Help-Leash-Reactive-Dog/dp/1891767070/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1527001182&sr=8-5&keywords=patricia+mcconnell

We've also had good success with Feisty Fido and Reactive Rover classes, which were pretty inexpensive through our Animal Welfare League and Humane Society. My girl is making slow but real progress. She still reacts but she calms down much faster, and my hope is that reaction/calming time will shorten and eventually the reactions will fade away.

The people on this sub are awesome and full of support and ideas. Good luck on your journey!

Wow, your first dog is going to be a German Shepherd..... Do your research, he will be great with the kids as long as your willing to put the time in to do this right.

GSD pups are notorious for being "mouthy". Redirect him, when he bites, let out an "OUCH", draw back, play stops, give him a bone immediately. (or suitable chew toy) Remember, you are not rewarding him, you are redirecting. He is a baby, he is teething and hasn't learned bite inhibition yet. You have to teach him.

I have also used the technique that when he bites, "OUCH" and turn your back on him. That is what worked for my current boy. You would have thought he lost his best friend. It was traumatic, he did not like it at all. It worked.

Potty training. If you don't catch him in the act, don't scold him, he has no idea he did anything wrong. If you catch him, "NO" and immediately take him outside. When outside in the appropriate place and he starts to go, use a key word like "going potty", "go poop" whatever you want to use. You will feel like an idiot saying it over and over while the dog defecates but you will thank me later.

Consistency and routine are your friend. He IS smarter than you are.

I would highly recommend a professional trainer for YOU. At least basic puppy classes. Crate train, it is the best thing on the planet. You can also use it to help build his bladder.

He appears to be about 12 weeks, can't really tell for sure. You have so much research to do....

The Monks of New Skete "The art of raising a Puppy" is a good resource book on raising GSDs. They have a good mix of positive training with discipline. GSDs need both. He has to view you as the pack leader or he is going to walk all over you. Especially since he is a male.

These are my opinions. I have had Shepherds since I was a kid and the past 25 years as an adult. I took a basic puppy class last year with our newest Dog. It was for me as a refresher more than for him but he got some socialization out of it as well. They need that, take him places, new sounds, people, pets. Do not let it be traumatic for him. He will go through "fear periods" every so often, he will be afraid of things that he wasn't before but it will pass.

These things are a Godsend

I'm by no means an expert - and I think that the behaviorist you are seeing is a great start. We did that with my pup, and while expensive, was worth every cent!

My Catahoula sounds similar to your dogs. She reacts to every dog we see on walks, sometimes people too. And there has been a few times she has been in fights with other dogs that were in her territory.

First, I would recommend getting a break stick to keep near by if you do get to the point of introducing to a new dog. Pit Bulls and other dogs tend to clamp down and not open their jaws for anything. The break stick helps you to "twist" their jaw open from the back. The ear injury is pretty common in these types of fights, especially if people are trying to pull dogs apart. I unfortunately have experience in that just like you.

Second look into Behavior Adjustment Training. It has really helped our dog. Positive reinforcement and redirection have worked wonders too. Learn how to best get your dog to redirect their attention to you- or know how to do a quick "u-turn" on a walk to avoid a potentially bad situation. Are your dogs treat motivated? Find the most delicious treat you can and always be sure to have it with you on walks! I use string cheese, personally.

We have semi-successfully introduced our dog to new dogs. We always start at a neutral place, like an empty dog park or empty tennis courts and keep the dogs on leash. Then we walk around our neighborhood together and finally into our back yard if all has gone well. But I usually always keep my dog's harness on and won't leave them unsupervised. There's always lots of treats, praise and monitoring my dog for her "warning signs" such as acting extra protective of me or stealing the toy from the other dog.

Finally, you're not alone in your anxiety. It's taken me a long time to feel comfortable and confident walking our dog and sometimes we'll have an encounter that brings all the anxiety back. Don't just train your dog but work on training yourself too. The more confident you feel the more success you will have.

Good luck and keep coming here for support!

Oh no, you got your puppy too early! In most places it's illegal to sell a puppy younger than 8 weeks old. Puppies learn a lot of valuable social lessons from their littermates and mother during that time, so you need to make up the difference yourself.

You need to start socializing him ASAP. Get him around fully vaccinated (and friendly) adult dogs so he can start to learn how to be a dog. Puppy playdates are worth their weight in gold, and it's perfectly safe as long as all attending puppies are up to date (not done, but on schedule) with vaccinations. Ask your vet and call around to local trainers to see what classes are available to you. I cannot stress this enough: if you do not properly and thoroughly socialize your puppy, he will grow up to have potentially severe behaviour and fear issues. This is doubly important for a GSD, as shepherds can be prone to anxiety or neurotic behaviour if poorly bred or poorly raised. You already know your dog is poorly bred, so make sure to stack the odds in your favour the next few months. Here is a checklist you can use to make sure he's being exposed to everything necessary.

