Behavior Modification

Counter Condition and Desensitization: Various Triggers

Be an advocate for your dog while on walks and set them up for success. When you see any of your dog's triggers approaching, such as another dog, scary people, bicycles, skateboards or whatever you know makes them nervous or reactive, Mark with a Clicker or a verbal "Yes" (Preferably Clicker in the early stages) and when your dog looks at you Reward with a tasty treat. Try and do this before the trigger gets to close and your dog is beyond their threshold.

Practice standing off to the side where the triggers are passing by, maybe a block away from  the stimulus and Mark/Click and Reward as the triggers come closer and goes by. The more you do this the more we make positive associations to seeing the triggers while on leash.

Below are videos using clicker training coupled with counterconditioning and desensitization to help make negative associations into positive ones.

Here is the video I mentioned of using a clicker to redirect and mark good behavior with Jansen

Here is a video using Whiskey (FKA Jansen) to help Lil' Flaca with her Leash Reactivety
 

Here is the skateboard video with Harrison at my friend Sarah's worksop

In this video we are helping Benny with his fear and reactivity to the vacuum.

Leash Reactivity: 

Create Calm from Chaotic:
This technique is best taught with a Transitional leash or Halti but can work with a slip leash, martingale, or pinch collar as well. If there is not enough space, like many parts of Brooklyn to "Bubble Out" walk your dog to the side in possibly between two trees to give the other dog as much space as possible and use light pressure up and forward until your dog sits and then release the pressure. If your dog stays seated calmly great, you can give verbal praise. If your dog reacts again repeat the light pressure up and forward until your dog sits and relaxes. If needed you can step in front of your dog to add spatial/distance pressure.

If your dog is doing great and staying calm, start marking & rewarding your dog for looking at you or calmly looking at the dog-like shown above in the Counter Condition and Desensitization section. If your dog continues to bark and react you can use an Interrupter, such as the Doggie Don't or Pet Convincer.

Bubbling Out | Giving your dog space

When walking your dog and you see a dog walking towards you, stay calm, and as you approach and you have space, "bubble out” by veering away from that dog’s path. By doing this you are letting your dog understand that they are not meeting or entering into his personal space. This can help give your dog more faith in you as for the handler to advocate for him.

 

Reinforcement

Proper Dog to Dog Introduction Protocol:

Here is a video from a combined training session with Korean K9 Rescue Alums Finn and Azu.

The goal was to do a proper dog-to-dog introduction, since being adopted, Azu has not met other dogs due to her leash reactivity. After working with her and having a positive session with my dog Whiskey as a controlled trigger, we were able to set up a possible playdate with Finn, whose owners have a backyard.

It’s so important to take the time to do a proper introduction as well as to advocate and listen to what both dogs are telling us. If you are unsure please let me help you. Check out my Dog to Dog Introduction Guide for the step-by-step process.

Resource Guarding:

With your dog either in the crate or tethered on a leash like we practiced, give your dog something they value, like a bone, toy and let your dog “get into it”, then approach your dog and when your dog looks up at you mark with a clicker or a verbal “Yes” and toss a high value tasty treat, then walk away. Keep practicing this to make a positive association of you approaching your dog when they has something of value. After we work more on your dog's recall we can start using that to call your dog away from the high value item they guard as well.

Here is a video from my training session with Breezy helping her with her resource guarding issues.

Hi all, here is part of our 1st training session with Miss Champion. We are helping this beautiful pup with some of her resource guarding issues she has displayed with food, bones and toys. 

Fearful Dogs

Here is a Facebook Live Conversation with Nelson Hodges,

I was honored to have with Canine Content’s Nelson Hodges one of my mentors and an expert with fearful and feral dogs.

Nelson was so generous and talked and answered asked questions about understanding, living and helping fearful dog’s for almost 2 hours.

Nelson began a serious study of animals and their behaviors more than 40 years ago and specializes in helping fearful and feral dogs. Nelson is the founder of Canine - Human Relationship Institute , Canine Behaviorist/Ethologist; IACP, CDT, CDTA, PDTI; CIS; IACP Board of Directors at Canine Content

Inspiring Success Stories

Here’s a heartwarming story about Cholula.

