(Part 3) Best products from r/Dogtraining

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.

Please know that he's not trying to get into trouble. Dogs are observant, but -thankfully- incapable of premeditation. He's just bored and making his own fun. He doesn't know he's been bad. Dog's are much simpler than that. They experience moments. He just has a history of moments where you come home through the door and the garbage can is side ways, then you get angry or loud and he feels scared. So, in his pup brain, it's more like key in lock + garbage on floor = sinking feeling out of nowhere.

On to solutions!

I second an exercise pen or crate to keep his options limited. With the right preparation 8 hours of den-time can be pretty neutral for him. Even a locked room will focus in your puppy proofing efforts. Do treat it like a crate and work up to long absences though. However, the best thing you can do is come at it from the other side as well: lets wear this boy out. A comprehensive recipe for a perfect tired boy follows

• No more free food, not cause Good Boy doesn't deserve it, just because he'll actually be happier if it's hard to get. He'll feel accomplished and less bored. Options include: a puzzle matt or feeder ball for dry food, frozen Kongs for wet food (get black for a serious chewer, and get 2), hiding his food around the house (skip the kitchen and near trashcans), doing a command for each pinch of kibble, scattering the kibble in your grass if he'll go for it... whatever works for you and your wife to put some challenge into breakfast/dinner time.
  
• One mile of walking for each hour Good Boy is going to be alone. His breed needs a lot of stimulation and activity like you say, and this is the best way to get out that destructive wiggle juice pumping through his adolescent veins. "But that's 8 miles a day? Who has time for that?" you may say. Totally fair. Hopefully you do, but let's see if we can make things more time efficient anyway. We'll say 2 miles of running counts as 3 miles of walking, so a 5ish mile jog gets you there much faster. But that's still over an hour. So we'll add a doggy backpack with 5% of his body weight (don't go over 12% until he's full grown, add on slowly) to take off one more mile since it doubles as mental stimulation. Ok we're down to 4 miles, still a fair bit if you aren't much of jogger to start. 10 minutes of tug counts as 30 minutes of walking, so we'll call that 1 mile of jogging (Example rules for good tugging!). So, we're at a 10 minutes of tug followed by a 3 mile weighted jog, to be dived between you and your wife however makes the most sense. Call it 45 minutes. And as a bonus, you get to eat more human treats. Additional Options and Equipment: ball chucker, flirt pole, doggy playground items like ramps and tubes, a pulling rig ones he's old enough.
  
• Prevent separation anxiety. Home with no humans for 8 hours is tough for a social animal, but you can make it easier. Making sure he's wore out will go a long way, but the biggest thing is to make your departure a good thing. And only Good Boy gets to decide if that's true. If you throw him a steak each morning, but he doesn't touch it until you come home then you leaving isn't a good thing yet. So I would leave his breakfast for absolute last if he has already pooped and can hold it that long. Either way, grab some high value treats and/or toys (the stuff he goes completely ape for which may or may not be cheap) and toss them in the room/pen/kennel the second before each of you leave.
  
  So a sample perfect morning might go something like this: You wake up and take Good Boy out for a leak and some quality tug time. Maybe you're wife doesn't wan't to deal with most doggie-teen things, but it was her 2018 resolution to run more anyway. So you put on his back pack, tuck a .5 L water bottle into each side, and hand him off for his 5k. While she's gone you fill up yesterdays empty kong with canned food, and pop it in the freezer. Today's kong is frozen solid and ready to go. You grab giant ball to put in his play pen and a puzzle toy with those nasty fish puffs he loves. It's been a couple weeks so you put a puff of pheromone spray on his bed so that it smells like Good Mom. You make your coffee, scroll your reddit, eat your toast and generally get ready for the day. Good Boy is back, flopped on the floor and it's time to go. You do everything you need before you walk out the door, tie shoes, kiss wife, eveerything, and then your grab and jingle your keys. Good Boy comes running. "Caaarrot tiiime" you announce reaching in to the fridge. He paces until he sees you've got the goods then runs to his pen, where you make it rain baby carrot bits before booking it to your car before he can find them all. Wife will also throw a carrot party when she departs plus a stuffed toy and a rubber chewy. You come home to an upside down dog bed and the giant ball bit the dust and deflated, but the dog is happy and the house is fine.
  
  
  
  Now, this may seem totally unrealistic, because in a way it is. Shit gets busy, runs get cut short, tug toys get lost, and humans do human stuff. Don't think of this as the bare minimum for a good day. Just think of it as what would happen in a perfect world where you had the time and brain power to do everything possible for Good Boy before heading off for work. If you can integrate any of this stuff, even slowly it will help you guys get through this teen phase with your house in tact.
  
  
  
  
  
• 0. Miscellaneous!
     
  • • Pheromone spray should work well since he's a pup, thunder shirts, and supplements could be good too. I like the ThunderShirt brand since they make lots of anti-stress products and have a long term reputation to protect.
      
  • • Bitter Apple or No Chew spray for anything he's previously gotten his boredom out on (eg. baseboards).
      
  • • If you're handy you could always build you own doggie treadmill!
      
  • • Look for toys with a replacement garuntee like West Paw's Jive Balls or Hurley. My crazy chewer has been trying to shred his ball from them every for the last two months and it doesn't have a scratch.
      
  • • Consider learning a dog sport! Agility, Nose Work, and Flyball are fun competitions that emphasize teamwork. Your local AKC or affiliates will likely have intro classes.
      
  • • Don't under estimate fresh produce as a treat. Banana, carrots, and blueberries are a few fido-faves.
      
  • • Pride Bites squeaky toys aren't indestructible, but the foam inside them is digestible and non-toxic. So, they're on the safer side to chew unsupervised.
      
  • • Also hiring a walker a few times a week is a great idea and helps take the pressure off when you can't even get close to a perfect day.
      
  • • Take pictures of your darling Good Boy and post them to reddit, remind yourself how jealous the world is of your smart, beautiful, energetic dog.