Besides that very important point, your puppy will be capable of learning basic obedience (sit, down, stay, touch, drop it, leave it, things like that) as soon as you want. It'll take time and repetition for the lessons to sink in, and right now his attention span is very short. Keep training sessions to 5-10 minutes at most, and definitely use treats. What a lot of people do is forgo meals entirely and use the puppy's food as training treats throughout the day. It's a good thing for a puppy to earn his food. Look up the "nothing in life is free" training method and see if you like that approach.

If you want further reading, this book is excellent. Since your puppy is so young, you should keep expectations low. Be patient and consistent, and remember that puppies literally know nothing. They have to be taught everything, including how not to be a butthead.

For more resources and support, /r/puppy101 is a great community.

It's a bummer shelters are that way, but I understand why. Some no kill shelters will send a reactive dog to another shelter to do the dirty work.

I live with a very reactive dog. A friend without kids could manage it safely. Honestly it's not that hard, you just can never forget that it's lurking in there. My boy feels safe at home and is the sweetest dog. The only time it's an issue is when company comes over. There is always the one friend who wants to see him react or the one who thinks they're the dog whisper. I let friends know that they can never meet him or see him.

A behaviorist can be life changing. For your dog and you. They will also help you figure out what type of home he needs. Too many people with a reactive dog try to use a trainer because they're cheaper. A good trainer will tell you that they train, they don't evaluate behavior. Each dog has different reasons and need different solutions. What works for my dog, might be wrong for yours. A good behaviorist will figure it out.

Good luck.

Edit: You might want to look at this book. It's not a training book, but it helps teach you how to read your dog's body language. Always helpful for a reactive dog.

https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Terms-Dogs-Calming-Signals/dp/1929242360

To add to what ellipsoptera said:

Widows (and other members of the cobweb spider family, Theridiidae) do have a tendency to build webs near the top of the jar, which often means that the web will be torn if you need to open it (for giving food or water). Sometimes it can be helpful to turn their containers upside-down, so the lid is at the bottom.

When spiderlings emerge, they will eventually start eating each other if they are not separated. I usually release most of my spiderlings, as I rarely want to raise more than a few at a time.

Another fun species to keep, if you have them in your area, is Kukulcania hibernalis. (In the west, there are other species of Kukulcania.) They are very easy to keep, as they can go a long time between meals and water if necessary (although I give mine a weekly watering between meals anyway). They are very timid, and they don't do much but sit in their webs when they are not eating, but they are fun to feed.

Lastly, depending on how interested you are in spiders, you may want to consider a tarantula. Other than my true spiders, tarantulas are the lowest-maintenance pets that I've ever kept (a lot less work than rodents or birds). Most of the New World species are docile and easy to keep. Pet stores usually just carry Chilean rose tarantulas (Grammostola rosea) and pinktoe tarantulas (Avicularia avicularia) for $15-$25, but you can get other options from breeders. (Depending on whom you ask, many would recommend against buying from big box pet stores.) Female tarantulas live for many years, so you can use them in your classroom for a long time.

If you're interested in tarantulas, some good reading material: Spiders, Calgary Web site, especially:

• Stan's Newbie Introduction
  
• Stan's Rant
  
• Myths, Misconceptions, Mistakes
  
• Care And Husbandry of the Chilean Rose Tarantula: This is a good species for beginners, but they have a few quirks.
  
  Afterwards, The Tarantula Keeper's Guide (same author as the above Web site) is an invaluable resource for new and experienced keepers alike.
  

First of all, I sympathize with you on the housebreaking issue. My cairn terrier is 14 years old and lived in a puppy mill all his life until he was about 7. As a result, I never had much success potty training him as he would just go in his crate (a result of living in a cage all his life). What did give me the best success was to tether him to me while I was in the house. If he went to lift his leg (he's a terrible marker), I'd make the no-no noise, then rush him outside to have him do his business. In this way, I was catching him in the act and reinforcing the correct place to relieve himself. I have successfully potty trained my lab and a few foster dogs this way as well. Secondly, you may want to look into belly bands. It won't stop the dog from peeing, but it will stop him from peeing ON things (i.e., your carpet). For my 16 lb cairn, I cut size 3 diapers in half, fold the wings back, and place in his belly band to absorb the pee.

It sounds like the poor guy has a good deal of separation anxiety along with general anxiety. For the separation, you may want to look into systematic desensitization. Jean Donaldson has a great book with a section on this. The whole book would be beneficial for any dog owner, actually! If you can hook up with a good trainer, I think you'll be able to provide more structure for your dog and in turn, help him feel more comfortable and less anxious.

Best of luck!!

It depends! Have you thought about which species?

