(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best dog care books

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.

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.

Yay for adopting from a shelter :). Looking forward to seeing pictures!

-Favorite books: I'm a fan of Patricia McConnell, Carl Lee Benjamin, and Tamar Geller as authors/trainers (I linked to my favorite texts by them). They are all a bit different, but between the three of them and researching them all, I think you'll have a good understanding of what will work best for your pup in ranging intensity and training style. From my experience, it really helps to learn and understand different methods. Owners and trainers that pick ONE method I think are disadvantaged, especially as they come to work with more dogs that have different needs. Just my opinion after being in the field for a while!

-I'd get a 42 inch wire crate with a separator panel. This way, it's the only crate you need to buy, but you can adjust the size as your pup grows. The pup should have just enough room to sit/lay/turn around, but you don't want them to be able to toilet on one end and sit on the other.

-Think of the crate as their safe-spot/lair/bedroom/crib. Unless you are devoting your full attention to them, I'd keep them in the crate (even if it's for a minute while you go to the bathroom!). This prevents accidents (bathroom and destruction) and gets them used to it very quickly. Understand it is not forever, and they probably won't LOVE it, but it's for their safety! I am also always sure to do my best to tire the puppy out before putting them in to help cue "rest mode" and set them up for success, and give them something fun (like a frozen stuffed peanut butter kong) EVERY time you put them in there so they focus on something other than being confined. And finally, never let the puppy out within 30 seconds of crying (wait for them to be quiet so they don't associate it with getting out), and always ask the puppy to at least sit, if not stay, before you let them out (expect to shut the door and prevent them from coming out and restarting 3+ times early on...I promise, it gets easier as they learn). This teaches impulse control, which is VERY important! Use treats as needed early on to guide them.

-Pups need to pee every 2-3 hours, and usually within 30 minutes of eating a meal. Your schedule will revolve around exercise, feeding, sleeping in an ongoing cycle. I'd not let a dog under 1 year old stay uncrated/unsupervised until they prove they are reliable. You would practice leaving them out unsupervised (like while you pee, shower, run to the store, etc) for gradually increasing increments. It might be months, years, or even never, before they can accomplish this. It depends on the dog.

-All life stages foods are good, as are puppy foods for the first 6ish months. Iams smart puppy is a decent blend, but if you have a Costco membership, their puppy food and all-life-stages foods (Nature's Domain) are also of high quality for a fraction of the price of others (like .72 a pound).

-I'd have him seen by a vet within 3 days, yes. Do you get a free month's worth of pet insurance on him or anything? This is becoming more common in rescues. Most puppies also have worms and can take a few cycles of deworming to get them taken care of, so I'd go to make sure he's in the clear/have him dewormed if necessary, if nothing else. Bring your vaccine information from the rescue and the vet can give you an idea of what they need and when.

-Enjoy it and try to have fun! Puppies are TOUGH. They don't have the attention span to walk like a normal dog yet, so the easiest way to exercise them IMO is to use a long line (like 30 feet) and coax them along to follow you in between their sniffing and exploring everything. Do your best to show him the world though. Meet 20 different people of all races/back grounds, 20 different dogs of all temperaments, have him walk on 20 different surfaces, eat out of 20 different containers, etc. etc. to help socialize him. Enroll in puppy kindergarten too! Good luck!!!

So it sounds like your dog might be barrier reactive or leash reactive. This is a pretty common thing - dogs get super worried if they feel like they're not free to move, but are perfectly fine off leash.

I also want to introduce you to the concept of "trigger stacking" - it's a concept I'm sure you're familiar with in your life all the time! Let's say you're late for work so you're stressed. And then once you get to work, you go to the bathroom and there's no toilet paper. And then Janice accuses you of not doing your job, and by the time you get to the end of the day, one of your nice coworkers comes by with an innocent question and you chew them out.

Trigger stacking - basically, when you get stressed, and another stressful thing happens on top of that, you act way more strongly, and continue to be super, super stressed.

I think this might be happening with your pup.

Here are a few things I might try. Note: not a professional

• First try and make the apartment as stress-free as possible. Try to drown out outside noises with things like running the radio and running a box-fan. The idea for this is to keep the stress levels for her as much as possible. This may not at all be a factor, but given that you said this happened after you moved into an apartment, it's worth a try.
  
• Try a 2-week shutdown. This is generally done for new rescue dogs but I think it could be beneficial for your dog as well. (this helps reduce the trigger stacking) As for potty, try as hard as you can to find a place where you won't have to deal with other dogs.
  
• To deal with the two week shutdown, play a lot of mind games. So train a new trick! Give or make puzzle toys (you can make puzzle toys out of a lot of things! Make sure you start easy and work your way up if your dog isn't used to them. My pup has a really long history of puzzle toys before she could kinda manage this), hide treats around the apartment and have her sniff them out (I LOVE nosework - it's fantastic for reactive dogs). Frozen kongs are another great option.
  
• When you're done with the shutdown, no more walks in the neighborhood if possible. Instead, try and find a big open field and get yourself a long-line (I find 20-30 ft to be manageable) and harness (never attach a long-line to a collar - very dangerous). I say go to a large field so that you can see when/if other dogs are approaching and you can avoid them. But on this walk, just let her do her thing. Follow her around and let her lead you. Hopefully the long-line gives her freedom, but also has the bonus of making her hopefully feel less restricted, so that leash frustration doesn't come over. Do this for like, an 1-2 hours if possible. These are referred to as "decompression walks" and are great for just letting a dog be a dog. If you do see a dog coming, or a person, then you should manage the situation by getting her to go the other way. This plus some ball play and occasional trips to the dog park should be enough physical exercise for most dogs. (Not all - but most!)
  
• Keep up the mental stimulation!
  
• Consider training your dog to relax. It sounds like she gets a LOT of stimulation. It's actually really healthy for a dog to learn to relax. Trust me, I know it's really hard! I highly suggest checking out the book "Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out" - you can get it as an e-book for $6. This helped me a lot with learning how to train my dog to relax.
  
• Work on counter-conditioning other people and dogs. At this point, I think it would be really good to try and work with a trainer if you can. But my general advice would be to look up BAT training and to always start from a much larger distance than you think is necessary.
  
• You might want to look into this class from fenzi dog sports academy. Fenzi is an online dog training school where you can do a few different levels of participation. The auditing level is $65, and generally well worth it.
  The class doesn't start until August 1st, but I've heard really good things!
  
  Hopefully that gives you a few ideas on what to try - I think you need to start from a "lets get her calmed down" before you can really work on walks.

My top suggestion isn’t actually to buy supplies, but rather to look through resources that speak to advancements in dog training in recent years.

We’ve come a LONG way in terms of understanding how dogs learn, how we can form the best relationships with them that lead to the best performance possible, etc. There are a lot of outdated techniques that are still popular (the idea the you have to be “dominant” over your dog, jerking on the leash to stop a dog from pulling, stepping on his paws to stop him from jumping, etc.) that don’t work even close to as well as modern dog training techniques. Following more modern techniques that use shaping, clear reward markers, and are built on an understanding of dog behavior, you can start training an 8 week old puppy on day 1 at home, and you’ll have a pup that cheerfully does incredible things in the training at even at a very young age.

So the best advice I have is actually to read this book by Sophia Yin: Perfect Puppy in Seven Days

I also recommend this book, by the same author: How to Behave so Your Dog Behave.

There are lots of online resources you might check out as well – Zak George and KikoPup’s respective YouTube channels are two. Fenzi Dog Sports Academy is also a fantastic resource that is something of a new model in dog training… rather than once-a-week classes, these are online classes that break training down into small pieces and help you incorporate them in day-to-day life, which can be much more valuable than an hour-a-week course at a local trainer. They have courses like this one that can help you get your bearings in understanding the fundamentals of behavior; this one is aimed more at raising a dog sport puppy but would probably be a great foundation for any pup.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your new pupper!

Join us over in /r/reactivedogs - we have wine, and can mop up frustration tears with chocolate and other food coping mechanisms.

In all seriousness, it's a really slow process. Tesla (also GSD rescue) and I have been working on it for 3 years. We can FINALLY work around other dogs with a lot of management on my behalf. In my opinion, excitement/frustration reactivity where the dog WANTS to play with the other dog (as opposed to fear/aggression where the dog wants to be away from the other dog) is the worst to deal with.

With regard to what I've done to get us to this point:

• Lots of personal play. I also had to teach Tesla how to play! Now we have an awesome tug game. Denise Fenzi runs a relationship building through play course that is awesome and Shade Whitsel runs a play course with tugs and balls. Both are available through Fenzi Dog Academy. Both are really good courses. Make sure you 'proof' your play. For example, Tesla will play all day inside, but we're still working on transitioning that off our property, because she goes into 'shepherd' mode and gets hyper-vigilant.
  
• Mat Work. Seriously one of the best investments of my time. This builds value for a mat. Once you've built that 'value' you can start taking it on the road. I combine this with working at whatever distance is under threshold for her at a dog park (so we'll sit like 500m+ away - the dog should be interested but not yet to the point where they are ignoring you).
  
• Look At That. Again, managed with distance. This is where we teach the dog to look at the dog without reacting. I strongly advise moving through this exercise quickly. So mark/reward for looking - feed with the dog facing AWAY from the other dog. Your dog should start picking up that looking at the dog and looking to you gets a reward, so start marking the look away (even if it's not at you), and then build duration. What we don't want is the back and force head game where the dog just snaps back and forth between you and the other dog.
  
• Look and Dismiss. Again, distance (greeeaattt theme here). Work at a distance where your dog can look and dismiss the other dog. When your dog does that dismissal, ask your dog to engage in play (this links back to the first point). Don't force it, but don't close the distance until your dog is comfortable enough to 'play', even if 'play' is just getting belly rubs. 'Play' is one of the first things that fly out the window when a dog gets triggered, so it's a super nice judge of how aroused or triggered your dog is and whether it's safe to move forward.
  
• Get a firm grip of your dog's body language. You want to be able to interrupt the behavior BEFORE the dog is too far gone. For Tesla, that means when I start to see 'stillness', I instantly u-turn, and mark and reward when she follows me. Every dog is different, but I know - ears up and forward, laying down and staring, or just stopping with a high tail, etc means we're about to start down a bad road and I need to get out of dodge.
  
• Practice emergency exits and carry super duper high value treats. Emergency exits are where you shove an extremely high value food in front of the dog's nose and lure the dog off into safety.
  
• Whenever you change the criteria you need to reset to zero. For instance, let's say I can get my dog to a point where another dog is just walking and ignoring us and Tesla can happily look and dismiss the other dog. If I change my criteria to the other dog jogging, I need to reset to zero (so increase my distance) and start again. Also remember, different dogs can be different levels of trigger. Tesla isn't as leash reactive with small dogs. But bigger, fluffier dogs are like an instant "let me play" and be an asshole on a leash.
  
• Try not to let him practice the behavior. I'm super lucky now, I moved into a house, but I did 2 years in apartment complexes and I know it sucks, but walking at odd hours really helped us. We got to train the 'environment' alone without the added risks of dogs. Remember that when your dog goes over threshold, it releases a shit tonne of hormones, those hormones can take DAYS to come back down to zero, so try not to let it happen too often (I know, I know, apartment living sucks for this, I'm sorry).
  
• Try to find a reactive rover class or a trainer that understands and will let you work. I STILL take good manners classes because I have an excellent trainer who lets me work off to the side while exposing Tesla to new dogs. It's a controlled environment, I have visual barriers if I need it and honestly it's been the thing that probably helped us the most.
  
• Try not to pre-empt a reaction. Try not to tighten the grip or have a reaction of your own. It can feed the dog.
  
• Feisty Fido is a good book. So is Fired Up, Frantic and Freaked Out.
  