I'm not entirely sure why the cooing at toys would work. I feel like this is just anthropomorphizing the toy and your dog's "understanding" of the situation. If it is actually working for you, it's probably the fact that you are taking away the toy from her, letting her settle, and then returning it when her energy level/fixation are more in check. The "gentle" cue is definitely nice to teach, but it is probably working due to your addition/subtraction of reinforcer. That being said, "gentle" is a tough thing to teach some high energy dogs so props to you.

Also, the exercise thing is a great point. If you exhaust your pup with a good run or hour at the park they will be far less destructive in the house. Physical stimulation and mental stimulation need to go hand in hand, and one should not replace the other.

Just a point to bring up: if your (OP's) dog is chewing things like wires, socks, etc. he probably has a lot of opportunity to do so. How are you managing his environment - supervision levels, puppy-proofing, movement throughout the house, restriction when unsupervised (crating), etc? You need to minimize or eliminate as many possibilities for your dog to "mess up" as possible and set them up for success. For example, make sure he is in "puppy proofed" rooms with all foreign objects picked up off the floor and is provided with appropriate outlets for his energy (Kongs, stuffed bones, etc). A six month old puppy probably should not have free run of the house just yet, especially since he is most likely still teething and is still learning appropriate outlets for chewing. Slowly increase his freedom once he has learned these things. Start by keeping him in one or two rooms, gated off, and slowly increase his freedom once he learns more appropriate behaviors and has matured a bit more. Am I suggesting condemning your dog to a room for life? Absolutely not. You just have to manage his environment as much as possible and eliminate possibilities for him to fail.

It would also be worth investing in some brain toys to drain more energy, such as Wobble Kongs, Busy Buddy feeders, Buster Food Cubes, etc. In fact, feeding his meals exclusively out of these toys rather than a bowl would be a great opportunity to mentally stimulate him and drain more energy. Just make sure you supervise him as some of these toys could definitely be torn up if left unattended.

Just some food for thought. Hope you found this helpful! :)

Edit: Some products I've found helpful.

Brain toys for feeding:

• Kong Wobbler for meal times. Pretty durable and my guy can't figure out how to open it. Loves eating out of this thing, even if it was simple for him to figure out. My lab took weeks to get it though. Regardless, great brain-toy.
  
  
• Buster food cube for dispensing. Pretty difficult to figure out.
  
  
• Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble egg: My guys LOVE this, although the plastic just cracked on the inside after a few months. Can definitely be torn apart if left alone but super stimulating and engaging. Worth it!
  
  
• Tug a Jug for keeping them busy when you need to do something else. Durable bottle that gets scratched up. Ours is a few months in and still kicking.
  
  Chew toys:
  
  
• Kong XL for stuffing with RB, wet food, boiled chicken, etc. Strong than the regular red Kongs. Can also be frozen which increases the difficulty and time needed to get the food inside. have several I rotate out and they are basically the same shape as the day I bought them, which is impressive as my pup is a monster chewer.
  
  
• Filled thigh bones are pretty nice. They last as a while and can be rinsed and restuffed if the bone is still in good shape. Watch out, though - some brands are more prone to cracking and splintering while others last for ever. Trial and error basis. I can't remember the brand I use that works well but it's carried at my local Farmer Supply store (I find the bones and toys at these places to generally be better quality and also cheaper than chain pet stores).
  
  
• Meaty thigh bones are marrow filled and still have some "meat" on the exterior. They tend to last longer than the washed filled variety (above) and are "stinkier" and (I would imagine?) tastier. My guys prefer these to the plain bones since there are more goodies to get at. Downside is that they are a little stinkier at first and can possibly leave a mess, so make sure the dog is eating it on a towel.
  
  
• Bully sticks! Make sure they are real beef tendons though. Many companies make pressed rawhide varieties to resemble the real tendons but rawhide is, IMO, less safe for dogs. Last a while and smell like bacon but made my stomach a little queasy. Dogs go nuts for them though.
  
  
• Jolly Ball - not necessarily a chew toy but lasts a long time. Their teeth can penetrate the ball but the design is such that the ball doesn't pop. I had the variety with the rope that went through the center. The rope came off pretty quickly but the ball itself is still kicking. It is challenging to pick it up when playing fetch so he is less interested in tearing it to pieces than retrieving. It's poked through with holes but is the only ball that has lasted this long. Still going. Maybe worth checking out.

Oh Lordy I have a ton...I'll try to categorize them...

Best for Puppies
These are all easy toys that dispense a lot of kibble with very little movement. Perfect for baby puppies or really low-confidence dogs. These can also be upgraded in difficulty later by stuffing them with wet food and freezing, or stuffing with a large, hard to extract treat (like a slice of lunchmeat).

• PetSafe Busy Buddy Twist 'n Treat...total pain in the ass to fill if you put more than half a cup of food in it, but it's a great "intro to puzzle toys" for a dog that has never had to work for food before. Also very easy to clean.
  
• Soda Pup Coffee Cup...representative of a whole genre of "rubber toys with large holes" that make great easy kibble toys or challenging stuff and freeze toys. Some other toys in this genre are the Kong and the West Paw Toppl. I like the Soda Pup ones best because they have higher capacity and a flat bottom.
  
• Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Snoop...pretty easy by itself with kibble, can be made more challenging by stuffing a Mazee ball in the large hole.
  
• Plastic Milk Jug...or a water bottle, raid your recycling bin. You'll have to supervise to make sure your puppy doesn't shred and eat the jug, but it's a relatively easy and fun (and free) enrichment item. Another puzzle toy you may find in your recycling bin is a cardboard box filled with paper balls. Sprinkle some treats in the box, fill with the balls, and let your dog forage around in your DIY ball pit.
  
  Easy Rollers
  These basically just dispense kibble by rolling. Not particularly complex, but good for the dog that prefers to solve puzzles by brute force.
  
  
• IQ Treat Ball...this toy takes the longest to empty out of all my toys, but it is way too freaking small and loud as hell on my hardwood at 6am. Really easy to fill and clean though, as it comes completely apart.
  
• Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball...a lot quieter but it empties faster and isn't as easy to fill (or clean).
  
• Kruuse Buster Cube...this one is also ungodly loud, but it takes a good while to empty despite the fairly consistent payoff per roll. It's a cube (but they also make a spherical one) and the insides have a few baffles to keep kibble from just falling out.
  
  Wobblers
  These require a more finessed rolling motion to empty, so they're the next step up from just batting a toy around.
  
  
• PetSafe Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble...more of a wobbler/roller hybrid. Surprisingly time-consuming for how huge the holes are, and it gets an A+ for filling and cleaning. Unfortunately my GSD knows how to unscrew it, so it's not much of a challenge for him.
  
• Starmark Bob-A-Lot...lots of ways to adjust the difficulty on this one, which is nice. I had a foster chew the yellow piece off of mine, but it still works well.
  
• Kong Wobbler...pretty standard toy, I actually do not have one of these but I know a lot of people that like them. They're available at big box pet stores which is nice.
  
• Nina Ottosson Pyramid...very similar to the Kong Wobbler, but the hole is in a more difficult location. Good toy but the bottom could use more counterweighting for the wobble action.
  
• PetSafe Busy Buddy Magic Mushroom...really good wobble action, but for some reason it's common for dogs to try and chuck this one down the stairs and break it. I've heard of a few dogs doing this, including my GSD. I have no idea what about this toy screams "fling me down the stairs!"
  
  Complex Action Toys
  These need movement in more than one direction (or very specific movement) to get kibble out of, which makes them pretty challenging.
  
  
• PetSafe Busy Buddy Tug-a-Jug...this toy is hard to learn but easy to master. Once your dog figures out the mechanism it doesn't last long. Also that rope gets SUPER GROSS.
  
• Nina Ottosson Board Games...I don't personally have any of these because my dogs cannot be trusted with small parts, but I've heard people say good things about them.
  
• Trixie Mad Scientist...this toy is cool because the dog has to learn to spin the tubes slowly or centripetal acceleration holds the food in. Good exercise in impulse control. I had a DIY one for awhile but my dogs decided to brute force this toy.
  
  Soothing, Low Energy Toys
  Along with the stuff n' freeze toys, these are good for dogs on crate rest or who need some extra help relaxing before bed.
  
  
• Snuffle Mat...great toy for activating a dog's foraging instincts and calming their minds. This is a good DIY project, or you can get extra lazy and chuck a bunch of food into the grass for nature's puzzle toy.
  
• HyperPet Lickimat...my cats eat their wet food from the orange kind ("buddy"), and my dogs use the green kind ("soother") with some PB or cheese as a distraction during grooming. You can spread a thin layer of something tasty on them and freeze for a long-lasting treat that promotes the calming behavior of licking.
  
  
  My dogs (and cats!) eat all their food out of puzzles so I am constantly on the lookout for new challenges! I'd be happy to provide more details on any of the toys I have, or buy and review any toys people have been wondering about :)
  EDIT: btw this Jackson Galaxy Asteroid is my favorite cat puzzle toy. They really need to make one for dogs because it is kinda quirky with its bounciness and super quiet.

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!

I don't think I have too much to add beyond the great advice others have given you, but I just want to encourage you to hang in there. We definitely went through similar frustrations (adopted a 2y/o lab border collie mix 10 months ago), and plenty of tears over this with our pup. I'm not going to lie, the first few weeks, and even months were hard, very hard at times -- we'd solve problems, and then others would pop up, and 10 months in, we're still figuring things out, but at this point, not a day goes by that I'd wish for it any other way. A great thing to remember is your pup has lived for a year in who knows what condition with who knows what, if any rules. Dogs love routine, so give the guy a chance to build a routine with you and reward him when he's being good without you asking. It won't happen overnight, but a very precise routine helped us tremendously. Other game-changers that others have already mentioned -- fetch on a long-lead to replace one of his walks in the late afternoon (this was the BEST thing we ever did, and taught him a great drop while we were at it, and has also helped buckets with recall -- also just got a flirt pole, which is equally amazing), using brain games to feed him (if he's a chewer like mine, and can clean a frozen kong out in 5 minutes, start with this one, since it's too big to easily chew, on the flip-side, it's also pretty hard: https://www.amazon.com/OurPets-Buster-Interactive-Large-Colors/dp/B003A23HZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466528343&sr=8-1&keywords=dog+cube -- totally nuts how much this tires my pup out, panting and everything, not to mention 20 minutes of peace), impulse control training, and capturing calm techniques. My pup is too anxiety prone for daycare settings, but if you can find a facility that works for your pup, this is amazing too, even for just a couple of hours a week, not to mention fantastic for socialization. Once we got my pup's leash skills a bit more under control (this took him months, ack!), running with him was also a great addition. You got this, and I can almost promise you, it will get better!!!

Oh man, limited exercise makes everything harder. Sorry, I overlooked that part. On the upside, keep in mind things are going to get much easier when he can exercise. It's also possible that he doesn't feel great because of the heartworm treatment...if that's the case then things will also get easier once he's feeling more comfortable.

How much is he allowed to move around? I assume running and long walks are out.

What about sniffing around outside (slowly, not covering any distance)? Even if he can't run and play, spending as much time outside as feasible will help, especially if it's on a regular schedule. For one thing, the time he spends outside is time not spent getting into trouble. More importantly though, smelling stuff will exercise his mind and help him de-stress. Scheduled indoor and outdoor time will help quell some of the anxiety--anxious dogs thrive on strict schedules.

Or, is walking around inside okay? My dogs will walk around pushing puzzle balls (e.g. JW treat ball) for as long as it takes to get the treats out. Just...start with kibble rather than something bigger or more enticing, so he doesn't get frustrated and chew through it.

>We do a lot of frozen Kongs and mind games like "find it". He has fun with those and it does seem to tire him out a little. Unfortunately most other chews/toys/puzzle toys we have tried with him, he has chewed up in about 20 minutes.