You'll need an appropriately-sized container, some substrate, a water dish, and some kind of hide, probably.

You can use repurposed plastic containers or buy something special, but an enclosure should be secure enough to keep your spider safe (nothing it can get caught in, holes small enough to prevent escape, but allow adequate ventilation) and it may be taller for arboreal or burrowing tarantulas or shorter for your standard terrestrial beginner Ts. If you're going with an adult, Kritter Keepers work pretty well, but for a spiderling or juvenile, you'll want to start out small and move it into something larger later.

Arboreals don't generally need much in terms of substrate, but terrestrials will require enough to prevent injury from a fall. I use either cocofiber (sold as Eco Earth in expandable bricks or loose) or 100% peat (sold in any Lowe's/Home Depot/garden supply store), or a mix of the two. You don't want anything with any additives (e.g., soil with fertilizers or pesticides), so be sure to read the labels before you buy. Some people also just use regular dirt from outdoors (this seems to be more of a European thing), but the risk of it being contaminated with pesticides makes that impractical for some keepers.

A water dish can be a fancy rock-like thing or a repurposed drink lid or anything else that'll hold water and allow the spider access. I use plastic petri dishes for most of my tarantulas.

A hide can be simple/cheap or fancier too. I generally use cork bark, which seems to resist mold and other nastiness and gives a natural look to things. Pet stores generally have a variety of stuff to choose from in the reptile section. Other people make their own, from PVC pipes or other plastics. The important thing is that it shouldn't have any particularly sharp edges or spiky bits that could cause a spider harm.

Burrowing species (and many terrestrial juveniles) may not need or use hides, and may just require a little "starter hole" to begin a burrow. Arboreals may not need a hide either, but they'll need some structure to attach their webbing to--plastic vines near the top of the container work pretty well.

Don't worry about extra heating, lighting, or humidity at this point. Relatively few species require more care than can be given in normal room-temperature conditions.

I'd highly recommend a copy of The Tarantula Keeper's Guide, by Stan and Marguerite Schultz. It'll get you up to speed on the basics, and while it isn't perfect, it's an excellent resource, especially for beginners. I'd also recommend looking through posts both on here and on Arachnoboards to get ideas and a feel for what's in store.

Since you only brought her home today, I wouldn't judge her ability to understand where to potty quite yet. I definitely don't think she has a psychological problem. She's in a brand new home with brand new people and has absolutely no clue what's happening to her. Even dogs that were previously perfectly house trained for years tend to have accidents in the house after being in a shelter or rehomed. With a little decompression time, you'll be surprised at how much more of her personality you discover.

Since she's new to your home, you're going to want to introduce her to your home by slowly increasing her access to your space. Dogs won't potty in what they think is their home/hangout spot. You can start with a crate and work outwards. Whenever she isn't crated, having her tethered to you or closely monitored while tethered to furniture is a great start, too.

I'll link a couple of Zak George videos, too. It's way easier to explain techniques through video links. He's got great positive training tips, especially for dogs that are essentially blank slates. If you want to delve deeper, I'd read How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves or The Perfect Puppy in 7 Days, both by Sophia Yin.

Zak George on House Training

Zak George on Crate Training

Good luck! Congratulations on your new addition!

Like most training, you need to set up practice scenarios in order to succeed. If you dive straight into real world scenarios with highly valued items, of course you'll fail. It's a bit like trying to teach recall at the dog park without practicing hundreds of times in scenarios that are easier for your dog (and then claiming treats just don't work). You're setting the dog up for failure. You always need to set up situations where it's easy for the dog to give you the response you want. In this case, you need to give the dog low value items you can trade for in a calm, safe environment. Practice with items the dog is all too willing to trade for and gradually work your way up to higher value items and extremely high value items for trade. These practice scenarios will often involve items you can give back to the dog after you've taken them away. That teaches the dog that giving an item to you doesn't necessarily mean it will be taken away, and that really helps to build trust for emergency situations in the real world.

Mine! by Jean Donaldson is a good overview of guarding behavior in dogs and some of the steps you can take to work on it while making sure that you and others remain safe.

Ha! You triggered all three auto mod replies. That might be a record. :)

You are very very very much like I was. I spent nearly every free minute researching and reading and poring over forums and preparing and worrying I was missing something. The books and printouts I had were full of highlights and I had pages of notes.

Five months into puppy ownership, and I'm glad I did the research. We've had a few issues crop up here and there that I wasn't prepared for, but overall, I felt pretty confident and I think one of the reasons I didn't get puppy blues is because I expected all the difficulties (and knew how to manage the puppy's environment). I was prepared for no sleep and had a plan set up to sleep in the living room with the puppy so the lack of sleep wasn't too bad (if you can alternate with your fiance, you'll both be much happier).

