[Gene]

For the kennel issue a lot depends on the experience and physical stature of the volunteer.

If the dog is just exuberant someone with experience can open the door and back them off with spacial pressure and get the slip lead on and out the door.

I am at the shelter frequently so the dogs kind of know me. I open the door, back them off, grab the collar and get the slip lead on and out the door.

Another method for less experience and stature is approach give treat then stoop down they should follow as they know you have treats. Give another treat open door slightly. They should poke their head out to get the slip lead on.

I know it is better to have them sit and calm but I know with time constraints and some less experienced than others it can be a problem.

For those with less experience, DON’T talk to aggressive dogs, fearful dogs, exuberant dogs. They have no idea what is being said, it is only noise to them. Silence is Golden. They feel the calm energy.

Thanks for your work. Took the course myself. GREAT!

[Gene]

For treats…Make sure the dog is not food aggressive…1) have the treat in your fist and push the dogs mouth back. saying easy, easy, easy and release the treat…2) have the treat between lower index finger and thumb, same routine, easy, easy, easy and release the treat.

[Gene]

This sounds like just a puppy phase as you have only had her for a week. Everything is new and sometimes new people can be a challenge. From your post I get that that your mother is a frequent visitor so I think after a few more times this will be a” been there done that scenario”. For know, when your mother arrives have her on a leash if she starts to go off, move her in the opposite direction few steps then turn and bring her back. You can try this a couple of times and see if she calms down. Do not correct her just move her, “Lets Go”. Also, I would have your mother approach the pup sideways as to not make eye contact and no talking as to not excite the puppy further and let him interact if he prefers.

If this doesn’t work put her in the crate, no correction just lead her in until she calms down. Let the puppy see you interacting with your mother give your mother a hug, sit next to her, share food. After she calms down let her out and see if she will approach your mother. She can offer her a treat. You do not want to be correcting now because you don’t want her to start associating negative vibes whenever your mother arrives.

[Gene]

So I’m thinking that you may have an issue with your dog protecting you. You said that he becomes defensive when someone approaches him on leash. That also means that the dog or person is approaching you.

I haven’t seen his act but for the most part you want to avoid harsh corrections him being a puppy. We don’t want him to start to associate discomfort or negative vibes whenever dogs or people approach. You have to get him before he goes off. Once he goes off there isn’t much you can do. You will see subtle changes in body posture then “Let’s Go”. Move him, movement relieves stress. I would keep concentrating on obedience without the distractions.

I did notice that you said my “sweet” and he is “pretty” obedient. You may want to try being somewhat more assertive and demanding in the training. Even sometimes lowering your voice can make a difference.

[Gene]

It sounds like she might be trying to initiate play. Puppies bite and growl, when with their litter mates that is what they do and if they get too exuberant the mother will step in. Sometimes they can throw hissy fits when they are over tired.

You may want to get a nice pair of thick gardening gloves. Also she is probably teething and wants stuff to chew on. After walking, playing whatever I would crate her with a wet frozen washcloth or a frozen banana sliced down the middle (gets half/quarter} and let her relax.

You want to keep hand feeding her meals. This builds a bond of trust and respect you are engaging with her as opposed to just setting the bowl down and walking away. With the paw stuff I would try a small piece of chicken wipe the paw. Small piece of cheese, wipe the paw. At this time you do not want to be correcting her for these actions. The puppy doesn’t understand what the correction is for. You become the Fun Police. I would do just a simple “Let’s Go” and into the crate. There are over 30 videos on the site relating to puppy issues.

[Gene]

You have to get him before he goes off. Once he starts to go into what I call “La La Land” basically just hang on and remove him but he is beyond taking direction so you are back to square one.

You want to look for subtle changes in his body language which give you a heads up that he is about to throw a hissy fit. Signs such as his head may jut forward and or his ears perk up, that is when the correction occurs. He may start to crouch/recoil as if he is about to lunge etc. Lets say you are exiting your house and the dog is out next door. When he orientates towards the other dog and his body language shows signs that he is going on alert, he is immediately brought back into the house. No correction just a calm “Lets Go” wait maybe 20 seconds and try again, trust me he will catch on as to what you want after a few exits. You will probably have to do the same procedure the next day but he will get the message. When you are out in the backyard and the other dog is let out you should be able to see a change in him right away. Remove him 7/10 steps then bring him right back to where you were or try a step or two closer. I know this is a complicated issue to deal with but your main objective is to get him before he goes off.

He may not be aggressive, he may just have bad manners.

[Gene]

What I mean by engage is that when he follows he gets a treat if he looks at you he gets a treat/praise, mostly treats for know.

[Gene]

So what I am reading into your post is that it is a rescue dog or you got him from a private owner and haven’t had him for very long. He may have trust issues as opposed to being out right aggressive. We don’t know his past and we can’t sit down at the kitchen table and discuss it. You want to build structure but for now you can just lure and shape. I wouldn’t ask the dog for anything at this point. You don’t want to be correcting him all the time. I would leave the lead on him around the house while you are there. Also you can get what they call a traffic leash that are about 16″ inches. Use the lead to have the dog follow you and engage with you to build trust. I would try a casual approach. Every time I want to move him, it is a casual “let’s go” and start walking, not using a direct command. When he is excited and doesn’t want to go in the crate move him, maybe ten steps into another room then right back and repeat, repeat, until he calms down. You are not demanding that he goes in. You want him to go in on his own. Once he calms down he should want to go in. Watch the crate training vids.

Also, if he is unsure of himself you want to watch him around the kids. Sometimes the kids are at eye level or just over and he sees them as subordinates. They can stare at him inadvertently and he may take that as a challenge. So you and your husband do the moving and the kids can give him treats and affection.

[Gene]

This is for reactivity to the neighbor’s dog. Leash reactivity towards other dogs can be a problem. This issue has come up numerous times on Ask Me Anything. It is a unique problem because you need others to pitch in. You have to find someone with a balanced dog and you know can control the dog and it has to be worked on a regular basis so it is a hard thing to do.

Go to the Lesson section and go to Lesson Categories and scroll to Leash Training, click it on. Numerous videos will pop up on this subject. Go to page 2, there is a dog named Koda. a GSD I would start there. Do the same exercise but you are trying to get to the fence. Maybe you can have your neighbor keep the other dog calm. A few items to note, no treats are used, no corrections are given, if I remember correctly, no commands are given either, maybe a “Sit”. The main verbiage is “Let’s Go”. When you get to the fence (it may take some time) I would give each dog a treat. Just keep it up until you get to the fence with a calm pup.

[Gene]

The video is Sit, Stay, Relax also Door Darting with Mya and Goofy waiting at the doorway not allowed to cross the threshold until released.