I just adopted a two-year-old pup a few weeks ago, and he is not socialized. What are the best tips to socialize an adult dog? He does great when walking until he sees a person or a dog he doesn't know. He cowers down and tries running in the opposite direction. I've tried treats and toys to redirect him, but he will not show any attention to me. Or he'll freeze in place and bark. And I can't get him to walk in the other direction with me. He will use all his weight to stay in one spot. So what we have here is a two-year-old that got rescued, a few weeks ago, that is not socialized and it sounds like he's putting the brakes when they're out on walks. This can of course be very frustrating when you're hoping to socialize, go for walks, bathroom breaks because it sounds like this dog is just ready to freeze. And isn't really ready to move forward or isn't really ready to handle outdoor situations that he is in. We don't have a lot more information other than that. But this is pretty common as far as a dog that, whether it's a rescue or a puppy, a dog that's having a tough time coping with his environment and has not yet spent too much time with the pet parent. To build that bond that's going to help him choose to move forward. Just as it's stated here.   I can't get him to walk the other direction with me.  So what she's referring to, and I don't know if she's purposely trying to do this, but, when we're walking with a dog and whether they're reactive or just unsure or, they don't know how to handle the environment, we'll do what we call a reset. Which means we're gonna help the dog take space by walking in the other direction to get them to refocus on us. This is something that's actually, I'm glad that, this person has tried, but it sounds that he's putting all his way to stay in that one spot and that's where the problem can very much lie. So what I would say to this, Is if I'm walking with a dog where I don't yet have, that much of a strong bond, cuz it, it's only been a few weeks. A few weeks is enough to develop a bit of a bond. However, if they're going through scenarios that are maybe too challenging for both of them as described here, they're not really getting, Anywhere when it comes to walking, they're not really sure how to handle it. What I would recommend instead is making the walks a lot easier. There may perhaps be some expectations as far as, how long the walk needs to be or how far they need to go with a rescue or an eight-week-old pup. I would keep the walk very short and sweet, because not only will it make it easier for the dog to navigate, To feel as though they can do it, but also make it so they feel as though they can do it with you. And so that's what's gonna be very important here when we're working on building the relationship of a dog with their new handler or pet parent. We wanna make sure that is done. In a way that feels successful to them both dogs very much learn by association and so do we, but especially dogs. And so if the walk is something that's uncomfortable, and of course, it's being done with this pet parent, then it all jumbles together. And so what I would do is keep the walks very short. Very sweet. I would maybe try to figure out at which point during the walk, perhaps it's five minutes in, or, it's five meters into the walk or two feet out. At what point is my dog maybe letting me know or showing me that he is, a little concerned, weary? Perhaps afraid, unsure, because that's when I would start doing the resets, which is what they're trying here. They're probably trying to do them when it's too late. When the dog's already barking over threshold, overwhelmed by then, it's too late and the dog just is just shutting down at that point. So what I would do instead, is again, keep those walks very short, where our reset should, in theory, be a lot more successful then, and what that might look like practically in the first few days. Or even just the first day where you want to go for a walk. Other than the bathroom break, hopefully, if you have a backyard, you can have your dog go there. But even then, if you can just take a few steps to the nearest grass patch. Have their bathroom break be done there, I would then go back home and then maybe an hour later, half an hour later, go for another little walk, but, don't make it anywhere further than the previous one. Keep it very short and sweet and make it so that they're enjoying every step of it by keeping it short, keeping it in the way where they come back home feeling as though this wasn't so bad. Maybe next time I'll go a little bit further out. But this has to be built with time and this is what's gonna let your dog know. When I'm on a walk with you, it doesn't feel too bad, it doesn't feel too bad walking with you, and so I'm gonna be a little bit more responsive to your guidance. This person mentioned that they're trying to use treats, to redirect and toys, and those are all very good attempts. But the fact that they haven't worked lets me know that bond is not necessarily there yet, but even more so that the dog is probably already over threshold, meaning the dog has already, for a little while now, it could be a few seconds to a few minutes, has already been potentially displaying signs of discomfort or feeling unsure, weary, but the handler probably has not picked up on that. And so by the moment, or at the point where the handler does pick up on it, it's potentially too late. So I would definitely go back into baby steps. Pretend as though this two-year-old dog is actually a two-month-old pup, and break things down in ways where they feel successful, both to you and your dog. Because ultimately the amazing thing with dogs is they're never gonna ask you why or when they can get to that next point. An eager dog will, maybe do that but then you know, you can move on to the next one, one that isn't too sure. Take your time. The more you can. Be in the moment. Slow down. Just be with them. Their own curiosity is going to show you that they're ready for the next step. But even then, just take it slow. Take it one step at a time. If something seems too difficult, make it easier. Once it feels too easy, then take that next step. Your dog is not in a rush and this is what's going to let them know. Hey, this person does listen to me. This person does hear me out. And so that will very much strengthen your bond and help you guys overcome the challenges that will come later on once your dog is maybe in scenarios where, there's a dog that just came outta nowhere and this is very difficult. That's when your dog is most likely to go. Okay, that's challenging. But I know that if I check in with you or if I just listen to, your cues that I'll be okay. So let's go ahead and do that. But until then, Keep things short and sweet, break them down into what you feel is doable for both you and your dog, and take it from there. Okay?