If you want more reading check out Before and After Getting Your Puppy. I found it complimented "Perfect Puppy" really well (although note he has some overly dramatic warnings like 'if your puppy doesn't learn bite inhibition by 12 weeks it's all over' when in reality most puppies are working on that for much longer - don't stress about timelines too much, with the exception of the socialization timeline).

The best advice I can give you is KEEP UP WITH THE PROTOCOL. We read all the books and had the "dog is either crated, in the x-pen, or leashed to us" thing going, but stopped it way too early (got lazy, honestly) and we're having to backwards a little now. Remember, if a dog never learns to chew on furniture because he never has a chance, it's much more likely that he never will. If he never learns to bark at passing dogs, it's more likely he never will. If he's used to being crated or separated from you, it's more likely he'll never develop separation anxiety. Literally everything you do is teaching your puppy something - make sure it's what you want him to learn. And it's far easier to teach the right behavior than to UNLEARN the wrong behavior and THEN teach the right behavior.

• Culture Clash
  
• The Other End of the leash
  
• Execl-Erated Learning
  
• Don't Shoot the Dog
  
• The Thinking Dog: Crossover clicker training
  
  All of the above in that order. The first two are on dogs in general and how to work with them with out being a dick. The other three are serious books on dog training theory. The last one especially is amazing and well worth a read once you get the other concepts down.
  
  One other book I would highly recommend to read
  
  
• Be the pack leader
  
  The reason I recommend it once you get in to dog training you are going to her a lot pro and against Caesar Milan. And it is far better to be informed so you can speak competently about it. Honestly I don't think he is the great satan he is made out to be. People need to exercise their dogs more and take an active role in training them. More people need to preach this message. Its mostly the flooding and dominance theory that I personally to find to be bunk.
  
  Read it and read it after you have read the above books so you can be prepared to talk with those that have him as their one and only dog training resource. Don't be a douche with them and put up your nose and shout them down but help try to steer them to other resources instead.
  
  So now you have read books and watched DVDs what now?
  
  Practice! How do you practice? Damn good question. If you have your own dog start there and then find yourself a local rescue or shelter in need and in most metro areas there are.
  
  Volunteer to work with shelter dogs this has many advantages.
  
  
• There is no shortage of dogs that need help
  
• You will be working with dogs at their worst and most stressed
  
• You will get a lot of experience with several kinds of dogs (small, big, hyper, calm, kennel stressed, flat out crazy, shy, confident)
  
• These dogs need the most help and you will be quietly literally for some of them saving their lives by making them more adoptable and staving off kennel stress
  
  NOTE: My own personal bias. Clicker training is godlike. I am getting faster and better results than I ever did with yank and crank or even with lure and reward! I also do all my dog work pro bono with local shelters and rescues.
  
  Example: Teaching a dog to walk at heel in under 45 minutes, with it being solid after only 4 training sessions, completely off lead by 6. Even with my best lure and reward this took months.
  
  TLDR: Read up, get some skills, practice on crazy dogs in shelters, come back to us and ask again after you get a few thousand hours under your belt.
  

Save your money for a bit and try something like this

http://www.japan-aquaponics.com/micro-aquaponics-plans.html


It will give both your wife and you a chance to learn how AP really works AND because of how small it is, you'll learn about a lot of problems faster ( balancing fish to plant density, fighting PH, etc ).

If you have a sunny spot, that micro system will cost MAXIMUM $150-180. If you don't have a sunny spot, lighting varies but I would recommend some variety of fluorescent ( or compact fluorescent ) fixture ( $100-120 ). If you google for aquaponic starter kits, they start sometimes @ $3000 and thats for a small one with a lot of things missing still ( media, chemicals, fish, plumbing, etc ).

edit:
Also, a very good overview of Aquaponics is this book by Sylvia Bernstein - http://smile.amazon.com/Aquaponic-Gardening-Step---Step-Vegetables/dp/086571701X/ref=asap_B005RENDS0_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413895720&sr=1-1

It's a good foundation that goes over major parts of AP ( fish, plants, water testing, media, etc ). Two things I disagree with:

• A lot of people recommend against using feeder goldfish. I love them because they're insanely cheap, extremely hardy, and they pack on weight fairly decently so you get some validation that they're developing well. Downside is that if they do survive, they can live for 10 years and they can get a little big
  
  
• A lot of people suggest starting with a 250 gallon system. That's a lot of money, even if you build almost everything yourself, to invest in something you don't really know anything about. Dr. Wilson Lennard somewhat sums things up in answering "What's the biggest threat to building an “Aquaponics Industry” as you see it?" - http://www.ecofilms.com.au/dr-wilson-lennard-on-the-future-of-aquaponics/
  
  
  Three things a home or small farm AP system can provide for you: 3 (maybe 4) seasons of plant growth ( coldweatheraquaponics.com has some great idea's for surviving Zone 4 winters ), fish dinners every few months ( if you stagger your population out ), and once you get to a certain size a system to produce fertilizer for conventional farming ( or for wicking beds ).
  

