DOG TRAINING FAQ'S

(A)I almost hate to tell you this, BUT, this is just something some dogs do and there is not a whole lot you can do about it other then to give them a place of their own to dig. For example, pick a place he is "allowed" to dig, take one of his "toys" and bury it...let him see you doing this!!!! Then make a game out of it...YOU start dig dig digging!!!! He'll get the idea and start himself. PRAISE him!!!! Keep working with him on "his" area. Play this "game" with him a lot for awhile and see if he doesn't start sticking to HIS spot! Make sure you praise him a LOT when he IS digging in his spot! If you catch him digging somewhere else, give him a firm NO...take him to HIS spot and do the game thing! It may take awhile, but hopefully this will help! Good luck with him and remember he is only doing something he "enjoys."

HOUSEBREAKING NOT GOING WELL
I have a girl dog who is 10 months old. House breaking was going very well until several months ago. I must work so when I leave I do leave the door open for her. When I come home I find she has gone in the house. Also when I am home with her the door still remains open. She will come into the house and squat right in front of me. What is going on here? She does not respond to the word no.

(A) First thing I would do is have her checked by your vet to rule out any medical problem such as a bladder or kidney infection. Simply get a urine sample and take it in for them to check...takes about 15 minutes. (to GET the urine sample, simply take her out on a leash, follow her around with a tiny shallow cup/dish whatever, and when she squats put it under her.) You do NOT need a LOT! Discuss the problem with your vet for any other suggestions he/she may have. If all is medically ok with her, I would start from scratch....crate training! At 10 mos. old, she is able to "hold" it until you get home and having her in a crate should eliminate the problem as "most" dogs won't go where they sleep. That's great you have a "doggie" door, but it sounds like she doesn't much care for that idea and should still be taken outside on a regular basis, and PRAISED "every" time she does what she is supposed to do! If you catch her going in the house, she should be reprimanded...FIRM NO, and taken outside immediately. When she does go IN the house, be sure and clean the area with a "NEUTRALIZING" cleaner...Don't use ammonia and water (will attract them back to the same spot) Get yourself a doggie urine neutralizing cleaner which will eliminate the odor or she will be attracted to the same area or it's vicinity. Since you are gone all day working, be sure and give her something to keep her occuupied. The "Kong" toys are great! Put something INSIDE the little hole, (peanut butter) (soft dog treats) (cheese) SOMETHING that smells yummy and will keep her occupied trying to get it out. It's a great chew toy! She should also have a "variety" of different textured toys, for example the "Chewman" (sort of a "fleece" looking man) for the soft toy...a "petrified bone" for the hard toy, and the Kong would be a hard rubber toy for the medium texture.

(Q)We got our puppy a month or so ago. She is a yellow lab and was almost 8 weeks old when we got her. No matter how diligently we work with her, no matter how many times a day I take her out, and praise her every time she "goes potty", she just can't seem to get the idea that while going outside is good, going inside is NOT good. She loves the praise she gets when she goes out and "does her business" because she is always praised and petted when she does, so she goes almost on command. But she doesn't care that she gets in trouble when she goes in the house. She is just over three months old now and we have been working with her since day one. I know I shouldn't expect it to happen overnight, but she won't even go to the door to let us know yet! I think, sometimes she comes to me and waits expectantly, and I ALWAYS take her out immediately when she does this, but many many times, she just goes off by herself for 30 seconds and next thing I know there is a new puddle or pile in the house.