No matter how cute our dogs are, friendly or how happy they are that we have guests over, it’s a smart and safe idea to help prevent them from feeling the need to jump at the door or people. Even if we find that our dogs are always excited to greet people, there are still ways that we can help make this a pleasant and enjoyable experience for all involved. And this is rather easy to accomplish if you set your home up for success! Practice the following steps: 1. Set a specific time for your guests to arrive. Do your best to minimize surprise visits. That’s because a planned visit is one you can prepare for. This first and foremost allows you to provide your dog with physical and mental stimulation during the day and prior to the arrival so that your dog will feel as mellow and relaxed as possible around your guests. 2. The leash is the best way to avoid confronting your dog at the door. Use the leash by clipping it to your dog 10-15 minutes prior to your guest arriving. Once your guests get there, have another family member tend to the door while you guide your dog away. Depending on your dog’s demeanour and personality, you may want to provide your dog with enough space to not feel the need to worry or feel overexcited with people coming over. Even though you might prevent your dog from jumping, the jumping itself can be a symptom that your dog just doesn’t know what to do in that instance, so make sure that you’ve planned for some activities that you can do, or potentially having your dog stay at someone else’s home if you feel that your dog is going to find it too difficult to settle. 3. Guide your dog towards your guest using the leash. Instead of asking your dog to sit or to stop jumping, use their leash to help them walk away with you. This will guarantee that your dog doesn’t get to jump and repeat the unwanted behaviour (the more your dog repeats a behaviour, the more successful it becomes to them). Afterwards, don’t let your dog off their leash because they may still run toward your guest and jump. Instead, continue walking away with them while someone else tends to the door, and as you feel that your dog is calming down on their own, you can then start walking closer to your guests. If your dog starts pulling towards your guests, which indicates that he may jump, continue walking away. What you are essentially doing is helping your dog calm down and regulate his own emotions by walking and letting him take space. Eventually this is a behaviour that your dog can practice and be rewarded for, as opposed to jumping.

Here are the main reasons to let your dog sniff on walks! 1. It’s the dog version of scrolling through social media to see what’s up, who has been where, and what’s going on in the area. 2. It’s a far better choice as opposed to barking, lunging, pulling, and jumping and thus it’s worth encouraging . 3. It’s natural! All animals do this naturally, as a way to get to know their environment best, through their nose, no different than we take in our environment through our eyes. 4. It provides easy mental enrichment while on walks which leads to a more mellow and calm dog. 5. It lets you know your dog is feeling relaxed enough to put their nose down and sniff instead of being on the lookout with their eyes.

Interested in rescuing or fostering? Look for the following green flags to make sure you’re working with the best rescue organization: 1. You get to speak with a team member of theirs via email, text, or phone call throughout the inquiring/interest process. It’s important that you can feel as though there’s someone you can speak to, to put your mind at ease should you have any concerns, before or after you adopt your rescue. 2. Have a meet & greet with your potential rescue. A lack of a meet-and-greet session should be a big red flag. It’s important for the organization to properly guide you through the introduction to any of their dogs and asses whether they think it’s still a good idea to proceed and how. 3. They require proof of training. The best organizations will require that you’ve purchased a training session with a positive reinforcement trainer, or at the very least include it as part of their agreement, soon after the adoption. 4. Have the organization provide you with photos and videos of the dog in question around people (especially strangers) and other dogs. An undersocialized dog can require a lot of training support onwards and that’s okay, just make sure you know in full detail how your dog does in social environments. 5. They provide you with a trial period. The above points should set you off on a great start with your dog. However a lot can change during the first few days or even weeks of adopting your rescue, and being aware of this should encourage you to inquire about a trial period and its length, prior to bringing home your new rescue.