  Good luck. :)

One of the main concepts in modern dog training is setting your dog up to succeed, as well as reinforcing desired behavior with rewards.

Setting your dog up to succeed builds confidence. What this means in terms of training are things like taking small steps when teaching commands.

For instance, if you’re trying to teach recall or stay, you start with training in close proximity and gradually add in distance and distractions. You wouldn’t jump from the dog coming when you call from across the room to expecting them to come when you call outside when there’s a squirrel to chase.

It also means not giving them the opportunity to do something “naughty” like pottying in the house or chewing on things they shouldn’t through management on your part- taking them outside more often or keeping things out of reach or crating/gating them to a certain area when you can’t supervise.

Positive reinforcement training builds trust and a strong bond between you and your dog. Pay your dog in treats, praise, or play when the are behaving the way you want them to. Dogs also do well with expectations and structure, and some dogs, especially the less confident ones, really need that to be happy. It’s up to you to teach your dog what you expect of them and to be the leader. (Don’t confuse that with ‘alpha theory’ though.)

As others have already said, taking a basic obedience class would be a great idea. Just make sure you choose one that uses positive reinforcement only. (‘Balanced’ training utilizes adversives like shock, choke or punishment.)
The benefits of taking a training class are largely about training you to effectively train your dog, and you’ll need those skills throughout her lifetime.

Also, if you want a better understanding of dog behavior and training in general, I highly recommend the book The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia McConnell.

You've done a fecal, right? Not just what the vet sees in office but sending it out to the lab to check for things like giardia which can be impossible to see in the vet's office. You've also done a blood panel, yes?

 

How long have you had her? It can take a while for a depressed dog to cheer up in a new home. The best thing is to not push yourself on the dog, don't force hugs or snuggles. Let the dog come up to you. When she's under your bed, just sit down on the floor next to the bed with a book and read. Have some dog treats and give her one every so often, and definitely reward her if she moves closer. Does she move away from you when you sit down or does she just stay in the same place? If she doesn't move, reading out loud can help. If she moves away, you need to work on her trust. PM me for advice on that, I'm not going to write it all here if there's no need.

 

It can take 6 months for a dog from a shelter to get used to new circumstances. This book might help https://www.amazon.com/dp/1891767143?tag=vs-pets-convert-amazon-20

 

Cheaper at amazon but the book description is better here http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/store/Love-Has-No-Age-Limit.html You can email her at that site, she's an amazing behaviorist. She's got a doctorate in behavior (or psychology or whatever the degree is that she learned behavior in) and she's not like Cesar Milan who uses outdated theories on dog behavior. She is usually good about writing back. Starting with "I've bought your book but my newly adopted dog is depressed and I need help" in the subject line can't hurt ;-)

 

Does she accept walks? Does she shy away or struggle? If she accepts walks, take her on one daily, and include time for her to just sniff and explore. It can't hurt to make sure she gets some exercise but again, don't force her to be lovey dovey with you, dont force her out from that safe spot she's found under the bed.

Most of the dogs come up from the US to groups locally, although possibly not directly in Ottawa. I used to have a retired racer, but that was in Vancouver and we drove down to Washington to pick him up. You could try flagging down an owner as someone suggested, or contact some of the local rescue groups http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.com/info.html or http://www.gracanada.com/. You can expect a bit of a process in adopting, as the groups will likely want to do a house visit and you would go through a meet-and-greet to get to know potential dogs before adopting. I totally recommend adopting a retired racer, but as with any breed, you have to look at your lifestyle and see if that type of dog fits. This book is a good primer, but the basis of it is that greyhounds are super calm, very sweet, and very sensitive, which is great, but the flip side of that is that they can have separation anxiety (so if you are out of the house 10+ hours at a time, it won't work well) and aren't as "dog" like as people are expecting, a lot of people are surprised that they have to always be on a leash unless it is a completely fenced in area. They pretty much want to sleep most of the day (preferably near you) and despite what people think, they are very low energy, but bringing them to an enclosed area to run briefly and some walks is all it takes. Good luck :)

congrats on deciding to kennel train, we will never have a dog that isn't. all dogs are naturally drawn to the kennel as it resembles their den in nature. the biggest thing to remember (IMHO) is that the kennel should NEVER be used as a disciplinary tool. you want the kennel to be a happy place for the dog (treats help with this). second, a dog should only be in the crate for about one hour of time for every six weeks of age, consequently, the dog really shouldn't be left in the crate for an 8 hour work day until about 1 year old. an appropriately sized crate is the difference between crate training success and failure when the dog is young. a dog has a natural desire to NOT want to soil it's den - to utilize this in the crate training, the crate needs to be big enough for the dog to comfortably move around and lay down in, but not so large as the dog could pee/poop in one end of the crate and lay in the other end away from it. a full sized dobe will need a pretty large crate - you can either buy different sized crates as the dog grows or buy the adult sized crate now and use a divider or various sized cardboard boxes to take up the extra space until the dog grows into it.

i would expect that peeing on the patio instead of the yard is a confidence issue with the young pup and the dog will grow out of it in a couple weeks/months. the dog's natural instinct is to go to the bathroom in the grass, this will come. if you want to encourage it faster, put the dog on a leash while still in the house, open the door and walk the dog directly to the grass - do not stop on the patio. then walk the dog around in the grass until she uses the restroom and praise her for doing so in the appropriate spot. she'll learn quickly where it's ok to and not to go to the restroom.

to keep her off the sofa, first, she must be corrected every time she attempts to get on it, even with a single paw. second, any time she walks up to the sofa but does NOT attempt to get up on it you need to praise her for doing the right thing. our dogs are allowed to put their chin on the sofa but nothing more - i have friends that the chin is not allowed either. dobes are very smart; consistency on your part is key.

if you're so inclined, this is awesome.

You can tell when by learning more about dog body language. Each dog is a bit different in signs, but they are all similar.

There are almost certainly subtle warning signs your dog is giving you before she guards an item. They can be fast and hard to see, or plain as day.

Understanding Dog Body Language

A great book that can help you learn signs a dog is potentially uncomfortable is Understanding Dog Body Language

More info here

Studying dog body language is not something that will come quickly. It will take practice. The more you learn and then watch and observe the faster you will get it.

Chart showning common dog body postures

Another good article

A common misconception is that dogs will figure it out. While many dogs are good at communicating with other dogs not all dogs are. It is a great idea to help dogs have space in dog dog interactions as well as dog human interactions.

If you are at all uncertain if your dog is unconformable you can always step back an error on the side of giving them space. If your dog seems unconformable when you are giving them pets you can always ask them if they would like more. To do so, simply disengage and see if they come solicit more pets. If they don't then they would rather not have more of whatever you were doing right then.

Few things are cut and dry in dog body language. Reading it is an art as much as a science.

IMO the key to the best relationship with your dog is to try and understand what they are telling you. You can help build communication with your dog by positive training sessions. I highly recommend Kikopup and Zak George on youtube for training videos.

> Can an adopted adult dog be successfully socialized if he isn’t already?

Depends on what level of social deprivation the dog has encountered, and what you mean by 'successfully'. Can the dog learn to be fully accepting and relaxed around all of the things that it did not encounter in its early months (the sensitive period)? Probably not. Can it learn to be sufficiently accepting and relaxed around the things that it NEEDS to encounter in the course of its life in a human world? Depends a lot on the temperament of the individual dog and the expectations / commitment of the owner.

Taking on an dog with lack of general socialisation is not something I would attempt personally, because I need my dog to be able to go outside to toilet, travel in a car, walk down the street to exercise, and encounter other dogs. I could perhaps help a dog work through one of these fears if it was well socialised to humans and showed a willingness to trust me and work for treats. But not more than one: it would just be too hard on the dog (and on me). I would also worry about separation anxiety once the dog was bonded to me.

> On adoption applications they ask for a recommendation from a veterinarian. What if you do not currently have a pet or a veterinarian?

Speak to a local vet. Ask intelligent questions about vaccinations, healthchecks, and other routine health care you would need to undertake - and be prepared to answer questions about your home and lifestyle and listen to their opinion about whether you are well set up to be a dog parent.

> What resources should I be looking at either to find a dog or learn more about having a dog?

Finding a rescue dog: https://www.petfinder.com

Dog training: https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/index

Getting a puppy:

Sophia Yin's books, such as How to behave so your dog behaves :https://www.amazon.com/Behave-Behaves-Revised-Updated-Editon-ebook/dp/B004GUSDK4/

Patricia McConnell's The other end of the leash https://www.amazon.com/Other-End-Leash-What-Around/dp/034544678X

> Does it confuse a dog to be trained to go outside and on puppy pads

Yes. But if the dog has a fear of going outside, grass based pet loos can be a good substitute.

> For nyc adopters- without a car how do you get your new pet home

In our city, I would call for a taxi which accepts dogs (they are more expensive than a regular taxi). I'm not sure if this is possible with e.g. uber, though.

> What sort of questions should I expect?

Questions about your home, lifestyle, daily routine, how you will care for/ exercise the dog, finances for care and emergencies, future plans (travel, study, children) people who live in or visit your home etc. https://www.aspca.org/adopt-pet/adoption-tips

See also the questions in this survey: http://survey.bark.science/

> I would like a smooth coat miniature dachshund of either gender, ideally with a black and tan coat, but I’m open to all colors and patterns.

This seems very specific if you are looking for a rescue dog. What is the main reason you want a miniature dachshund? There are many factors which are FAR more important than cuteness and your preferred 'look' of dog: think about what you want to do with the dog, what your dog needs to be able to do to be happy living with you, preferred energy levels, how much time you will put into your dog, etc. Additionally, there is a lot of variety within breeds, so one dachshund which meets your needs might be very different from the next which does not. If you are happy to adopt a small mixed breed dog then you will find it much easer to find a dog that suits your needs.

You sound well-prepared! Going with a rescue group you know and trust is a great idea.

• I would second the suggestion to think about getting a dog-walker midday. 9 hours is really pushing it - especially if you get a smaller dog (with a therefore smaller bladder). If you do that, your schedule will be fine for low-medium-energy dogs.
  
• Yes, with mixed-breed dogs, visual ID is highly unreliable. The advantage of getting an adult dog is that their personalities and temperaments are pretty much set, so knowing the breed background really isn't as important as it would be for predicting the future temperament of a puppy. With a rescue group, they have their dogs in foster for a while (the rescue where I adopted mine had a 2-week minimum before the dogs were available, so they could evaluate them), so they should be able to tell you about their good and bad qualities, habits, likes and dislikes, etc. The descriptions in the ads are just a starting place - once you make contact, you should have more extensive conversation about the dog with the foster.
  
• Yes, once you've gone through talking about a dog and everything sounds good, do a meet-and-greet. Try really hard not to go to it already committed - do your best to be objective in evaluating the dog, and do not feel pressured to say yes and take the dog home right then if you're unsure.
  
• As for guidance about adopting an adult, I recommend Patricia McConnell's Love Has No Age Limit. She is a trainer and a PhD in animal behavior, and her books are excellent. This one is a nice booklet under 100 pages. Dogs are very adaptable, and can be trained and bonded with their owners at any age.
  
  Good luck!

No problem!

Dropped or pinned ears can mean a few things - it really depends on the rest of her body language. Is she wagging her tail, does her posture look comfortable and welcoming otherwise? Sometimes dropped ears can simply be a way to appear friendly and non-threatening in a social situation. Other times it can indicate nervousness and discomfort. Sometimes a dog can be friendly, nervous and uncomfortable!