My kitten is 8 months old, and I move her constantly (partially out of necessity, partially to train her into it). I got her at 4 months, she spent a week at my apartment, and then I went to see my family for the holidays. My parents are divorced so I was shuffling between two houses the entire time. She was so young that this was not stressful at the time, and now she is used to it. I think she also sees her carrier as "home". This weekend I took her to my SO's new apartment, she spent maybe half an hour investigating everything and then settled in and started treating it like her home (still very curious though).

A couple of side notes:

• I picked her for her outgoing and curious nature specifically, I love all cats but find the super timid ones exhausting. My kitten was also found alone at 1 month old, so she was raised by people and is very comfortable with them. She's a weird cat, but perfect for me.
  
  
• I train using positive reinforcement. When I drive with her, I give her treats at regular intervals. Whenever she meets a new person, they give her a treat. When we go to a new place, I put out food for her immediately. I don't punish her for bad behavior, I just ignore it until she stops (it's worked so far) so she hasn't had a reason to be scared of me.
  
  I agree with others' advice about getting a kitten. Normally I'd say get an older cat as a student, they are less time-consuming and expensive, but if you have the resources get a kitten for sure. You will be able to train your cat so they are comfortable with your lifestyle. I also highly recommend Think Like a Cat, I read through it before picking up my kitten and it helped me with strategies for training her. I have owned cats before, but she is my first baby.

First of all:

Check out the Tarantula Keepers Guide. It will give you the basic / advanced information you will need. Things like what to expect from a molting tarantula.

Please take the time to read it, as keeping a tarantula healthy and happy is very different from that of more traditional pets.

Now:

What are you concerned about? Your post is pretty vague.

>when I came home she looked like that

the photo shows a tarantula, nice colors, but nothing out of the ordinary?

>there was a patch of hair on the bottom of the molt

When tarantulas molt, the exuvia (cast off outer shell) has hair bristles on it, just like the tarantula did. They grow new bristles under their exo before they molt. The abdomen is the only part which is not "hardened" so that as they eat they can have their abdomen grow larger. The exuvia is literally their hard outer shell, so it makes sense that the old abdomen will be skin-like. Think about a balloon when you blow it up with air. The balloon "skin" expands to make room for the new stuff inside (air) much like a tarantulas abdomen will. When all the air is let out, the balloon looks all shriveled up. That's why the old abdomen may look like a shriveled ball of hair.

I hope this helps. And please please please do your research BEFORE buying a pet. Animals have feelings too.

Please visit www.arachnoboards.com - It is the best source for tarantula husbandry info out there. You will probably need to use the search function to find answers to specific questions, but if you have a question, with any likelihood it has been asked before. Definitely do some more research and get your enclosure setup before buying you spider. Other great sources of info are The Tarantula Keeper's Guide or This book or this one I would highly recommend reading at least one of these before bringing your spider home! Good luck, you're in for a fun time!

While I agree with the others here that you should treat around children, I disagree regarding criteria: I don't think you should expect any particular reaction from her in order to treat.

Treating based on a behavioural criteria is operant conditioning. The purpose of operant conditioning is to teach your dog to undertake a certain behaviour based on a certain cue or context. For example, teaching your dog to sit nicely whenever she sees a kid would be great if she tended to be overly excitable and happy around kids and had a tendency to knock them over accidentally.

Treating in the context of a trigger, without expecting any particular behaviour from your dog, is counterconditioning. The purpose of counterconditioning is to change your dog's automatic emotional reaction to the trigger. You treat every time your dog sees a child, regardless of whether your dog is growling or ignoring, because you want your dog to associate "child=something good!". Over time, your dog should start to feel good about children because they predict good things.

Depending on what your goals with your dog are, you may be happy to stop at counterconditioning -- say, you don't particularly care whether your dog sits next to you, sniffs the floor, politely says hello to the child, as long as the dog isn't being aggressive to the child. Just improving the dog's emotional reaction to children would be sufficient for that. On the other hand, if you want to see a specific behaviour from your dog around children, then after you have successfully counterconditioned your dog, you can work on operant conditioning.

You will not have much success with operant conditioning your dog when she is experiencing fear around children. Fear inhibits learning, and your dog is unlikely to even bother listening to you if it feels threatened. "Pleasing mum" takes a backseat to "defending my life!" any day for a dog, so it will ignore cues from you until it feels like the trigger has retreated.