I am about to adopt a 10-week-old lab  retriever. Can you share your training schedules, tips and tricks, and things for a while at work? Thanks in advance.  This is a very good question. Having a 10-week cold, puppy at home can come with a lot of challenges, a lot of difficulties, and a lot of learning, for both you and your pup. A lot of experiencing new things, overcoming challenges, enjoying just simply having a p. But these are all questions, that will be very relevant to anyone that has a brand. New puppy at home. So let's start with what schedule should I have with my dog? And, really the best way I can answer that is what schedule works for you? And I don't mean, what schedule works for you and your pup. I mean, what schedule works for you. And, this doesn't even need to be related to having a puppy, but rather, what schedule works in your lifestyle. I know that for me, a typical nine-to-five schedule does not work. And so instead of trying to force myself into that schedule, I make the schedule that I do have for myself, work for me. And so if your schedule is a nine to five, then that's the schedule you wanna work with. I will say, that if you have a 10-week cold, a brand new puppy at home, and you are expecting to go to work, tier nine to five, or whatever that schedule might be. That you have someone there, to give your puppy breaks, to give your puppy instances where they get to be with someone. That way they're not either in a crate or alone for far too long. That is a lot to ask for over a young pup. That's something that needs to be developed through time. But, having someone that can come to your home or already be at home and spend some time with your puppy while also letting them have some time alone. That way they don't get used to always having someone home. That can very much be an advantage so that your puppy never feels too overwhelmed, or too stressed from just being alone and, and away from you for too long. But as far as an actual schedule goes, really make it so that it works around you. And really the best practical tip I can give in this scenario about schedules would be to have your dog do things with you before you need them to do things without. And what that means is if at 9:00 AM you're heading out for work and maybe the next person isn't going to interact with your p for one or two or three hours, then I would recommend doing activities with your puppy beforehand. Physical enrichment, mental enrichment, even potentially socialization. And, a 10-week cold puppy is likely not going to classes yet, or much as far as a walk goes. But you can still do a lot of, socialization, play some new sounds. Bring out the vacuum cleaner without turning it on just yet. New things that have your pup thinking. Have your pup learn. Oh, this is not so bad. This is still social. Very much socialization for your dog to learn. These things are okay to be around and they. Feel good. And so doing those things before you have to leave, before we have to head out, or before, let's say if you work from home before, you want your pup to give space, time, and quiet. , make sure that you give them what they need. So that's how I, I would build my schedule, around that. I would make sure that before 10:00 AM whether 10:00 AM means work, whether 10:00 AM means cooking, whether 10:00 AM means. Yoga, whatever. Make sure that before then your puppy is getting what he needs. That way, what you want, the time alone that you have corresponds with your puppy wanting to rest, wanting to be on his own, wanting to actually, be just in a place or room or in their crate where they're just happy to rest cuz they already got what they needed from you. What about tricks? As far as tricks go, I would play that into, the mental enrichment that I just mentioned. You can very much start with the basics for a 10-week-old pup, you don't have to go very far where you can take tricks a little bit further as if your puppy already has the basics at this young age. I wouldn't focus too much on adding more newer tricks. I would focus on the basic sit, stay down, and do those with distractions. So just like I mentioned, the vacuum cleaner is a great distraction. Their football can be another distraction. Perhaps the door open with your puppy on a harness and leash, that can be another distraction, but they're still being asked to do the same tricks. It's just that by doing the tricks that they already know, but you adding some, new layers, some new levels to those activities. You're not just having them learn. Oh yeah, my dog can do that, sit with the door open. You're also having your puppy learn impulse control while socializing in a way as well with the door being open with maybe sound, the vacuum cleaner as well. So you're mixing a few things, at once, but nothing that is, too difficult for your puppy, comparing one trick versus the other. So, Sit versus rollover. Those are two very different exercises as opposed to sitting with the door open. It's still the same exercise and trick but you're having them take it to the next level and you're gaining a lot of impulse control, practice, and training as a result. So I would very much get creative, think of ways where you can use your dog's, tricks that they already know, to have them really hone behaviors that you. Will want to have them have, for their lifetime, like, impulse control is a good one. Socialization, of course. A socialized dog will likely have better behaviors to give to you. one that has a lot of impulse control. Same. And so that's where I would go as far as tricks. So, while you are at work, and I'm assuming at work means you are at home, as I mentioned, I would recommend having someone come over so that your puppy is resting in their crate or where you've left them, but not for too long to a point where they get overwhelmed and for each puppy that may be different. There are some puppies that really cannot handle being left alone, potentially just based on their demeanor. Or, just from, their experience. And so I would try to have someone come over, based on what your puppy can handle. If your puppy can handle only 10 minutes, make sure that they're not alone for more than nine, and someone is showing up right before the 10th minute. It sounds very difficult and challenging because it is, but that way you can really make it so it's never, too difficult for a young puppy, like a 10-week-old, pup. But as far as having your dog do things while you're at work, as they get a little bit older, I would definitely recommend more than anything, kongs, chew toys, and I would usually wrap it up at that. I know a lot of people will ask and want to use puzzles, snuffle mats, slow feeders, balls, and other kinds of, playful toys. And those are great. However, with a young puppy, with a young adolescent dog, if we're maybe worried about some chewing, destructive behavior, I wouldn't leave them with those toys,, a whole lot other than Kongs or the toys that are very resistant to chewing. I would leave them primarily with those types of toys because, I know that it's safer for them to chew, but also if I am leaving a dog, especially a young puppy, I'm making sure that any kind of enrichment as far as things for them to do that is a little bit more on the enrichment side, have already been done before I leave the house before I leave for work. And this is a lot of work, but this is how I can. Set my puppy up for success by making sure that my time away, my busy time, where I can't give them attention to them represents rest. And that's why I want to be able to give them what they need before I ask for what I want.