Physical affection can be tricky. Tolerance for/enjoyment of physical affection varies by breed, and can also increase/decrease with age. Are we talking about petting? Hugs? What parts of her body are you touching? Lots of people instinctively reach over the top of a dog's head for pets, which most breeds will find fairly intrusive, and they may instinctively duck away. Hugs are also not in a dog's vocabulary - they might tolerate them, but will most likely feel uncomfortable. Obviously, there are exceptions to this, usually in the form of some ridiculously affectionate golden retriever.

My pup grew into enjoying physical affection, but there are still certain things that he doesn't like, so I try to work with him. I offer my hand for pets, or make room on the couch to cuddle, and he can take it or leave it. I try to always give him a heads up before I go in for a scratch, and I do a lot of body handling work where I reinforce physical contact with treats so he's more excited than annoyed when I'm poking his ears or checking his toes. He's 10 months now and his enjoyment of physical affection has skyrocketed in the last 3 months.

Hope that helps! There's also this really awesome little booklet about dog body language that you might like, On Talking Terms With Dogs by Turid Rugaas. I found it incredibly informative and it's really improved how I work with my guy.

Puppy school (eg, at Petsmart) to teach him to "come" on command, etc. No puppy pads. cuz they encourage peeing indoors. Ours will potty outside, in any weather. NEVER punish for potty mistakes, but quickly whisk them outside to SHOW him where he should go, and then offer High-Value-Treat (meat, cheese, etc) the MILLI-SECOND they do it correctly. Praise at the right instant teaches them what behaviors you want them to repeat. Crate training is very important. It's a den, make it a happy place, not a prison. Read Dachshunds for Dummies, and other training books such as this excellent book. Watch Kikopup on youtube for training tips. Learn how to read dog body language, also known as calming signals. Learn the many benefits of raw feeding. Above all, give him love, and he will give you joy.
Edit: if you can, adopt another. Dachsies do better in pairs.

Have you gone to any training/obedience classes with him or had a trainer/behaviorist work with him? That's a good first step. Look for a trainer or training class that favors positive, force-free methods over corrections. Most of his behavior sounds normal for a young, energetic dog who doesn't know yet what good manners are or why they're worth following. It makes perfect sense for him not to listen to you outside, too; everything else is just so interesting (picture a 10 year-old kid being told to focus on his homework in the middle of Disneyland). It takes a lot of work to get a dog to focus on you outside and near distractions. So patience, repetition, lots more positive reinforcement, and most importantly time and consistency.

The fear aggression is a bit higher priority, though. A behaviorist is good for this. There are also books and videos you can look into in the meantime, such as BAT 2.0 and The Cautious Canine.

There are a couple of other users mentioning the use of a shock collar. If you decide to go the route, put it at the absolute bottom of your list as very last resort. Punishment like that comes with a lot of risks, such as making fear and aggression worse and developing new triggers. Plus, it won't actually show the dog what you want it to do, so it will be a painful "no, don't do that" without showing what the right behavior is--that's achieved through positive reinforcement, time and patience. And you stay consistent with the +reinforcement, you likely won't need the collar at all. All of this in aside from the fact that I and many others do not accept shock collars to be humane or ethical. I don't believe in inflicting pain, and moreover, you can't fix fear with pain. Pain can only cause fear, and in an already fearful dog, that's a recipe for disaster.

One last thing: increase his exercise amount. He's young, so he's got lots of energy and craves and outlet for it as well as mental stimulation. Tiring him out every day will make him substantially easier to handle and train.

No matter what you choose, I wish you good luck. Training will be challenging, but it can also be so much fun. I hope the best for you and him both.

Here's my list of favorite training resources:

• 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.
  
• 101 Things You Can Do With A Box.

Yeah, a lot of rescues have odd personalities due to being raised, basically, like livestock.

They're certainly not rough-and-tumble rasslin' dogs like a lab or retriever. They wanna run for about 5 minutes once or twice a week, and lounge/sleep the rest of the week. They have terrible recall. Most of them, if they see a squirrel or a cat or something off in the distance, they're going to zero in and take off (35 mph in 3 steps). And then get hit by a car or get lost. So anytime they're out of the house, they need to be in a fenced-in area (yard/dog park) or on-leash. Those are the down sides.

For me, I picked a greyhound because they are the absolute chillest dogs ever. They love to see you come home and they'll greet you for a couple minutes, then just hang out near you. They don't chew up furniture, they don't demand hours of play/exercise every day, they're not yappy. (It was about four months from when I adopted my 6-y/o until I heard her bark for the first time.) All the rescues are house-trained. They can be mostly command-trained if you put in some time. I taught mine "sit", "stay", and "down", but "come" never worked outside the house. Also, they're raised for health and good genetics, so there aren't chronic medical issues like bad hips and stuff that you'll find in other purebreeds.

If you do start seriously considering it, I highly recommend "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies" and "Adopting the Racing Greyhound". After those you should be pretty set on what to expect. Also, the rescue agency should work with you to find a dog that fits with your situations and what you want. (Some are not cat-safe, some are more high-energy, some are more comfortable with new situations, etc)

I'm really glad I adopted (and fostered). But rescue greyhounds are really unlike any other pet dog out there.

...Wow I just typed a lot, haha. Let me know if you have any questions!

A question for you to consider before I go into some recs for you: Have you considered the size of the dog relative to your flat? Small/medium dogs can be easier to manage in a smaller living space, and it’s important to consider personality as well (calm v. high-energy will help if you have to leave).

The solution my partner and I have come up with:

1. My job allows me to work from home a few days a week, so I can let our dog out or give her attention during the day.
   
2. On days when I have to go to the office and partner has to work, dog gets to go to dog daycare (which she loves)! The best part about this is that she comes home exhausted from the fun.
   
3. We adopted an older puppy (~8 months), which means she was already at an age where she could hold her bladder overnight. I do not recommend you start with a 3-month old puppy if this is your first dog. Between work and caring for what is essentially an infant, it might be a lot to handle.
   
4. With all skills related to your dog, start small and move up (ie, if you need to leave, try leaving for only five minutes and see what the dog does. Praise highly if they are calm and don’t destroy anything, and gradually work toward longer increments. If the dog doesn’t do what you wish, stay calm, and move back to practicing the last successful step).
   
   Another option that we did not care for, but many people recommended: hire a professional, trustworthy dog-walker to come by once or twice a day to give the dog emotional and physical stimulation, and let the dog relieve itself.
   
   I highly recommend a training guide (books or videos) if you do decide to adopt a new friend—partner, myself, and dog really benefited from Zak George’s “Dog Training Revolution” and he has many supplementary videos on YouTube as well.
   
   Tl;dr: I am a talkative dog person with lots of advice for managing a furry friend that you will either love or hate.

Properly fitted chest harness should not allow that, we use easy walk harness both at home and in the shelter. It is mostly going to come down to counter conditioning. Have you tried feeding her out doors? Lots of treats while outside possibly play time with a favorite toy. It is very hard to give any real hard set advice with out being able to evaluate the dog in person.

I would look into possibly a dog behaviorist who would be able to write up a dedicated plan for your dog and her needs. One thing you can try is reward her for even looking at the door. Then start rewarding her for stepping towards the door. And then reward her for stepping out side, moving on to being calm out side. But again with out seeing the dog it would be hard to tell the severity of her issue or her triggers.

One of the best books on fearful dogs is The Cautious Canine. And a very nice online resource is fearfuldogs.com. Keep an eye out for weak nerves and good luck I hope everything works out for you and her!

EDIT: Assuming she does not have weak nerves and is still getting over her shelter experience there is hope. My boy was a breeder dog for 3 years, had never walked on grass, seen stairs, felt wind etc. We had to acclimate him to all of that. It took us better part of a year and that with prior training and dedication to the dog. Look into clicker training it can be a godsend.

Love Has No Age Limit-Welcoming an Adopted Dog into Your Home

Best $10 you can spend.

I love her books, and am always amazed to realize how little I do know.

My 10 year old Male Golden Retriever was getting into "fights" with the 3 year old Female Golden Retriever who is new to us, but has had a lot of Service Dog training. Irony is the new dog is a very passive Service Dog, and ignores almost everything. Everything was great for three weeks, but once the New Dog felt "at home" things slightly changed.

Older GR gets stressed during storms and likes hiding behind pillows on the couch. Younger Golden decided that was a pretty nice spot to hang out and chill, too. First storm... seemed like all hell broke loose. Lots of snapping at each other, thankfully no puncture wounds (that is more by accident).

Never pull a dog back by its collar, way too easy for a dog to whip it's head around and bite. If they have family jewels, grabbing firmly and yanking gets their attention. If Neutered/female... grab the base of their tail. Gets their attention and enough time to stop by the time they whip around they realize "oh, it's you". /u/beavizsla has an excellent point. You really don't "yank" but lightly grab to get them to stop what they are doing! In the heat of the moment, way too easy to pull to hard and cause damage.

Once it was pretty clear the "resource guarding" was both dogs wanting my attention, simple to let the older one keep his routine and the new comer to sit on the floor next to me. SD has two lives, one with a vest "I'm working, do not disturb" other is at home, no vest... time to be a silly dog. :)

Both are happy and doing great.

tl;dr: Get that damn book from Amazon and read it!

I don't use corrections either. I would rather show the dog what to do rather than what not to do. My dog isn't perfect, but he is a great dog and I am very happy with the results I have gotten from using only positive reinforcement training. My dog and I do agility, rally, nose-work, parkour, and a ton of trick training. Positive reinforcement works it just takes effort and time from the trainer. The best example I can give for what positive reinforcement is to look up Sara Carson and her Super Collies. She only uses positive reinforcement and all of her dogs are amazing and she has a reactive/aggressive dog as well.

My dog has both fear and frustration based reactivity, although they start out looking different, they end in the same result of barking, lunging, etc.

I would refrain from using punishment/corrections to modify a dogs frustration based reactive dogs behavior because you don't want it to turn into fear. Your dog might not make the association that they are getting the punishment because of their behavior and may associate the punishment to seeing other dogs and this can turn into them thinking dogs=punishment so keep away from me!

Look into B.A.T and L.A.T training if you haven't already.

BAT training book by Grisha Stewart is a really good read for BAT training and she has some really good diagrams.

In that particular case, I think you would need to figure out which action (pooping or bringing the leash) is a higher priority, and address that one. I think pooping is more important, so I would immediately put the dog in time out. Time is, of course, very important with operant conditioning, so you need to act right away in order for the dog to make the connection between pooping and time out.

You will have plenty of opportunities in the future to rehearse the action you want (bringing the leash) with practice and drills, but you have very few opportunities (hopefully!) to punish pooping on the rug.

In the interest of being thorough, hypothetically, I don't think an indoor time-out is really the best course of action to discourage pooping. That means giving the dog an opportunity to do it again! Instead, I would whisk the dog outside and give a potty cue, and reward profusely for success. This is redirection rather than punishment, which I think is a better approach in this case.

If you're interested in dog cognition, Brian Hare's book is really good primer.

Replying to my own message to help you get started researching.

Good Owners, Great Dogs is a great first-time-dog-owner/looking-for-a-dog book. Costs a little more than ten bucks at amazon.

www.dogstardaily.com. Read ALL THE THINGS. They have great articles about introducing a dog into your life, playing games, training, tons of stuff. Absorb it all before going out to choose your companion.

www.dogfoodadvisor.com for help in choosing a good food for your new best friend.

Tip of the iceberg; there's plenty to take in. But I realized my original comment just said "hey, man, go do some research" and didn't point in a good direction. Those places will get you started.

And I am really hoping the comments thus far are helping re-shape your notions of adopting a canine and realizing what that really means.

Some people don’t seem to do this but I definitely did. We don’t allow our dog on the couch/bed anymore because we live in NYC and her paws are gross from walking around outside. I don’t want to have to worry about germs even more than I already do. I want the furniture to be safe places for my LO. Also he seems to get covered in dog hair so much even without being on the same level as the dog so I can’t imagine if they shared furniture.