Another tool for working with fearful reactive dogs is Behavioural Adjustment Training (BAT). It is similar to operant conditioning in that you reward your dog for appropriate "de-escalation" behaviour (e.g., turning away from the trigger, sniffing the ground, etc.) but instead of giving a treat or a toy, you reward the dog by allowing it to put more space between it and the trigger. Grisha Stewart developed the technique, and has written a couple books on how to do it, the most recent being [Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0] (https://www.amazon.ca/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-2-0-Frustration/dp/1617811742/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474135094&sr=8-1&keywords=grisha+stewart). It requires that you have willing children to volunteer to stand around in a field or something while you do the training set-ups -- maybe find a helpful parent and offer to buy the kid an ice cream cone?

I think there are probably a few dogs who can't recover, but there is a lot you can do for leash reactivity. I had a leash-reactive foster dog with me for a few months earlier in the year, and he made amazing progress in just a few weeks.

This is a good starting point. And this is a book that offers more detail.

I'll try to summarize how I thought about this with the dog I was training; a lot of it involves getting the timing right. You first have to figure out the 'flight distance' for your dog in relation to other dogs--how close can she get to them without freaking out? Once you figure that out, make sure you redirect her each time you're approaching that distance from another dog--whether it's with a treat, a command to do a behavior, turning to walk in a different direction, whatever. A lot of people do clicker training in working with leash reactivity; I didn't need to do that with this particular dog, but it's worth considering so that you 'mark' the desired behavior of breaking her attention away from the other dog.

You want her to learn that 1) you're not going to make her get closer to another dog than she's comfortable with, and 2) when she sees another dog, her reaction should be to focus on you rather than the other dog.

Over time, as she learns to redirect her attention to you when she sees another dog, her flight distance should shorten more and more.

/r/plantedtank would likely be the best place for this question because freshwater is a very different experience to saltwater. Since I come from a planted freshwater background, I would say that it probably wouldn't do well.

Certainly there are some freshwater creatures that would work in a refugium, but many of them are insect larva that would eventually become something that you probably wouldn't want flying around your house. See damselflies, mosquitos, dragonflies, various beetles, etc.

You might be able to keep a small population of something like freshwater copepods, but they need green water which any filtration at all would destroy.

California blackworms might be a possibility, but I would still prefer to culture them outside the tank to make it easy to get rid of waste water. They don't necessarily need a refugium as they'll happily dig into the substrate at the bottom of the tank and live there until a fish plucks them out and eats them. I drop a small handful in my planted tank every few weeks or so to replenish their numbers.

The biggest advantage that freshwater aquarists have is an amazing variety of beautiful plants to use to reduce nitrates, phosphates and pollutants. A well planted tank will also grow all kinds of things like planaria and snails which can help keep some fish fed and round out the diets of others.

This is pretty much the bible of a 'natural' freshwater aquarium keeper. http://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Planted-Aquarium-Diana-Walstad/dp/0967377366

I try not to rub it into anyone’s face (even if I do send out comments with the hashtag #YourJobSucks), but it is so much fun. I’ve been at this job for three and a half years, before that eight months with another daycare, and I started the dog part of my career in 2012 as the large dog kennel manager at a private shelter.

The other day I was on Private Walks, where we go into the individual rooms to spend time with each dog who can’t go out to Group Play, and I had a puppy Pitt shove his lips into mine and his nose to mine, and then SNIFF super hard with every one of my breaths. I don’t what he was thinking, but he did that for about three minutes straight.

The lessons I try to take from being around the dogs are about living in the moment & letting things go. It’s fine to fully experience whatever emotion you’re feeling, and express it if it helps you process; but also prioritizing what matters now versus next year versus a century from now. I’ve been told it’s a little bit zen to think this way, but it helps with perspective.

If you want to read about how dogs experience life, I can’t recommend enough Alexandra Horowitz’s ‘Life Inside A Dog’. Each chapter describes a different sensory experience and how it affects them physiologically and behaviorally. I read it back when I was a zookeeper, well before I switched over to dogs, and it improved my zookeeping skills tremendously.

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Dog-What-Dogs-Smell/dp/1416583432

Guarding is a normal dog behavior, but is definitely unwanted. I don't believe that any dog should ever allow another dog to take their chew or toy, so mainly I focus on making sure dogs can enjoy their chew in peace. Other pets are not allowed to approach one who has a chew. Anyway, guarding becoming scarily common in Goldens. Check out the book Mine! by Jean Donaldson, you'll find a wealth of great tips and advice.
Management is going to be extremely important. Don't let your dog have an opportunity to guard.
Also, WHO THE FUCK BRINGS A BONE TO A DOG PARK?!??!?!!

I would like to recommend a couple of books.
The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell. She has a PhD in behaviorism and has worked with a lot of aggressive dogs but she only uses positive reinforcement. Her book talks a lot about the difference between primates and canids (aka dogs) and how those differences create misunderstandings.