That's a great way to tire him out and release some stress. Especially since he's proven to be a chewer/destroyer inside, I'd keep a steady stream of chewables coming for him to focus on. Very smart move.

Frozen kongs are great. Sometimes if you get a kong that's slightly too large for the dog (so his tongue can't reach all the way to the back) and wedge big biscuits in there along with the mush before freezing, they last longer.

Tug a jug is also fun, a bit more of a puzzle than a kong but still relatively sturdy. If the rope gets lost (read: destroyed) you can put a ball inside instead to keep the treats from falling out too easily.

For duration, nothing beats bones. My dogs will spend four hours working on raw beef marrow bones. Just, stick with fresh raw bones so they don't splinter. I've heard good things about deer antlers as well, but they cost more and my dogs don't care for them. Maybe you would have better luck with them than I did though.

And of course, nylabones are a classic. The big monster ones are pretty durable. e.g. http://www.indestructibledog.com/collections/chew-toys/products/dura-chew-monster-bone (<--that site is fantastic for chewers, btw)

>Perhaps tethering him so he doesn't do things that get him in trouble will give him the confidence to feel happy in our home and not feel the need to do these destructive things. Or, like you put it, "set him up to succeed". Right now we're really just expecting him to be good with all these distractions around then getting upset with him when he gets into them....

Well said.

>He had diarrhea and couldn't keep much food down.

Is that better now?

>I know some people won't approve, but we started him on Prozac last week.

If he's this anxious and you haven't been able to help him despite your best efforts, and if your vet recommends it, I don't think anyone has any right to judge. Let's hope it helps, along with the training and management you're working on.

Basically, never feed your dog out of a bowl again. Every meal is an opportunity for mental stimulation!
Use:
Frozen Kongs - these are super easy to prep in advance. I usually have 3-5 in the freezer at any given time.
Puzzle toys like these are good for treats: 1, 2, 3

These are good for kibble: 1, 2, 3

For training, an easy way to get started is to go through the 101 Dog Tricks book. It's 101 tricks/skills to teach them with step by step instructions. Super approachable, and the tricks range from simple stuff like sit and down to more advanced skills like leg weaves. Any of the Do More With Your Dog series is good. I think they have a puppy specific book as well.

If your dog likes learning new tricks or skills you might consider getting into a dog sport like agility or nosework or even obedience. They're fun and challenging for both you and your dog - plus it's a great way to strengthen your relationship in general.

Right now, our favorite is The Odin. My dogs like that it's rolly and that I stuff it with good smelling things. I like that it doesn't make a bunch of noise banging around our hardwood floors.

My female dog is VERY smart. We used to have the IQ Treat Ball but she pretty quickly figured out that all she had to do was shake it the right way and the treats would fall out. The Odin is trickier and they spend more time on it.

Autumn also used to have things like this one but, again, she figured them out so quickly it was kind of a waste. That one, she can now do in under ten seconds. It's not even a challenge.

So instead of spending money on seek and find toys, I recommend making your own games like that by hiding treats under small solo cups or tennis balls cut in half.

As for training sessions...

Small, focused sessions work best when the dog is learning a new skill. It's easy to get frustrated and overwhelmed when you're learning something new, in a language you don't even speak. But once they have the basics down, you can add more variety and length. You also don't have to, say, do a 30 minute long stretch. You can do two 15s. Or two 10s.

And once they have the basics down, you can turn training into games. Sit-Down-Stand is one of my favorites because it's so useful and it can be done in a smaller space.

Games work great because you're reinforcing the "training" behavior, but you're doing it in a way that feels like fun for both you and your dog. Spending time with your dog should be fun!

I hope this helps. I have a pair of high energy, loudmouth kids of my own and this has made them a lot more managable.

I would focus on redirecting rather than correcting. Puppies do bite more when they are overly exited, frustrated, hungry, have to poop, are tired, need exercise, etc. They don't have words so it's unfortunately a natural fallback. Biting is also fun for them and they are figuring out the world and their own jaw strength. Also, in a few months you'll have teething :-).

Try to predict when these episodes occur (often morning and evening) and take care of your puppy and then crate him or put him in a pen if you can't get him to play nice at these times. Give him something delicious to chew so that he'll learn to like alone time and be busy until he sleeps.

A game you can play is "gentle". Put a treat in your fist and present it to the dog. The dog should mouth and bite at your fist, be patient and the second the dog pulls his head away say "yes!" and present the treat in your flat hand. Repeat until he has it then add the cue "gentle" and practice until he knows the word. Slowly have the treat more visible until he'll respond to "gentle" even when the treat is just between two fingers. You need to get this solid with high value treats practiced often - it isn't going to be helpful until it's followed very fluently. Once it is fluent you now have a way to tell your dog "stop biting me and I'll reward you!"

It will probably also be helpful to start teaching a default sit - require sits before all rewards, including outside time, food, etc. You can teach a default by holding food in your hand and standing still and ignoring her until you get a sit (unless this leads to biting, in which case you should walk away, have her on leash if necessary.) As soon as she sits say "Yes!" and give her the food.

Puppy Start Right is a really good guide, though a little pricey in non-electronic formats.

why was your vet glad it wasn't a pure malinois?? they're amazingly smart, loyal, and generally great dogs. what an odd comment.

they're very smart dogs. you can take her to a reputable training school (probably not petsmart), and make sure they do POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT training. I'm new to the sub so i'm not sure what the general consensus is, but having a belgian breed dog as well, they do not respond well to the dominance stuff. they're eager to please, they just need to know how.

puzzle toys will be your best friend, too. my favorite has been this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Our-Pets-Smarter-Interactive-Inches/dp/B003ARUKU0

2 years later, it's still in 1 piece... unlike anything else we bought in 2013... lol.

if you need any other specific advice, feel free to PM me.

Tired puppies get into an overexcited stage where they can hardly stand themselves. There's also a hilarious zoom (google "dog FRAPs") that some dogs get when they're delighted (or sometimes frustrated). It's not a problem, really. Some people suggest discouraging the behaviour, but the behaviourist I've talked to about it says it's a harmless release of energy.