Here’s a heartwarming story about Cholula.

Here is an interview about Kora’s journey.

Counter Condition and Desensitization: New People In The Home

Many dogs that have not been properly socialized to the world and new people can form fearful associations. We see this with new people coming into your home. Have new people come over so your dog can get comfortable with them, but do not force it. Let your dog approach them.

It's a good idea to have your dog be in their crate when new people come over in the beginning, especially while you are working on their training and learning more about your new dog.

Have new people come over sit and as you saw me do, feed your dog treats in a non threatening manner. No eye contact in the beginning, putting a treat in their hand facing out and let your dog come and get it. If your dog won't come, throw treats on the floor first to get your dog comfortable. Once your dog knows "Place” we can have people walk by and toss treats towards your dog .This will start conditioning your dog that new people are not scary but a good thing. It takes time but can help your dog's fear of new people. If your dog doesn’t eat the treat right away that’s fine, it’s part of the process. Many of these steps are in my Fearful Dog Holiday Guide

Here is a great story about Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescu's Hilary Swank's journey by her 1st time fosters and now parents Justin and Lauren.

Here is a video from our first training session with recently adopted Noah. 

Here is a before and after video of Luka, an adorable Puggle rescued into a great family. Luka is a bit fearful of new people and loud noises outside

Our second session for Noah we invited over a few friends to take his training further with a party atmosphere.

This video is from a training session I had with Nella, teaching her humans another way to help Nella learn to change her negative association and overcome her fears of new people.

Here is video from my training session with Nella where we are using the "Place" cue and counterconditioning and desensitization her reactions to a new person in the home and movement.

Using A Food Trail To Build Confidence

In this video, Buko prefers staying in his crate rather than exploring the rest of his new home.

  • When helping fearful dogs, I like using their meal or high-value treats to motivate them. One technique I use is a “Food Trail” to have Buko use his nose and move forward past his fears.

  • The challenge here is Mr smarty-pants would take a piece of the tasty Stella & Chewy's meal mixers and bring it back into his crate. So I asked his human to close the crate door after he was out getting a piece of food to help him have to make some tough decisions.

  • I find it very interesting watching his decision process throughout this video; hopefully, you will too.

Building Fearful Dogs' Confidence with a Food Trail

A dog using its nose and moving forward is a happy dog, so to help Korean K9 Rescue alumna Kaya with her fears and keep moving forward, we created a food trail with her tasty breakfast of Stella & Chewy's beef meal mixers broken up into small pieces and placed them on this elevated wall as a challenge for her to overcome.

  • We started with food trails in the home as a simple street path and then built more challenging routes over various surfaces in the home. Using a food trail has also helped her overcome her fears of leaving the apartment to use the food trail outside.

  • During the walks with our dogs, it’s essential to take time to incorporate training and, when possible, behavior modification. Having dogs jump up and over things in our environment in doggie parkour can be fun and empowering. And if we can use their meal during the walks, we feed our dogs, train our dogs, and help them overcome their fears all in one exercise.

  • Be creative, take small steps towards bigger goals, and have fun with your dog while teaching your dogs.

Follow The Dog and Be Their Supportive Shadow

I believe in structured walks for dogs. We also have given them a chance to explore. 

A great way to help fearful dogs is getting them to use their nose and move forward. In this exercise, you follow the dog, let them explore, show you the world, and be a supportive shadow and help them if they get stuck in a situation or walk to something that they shouldn’t.

Here was part of our session with Whiskey at a local park in Brooklyn.

Fearful Dog Protocol For Dog Walkers

 

It can be stressful when a dog walker comes for walk, here is my protocol to help your fearful dog when the dog walker comes.

 
 

Dog's Owners:

  • Be a part of the process. 

  • Teach the dog to go into the Crate on cue,

  • Teach the dog the "Place" cue.

  • Teach the dog to go to their
    “Place” bed from the crate.