Introducing the dog and the baby was more challenging than I expected. For the first two weeks every time the baby cried the dog cried and I was ready to pull out my hair. The dog is big and friendly and the baby is just too small. There’s a good book called Please Don't Bite the Baby (and Please Don't Chase the Dogs): Keeping Our Kids and Our Dogs Safe and Happy Together https://www.amazon.com/dp/158005577X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_ijFGcV9mUXn3I
I wish I had read BEFORE the baby came. By the time I got to it it was too late to enforce any of the rules.

Good luck!

Ours love love loves being outside at any time. She does a perimeter patrol multiple times a day, she’s been out there in snow, rain, thunder, none of it phases her. Very few potty accidents with her, she also has a service bell she rings when she wants to go out, and abuses that power when it suits her.

She is also a hunter and has saved us from multiple bunnies, birds, garden snakes and a rat. She’s still hoping for an elusive squirrel one day. She’s a very good girl and wants to be a good listener but all bets are off if she’s hunting, she can never be off leash outside except in the securely fenced yard and at the dog park.

She howls when her feelings are hurt. It’s the cutest thing ever. Someone left and didn’t take her in the car? Other dog doesn’t feel like playing? Baby howls.

She is crate trained and sleeps in a cat cave in the crate so she can be cozy, it was a great alternative to a pile of blankets for her.

The book Good Owners, Great Dogs was a helpful training guide for me when I got my first dog.

Why not try both? Any good trainer will encourage you to do a lot of work at home to support their advice. The sidebar has links for finding a good trainer. Before signing on to any training program, ask about their beliefs and techniques so you're sure you're comfortable with their suggestions ahead of time. Fearful dogs need a lot of quiet, positive encouragement. This site may offer you some good reading in the meantime. This is a great book too (The Cautious Canine: How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears) and is by one of the most respected names in animal behaviourism, if you're interested.

Toy play can take time. This thread may help!

Edited to add: BAT can also be very useful for fearful dogs, so if you can find a BAT trainer near you, I'd suggest you start there.

These two books written by Monks of New Skete, The Art of Raising a Puppy and Be Your Dogs Best Friend are worth their weight in gold. They cover what to buy as well as training methods for your dog.

Kong toys are brilliant. We use ours for training and have another that we fill with peanut butter and freeze. I consider this a frugal tip because it's the only toy our dog can't destroy.

Socializing your dog at the dog park costs only time.

In most major cities there are "clubs" for each breed and likely another club for rescue dogs. We took our mastiff to hang out with other mastiffs each Saturday. It was free.

You also need a good short walking/traffic lead and a longer park/hiking leash.

Good luck and thanks for rescuing a pup. It's a noble thing.

Dogs are not good surprise gifts. If you're going to adopt a dog for the whole family, bring the whole family to meet it and bring the whole family to train it. One thing they don't talk about much in books is finding a dog that genuinely likes people and other dogs and finding a dog for first timers. Make sure you spend a good half hour with the dog and ask tons of questions about the dog's temperament from someone more experienced - if you have friends that own well adjusted dogs (probably not the one you mention in the post), bring them with you. Touch him all over to see how he deals with being handled, run with him walk with him one at a time, move slowly and confidently and look for signs of stress: http://www.maplewooddog.com/MDT/Articles/Communication-Handling-Articles/DogBodyLanguagePoster.jpg

You do not need to adopt the first sad eyes you see.

As for preventing behavioral issues like nipping, licking being a pest. You may want to start with a younger dog (10-24 months) who is less set in his ways and beginning to mature; more of a blank slate and willing to learn what is expected of him. It goes both ways, you must constantly train him what is expected in your household and how to distract him from doing things you dislike.

Keywords like this can point to a balanced dog: turnkey, easy going, relaxed, outgoing, happy, confident, playful, loves car rides, friendly, biddable, keen, young, good with people, good with kids, good with other dogs and cats, smart, spayed, aims to please, settles nicely, crate trained, house broken, watches tv :).

Stay away from dogs with keywords like these until you have more experience to care for their needs: special needs, shy, medical issues or allergies, reactive, fearful, may become aggressive, no kids, no cats, separation anxiety, needs lots of room, active homes only, growls, was a chained outdoor dog, not for apartments, suffered from parvo when young, epilepsy, intact, not for dog parks, not for off leash, needs lots of love, came from another country, strong prey drive, thinks he's smarter than humans.

For the more concrete questions: what to buy, what to do before the big day, how to introduce the dog to your home. Start with this book. It helped me SO much as a first timer.

http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1891767143

Invest in some good positive training courses a month later and make sure the whole household knows they need to provide activity/food/walks for the dog. You might want to do some breed research and find what agrees with your lifestyle. Many shelter dogs are mixes, but it's good to at least know the breeds so you don't end up with a Husky, feral dog, wolf hybrid or sighthound as your first dog. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but they can be a handful for people with no dog experience.

This is a good article about general hyperactivity, if you scroll down to the "Click to Calm" heading that is the section that will probably fit what you're looking for.

This is the offical BAT website, I'm not sure how much free information it will have on it but hopefully it will help explain what BAT is and how it works.

This is "the" BAT book if you are willing to/able to/interested in paying for some info on the subject.

This is another good book, I know it says "aggressive" in the title but I have a feeling the techniques described in the book will help with any sort of overactivity, reactivity, excitement, etc.

Hope that helps! I am stopping short of giving my own written out/step by step explanation because I tend to ramble and end up doing more harm than help I think...

There are some great suggestions already. I bought this bookto help with my lab mix's issues with nail care and baths and it has been a huge help, he is going from tolerating to liking these things. The author, deb jones, also has a blog with some great information if you can't get the book and she runs a Facebook page as well.

I also highly recommend muzzle training so while you work on building positive associations to grooming. I am in the process of muzzle training my dog, there are so many useful applications and I like knowing that if he ever needs to be muzzled, it won't stress him out further, because he'll be used to it.

You cannot safely have them out together until they are assessed by a trained behaviorist. Ideally a vet behaviorist (a person who has basically double credentials - not some tool who calls themselves a 'dog whisperer' after a year of 'working with dogs'. Someone who went to school to be a vet and also study animal behavior.), but a professional force free trainer who is experienced in aggression would work.

Remind you girlfriend of the vet bill you've already paid and ask her how many more just like that she wants to experience. Also, the blood and stress of more fights. If you try to just put them back together that will happen again. Guaranteed. Even if they seem fine when separated, if you won't know how to see the warning signs (and the bark/snap your lab did was probably the 10th or so signal...) and how to deescalate the situation (6 minute fight, water hose, human bitten, huge gashes...) then you should absolutely 100% not try to put them together at all.

Ok, done with scolding. Here's some constructive help.

Taking them to the vet was the right thing to do. Your catahoula x limping is likely because of bruising, and the vet couldn't have done anything about that. Treat her like you would if you got a bad leg bruise - rest, ice (if she'll let you), light exercise the next few days, and if the vet gave you any pain meds for her go ahead and use those as recommended. (NEVER use aspirin or tylenol, or any other OTC human medication on a dog unless your vet has specifically cleared it for the dog you are considering dosing right then.)

Ok, why this happened. Some people have mentioned possible dog aggression, IMO that's not likely. When I have seen cases like this (which I unfortunately have, and not uncommonly) it's often same sex dogs, although not always, and the younger dog is at or nearly a year old.

This happens because your older girl has been playing queen of the house and being a bit bossy. The pup has been a bit rude, but has gotten a 'puppy license' (aka - toddlers don't have to follow the same rules as adults). Now, her puppy license has run out and the older dog is saying "No. Stop that. You're an adult, you know the rules and this is MINE."

That doesn't make either girl right. In fact, they're both a bit wrong, IMO. Your younger girl was probably being a real PITA for a while before she got a serious warning, but your lab escalated things too far.

To have any chance of fixing things a few concrete steps need to be taken.

• Keep them apart until you have someone using force free training working with you and your spouse hands on and in person. Some of this stuff just can't be learned online as it's subjective, and sometimes down to experience/a detailed eye. You need that hands on training for the humans involved before you can safely try having them together.
  
  
• Crate and rotate. To keep them as happy as possible divide your home and give each of them time with you and your SO, play time, and walks.
  
  
• Both dogs need to be spayed. Once you've had one fight it's very nearly impossible to have two intact females coexist. Your best chance of future cohabiting is if both are spayed. Besides that, any dog who shows signs of aggression should not be allowed to pass on their genes.
  
  
• Exercise and training. Both dogs need to have their exercise and training needs met - which likely means increasing what you were previously doing. The 'fun' part is that now, since they can't be let out to run together, this will be a lot more work than it would have previously been. Sorry.
  
  
• Work on the lab's recourse guarding using force free methods. If you try to make this a battle with her it will get worse and you'll have killed your shot at cohabitating your girls. She must learn that people and (eventually) other dogs around 'her things' are a wonderful amazing thing, rather than a risk/threat. This can't be done with force or intimidation.
  
  If you can get some of those things started then you can buy yourselves some time to save up for a behaviorist or experienced trainer to work with. The biggest thing is not allowing a repeat event to happen. Behavior is like a big rock on top of a hill, the more it rolls the more it will roll, so if you are very careful and don't allow another fight it'll be easier to fix in the long term. The more fights they have the harder it will be to eventually have them together and loose.
  
  I know this will be a lot of work and stress for both you and your SO, but if you really focus on this and work through it you could be in a much better place in as short a time as a year. Both dogs with you, happier, healthier, and with you having a much stronger understanding of their behavior.
  
  If you don't put that time and effort in then you could easily end up rehoming your catahoula.
  
  Here's some reading and videos to get you started on working with your girls:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Terms-Dogs-Calming-Signals/dp/1929242360/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496795912&sr=8-1&keywords=calming+signals+on+talking+terms+with+dogs
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Other-End-Leash-What-Around/dp/034544678X/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=034544678X&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=SAA8r&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Cautious-Canine-How-Conquer-Their-Fears/dp/1891767003/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1891767003&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Canine-Body-Language-Photographic-Interpreting/dp/1929242352/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1929242352&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Feisty-Fido-Help-Leash-Reactive-Dog/dp/1891767070/ref=pd_sim_14_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1891767070&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Fired-Up-Frantic-Freaked-Out/dp/0985934921/ref=pd_sim_14_8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0985934921&pd_rd_r=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW&pd_rd_w=LkE4D&pd_rd_wg=F8B3N&psc=1&refRID=AC0HWHZD1Z3G43JS30NW
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Clicker/dp/1890948209/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1890948209&pd_rd_r=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205&pd_rd_w=A0y3X&pd_rd_wg=HP5o5&psc=1&refRID=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-2-0-Frustration/dp/1617811742/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1617811742&pd_rd_r=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205&pd_rd_w=A0y3X&pd_rd_wg=HP5o5&psc=1&refRID=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Control-Unleashed-Creating-Focused-Confident/dp/B000UCF53A/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000UCF53A&pd_rd_r=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205&pd_rd_w=A0y3X&pd_rd_wg=HP5o5&psc=1&refRID=EFPYPPBXNZD3A5JB9205
  
  https://saveabull.com/crate-and-rotate/
  
  https://imperfectdog.com/2016/01/12/imperfect-dog-introductions-crate-rotate/
  
  http://www.thedoggeek.com/2014/08/crate-and-rotate.html
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDeAKj2etMs
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJgod6CO8jU
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nyt2WLdQGs
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU-WolM6cgg
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnBPlub1Jgs
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=255hotAlI5o
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6De7kEmOV1Q
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cGDYI-s-cQ
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_7dl4c-IrM
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bg_gGguwzg
  
  

Get a force free trainer in to help you with a training plan. Nothing-in-life-is-free is a start (but can be implemented incorrectly; please be careful with research on this one, and do not buy into anything that connects it to alpha dog nonsense), and also this book. A great guide to mat work and helping over-excited dogs learn HOW to be calm. A lot of people think the answer to a hyperactive, overstimulating dog is MORE exercise until they tire themselves out. This is not true. The answer is actually more calm, relaxing time, so they learn how that works, and how to calm their own brain down. Do very short training sessions, multiple times a day, so she practices using her brain without getting over-excited.