Dogs are very good at communicating with us through non-verbal cues and their eyes can oftentimes speak louder than the loudest bark! if you find your dog staring at you, and you know that they're not hungry, thirsty or in need of a bathroom break, then chances are your dog is staring at you as a way of letting you know that they'd love to do something with you! Provide them with a fun game of tug and pull or a nice food puzzle so they can make use of their energy. If you proactively do this throughout the day your dog is more likely to nap instead of staring.

They love you! But it's also a way that they're letting you know that they're likely up for a fun game, activity or walk with you. Giving attention to a dog that's staring at you is definitely better than a dog that's jumping, barking, biting, nipping.

Some pups are more vocal than others, but whenever you're feeling frustrated with a behaviour your puppy is doing and you don't understand exactly why, chances are your pup is feeling exactly the same. This is when you can go back to basics and ensure that your pup has had a chance to burn both mental and physical energy. This is oftentimes the most common reason for a pup barking often, which leads to them getting your attention which leads to doing something. Separation anxiety would be next on the list of reasons, but this one is partly due to the amount of time and space you're taking away from your pup which may be too much for them, but also particularly difficult if they've been left with a lot of mental/physical energy that they don't know what else to do with.

Dogs can be picky eater and especially when they are generally exerting little energy throughout the day, which doesn't help develop their appetite. Most commonly however, dogs will eat during the evening because they've not been presented with accomplishment-related opportunities where they use both their brain and body to find, scavenge and enjoy getting each piece of their meal! In short, make sure you provide ongoing opportunities for enrichment to build on your dog's appetite and they'll be more likely to want to eat throughout the day.

A lot of dog trainers and their students will use a dog clicker (a small object that makes a click sound) to help train and condition their dog. The advantage with using a dog clicker is it makes for a clear marker (a word or sound used to indicate to a dog that something they're doing is desired) of a wanted behaviour right before giving them a reward for that action. Using a clicker allows you to not have to rely on your dog either being able to hear your verbal cue and its tone because it always makes the same consistent sound, that helps provide more consistent training and conditioning. The disadvantage with a clicker is that if ever you don't have it with you and you've become fully reliant on it then you will want to make sure you practice with multiple markers like saying "Yes!" by then, and not just the clicker.