  • Practice, Practice and Practice some more

Dogs’ Walker:

  • Be patient.

  • Practice the same protocol, once it’s established.

  • Use proper body language 

  • Understand how to approach a fearful dog.

  • Start with an hour walk to give you time to
    build a relationship and not rush the process.

 

Game Of 7’s 

This is geared for puppies but I have found with dogs that have not been properly socialized and introduced to the world we can use this to help desensitize dogs to all the new things in the world by playing the game of 7’s. Introduce him to 7 different things as listed below and make a positive association. By picking seven different surfaces, peoples, sounds, and expose your dog to these things you create a dog that new is normal.

  • 7 different surfaces

  • 7 different people (ages, sizes, genders, colors styles, etc)

  • 7 different food containers/dispensers (for feeding)

  • 7 different sounds with the app and outside when you can (Sound Proof Puppy App)

  • 7 different handling techniques (reaching I to pet, grabbing a collar, etc)

  • 7 different public transit vehicles (including bikes, motorcycles, trucks, etc)

  • 7 different places, when he’s allowed to go to more places take him to as many dog-friendly places possible and make positive associations

 

Desensitization to Sounds with the Sound Proof Puppy App

Create positive assocuations to new sounds

One of the tools I like to use to desensitize and make positive associations with all the new/scary sounds in our world is the Sound Proof Puppy App. Here is a quick video with an adorable 10-week old Cockapoo puppy Lola. We play everyday sounds and feed our dogs, here we are using Happy Howie's All Natural Dog Treats Meat Roll. You can also just feed your dog their meals while playing with various sounds and use marker training and clicker training. 

Helping your dog with baby sounds

When new life changes happen it’s essential to prepare our dogs the best we can before they happen. With Alama's humans expecting their newborn in a few months they have been working on many behaviors to set her up for success and make it easier. In this video, we are using the Sound Proof Puppy App and playing a baby crying to help condition Alma to be comfortable around the new sound.

We placed the iPhone in a blanket and acted like her Mom is soothing her to replicate some of the movements that will also be happening. While this is happening we are marking and rewarding to build a positive association. Having Alma also be comfortable on her 4Legs4Pets Cots while all the new things are happening helps everyone.

Muzzle Conditioning

Here is a video with my dog Whiskey, FKA Jansen muzzle conditioning session. Being proactive and teaching your dog to love the muzzle can help in many situations. If you have a dog that is likely to bite and you’re going to be in a situation that’s stressful for the dog, a muzzle might be a good idea. Stressful situations can include a trip to the vet, or places where you’ll be around a lot of strange dogs and people. For Whiskey we want to include him more situations, further his training and help him his prey drive and reactivity to small animals, to keep everyone safe a muzzle is best.I am using his kibble and feeding his meals out of the Muzzle.

Stage 1: 
Feed all meals or use high value treats in the muzzle to make a positive association.
Once your dog is comfortable, present the muzzle say "Muzzle" and when put their snout in to get the food mark with a "Yes" or Clicker

Stage 2:
Have your dog’s leash on, put the muzzle on, and close the straps while they are still eating, continue to feed and leave it on for a few seconds, then remove it.

Repeat adding more time with your dog wearing the muzzle without feeding and without them pawing at it. If they paw at it, use your "No Reward Marker" of Ehh Ehh" and if needed tug on the leash. Keep increasing the time your dog is wearing the muzzle in the home so it becomes a non-event.

The next step is to have your dog wear the muzzle on a walk, then add those stressful situations like going to the vet or around their triggers.

 

The two Muzzles I recommend are

Ultra Baskerville Muzzle:
On Amazon | Companies website

Jafco Conditioning Muzzle 
On Leerburg  |  Companies website


For Bulldogs go here

Training Guidelines Index

How Dogs Learn  |  Foundation of Communication  |  Crate Training  | Walk & Wag  |  The Sidekick Leash  | The Place Cue  | Leave It  |  Recall - Come When Called  |  Behavior Modification  |  Separation Anxiety  |   Basic Obedience  |  Various Training