I know how you feel. My dog overstimulates too, and it is a drag. But she's young, and with a smart training plan and lots of patience, I'm sure you'll get her on track. Just meet her where she's at now. You need to slow down, back up, and find the point where she is able to succeed and work from there.

Also, I'd look into some dog sports for her, but ones that require a lot of self-control. Triebball, agility, trick training.

Good luck and happy training.

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.

Is it possible to scale it back and just focus on your guys relationship with her first? It sounds like you are working really hard to socialize her in all aspects, but it may be overwhelming.

Kudos on the work you've done. Going from food possessive to being able to handle her food is huge! It sounds like you were very patient and respectful to get that sort of a result with her. That's what she needs right now.

Can you scale your socialization back for a bit? Maybe eliminate etra stress from other dogs and men until she feels bonded to you guys? She needs to be comfortable with you first before she can trust you enough to work on those issues.

An eample would be, if you are walking and see a man or another dog, turn away from them before she becomes nervous (starts staring). Don't wait for her to raise her hackles, cower, growl, whine, etc.

By moving her away from what she is fearing, she gains trust in your ability to protect her. It also teaches her to move away rather than feel the need to defend herself.

I highly recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-Frustration-Aggression/dp/1617810509

Also, talk to a trainer. Just like u/edgepatrol said. These are difficult issues, especially for new dog owners. Yikes.

Keeping them separated is the right start. Be sure there is nothing to resource-guard while they are together. You want to make sure each dog feels secure, that his food/toy/spot on the bed isn't threatened. You also want to prevent incidents because aggression may cause fear which can cause aggression which is harder to treat.

I'd try to chance the emotional associations they have with each other. So only good things happen when they are in each other's presence (you may want a gate or at least space between them.) When they are reliably calm you can supervise the younger dog on leash while you give the other dog a treat. Reward the younger dog for any behavior other than barking/lunging/growling. So looking at the dog with the treat earns a treat. Ignoring the other dog with the treat earns a treat. You may not want to start with the highest value treat you can think of if that's too stressful. You may have to reverse this precedure, I'm not exactly sure who you are saying is the instigator.

I recommend the book, Fight! by Jean Donaldson.

We got our 7/almost 8 month Yorkie about 9ish days ago. Luckily, he came to us used to the crate at night—not so much during the day (he was on an apartment balcony for 8+ hours a day, with water and a grass pad/yoga mat for pottying. We just decided to start from scratch.)

What I would recommend is the book ‘How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days’. Honestly, the 7 days is a bit of a misnomer but this book has great, easy to follow adaptable steps. (No worries if it’s not done in 7 ACTUAL DAYS). It does involve having to crate for longer periods but I’ve seen it work really well so far with our dog, especially getting him to take enforced naps. We do crate him in a separate room when we’re at home just because he can’t relax/settle well if he sees us. We also purposefully watch him like a hawk when he’s out and about on his own as we’ve still had a few accidents.

Crating feels super confined but as long as you entertain them/exercise them well outside of the crate, we don’t are issues. Gradually, we’ll try an expen with him at home alone but we’re nowhere near that stage yet.

Edit: also, for the record, we’re still having accidents every few days. But, the book I recommended as been a god send, especially with the sample schedules that are included.

> And any recommendations for a strong no pull harness?

Ruffwear FrontRange.

As for your issues, confidence building takes a lot of time. Weeks, if not months of work. This is a fabulous article that has helped me with my fearful fosters. This book is wonderful as well, and is by a GREAT, and really well respected trainer. This book is great too. All in all, it is about creating little steps and building them over time.

It doesn't sound helpful, but if you can minimize exposure to only certain areas until she's confident, that would go a long way! For actual activities, touch, find it, general training, etc are all great, as is just being 'present' and letting your dog take their own steps.

Warning: very little good news ahead (sorry, going through some stuff right now which has me pretty fucking jaded on the subject, and while I do think my information is helpful, it is a bit more doomsdayish than really necessary--apolgies for that.)

Honestly a lot of shelter dogs will not show their problem behaviors right away. This is most likely not sudden, and probably the reason he was at the shelter. This behavior is not something that you caused, it is a behavior that he has learned a long time before you and is now displaying because of his level of comfort around you. It takes a LONG time to rehab a dog like that, considering his age, and sometimes it's not really successful, depending on the underlying causes of the aggression...so you must ask yourself are you really in this for the long haul or do you want to get a different dog that will be easier?

I would definitely recommend seeing a behaviorist not just a trainer for at least one or two sessions to get some practice under your belt for how to manage and treat this situation. The main techniques will be counter-conditioning to the presence of other dogs and redirection. Timing is KEY when doing this kind of training and if you do it yourself without being really shown how, you risk fucking the dog up more.

I rescued a dog from the shelter who seemed perfectly fine (although a bit unruly) at first. He started showing aggression to other dogs AND people after about 3 weeks. I took the DIY approach for about a year, decided I needed help, now 2 and a half years and roughly $15,000 in books, dvds, seminars, workshops, behaviorists, trainers, vet bills, training camp, training classes, etc I have decided to have him humanely euthanized for his own benefit, that of society at large, and also my own mental health. He is a super smart and amazing dog who I love dearly (hence why I have tried so hard), but to be honest he is dangerous.

I don't mean to scare you, and honestly, I ended up with a REALLY bad dog, way worse than most people would from a shelter. Dog aggression is quite manageable if you are willing to accept that you may not ever "cure" your dog, and make sure that he is kept away from other dogs at all times so as not to practice this behavior further. The fact that he has redirected at you is quite concerning, however, and should definitely be discussed with a professional if you do decide to keep this dog.

While you are looking for your behaviorist I would recommend the following books:

http://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-Frustration-Aggression/dp/1617810509

http://www.amazon.com/Fight-Practical-Treatment-Dog-dog-Aggression/dp/0970562969

http://www.amazon.com/Control-Unleashed-Creating-Focused-Confident/dp/B000UCF53A

These are the books that helped me the most dealing with my problem dog.

You need to find a good behaviourist to work with you, this is a common, but very challenging condition to treat.

This is by far the best book on the subject, and explains how complex these cases are to manage.

What country are you in? You are probably best to find a veterinary behaviourist, and if I know where you're from I can help point you in the right direction to find one.

Growling is actually good. Growling is not your worst fear. Growling is a warning sign. You don't want a dog who doesn't give you a warning. Don't punish the growl, you're removing your early warning system.

Crawling is hard for pups! These babies are all unpredictable. It's scary for the dog.

No. 1 Recommendation: https://www.amazon.com/Please-Dont-Bite-Baby-Chase/dp/158005577X Book by a dog trainer about bringing her adoptive son home. Really, REALLY good advice. I can't recommend it enough.

Recommendations:

• Safe space for both. We have a "baby jail" (gated area) that we can put LO in that I know he's safe. Dog has a crate (we used it when he was a puppy and recently reintroduced it as his "safe place" away from the baby - baby is never allowed to go in there e.g. he can't crawl in, we won't let him.)
  
• Tons of rewards for good behavior - whenever pup is acting how you want him to, reward the shit out of him.
  
• Positive training methods. Punishment can increase behavior problems and ultimately backfire.
  
• Make sure pup is getting enough exercise. Behavior problems are exacerbated by boredom.
  
• Remember, both baby and dog are just creatures without much sense of these things. It's our job as the grown ups to protect both of them from each other. Issues that arise with dogs and babies are unfortunately our fault. So scary as both a mom and a dog owner!
  
  Victoria Stillwell is a good, positive methods trainer. Check out her website and Facebook page.
  
  The book "The other end of the leash" is good and a really interesting read.
  
  Watch for known issues - e.g. my dog is possessive of balls, and one specific toy. The baby is NOT ALLOWED THAT TOY. It's the dog's. It's our job to police that.
  
  Oh also - very important, learn about dog body language. This is a good video from a trainer at a nearby place to us. https://www.facebook.com/ZoomRoom.Campbell/videos/858572274272659/ People soooo misread dogs. "Oh look, he's smiling!" OMG no, he's so uncomfortable and desperately needs his humans to remove him from that situation before he snaps. Learn what to look for: Rigid boy, whale eye, showing teeth. Those all come before the growl. Learn what to look for even before you get to the growl - which is still an early warning, more than a bite.
  
  Good luck! It doesn't mean he/she is a bad dog. At all. Just needs a little more help managing fear of the baby.

Meds aren't going to fix your dog's SA without training, but they can definitely help with training. I would recommend working with a behaviorist and picking up a copy of Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs, I'll Be Home Soon, and Don't leave me!, as well as talking with your vet about medications. There are several prescriptions that can help with SA, and your vet is your best bet for finding one that works for you and your dog.

Since you have trazadone I'm going to assume you have already talked to your veterinarian about your dog's anxiety. If that is not the case, please discuss it with your vet.

The behaviorists are pricy, but they're an excellent resource and worth the money. I'd definitely stick with either a Veterinary Behaviorist or an Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist over a regular trainer, anybody can call themselves a trainer while CAABs and VBs have tons of education and experience. They can tailor advice to your specific dog and your specific household in a way a book or video cannot.

I am by no means an expert (I'm a vet tech at a general-practice clinic) but my go-to recommendations for behavior books are Decoding Your Dog by the American College of Veterinary behaviorists, (it has a chapter on house training and a chapter on separation anxiety) and The Other End of the Leash (it's about understanding dogs and how they think rather than specific issues) by Patricia McConnell. Patricia McConnell also has books (booklets? they're short) about anxiety and separation anxiety. I've never read the booklets, but she's a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist with a Ph.D, so they're probably a better resource than random internet sites even if they're not as helpful as an in-person consultation with a behaviorist.

Well I'm glad to hear it, and even more glad you weren't offended!

I'd go with these as good places to start:

Zak George

Puppy Primer

Don't Shoot the Dog

Other End of the Leash

Kikopup on youtube has a TON of amazing videos on puppy raising too. Well worth checking out. :)

I took my classes outside Toronto about 9 years ago (last time I had a puppy). Can't remember the name of the program sadly but there were 2 levels and I recall the second level was fantastic. What I definitely can recommend is the book Good Owners Great Dogs.

http://www.amazon.ca/Good-Owners-Great-Brian-Kilcommons/dp/0446675385

We have two pitbull type dogs that will be around when our little one gets here. Our old guy (we think he's 8 or 9) has been around babies of all sizes and is very good about being gentle and patient with them. Our younger dog (4 1/2) is a ACD/pitbull cross and he's veryyyyyyy high energy and loves to chase small creatures like cats and squirrels and what not. We were worried about him thinking that a tiny human would be a fun squeaky toy so we got in touch with a trainer and worked on his basic commands so that we would be able to work with him for the next nine months. I didn't think he was poorly trained before but even just working with him for 10-20 minutes a day has really made a difference in him.

We also have been getting our dogs accustomed to being sequestered in the kitchen with baby gates so that if they do get too excited they have a safe place to settle down away from baby.

The biggest thing that we plan to do though is just make sure that the dogs and the baby are never left alone in the same room together even if it's just for a few moments. Way too many horror stories have happened from situations like this and we want to do everything we can to prevent anything tragic from happening.