Bones Would Rain from the Sky by Suzanne Clothier. Suzanne has tons of experience with all kinds of animals. Her book focuses a lot on what it means to have a trusting, healthy relationship with dogs and I guarantee it will change the way you see your dog.

I also have a reactive border collie. You are on the right track with the hamburger treats while walking, but you need to not get your dog over threshold to the point where she can't focus on you or the treats any more. And more exercise is never a bad thing for a border collie, mental and physical.

Good luck!

Temperament is about 40% inherited and 60% experience. What's really interesting, though, is that that "60% experience" part is primarily shaped by experiences dogs have before they're 16 weeks old.

Weeks 6-16 are a "critical period" of socialization. Strategic socialization when you first being him home will help him grow up into a well-adjusted adult.
Here's a socialization checklist for things you'll want to cover.

The first page of the checklist has a scale to help you grade how he responds to each thing, so you can determine what you might need to work on more.

Don't forget things like the vacuum cleaner, umbrellas, shopping carts, strollers, different walking surfaces (hardwood, carpet, linoleum, concrete, grass, pavement, gravel), people of all ethnicities/ages, and people using canes/wheelchairs.

Also be sure to take him lots of new places to have positive experiences in a variety of environments. I love garden supply stores and home improvement stores for socialization - I go in with the puppy and treats and practice walking nicely on a leash. If I see people smiling at my puppy, I say that I'm there socializing him and ask if they'll give him a treat for sitting nicely.

I also highly recommend this book by Dr. Sophia Yin for helping map out your training plan.

It's a lot of work, but two months of daily work is SO WORTH IT for a well rounded dog for the ~10+ years. :)

Have you taken any psych classes? Intro to Psych is a very good and, IMO, very necessary foundation for being a trainer. It's not animal-specific, but a lot of the info is easily translatable to training animals.

Have you taken an animal behavior class? That's a good foundations class to take if it's offered in a community college or your university, if you attend one.

In regards to being able to read the dog's emotional state: Turid Rugaas' little booklet on Calming Signals is pretty helpful and well worth the $8. I learned a lot from Canine Body Language by Brenda Aloff when I first got my dog. Correctly identifying the dog's emotional state is step #1 in successfully working with dogs.

> Can they climb glass? If so, I'd think they'd get hurt if they fell from near the top - could I fill the tank with substrate up to the point it would be safe for the spider?

Yes they can; ground spiders are more susceptible to falls. That will be A LOT of substrate. If you get an arboreal spider, it will be less of an issue.
> Also, what are the best types for a beginner? I've hear the chilean rose mentioned, and I had a friend in high school with a mexican redknee that was really really docile.

Those are good, ground spiders, but there's also A. avicularia - pink toe, which is a good docile spider.

> I live in North Idaho, so I'll have to get a tank heater. Would a pad be best? I can't imagine a spider liking a heat lamp - wouldn't it want to hide all the time? Also, besides crickets bought at a pet store, a very shallow water dish, and something for the spider to hide under, what else might I need?

Heat lamps are bad - too dry. Spot heated pad is good, but make sure there are non-heated parts so they can escape. Also, cricket food and water, and long forceps or tongs - crickets are obnoxious and tricky.

Get a spray bottle, coconut husk substrate, water dish, and I personally like a temperature and humidity sensor (analog dial ones - pretty cheap).

Also, pick up The Tarantula Keeper's Guide.

Good luck! Here's my setup.

So first thing is first - any adversive methods such as a vibrating collar with a dog that has fear or anxiety is only going to backfire and promote more fear or anxiety. I would ditch that. You're potentially causing more behavior issues when it's used. Dog learns to hide fear rather than teaching the dog confidence.


So you have a dog that is likely reactive and fearful - and a lot of anxiety. So before we can get to work mode, we need to address the causes of the anxiety and get the dog back to neutral. So first thing, you might want to try doing a two week shut down with this dog. https://www.marshmallowfoundation.org/info/file?file=20866.pdf This is to remove all the stimuli that can keep causing stress levels to be high. Adrenaline - when it spikes up during a moment of fear or panic can take over 6 days for the hormone levels to return to normal. It's great that the dog is food motivated because that is going to make things like counter conditioning to specific things much easier... but right now - stress is so high, your dog cannot focus let alone retain the cues you're training. Dog is in fight or flight mode... So give the two week shut down an effort.


Meanwhile, you want to write down all the things this dog is reacting to... if it's potentially separation anxiety, check the links I provided below. Anything else, you're going to want to work on each thing separately using desensitization and counter conditioning. Again, we're trying to bring the fearful dog to a neutral place... work on building confidence and associating the list of stimuli with positive rewards. Any negative behaviors - redirect.... either remove the stimuli or remove the dog. Reinforce calm relaxed behaviors.


https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/48sglg/discussion_separation_anxiety/ has some great info that you may find useful.