I'm not an advocate for hugging dogs. Not all dogs like being hugged and having a dog so close to your face can be dangerous when they're excited. You could redirect her attention with a fun toy or treat that will keep her focused for a while.

You can walk her before she's fully immunized, as long as you're careful about it. You can't let her even sniff dog poop and dog poop is everywhere. If you have a yard or know someone who has one, let her kill her energy there. I'd practice on leash walking indoors now, while she's still so young. If you can find a penned yard, practice there too!

Flirt poles are great for dogs her size (and easy to make yourself if you don't want to buy one) - just be careful not to have her jumping a lot on those growing joints.

You can interrupt her whacky behaviours, but it's harmless unless she's hurting herself.

Make sure you reinforce her calm behaviours. When she's calm and on the floor, drop some treats in front of her without giving her any attention. Just a little treat surprise for good behaviour.

Welcome! They will still pee with a UTI (just like humans) but they will have a feeling they need to way more often which will lead to them wanting to go out to try... there are actually strips you can get to test yourself if you dont want to bring to the vet right away. Just a thought!

Being new to your home may also add to it, thanks for adding details. Even if she does continue please know as an example my friends dog is very spoiled and he does the same even 8 years in if he can get away with it, just his personality. We just tell him no.

Schedules also help after her feeding times when she typically has to do her business, as well as alot of praise & treats, but it doesnt sound like she is having accidents or not going? Just that she wants to always go out if she can.

Im not sure the size of the dog but here are a few toy options, even my chihuahua can do most of these but if your dog is large just find the right toy for her:

I have had this JW ball for years and multiple dogs love it, I havent found a single one similar... They have to move it like a soccer ball puzzle to release the treats, I typically give this when I am leaving the house so he has something to distract him. I use Zuke's Mini Natural treats. Works perfectly.

https://www.walmart.com/reviews/seller/6646?offerId=3AF0B6A2873E433BBBFD9DC617E0B816

DogIt - Mind games Interactive - there are a few variations you can do within the same toy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0719Q89X8/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1#customerReviews

There are many other toys online, even Amazon - just what would work for your type of dog, size, if they are a plastic chewer or not, etc.

For interactive play, I have two puzzle toys
this
and something like this

So each lunch break, we play the "Find!" game. He loves manipulating things with his nose and feet.

He is fed out of puzzle toys, which I'm around for to make sure he doesn't chew on them too much, but he works himself. That's the kong wobbler, and an IQ treat ball. For monitored play, I also have stuffed toys, which he throws around like that video of an orca playing with a seal (vaguely disturbing), and WILL tear up given the chance. I also have balls on rope toys. Again, he will toss and whip those around, chase them across the floor, generally have a grand ole time. He WILL chew on the rope though, so that toys gets picked up when I'm not in the room.

For unattended, crate time, I have two rubber kongs, also stuffed with food, usually frozen, a Starmark ever-lasting treat ball, and a full antler. I got a split antler because I thought he might not like it. That was a mistake. he was splitting shards off the split one in < 30 min. He is the second dog I've seen do that, so I cannot recommend split antlers under any circumstances. We've had the full antler for about a month, and thought it's worn, it's still very solid. I have no concerns leaving it in his crate, and he chews it like a pacifier when he gets stressed/bored.

I am caring for a SUPER mouthy lab. He will pick up and eat anything. Really.An-nee-thing. I have lot of toys and try to rotate, but sometimes he still picks up a houseplant.

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...

Limit her access to unsupervised rooms and give her something to do! Any dog, but particularly a young doberman, needs mental stimulation the same way as you or I do. We can pick up a book or watch tv, but if a dog isn't provided with stimulation then they will find stimulating things to do. Like tear things up or throw cushions around. Great fun!

Suggestions:

• Take a five-ten minute break from your work to give her a training session, every hour, or whenever you feel like she's getting restless.
  
  
• Invest in treat-dispensing toys like the Kong Wobbler, the Twist n Treat, and/or a Star Spinner.
  
  
• Invest in puzzle toys like the above spinner, a Paw Flapper, and/or a Slide n Seek.
  
  
• Buy a Kong and stuff it full of kibble, bits of ham and peanut butter, then freeze it. Give this to her and she will take time to work it all out (time she's not tearing up your house!)
  
  
• Shut the doors to rooms that don't have any people in them, so that she can't do anything "out of view" of you or your wife.
  
  Any and all of these options should help your situation. The problem is likely just plain boredom.
  

Sure. I like 101 Dog Tricks, it's got pretty clear step-by-step instructions. Really anything that makes him think "How do I get the cookie?" and use trial and error will work.
Look (make eye contact) is an easy one to start with. Touch (nose to palm of hand to start) is good too. Once you get the hang of it, you can go crazy. Spin, turn right, turn left, play dead, find it, bring me a (toy name), give me the paw, high five, hug, moonwalk (go backwards), sit up and beg, go find (person).

We play a lot of ball in the yard, and they REALLY want the ball, so you can ask them for all sorts of goofy behaviors before you throw the ball. It's good practice and engages the brain.

For the tugging - mine does this, but only when she's super excited at dog events (long story). We have a special tug we only bring to that activity, and she holds on to it instead. The tug has balls on it, and she squishes the balls in her mouth to release her mental "OMG OMG OMG we're about to do something FUN!" Does he have a tug toy?

It's possible he is bored, Kongs are great, but they are relatively easy, especially for a working dog like a Great Pyrenees. I suggest puzzle toys like this one or this one, both of which you can set at different levels of difficulty. It is usually best to start as easy as possible so they learn the game and then make it harder.

Another option is that he is a year and a half old, big-breed dog, so you are right in the middle of "dog adolescence." For a big breed, this can last until he is about two, or maybe even 26 months. People say puppy is difficult, adolescence can be much harder.

Since this started in the last week, have there been any changes in your home? Did you switch to a fall-themed air freshener? Do you or anyone in the home have a new routine?

Is he crate trained?