I ordered this book to give me some ideas on how to manage all the changes coming and I found it to be incredibly helpful especially when it came to easing my own nerves about being a first time mom with a newborn and two big dogs. Baby girl gets here in a few short weeks and then we'll know for sure if any of our training has made a difference! Fingers crossed that our boys fall in love with her because I would be heartbroken if we had to give them up.

https://www.amazon.com/Please-Dont-Bite-Baby-Chase/dp/158005577X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483987219&sr=8-1&keywords=please+don%27t+bite+the+baby

I foster scared and reactive dogs for my local rescue. I've found four resources that I love so much, they have become my foundation for every dog, whether they have behavioral issues or not: 

1.) (Free) CARE for Reactive Dogs - careforreactivedogs.com  

2.) Grisha Stewart's Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) - https://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Adjustment-Training-2--Frustration-ebook/dp/B01BG05UAW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1525694710&sr=8-1

3.) (free) Relaxation Protocol - http://championofmyheart.com/relaxation-protocol-mp3-files/

4.) Karen Pryor's Click to Calm - https://www.amazon.com/Click-Calm-Healing-Aggressive-Dog-ebook/dp/B008510I5S/ref=pd_sim_351_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TYTV68ZND5W25S0ZH1XH

And if you're looking for a qualified behavior consultant/trainer to help more hands-on, I highly recommend checking out ccpdt.org

Our dog generally doesn't bark at people passing close but sometimes does if they talk to us or try to approach. I'm very firm with people that they can't approach because she's uncomfortable and we don't want her to practice barking.

You'll want to recruit some friends to help you. You'll want to find the distance where your dog is comfortable passing people and give treats to your dog as you pass. Then you can move a bit closer and do the same.

Our behaviorist also advised us practicing a "pet" command. As we pet we would say "pet" so with strangers she'd maybe know what to expect.

I found Patricia McConnell's booklet helpful: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1891767003

Kikopup also has some videos about barking while out on walks: https://youtu.be/Eo-L2qtD7MQ

It also takes time. We've had our dog five months and last weekend she was around a large family event with very little uncomfortable barking. That would have been impossible with her a month or two ago but we've done a lot of practice passing strangers, other dogs, treating and I think she trusts us more and has more confidence.

It sounds as if the strategy you employed to teach the bulldog to leave the cats alone worked very well, without the use of anything adversive except some minor shunning which is a great teaching tool IMO that takes advantage of the dog's great desire to be social without causing any pain or fear. You shouldn't be 2nd guessing yourself about it if it worked well. Don't lose your confidence; you're doing great.

While the alpha theory has been debunked, I think some people have gone too far and are erring in the opposite direction. Dogs do recognize leadership, dominance and submission. While your foster pup is most likely not trying to steal food from children out of a desire to dominate them, your training strategy is sound and effective all the same and your instincts seem to be very good.

Please check out Patricia O'Connell's book How to be the Leader of the Pack...And have Your Dog Love You For It. O'Connell is recognized as one of the best dog trainers today. While she doesn't support the alpha theory as put forth by trainers like Cesar Milan, she does believe that dogs need to have their human be the unambiguous leader of the pack and she demonstrates some simple ways to accomplish this. I think you'll find that she supports much of what you're doing.

If you've accomplished something as difficult as teaching an adult dog to be polite to cats, you have a lot going for you as a dog trainer. It's good to listen to new ideas and criticism, but don't deny the evidence of your own experience. You're doing it right.

Hahaha, thanks for the support. I get it though. Wanna make a dog owner mad? Tell them their dog doesn't feel guilt. Its been tested and proven but some owners absolutely refuse to believe it. My own SO and I almost got into a big argument over it!

Its a difficult concept for people. Emotional attachment and all that. It comes for a place of love and I try not to fault people for it unless the belief becomes harmful to the dog.

For anyone interested, I would highly recommend reading either of these books, especially the first. It really changed my view of my dogs and has made me and them so much happier! I'm reading the second right now and so far it's great too.

The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs


Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know

Licki mats work great for one-person treat dispensing/distracting while you work.

An unrelated option is to train your dog to use a scratch board (usually a piece of wood with sand paper attached) which will address their front nails but not back or dew claws. I am in the process of going through the Cooperative Care Book to desensitize my dog to dremeling but the scratch board is great for keeping her front nails short (which are the ones that grow the most) while she gets comfortable with the dremel.

SECTION | CONTENT

--|:--
Title | How to Potty Train your Puppy EASILY! Everything you need to know!
Description | How to Potty Train a Puppy Fast! This episode is sponsored by PetFlow. Set up automatic pet food delivery today at http://www.PetFlow.com/ZakGeorge Enter code Zak20 when you check out to receive 20% off of your first order. Just choose your dog food. Decide how often you want it delivered and you’re done! Modify or cancel your order at any time for any reason! Support these videos by making a small monthly contribution on http://www.Patreon.com/ZakGeorge Thank you! Like me on Facebook: http:/...
Length | 0:09:47


SECTION | CONTENT

--|:--
Title | Potty Training: How to Train your Dog to RING A BELL to be Let Outside
Description | This video is sponsored by Potty Bells! Make house training easier and train your dog to ring a bell to be let out. Get your Potty Bells here! Potty Bells: http://www.pottybells.com?rfsn=365710.b0fb4 Get the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Zak-Georges-Dog-Training-Revolution/dp/1607748916/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463152090&sr=8-1&keywords=dog+training+revolution OR visit http:www.dogtrainingrevolution.com for a list of booksellers. Support my videos by making a small contribution on p...
Length | 0:07:58


SECTION | CONTENT

--|:--
Title | Teaching Your Dog to 'Go Pee' on Command
Description | For more dog training and instructional videos like this, check Darcie the Dog Trainer out: On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommuniCanine/ Website: www.communicanine.ca This week I'm sharing with you one my FAVOURITE life hacks - how to teach your dog to go to the bathroom on command! This has saved me so much time in waiting for busy or distracted dogs that don't want to make going pee a priority. Stay connected with Darcie the Dog Trainer on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommuniCa...
Length | 0:04:30






****

^(I am a bot, this is an auto-generated reply | )^Info ^| ^Feedback ^| ^(Reply STOP to opt out permanently)

I wouldn't say they require more work or special care than most other dogs. There are a few things to take into account:

• 1. They don't have that second coat of fur (that causes dander) for insulation, so they will get too cold or overheat outside depending on the weather.
     
• 2. They have thin skin that will tear easily when injured (even after a small scuffle with another dog).
     
• 3. A retired race dog that has never been in a home before will need time to learn things like stairs, TV, ceiling fans, and not to potty in the house. Puppies grow up with all this stuff, but a 2 year old dog has only known the kennel. They learn pretty quickly, though.
     
     There are some great books out there if you're serious about it. This one and this one.
     
     Oh, and, if you do adopt 1 or more, be ready to become greyhound obsessed! Don't fight it! :)

Yes. Treats are a reward. Rewards come in various forms. You can make what you want the dog to do a way to get what it really wants. Reinforce good behavior using rewards - treats, play, belly rubs, letting the dog off leash etc.

​

I read Zac George's book and checked out some of his vids on Youtube for general behavior training. Grisha Stewart's video on BAT is what we mostly followed.

> One of the most frequent complaints of pet parents is that their dogs “just won’t listen.” But put yourself in your dog’s shoes for a moment. If someone was constantly chattering away in a foreign language that you’d never heard before, how long would you pay attention? Probably not for very long—because you simply wouldn’t be able to understand what the foreign speaker was trying to communicate.

> To communicate clearly and consistently with your dog, you need to understand how she learns. Dogs learn through the immediate consequences of their behavior. The nature of those consequences determines how they’ll behave in the future. Dogs, like other animals (people included), work to get good things and avoid bad things in life. If a behavior results in something rewarding—like food, a good belly rub, playtime with dog buddies or a game of fetch with her pet parent—your dog will do that behavior more often. On the other hand, if a behavior results in an unpleasant consequence—like being ignored or losing things she finds rewarding—she’ll do that behavior less often.

• Training Your Dog
  
  I highly recommend this book. It's a really fun and quick read, full of interesting stories to well presented science.
  
  
• The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell PhD
  
  > An applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell looks at humans as just another interesting species, and muses about why we behave the way we do around our dogs, how dogs might interpret our behavior, and how to interact with our dogs in ways that bring out the best in our four-legged friends.
  
  > After all, although humans and dogs share a remarkable relationship that is unique in the animal world, we are still two entirely different species, each shaped by our individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (like wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation.

Have you looked into Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT)? I only started reading it but it seems like it might help. From what I gather, you figure out what the threshold is for your dog's reactivity and work from there. Like I said, I'm only about halfway through it but it seems like it would be helpful, plus it was a recommendation in the wiki.

I haven't found any. Anything in print is basically guaranteed to be full of outdated information.

What work are you looking to do with your GSD?

• Leerburg has a bad rap for their use of positive punishment, but if you go in with a critical eye there are lots of good resources on drive-building, IPO foundations, etc.
  
• Fenzi Dog Sports Academy is a positive-reinforcement equivalent. Don't write them off for being touchy-feely, Denise Fenzi and Shade Whitesel are both very accomplished IPO trainers.
  
• Train Per View is Ivan Balabanov's site...again more balanced training, but that guy knows his shit.
  
• Dave Kroyer is a big name in detection work/nosework. The Fenzi website is another place to go for nosework training, but they have a more recreational focus.
  
  Start there, talk to your breeder, and hopefully you'll find a lot of good info to work with.
  
  EDIT: As for actual books, there are some really solid reads with applicability to all breeds. GSDs are "spicier" than your average dog, but they're still just dogs at the end of the day.
  
  
• The Other End of the Leash as /u/my_dog_is_fetch mentioned, is an insightful read on how primates interact with canines, and how to bridge the gap.
  
• Control Unleashed is a good read for managing overarousal and nerviness.
  
• Train the Dog In Front of You is a thought-provoking little read, and might be a good process to go through as you get to know your new dog.

I'm new to this thread. Smelly is a 50lb mixed breed whom I adopted as a young adult one year ago. His main reason for reactivity is fear and he will bark, growl and lunge at unfamiliar dogs and people.

His trainer introduced us to behavior adjustment training. This book was a great resource for me. His reactivity is much improved. I can walk him 90% of the time without an episode.

Currently he still will lunge and growl if an unfamiliar dog gets within his comfort zone(~12 feet radius). His other triggers are people in narrow hallways and people who are not in motion. His hallway/elevator lunging has improved with clicker-training with ultra high-value treats.

My dream would be for him to have good dog manners and be comfortable in unfamiliar settings. It would be so wonderful to watch him romp in the dog park like I used to with my previous dogs. I would love to do some sort of dog sport with him.. but I can't imagine if he ever would be comfortable with all that!

I'm worried about my dogs' behavior when our baby comes, so I started reading Please Don't Bite the Baby (and Please Don't Chase the Dogs): Keeping Our Kids and Our Dogs Safe and Happy Together yesterday. It's easy to read and helps you understand your dog's body language with some tips help everyone get along. I highly recommend it!

Get Patricia McConnell's book Love Has No Age Limit. I promise it will help.

Patricia advocates POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT training. as /u/Splunken says, you should start REWARDING independence. Patricia McConnell's book will help you do this in all aspects of your puppy's life. Walks, leaving him alone, feeding time, chill at home time. For example, give your dog spontaneous treats anytime he is lying down being calm and not begging for attention. Say, "Good calm!" and throw a treat. When it's time to eat, have your dog sit politely, then put the bowl down. Say, "Good sit!" and give him his dinner. Use EVERY time your dog does the RIGHT thing to reward him. Generally ignore bad behavior, except for a stern "No!" when you want to interrupt his behavior (like when you witness him about to eat something he shouldn't).