Do take a glance over at /r/reactivedogs They have lots of helpful advice on how to manage some of these behaviors.


Some books that may help:
The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell

I’ll be Home soon by Patricia McConnell

Don’t Leave Me by Nicole Wilde


If after that two week shut down and working a bit you still feel a bit overwhelmed, it might be a good consideration to work with a certified animal behaviorist. https://avsab.org/resources/speakers-bureau/behavior-consultants-near-you/ and https://iaabc.org/consultants are great searches for one.

Any dog can resource guard and you can accidentally train a puppy to resource guard if you aren't careful. Jean Donaldson wrote a wonderful book on how to tackle resource guarding if you happen to have a dog that does it with toys, people, food or places.

If you aren't comfortable with how the shelter screens potential families then you might not want to get a dog. Shelters are working hard to prevent dogs from being returned numerous times because families really don't seem to understand breed tendencies and always go on "oh he's cute" rather than get an idea of what the dogs behavior is actually like. They work hard to match you to the best dog for your family and lifestyle. A good corgi breeder will do the same thing and will want to get to know you and your family before placing a dog in your home. Likewise with a corgi rescue. If you aren't willing to go through that process please don't get a purebred dog at all.

I don't recommend getting a corgi from a backyard breeder or a pet store because you'll end up with some very expensive vet bills and quite possibly some expensive dog training bills in the end. I worked as a dog trainer for a number of years and I could spot the pet store and backyard breeder puppies a mile away. Owners had the same complaints - couldn't potty train, the puppies were sick when they came home or shortly after and were always having behavior issues like biting people and children.

If you have a family with a small child I recommend getting an older corgi from a rescue that is at least 2 years old. Their personality and behavior will be fully set and you will know exactly what you are getting. The rescue should help you figure out if it is a good fit for your home.

As far as a corgi as a running partner I caution you against running a corgi or any dog constantly on pavement. Dogs put a lot of pressure on their knees and shoulders and pavement running just isn't good for them or their paw pads. If you are going to run with your corgi do it on grass or dirt.

I wrote a guideline on how to find a good corgi breeder and I suggest that any potential corgi owner read it.

Congrats, I'd say make sure to set boundaries, and closely watch them to make sure they aren't getting into anything you would consider deviant behavior. It's important to calmly work on correcting it while they go, so it doesn't become a habit you have to try and untrain. I just picked up Dr. Sophia Yin's Perfect Puppy in 7 days, and have a post here about being at my wit's end with the 4 month ACD/Terrior mix I have been trialing. I can't say it's solved all my problems, since I'm either going to give up, or start all over with training, but I really wish I had read her book first. It's not that long, so you should hopefully have time to get through at least the first few chapters which after reading, helped me realize why things have been so frustrating for me.

I was used to cats, and when I brought home the puppy, she was adorable, happy, and mild mannered, so I just let her roam while keeping a constant eye on her. She pretty much developed one bad habit after another, and while trying to push her to get better with DIY training, I was getting nowhere because I was trying to solve several issues without looking at the underlying cause.

Start as soon as possible! :) We started with his name. When we said his name if he looked at us, he got a treat. Then, sit was very easy to teach. Hold a piece of kibble in front of his face, then put it towards his head but above his head. If he backs up instead of sitting down, gently nudge his butt towards the ground with your other hand. We taught our pup to sit in less than a week with that method, and he was around the same age as yours. Just be diligent, and very consistent. Make him sit for everything, you will thank yourself later.

The book my husband and I read, which helped a LOT with training is called Before and After Getting Your Puppy. I HIGHLY recommend it!! Worth more than any other dog/puppy book I have ever read.

Some dogs are easier to train than others but it is never a one size fits all type deal. I would recommend any type of positive reinforcement training. Any Animal Behaviorist will tell you that Pavlovian and Classical conditioning. More specifically clicker training is a great way to train your dog for anything. For more resources check out The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson and any book by Dr. Ian Dunbar. Also the folks over at /r/Dogtraining know their stuff pretty well.

Honestly my favorite memories are those of successful adoptions. It's really something special to see a both a dog and new owner so happy.

The worst memory would be that of losing a dog from a shelter I was working at when he was hit by a car. While one never becomes comfortable with euthanasia, a person learns to cope with it (barely), however a startling violent end is indeed much harder to deal with.

We do EVERYTHING to wear the dogs out. Often I end up more exhausted than them. Everything from fetch, tug of war, and even just running around with them in circles.

YES totally get a furminator. If your dog is shedding it will help so much. Be careful not to over-brush your dog as this can result in brush burn which is basically when the skin gets red and irritated from too much brushing. Another option would be to go to a grooming shop and ask for a de-shedding. Basically they will use a special shampoo, made by furminator no less, and it will remove most of the the undercoat.

Hope this helps.