Since it is a sudden behavior change, it is always a good idea to consult your vet, he may be trying to tell you something is physically wrong.

Oh I love the idea of making him work for every bit of kibble! I am going to try to use this!

To piggyback off of this comment, my pup LOVES this toy: http://www.amazon.com/Our-PetsSmarter-Treat-Inches-Colors/dp/B003ARUKU0

The nice thing about it is that you can increase the difficulty of the treat release. My puppy blasted through the levels, but the hardest level is still pretty challenging and he loves running around the house with it :)

I actually just wrote a post on my new shiba facebook page on my top 5 shiba toys that offer great exercise and stimulation.

1. Flirt Pole - my go to and my shiba's favorite toy, don't know where I would be without it.
   
   
2. Kong Wobbler - great way to help them if they are fat too.
   
   
3. Hide a treat puzzle toys - so many different types of puzzle toys to choose from!
   
   
4. Cat toy with ball thingy - my girl loves cat toys
   
   
5. Kong - which is pretty much universal to all dogs.

I would suggest that you definitely keep up the crate training. Are you putting treats in his crate when he goes in? Sometimes it's best to associate the crate with these types of positive reinforcements so he is more inclined to think the crate is a great place. If he has separation anxiety, I heard this heartbeat toy works quite well for young puppies.

My other suggestion is, the meantime, while you are crate training him, why don't you get one of these playpens if you have to leave him in the kitchen. That way he is at least away from the walls and in an enclosed space. If he starts to chew the playpen, you could spray it with this bitter spray which really helped my dog when he was teething.

Good luck!!

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. :)

sometimes it is really hard to enforce a "you can't go there" rule. We have three dogs, and they do things all the time that they know they aren't allowed to, you can see they feel guilty about, but they do it anyway (like children).

We have a baby gate that has a swinging door we can walk though, and the door itself has a cat door ( like this ) that we use to keep the dogs out of our front room that has the cat box.

Maybe get something like this to use as a training tool or stepping stone until you can fully train your dog? Also, with having the door itself there it is simple to walk though, and the cats can go through the bottom.

Although it's simple enough to say "the dog should know what they can and can't do, why aren't they doing it?" sometimes we have to provide some help to them as well. If this is a new home with new animals it could be a real challenge for her pup. I know when my boyfriend (two dogs) and I (one dog) moved in together, we had a lot of challenges to overcome to get into a happy household groove.

Edit

I have been a dog owner my whole life; and most of the dogs I've had have gotten into cat food any chance they have gotten, and will eat as much of it as they can physically handle. Something about it makes them go crazy. Having a gate like this gives the kitties a safe place to be away from the dog if they want (that's one reason we have it at our house) and it keeps the dog from eating the cat food. Some dogs will just always eat it, doesn't matter the consequences.

Before you first introduce the three dogs, make sure the pit mix is thoroughly tired out. If he's old enough, your friend should take him on a nice long jog to expend his energy. This will make him calmer and more likely to see your dogs as friends rather than playmates (or toys).

Then take them on a group walk together. This is important because it is neutral ground. If you were to bring the pit mix directly into your place, your dogs would likely respond territorially. That puts them on the defense, and puts all the dogs on edge. The group walk will put them on the same "team," so to speak.

Make sure there's a place where the small dogs can escape from the pitty if he's being too energetic or too physical with them. They make baby gates with a smaller door that you can open or close to let your pups through. This is an example of what you would want to get. This way your dogs have an escape route and won't feel trapped with the larger dog.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ARUKU0/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Great toy. Fill it with your dog's favorite treat or kibble. Your dog will have to try and roll the ball and figure out a way to get the kibble out. Toy lasted a good couple of months. Could keep your boy's mind active while trying to get that tasty treat/kibble as a reward.

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.

>Can anyone recommend a specific reading source or strategy for us to begin with?

I love these four the most:

1.) (Free) CARE for Reactive Dogs - careforreactivedogs.com
2.) 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=

3.) (free) Relaxation Protocol - http://championofmyheart.com/relaxation-protocol-mp3-files/
4.) TYTV68ZND5W25S0ZH1XHGrisha 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

Start with clicker training and free-shaping, since he seems curious and driven. I like 101 things to do with a box.

Toy recommendations:

• Pickle pocket
  
• Snoop
  
• Food cube
  
  Impulse control exercises:
  
  
• Doggie zen
  
• Wait & release
  
• Impulse control exercises
  
  Essentially, you want your dog to "ask permission" before doing things. Do lots of eye contact exercises. I did a lot of the things on kikopup's youtube channel when I got my dog. If you keep at it, you'll eventually have a dog that looks at you once he recognizes a distraction.
  
  What kind of treats are you using? I love using Easy Cheese (aerosol can) as my highest-level reward. You can put some on a wooden spoon and give the dog a tiny lick of it as a treat. Very few dogs don't go crazy for it.

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.

We alternate between the Kong Wobbler, the Buster Cube, and the IQ Ball every morning for breakfast. The wobbler is definitely the easiest, the cube is definitely the hardest, and the IQ ball is Sequoia's favorite (but she loves balls of any kind, so no real surprise there).

The total surprise winner was the Pickle! I was convinced it would be torn to shreds in minutes, but it has held up well! It doesn't last super long, but it is easy enough to just stick a little more peanut butter and some more kibble in when she is done.

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 have a papillon mix and they are so much fun to train! I do agility with my pup, and you are going to love it. :)

You could do nosework at home, or teach different "practical" tricks (put your toys away into a basket, fetch a newspaper, close the door etc.).

We also play the "101 things to do with a box" game with clicker training. This one is particularly fun because the dog gets to offer random behaviors, and you never know what your pup might be capable of. With this game, we've inadvertently taught our dog "paw at that" and "get in the box".

Edit: I wanted to mention that one of the few drawbacks with having a smart, "gotta have a job to do" dog means that you need to be mindful of keeping them from getting bored. We feed our dog all of his meals using various food toys/puzzles and that will usually keep him occupied for a while.