Yeah, that should be fine. I use this crap and it works great (and smells good too!). You can probably find a less insanely sized bottle at a pet store, or maybe elsewhere on the site.

If you're serious about getting your dog into shape, let me recommend this book. Everyone I've ever spoken to about it has nothing but good things to say and it was quite revolutionary 25 years ago, but it's not a bit dated and really ought to help you train your dog and give you some more insight into how they thing. The Monks have a puppy book too, which might be useful for you to skim the housebreaking and crate training chapters (at a book store!).

Also: no problem for the advice; it's meant for sharing :)

>Is there any guideline to what extent a dog should be allowed to "use" the same stuff

Behaviorist Patricia McConnell wrote a short book called How to Be the Leader of the Pack and Have Your Dog Love You for It. She outlines all the typical pack leader advice except physical punishment stuff like scruffing and alpha rolls. In the Intro chapter, she says:

>The suggestions below are NOT practices that you must follow every second of every day, no matter how your dog behaves... How strictly you follow the program below depends on your dog's behavior. If your pup seems perfect, you can follow some of these steps some of the time (being aware of them might help keep her that way!) If Ginger gave you a dirty look over her rawhide, then react by following some of these guidelines for leadership over the next couple of hours. If, on the other hand, Spot just bit you, follow the ideas below to the letter for at least a month. (And totally ignore him for the first two days-don't speak to or look at him, even while feeding or letting him out.) Great trainers act like thermostats-easing up when a dog is being polite, becoming a little more "hard to get" when the dog begins to be demanding or too focused on pack hierarchy.

and,

>Keep status-seeking dogs (dogs that have shown status-seeking aggression) on the floor-not up on the furniture (especially if you are in the room). If you want to cuddle, you get down on the floor, ask for some obedience and then pet. If your dog isn't status-seeking and you've never had any trouble, then go ahead and invite him up to cuddle.

He can improve with continued work, but given what is known about the genetic and developmental basis for fearfulness, I don't think he's going to outgrow it, ie, completely become a normally non-fearful dog.

It's important that you control socialization to make it all good. The outdoor restaurant was too uncontrolled, and resulted in more harm than good - the biggest positive was probably the encouragement it gave you that he could do well with large groups. That's important, but was offset by his having 4 unintended lessons in growling and barking and menacing children.

This book is often recommended for fearful dogs.

https://www.amazon.com/Cautious-Canine-How-Conquer-Their-Fears/dp/1891767003

Working with a behaviorist is very, very helpful.

Crate train the puggle. I used this book from Amazon: How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days

Basically: Crate train your dog. Put it on a feeding and watering schedule. Learn when it needs to go potty based on the feeding schedule. If the dog does not go potty within 15 minutes of being out of the crate and put in the "potty spot", put back into crate.

When dog goes potty in the right spot shower with praise and treats. Repeat.

Took our dog a couple of weeks to learn that (as a puppy, however). The book has some great examples of how to work their "method" in to different types of work schedules.

You must be disciplined. Good luck!

> I think I'm going to buy a book to familiarize myself with them so that I can be prepared.

There are two I recommend based on how you like to get your information:

• Cynthia Branigan's Adopting the Racing Greyhound: Kind of dry, serious and clinical, but a great reference to own.
  
  
  
• Retired Racing Greyhounds For Dummies: A more enjoyable read that is a bit less serious but informative.
  

This is great advice OP. I foster so have new dogs in the home all the time. Best to make the first week or two low key, get your schedule down so the dog has time to get used to it before you throw surprises in the mix. I also recommend starting off with whatever "rules of the house" you want from day one. ie if you don't want the dog in the kitchen or on the furniture, start that from the beginning so it's not confusing later.

Also, this is a great book if interested. https://www.amazon.com/Love-Limit-Welcoming-Adopted-into-Your/dp/1891767143

malena demartini's treating separation anxiety in dogs is written for dog professionals but has a couple treatment plans in the back that i've (sort of) implemented with my dogs (their issues aren't nearly as great as yours--my heart goes out to you & your pup). ideally someone is with the dog at all times (daycare, dog sitter or walker, family or neighbors, etc) while you work through the plan--that takes some finagling. she also recommends a treat & train or pet tutor (i can't remember which). there's also MIA the robot -- it doesn't solve your problem right now because it's currently gathering funding via kickstarter, but part of its function is to detect when your dog is vocalizing & then begin moving around the room while dropping treats.

if you're not seeing any positive changes (or not to a great enough degree) using the adaptil, i would also encourage you to talk with your vet about meds. when this was something i wanted to discuss with my vet, i had no idea where to begin. the overview on debbie jacobs's fearful dogs website was really helpful to me.

edit: it occurred to me after i posted my reply that you were looking for something that might lessen the severity of the separation anxiety immediately, so i don't think my reply is that helpful--sorry. :\

You're doing okay!

My adult dog had some accidents, lots of separation anxiety and affection issues, and took a while to adjust (maybe is still adjusting)

Remind yourself that you care and have the time and patience to help this little guy. You're already doing so many things right.

And then start reading (though you sound like you have been). Read to inform yourself and read to stay motivated.

Try some Cesar Milan books for communication tips
Look up T-touch massage
This kindle book

Read a basic dog training book if you haven't yet? I like 'The Power of Positive Dog Training' by Pat Miller or 'Dog Friendly Dog Training' by Andrea Arden. They are just very basic training books, there are a lot of more specific books for behavioral issues.

Patricia McConnell (my favorite dog behaviorists) has a short book on adopting a dog and a second one on getting a puppy.

So, yea, check out the library. More productive than just the random excitement.

Awesome, looking it up on Amazon now!

Edit: [Here is the link to the book.](How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves, Revised and Updated 2nd Editon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GUSDK4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rbOmDb803BQ8A). If anyone reads this and wants to check it out, here it is. It’s pretty good so far!

Hi,
I have a leash reactive dog, some would recommend neutering and it can work, as long as you don't let the behaviour go on long enough that it becomes part of his personality. Personally, I'm not sure the evidence for behavioural alteration is rock solid, but if you're going to neuter anyway, it's worth a shot. Considering it started a few months ago, I'd say if you're going to get him snipped, do it soon.

Secondly, engage with a veterinary behaviourist. One that uses force free methods and is accredited. If you can't afford one, start with the book "BAT 2.0" or "When pigs fly!". In fact, while he's still entire start with those.

EDIT: added links and corrections.

I've decided to wait a bit and see if a book helps at all: Fired Up, Frantic and Freaked out by Laura VanArendonk Baugh. I picked it up yesterday and I'll give it a week to see how it goes.... $7 is a little nicer on the wallet than a bronze course and has the same amount of input lol.

It starts off with touch targeting (which she could do asleep) and shaping mat work. Since we didn't have any luck with the Fenzi shaping course.... well we'll see.

Pretty excited about it though... because of this book, I at least have a good way to explain why my dog turns her brain off if nothing else!

If you decide to go this route, this is a great resource (I just finished reading it last night and it is an excellent book about positive training techniques that also delves into and uses research to discuss why negative (and abusive) training methods don't work. The author also has a ton of youtube videos showing how to positively teach different types of behavior in difference scenarios.

Zak George's Dog Training Revolution: The Complete Guide to Raising the Perfect Pet with Love

This is my absolute favorite dog book and it connects with his videos as well. The book is written in a more general sense that can be used with any dog of any age and it is really easy to follow.

The Genius of Dogs by Brian Hare is an excellent book that will explain this in detail.

The tl:dr version is dogs have been with man as a domesticated animal used for hunting far longer than any other animal. This refinement of hunting instinct has over time lead to a more intelligent dog. So intelligent in fact that Hare argues dogs are far smarter than any other animal.

I included sources that backed up my claims (and left out anything I couldn't quickly find a source for) since I'm not in the social sciences and am just regurgitating what I've read. A lot of the accepted knowledge ten+ years ago (as far as dog cognition) seemed so wrong, and some of the studies seemed so obviously flawed, that it just became a personal interest of mine.

If you want some good reading on the subject, I highly recommend
in The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think, written by an evolutionary anthropologist with a particular interest our relationship with dogs and how it came to be. The studies highlighted in the book are fascinating, and it really gives an expert's view of how they all fit together.

Anyway, the sources I posted include a few different small studies. The tests using a sniff test and a mirror for solving problems specified that the dogs were not trained for the tasks. The NYT article is an op-ed piece, but it's written by a neurologist who used MRI scans to show dogs' brain activity in response to various stimuli. His results indicate that dogs are sentient, emotional animals. In the NPR article, dogs were trained to perform a task but the test was whether they would continue to perform that task if they weren't being rewarded (and another dog was). The Scientific American article is pointing out flaws in the mirror test, especially as it relates to other cultures and animals.

You may want to check out and try the exercises in this book: Fired Up Frantic and Freaked Out. I've had some success with it (and I'm still actively working on using the technique to improve Maizy's behavior), but it hasn't been as fast as I'd have hoped. More than the barking, this has given me a tool to take Maizy from super crazy and freaking out to, if not calm, feigning calm. According to the book being in a relaxed/calm position and body posture will eventually turn into true calm down the road. I'm crossing my fingers ;).

Hi and thanks for replying. Your information is offering me good insight into what I need. I was looking at these two books: http://www.amazon.com/Leader-Pack-And-have-Your-Love/dp/189176702X/ref=la_B001ILMAOY_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1341528918&sr=1-3 and http://www.amazon.com/Before-After-Getting-Your-Puppy/dp/1577314557/ref=la_B001K83EFO_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341528963&sr=1-1

The puppy and my dog have established their pack order today it seems like. For the most part he was limping or had a cone on the entire week, so my dog was avoiding him. Now that he's had the cone off for a day, she has established dominance with him and they are hunting in my back yard, running in patterns already Lol.

For training, my favorite:
How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend by the Monks of New Skete. They have another book about puppies and some DVDs too. Can't recommend them highly enough.

For an enjoyable, basic intro to dog perception/cognition:
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know

I haven't tried any of her training videos, but this one looks appropriate and is a decent price. Just remember any money you spend is money taken away from hiring a good trainer. Hiring a live person can really help because all of their advice is tailored to you, your dog, and your specific situation.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0991495349

I would also recommend Jean Donaldson's book "Fight!: A Practical Guide to the Treatment of Dog-dog Aggression"

http://www.amazon.com/Fight-Practical-Treatment-Dog-dog-Aggression/dp/0970562969/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452694400&sr=1-1&keywords=fight%21+jean+donaldson

Be careful with muzzles. They can be very constricting and harmful to the dog.

Patricia McConnell's books are really pretty great (short, to the point, reward-based). Here's one that may be what you're looking for.

I have read and highly recommend BAT 2.0 by Grisha Stewart. If you'd like more information about this training ideology, I can find some free sources online!

I live on a different coast, so I can't talk about AZ, but we've all been through this. Everything will be fine.

Get yourself a copy of the greyhound bible, Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies. Stairs are a completely surmountable obstacle. Yeah, it might be rough for a week, but they'll get the hang of it. As long as you're willing to put in the walking time (most orgs recommend 2 walks, 30 minutes each), a condo is a totally fine situation. Everything will be fine.

Thanks for the info. I bought a couple Sophia Yin books on kindle. Do you have any experience with How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend? It seems to be a "classic" manual. Just wondering if the info or techniques are outdated at all.

[read](How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners (Revised & Updated Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316610003/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FfLhzbGE7BR2S)

they probably read the cheap book "how to housebreak your dog in 7 days" which works, though small puppies will have more "accidents"

not barking can be taught, but everyone needs to be consistent it training him/her. watch "it's me or the dog" victoria is pretty cool.

Is she the only dog? She's never been alone before.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/separationanxiety



Your placement rep should have some very good advice for you as well as other resource people in you adoption group.