Nothing wrong with laying next to the crate, but if he's coming from a situation where he was with a lot of other dogs, this might be a good tool for you. If that's too expensive and he's small enough, this should be sufficient and it's a lot cheaper. Our dog had the same issues, but the latter option was much too small for her. I hope that helps. :-)

Six weeks is really young. I'm assuming a rescue since any breeder would know to not separate a puppy from it's mom and littler mates at that age. 8 weeks minimum, 10 weeks better. There is still a lot of learning needed to be done there. Not sure how to over come that. As for the potty training 6 weeks is too young to expect much. Figure they can hold it for about an hour for each month of age. So, he's at an hour. You can start crate training. Use it for when he isn't supervised. Like when you're at work. Don't use it for punishment or as a place to put him while you watch TV, etc. Get him outside regularly. It's easier to potty train successfully when they never get used to peeing in the house to big with.

You might want to look into a heartbeat "toy" to keep in the create with him. My friend used this one. Someone else might have a better recommendation.

https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Pet-Love-Snuggle-Behavioral/dp/B000C9YHFS

Set up as many positive experiences with strangers and other dogs as you possibly can. Puppy socialization classes are your best friend. Everything else can come later.

Puppy Start Right is my favorite puppy book.

It's only his first day so you really have to drop all expectations! This is just part of raising a puppy - since you mention you are a first time owner I recommend doing some reading, perhaps [The Art of Raising a Puppy!] (https://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275)

This week I would focus on teaching your new pup his name, brushing him to get him used to it from an early age and also to relax him, and slowly get him used to the crate by giving him treats near the door, giving him treats to walk in (no closing the door), then eventually working up to closing him in. Then work up to being able to leave him in the crate without you in the room. It will definitely take a lot of time and patience, but you can do it! Good luck.

Just wanted to mention that at this point, you should still be actively socializing her. Hell, until a dog reaches 2 years of age you should probably be actively socializing them!

If you're running out of trick ideas (which you probably will as GSD's pick up things quick) you can do a few things. First, start proofing your current tricks. Sure, she can do them in the living room, but can she do them outside? Additionally, I've heard people that really like this book (101 Dog Tricks) although I personally haven't looked at the book. This can give you a few more ideas. Also, look into shaping tricks. This is often more mentally taxing for dogs than training treats with luring. Frankly, you probably should never be feeding her from a bowl. Every single piece of kibble should be earned, or put into a kong wet and then frozen.

Like /u/Tubbertons7 said, people often don't realize how much a pain in the ass smart dogs are and how difficult they are to keep occupied.

Additionally, make sure you look into teaching your pup how to relax. A lot of high energy, high drive dogs just don't know how to relax. They're either GO GO GO or asleep. How to "chill" needs to be taught to some dogs. One of the easiest ways is, if your pup does relax occasionally is to capture it like shown in this video. /u/Nope-Again also mentions mat training which is what I'm actually trying with my dog as she never even offers calmness. (I'm using the method outlined in Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out but I've not been doing it for very long yet, so I can't tell you how it's really working)

It does get easier. I often tell people that puppyhood is something you survive, but don't forget to enjoy it!

One thing to keep in mind is that at this age the most crucial component isn't basic obedience or even preventing bad behavior. You have plenty of time to teach good behavior and with your help she will outgrow many of her bad behaviors. What is much more difficult to do later on is socialization. A dog's brain is in a crucial developmental phase at this time that offers you the opportunity to teach her what is safe in her world. I highly recommend taking every chance to give her positive experiences with as many things as you can during this time.

Two resources to check out, the AVSAB Position Paper on Socialization and the book, Puppy Start Right, which along with some of the behavior issues you are working on, discusses how to socialize your new pup and what are some thing to introduce her to.

Honestly, doesn't sound like you'll have time for this dog. I read your other post. There was zero planning here. But you can still fix this if you decide to keep the dog:

The book Puppy Start Right will help answer a lot of your questions and more. You won't have to search through other sub reddits or wikis.

Check for puppy socials\playgroups in your area. You want to make sure it is socialized properly

Make sure he has toys to chew on. Find something he loves. Redirect him onto that when he goes for something he shouldn't.

Bring treats outside with you. Wait out there until he pees\poops whatever. When he does make it a big celebration and give him a handful of treats. Repeat the process.

If you haven't taken him to the vet yet please do that too

Seriously if you can't do any of these things you should seriously consider finding that dog a new home

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!

Our dog has both the Kong Wobbler and Buster Food Cube and cube keeps her busier for longer periods of time. She loves it and it drives her nuts (in a good way) because she can hear the kibble rattling around in there. We give her cube in her crate so she can't bang it around the entire house or get it stuck under furniture. We also have the Tug a Jug but it's a bit too hard for her and she looses interest. For puzzles we like Nina Ottosson toys, which are harder for her to figure out. This one is her current favorite: http://www.amazon.com/Company-Animals-Ottosson-Brick-Interactive/dp/B001KZ4WJE/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0P4RYYVE86XBGC0W0Z24

We also have this one but she's figured it out already: http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-DG40112-Dog-Toys-Puzzle/dp/B0043A71PU/ref=sr_1_9?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1425585371&sr=1-9&keywords=dog+puzzles

> sidering the bob a lot by starmark.

We use them for a treat after they get their nails done or teeth brushed, they seem to look forward to those activities more and more now...

We have this one (no name)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KZ5EZU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and this:
http://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Seek---Treat-Shuffle-Puzzle/dp/B0038WP1YC/ref=sr_1_sc_6?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1416098799&sr=1-6-spell&keywords=nina+ottoson


I like the 1st one best, the second one it is hard for them to slide the trays as they are so slippery. I'd like to get a few more , they really like them. They don't work as great on our Newfoundland, it's just to small for her, but for our Italian greyhounds they are the perfect size.

This is the type we have and while our dogs (26 and 40lbs) can fit through the door, only our kitten can fit through the bars, making the other side a kitten only safe spot. Plus it is on super sale right now!

My guy didn't care about peanut butter. Instead we soak a portion of his food in water and then mash it into the kong and freeze it the night before. It gives my guy about 20-30 mins until he starts whining (he's also 7 months). The kongs are built to withstand freezing and biting, so you should be fine.

We got my guy this https://www.amazon.ca/Ethical-Pet-Treat-Shuffle-Puzzle/dp/B0038WP1YC but he is too smart. This takes him like 2 mins to get all the treats out. He is a mini Aussie.

I came to this thread hoping to get advice on harder treats too :)

http://www.amazon.com/The-Raising-Puppy-Revised-Edition/dp/0316083275 this is a good one too.

Potty training should be more about consistency on the handlers end. Take the dog out every hour/1.5 hours and carry treats. When the dog goes potty say "go potty" during the pee or poop and then say "good!" And give a treat. After about 10 repetitions of this say go potty before the dog goes and then reward.

I laughed at the part about the puppy "respecting" you. It is a puppy. Do you expect an infant to instant-respect you and know what you expect of it without teaching it anything?

Hello and welcome! Two toys that distract my dog pretty well when I leave: The Kong Wobbler full of dry food and a Goughnuts K9 Cup that I stuff with moistened/mushy food and then freeze. He only gets those toys when no one is home. We also stopped feeding him regular meals in a bowl...the only time he gets to eat is when no one is home, when he sees a dog on a walk, and when we're doing training sessions. We also leave the TV on pretty loud when no one is home. Good luck!

[You can also get them on Amazon]
(http://www.amazon.com/Squishy-Face-Studio-Braided-Fleece/dp/B007O02C6Y)


But it's probably cheaper to make one yourself. Good luck. :)

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!

That might be the problem. You're with her all day every day and then leaving her completely alone at night time. It sounds like you aren't able to set her up in your room with you, it might be worth trying heart beat stuffies (Puppy Snuggle Behaviour Aid) or to make a similar set up yourself using a ticking wall clock and setting a blanket and stuffy over so it simulates the steady heart beat.

Here is a great video teaching about how to motivate a dog to tug which can be a great foundation to get a dog to hold objects.

I believe Kyra Sundance instructs holding objects as a foundation for many of her tricks; but I'm not able to confirm that is is different than the tug game while I'm sitting at the coffee shop. I know her intro is in many of her books; I know for sure, off the top of my head, that it is in 101 Dog Tricks Barns and Nobel also carries the book.

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.

>how do you prevent litterbox snacking?

Litter box is behind a gate in a room the dog cannot get into. At 55 lbs, I assume your dog probably couldn't fit through a little cat door in a gate like this, but if he could fit through, figure out some other way that only the cat can get to the litter box.

>Also where do you feed your cat so that the dog doesn't eat their food?

If you're free-feeding your cat, don't. They have a tendency to not self-regulate their meals well, and that's why so many cats are overweight and obese.

The cat is fed on top of my desk, and his food is taken away the second he's done eating. I do not leave the bowl unsupervised.

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

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

Second vote for the Tug a jug, Buster Maze also the Mushroom are also good the Bobs A lot Also works great as it has variable settings for difficulty. Puzzles like this are great but they tend to be useless once the dog figures it out.

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.

You could try non-chew activity toys. My pup particularly likes the plastic food-dispensing balls. http://amzn.com/B003ARUKU0

How big is your dog?

Instead of cutting a hole in the door, maybe try this baby gate The only issue I had with this gate was my dog was too small when he was a puppy and could fit right through. Took him a few months to get too big for the cat door

As others have said, it's a brand new world to him. He's a newborn, tiny and scared. Give it time. You will NOT create a monster if you sleep next to him while he's settling in and put your hand on him through the crate when he whines. We did this with our puppy for a week or two, and now, two months later, he sleeps on an entirely different floor on his own. We used a Snuggle Puppy (hint: we just used dollar store hand warmers instead of the ones they sell for it), and also put a towel in the kennel that we'd slept with for a night to pick up our scent. If you got him from a breeder, you can also ask if they have a blanket or towel from their home that has the scent of the mother (ideally it'd be the scent of the other puppies, but I'm assuming they've gone to their homes).

I've been looking through Puppy Start Right sand I dig it so far. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1890948446/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_pxvgzbH2X29EE

It has information on all sorts of puppiness, but mostly behavior related.

I can send you a pdf of Dr Sophia Yin's "how to behave so your dog behaves"

With the cat issue you can fix it by getting a baby gate with a pet door.

http://www.amazon.com/Carlson-0930PW-Extra-Wide-Walk-Thru-White/dp/B000JJDI0G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416675551&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+gate+with+pet+door

Hey this might help you:
SmartPetLove Snuggle Puppy Behavioral Aid Toy, Brown Mutt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C9YHFS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HfAlDbXZDAV21

My only short-term suggestion is management -- I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear, but there are no easy fixes to reactivity like this. Basically, make sure that your dog doesn't have access to the yard unless you're there to supervise. If she's already so overstimulated by the time you get out there, there's nothing you can do but pull her away. Screaming won't help -- it may deter her a bit, but screaming doesn't sound a whole different than a human barking. If it is enough to deter, your dog's simply going to learn that bad things happen in the presence of the neighbor's dog, which in turn will increase reactivity, not that she's being punished for her behavior.

What you can do in the long-term is practice BAT, or behavior adjustment training. Here's a video just as an introduction to BAT training by Grisha Stewart -- she is highly regarded in this area. The idea of BAT is to change the way your dog feels about stimulus. If you go this route, it will be a lot of work, but you'll be better off for it in the long-term.

If you don't know where to start or simply want to begin under the eye of a professional, here is our guide on how to find a reputable trainer.

Invest in one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C9YHFS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5KRrybP8ATAGN

I've been there. My pup screamed like she was being murdered all night and I couldn't sleep. 99% sure the neighbors would have called the cops on me, honestly.

Your puppy is scared. Puppies cry like that to alert the rest of their family that they're lost. He has NO idea where he is and he has been separated from his littermates and mother and all he's ever known. So it'll be like this for a couple of nights.