This book by Patricia McConnell is often recommended for separation anxiety.

This one by Malena Demartini-Price is also often recommended.

I strongly recommend reading the book Cooperative Care by Deborah Jones and following along with it.

This book is super helpful.

If I go with puppy pads, do you think that I can tape them together on the bottom so that they don't shift/expose the floor? I've already looked into that book, as well as Good Owners, Great Dogs, and I'm probably going to purchase both.

Based on reading your other comments in this thread ,you're not being consistent enough, and you're not being patient. Training is about consistency, especially with a puppy.

Training doesn't happen overnight. It takes months and months to reinforce these behaviors. You need to be patient and realize that your dog isn't doing ANY of these things 'on purpose' or to purposefully disobey you.

I highly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Family-Friendly-Dog-Training-Program/dp/1891767119/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453856024&sr=8-2&keywords=patricia+mcconnell

Patricia Mcconnell is an excellent, positive-reinforcement dog traininer and this will help your pup get started off on the right paw.

A referral to a veterinary dermatologist would be the next step to take.

Deb Jones has a book on Cooperative Care: Seven Steps to Stress-Free Husbandry and also teaches an online class at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy on cooperative care.

Sophia Yin has some good books:
Perfect Puppy

How to behave so your dog behaves

Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas

Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor

Subscribe to Kikopup (and her website dogmantics), and Tab289 on YouTube to cover a lot of clicker training basics and basic behavior modification exercises.

Sue Ailsby's training levels website for a puppy training to-do list.

Turid Rugaas' "On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals" was especially helpful to me!

It sounds like this dog has separation anxiety. That can lead to destructive behaviors, sometimes leading to dogs being re-homed. A personal trainer would be the best solution for the dog, but reading this book is a good place to start: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Owners-Great-Brian-Kilcommons/dp/0446675385

I highly recommend the book Cooperative Care by Deb Jones for any body handling needs.

I commend you for being so level-headed and objective about your situation. I completely agree that you do not want to punish aggression, as you can potentially make it worse.

Punishment includes the standard things you might expect like hitting, alpha rolls, grabbing by the scruff of the neck, but also includes even verbal punishment (like a stern "no"). Verbal or physical punishment is something to be particularly careful of in the case of growling, as it can further suppress warning signs (dog learns not to growl, and decides to escalate right to biting).

It's great that you have a vet appointment this week - definitely tell your vet exactly what has happened and any other behavior changes you've noticed. Aggression could be a sign of a health issue.

I also have a former street-dog "lab mix" that looks more like a lab, but with a mutt with unknown heritage who was found on the street, who knows what's in his genetic past? Similar to your dog, my dog shows very subtle warning signs, and can go from 0-60 in a blink of an eye.

I used to think he didn't give any warning signs at all, but I've since discovered there's a cornucopia of extremely subtle canine body language that can allow me to take action before he escalates to something overt. I'm no expert but I'm much better able to read his mood than I used to be, even if he can escalate through his subtle warning signs in just seconds.

It's possible that Jed was displaying extremely subtle signs of stress or anxiety while he was playing with your cousin, that if you learn to detect, could help prevent another incident before it occurs.

Along those lines, I found this book helpful (check your local library to see if they have a copy): https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B003URRK44/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g2609328962?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1&ie=UTF8

In addition, recording and re-watching his behavior, watching examples online, and working with our veterinary behaviorist also helped tremendously in reading his body language and managing him in general.

By the way, Jed doesn't look anything like most pits as far as I can see.
Looking at the pictures of Jed (who is very handsome, btw), I think the commentators who are blaming this on his possible pit heritage are painting with an overly broad brush.

Good luck, and please come back and give us an update after your vet appointment!

Fight! by Jean Donaldson is also a helpful book in a case like this.

I trained my pup through Zak George with his youtube channel and book and it worked brilliantly. He's 11 months now and he heels, plays fetch, comes when called, house trained in a couple of months. Can't recommend enough.

Youtube channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZzFRKsgVMhGTxffpzgTJlQ

Book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zak-Georges-Dog-Training-Revolution/dp/1607748916

Read this book. It is very regimented but very effective. Though Jacks are always harder to train than others.

If you have a Kindle I should be able to loan it you...though I don't know how just yet :D

Contact a veterinary behaviorist. There's simply too much going on here for you to tackle without professional help.

If you would like a better understanding of what's going on with the dog aggression, I would recommend Jean Donaldson's book Fight!

We got a pamphlet by Patricia McConnell on leadership
http://amzn.com/189176702X

We were having a lot of similar issues with our 1yo bulldog/lab mix.

One of the things I've started doing is training our dog how great it is to sit quietly on his bed near the couch while we are in the living room. He gets all kinds of treats when he's there, but no attention if he gets up and starts destroying things.

That and general leadership work, paying attention to space, how we engage with the dog, etc, has REALLY helped. We used to crate him all the time when we were home just because we didn't know what to do with this crazy dog.

Also, its easier to tire a dog out mentally than physically, so I find that practicing training, or feeding him out of a toy that requires some work really helps.

The Genius of Dogs by Brian Hare.

https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Dogs-Smarter-Than-Think/dp/0142180467

On a related note, consider Dognition - simple games you play with your dog that help you learn how your dog thinks:

https://www.dognition.com/

First, check out /r/puppy101

Otherwise great resources on youtube include: Zak George and Kikopup

Books/Resources that haven't been mentioned yet: Zak George's Dog Training ReVolution and Victoria Stillwell's Books, Blogs, and videos.

This is the correct answer. From Patricia McConnell's The Other End of the Leash

"These body blocks are easy to learn, but they don't seeom to come naturally. What is natural to all primates, including us, is to push others away with our hands (or forepaws). But to a dog, a raised paw can signify submission or a request to play or the beginning of a dominance-related mount, but it never seems to mean "go away." So I've stopped pushing dogs away with my paws. Instead, I keep my hands tucked into my belly and push dogs away with my shoulder or hip, using body language that they understand."

Check out these two books and your done:

How to raise the perfect dog

How to housebreak you dog in 7 days

Have you looked at Patricia McConnell's "Cautious Canine"? http://www.amazon.com/Cautious-Canine-How-Conquer-Their-Fears/dp/1891767003
It's not expensive and will give you some good insight on your fearful dog, as well as teaching you to help him overcome his fears in a positive manner.

I really liked Zak George's Dog Training Revolution. Here's the Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com.br/Zak-Georges-Dog-Training-Revolution/dp/1607748916

If this is actual anxiety, it isn't just about the right toys and exercise (those things help, however) it's about desensitization. I highly recommend this book.

Have you read How to be your dog's best friend?

It was the combination and some advice from my sister who trains w/ Cesar Milan that I got my 'dog game' on point. You're correct with the training though, my dog could have trained himself.
Smart as fuck, sometimes too smart...

According to a litany of scientific studies that aren't based solely on bias, all of this is bullshit. It's already been proven and it's not a debate any more. You might as well be arguing that climate change is a hoax.

Edit: Here's a bunch of wonderful sources provided by people who actually have half a brain, unlike you. But I guess aggression isn't included under behavioral patterns, so you'll just ignore what isn't convenient for your predisposition towards pit bulls.

Svartberg, K. (2006). Breed-typical behaviour in dogs—Historical remnants or recent constructs? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 96 (293-313). Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/science/article/pii/S0168159105001607

Svartberg, K. (2016). Personal Communication.

Hare, B. & Woods, V. (2013) The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Dogs-Smarter-Than-Think/dp/0142180467/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475530594&sr=1-1

Helton, W. (2010). Does perceived trainability of dog (Canis lupus familiaris) breeds reflect differences in learning or differences in physical ability? Behavioural Processes 83 (315-323). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20117185

Pongracz, P., Miklosi, A., Vida, V., Csanyi, V. (2005) The pet dogs ability for learning from a human demonstrator in a detour task is independent from the breed and age. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 90 (309-323). Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/science/article/pii/S0168159104001777

I found this blog post and this book incredibly helpful!

I'm sorry that this happened. It's very scary, and while it seemed unexpected, dogs will behave inappropriately if they are not trained to behave appropriately.

Do not "put him down".

If you've noticed him being protective over objects (even at all) you should recognize that while you've thought it was a small problem, he thinks it's very serious. This is absolutely your family not taking manners training seriously. Every single puppy needs to be trained as to how to live appropriately with humans. Not every dog needs tons of training on every single possible thing, but every dog needs training on lots of things.

Your family should absolutely read books like Sophia Yin's How to Behave so Your Dog Behaves and call a local trainer to begin to learn how to teach your dog proper manners.

Also, unless you are professional dog breeders, have your puppy neutered.

So, the answer is both training and neutering.

If your family can't commit to training him properly, again...don't put him to sleep. At least take him to a proper no-kill shelter to be rehomed to a family who is more interested in training.

Thanks I’ll be checking that out!

Edit: in case anyone else is looking for these, here is the book and here is the course

Wherever you go, I suggest you buy this book.

It completely changed my approach to owning and training a dog. My wife and I followed it to the letter and our Golden was the most obedient dog any of my family or friends had ever seen.

Sure - but a couple things. Nobody is worked up over this or has a real personal stake in the matter - it's just scientists debating different hypothesis. Right now, most researchers are leading towards the one presented in that opinion piece. It cites just one book, but the book is filled with solid primary literature and gives us a general overview of the field right now. The man you're referring to is not just some assistant research grad & journalist wife, here he is a Harvard Ph.D who - nevermind just read the first paragraph of his bio. Attack ad hominem if you like, but he's the top of the field.

https://www.amazon.com/Cooperative-Care-Seven-Stress-Free-Husbandry/dp/0578423138

This book by Deb Jones is a good resource. If you have Facebook check out the Nail Maintenance for Dogs group.

Try checking out Lee Livingood's "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies" if you haven't already. There is a lot of good information in there covering a wide range of breed-specific topics.

Similarly, I'm planning to use baby gates to divide my house into 2 zones so that we have the option to separate baby and dog while still giving each of them access to a large area. I got a lot of good ideas from the book "Please don't bite the baby".

I actually don't think your concerns are outlandish. Many dog/baby injury stories start with "he was always so gentle!" A little bit of management with play pens and baby gates can provide a lot of protection against accidents.

The barking seems to be a symptom of a larger issue. If your dog has separation anxiety, you will want to address that -- the barking may very well stop once your dog learns how to be alone comfortably.

"Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs" by Malena DeMartini is the best resource for addressing this issue. It's a tough one, and there are no easy solutions, but it's treatable, if you're willing to invest the time and effort.

If you've never trained a dog before, go ahead and get this book. It's our bible of dog training. Powerful methods you will use with every interaction.

I recommend this book!

Does she have a bite history? If so, you may have a harder time getting her into Italy.

If all she's done so far is get up in other dogs' faces barking, you can probably make this work if you're diligent and patient. First thing I would do is stop taking her to the dog park. Forcing her to socialize with dogs isn't going to fix the issue, and it's really stressful for other dogs and owners when there's a bully in the dog park. Do you know where in Italy you'll be living? If you're in a rural area you may be able to find spots to exercise your dogs without having to deal with other dogs. I'd do most of my exercise in these spots while you work on training the reactive behavior.

Second thing I would do is step waaaay back to basics in your training. Does she work well for treats or toys in your house? Take her out and figure out how much can be going on in the environment before she stops taking treats. Can she still focus if a dog is 100ft away? 50ft away? Once you've got a handle on her reactive threshold, try and slowly (like over months, not over days) work that threshold closer.

There are many methods to go about reducing that threshold distance. Lots of people like BAT 2.0 and CARE for Reactive Dogs. They're all somewhat similar at a basic level (see dog outside threshold, reward for calm behavior, walk away), but there are nuances to each.