(A) I hope I can shed "some" light on this problem. First of all this puppy at 3 mos. is not old enough to "hold" it for any length of time..when she "has" to go she "has" to go! You must supervise her every moment. It shouldn't be hard at all to know when she has to go. As soon as she wakes up, as soon as she stops playing, and of course right after she eats. And I do mean "as soon as!" You could have let her out let's say after she eats, and then she comes in and plays for 10 minutes...well the second she pauses from playing, OUT she goes! Honestly, they just can't hold it, so you are far better off getting her out as MUCH as you possible can and avoiding the "negative" response IN the house. One thing I never did to my dogs is scold them for going in the house. EACH and EVERY time I thought about WHY they did it, it turned out to be MY fault, not theirs. Let's say your pup is in the house and you are in the same room, and she wanders off, well if she goes, that's your fault as she is not old enough to let you know she has to go out, she only knows she HAS to go! Some pups "start pacing" "looking around" "sniffing" or "wander off"...you need to start really paying attention to these subtle signs. If you continue to watch her and be diligent about getting her OUT you should start seeing a change at about 4 mos old. I don't EXPECT my pup to be totally housebroken till 6 mos. Out in the morning first thing, then fed, then out immediately AGAIN! Play time...then OUT, rest time...then out, etc etc etc...and you will get to know your pups schedule also. Just DON'T let her wander out of your sight at ALL! IF you can't watch her for some reason, put her in a crate. (Hopefully you ARE using a crate to help train her) Anytime you can't watch her, in the crate she goes. Also one more thing, PLEASE make sure IF she has an accident, clean it by using an odor "neutralizer" found at any pet shop. You must neutralize the odor or she will go there again. AND, don't scold her, just clean it up and forget it. I think one of the saddest things is when a pup has an accident in the house, it immediately cringes when the owner sees it and is cleaning it up. The pup does NOT know why you are angry, it only knows that when an "accident" AND he are in the same room, he gets scolded. So to sum it up, just keep a closer eye on her, and continue to praise when she does go outside...you will start seeing a difference soon, in the fact she will start holding it longer and longer, and won't have to go out as often. Hopefully you have her on several meals a day and this too will help you regulate her schedule.

DOG AFRAID OF STRANGERS
(Q) We just acquired a 1 1/2 year old Chocolate Lab (female) who we absolutely adore. She is sweet, was obviously worked with prior to us getting her. Our problem is that she is extemely afraid of anyone with the exception of the three of us who live in the house with her. Whenever anyone comes over, she goes in the bedroom and will do whatever she can to avoid contact with new people. At first, this behavior was only around men and I figured she was abused somehow by males before we got her, but now she is afraid of males and females. This baffles me because all we have done since we got her is love her and are all gentle with her. We have had guests offer her treats when they come in and she will bark at the men (not in an aggressive but scared way) and cowers to the women and kids. Any advice would be very much appreciated!

(A) I will give you my "opinion" on this situation and it may or may not hold true as I don't know the dog personally. It certainly does sound like she is a "shy" dog around other people than her "family" and you must be careful she doesn't turn into a "fear biter." If I had this dog I would not "push" her into situations to try to make it better. For example...if someone comes over, have them ignore her, not sit there and coax her to them with food. Sometimes a "voice" trying to coax a dog can be irritating and frighten the dog rather than getting the result wanted. IF someone would be over and IF the dog would approach that person cautiously, the person should remain still, try not to pay attention to the dog. Let the dog "investigate" on her own. Perhaps when she sees this person is not a threat, and not "trying" to get her to come to them, she will become more relaxed. If at all possible, set up some situations where the dog is in a room and you have a "person" in the same room...make it someplace where the dog can't retreat to another part of the house. You would want the dog and person in the same room. If the dog never approaches the person, fine. Try again another time...do it often. Hopefully she'll go to a person on her "own"...if she does, that person can give a casual "Hi", and that's it. After awhile if the dog approaches and seems more comfortable, have the person extend his/her hand PALM DOWN and "below" the dogs head. Don't ever let anyone approach your dog "above" her head..this is especially true with a shy dog. You may want to think about enrolling in a basic obedience class. This is very good socialization for dogs and a good trainer can help you with this problem.

(Q) I have a 1yr old border collie mix that we recently got from the pound. He is a good boy but he has two problems. Number one, he is terrified of strangers (mainly men). So terrified in fact that he will growl and pee at the same time when a friend stops by or anyone walks into our house or patio. We do not know what to do. Number 2, he licks non stop. We tell him no, we push him off, we even try to ignor him but nothing works. Any suggestions on what we should do?

(A) Not knowing the background of this dog first of all you must take it slow as if he were a puppy and retrain him. I am reading into this several problems. 1. Puppy may not have been socialized properly.
2. He may have been abused
3. He may have been conditioned/praised to react like that towards strangers
4. He could be insecure
If he is in fact part Border Collie, this breed is extremely intelligent! They are also a "working" breed and unless kept occupied, they can become destructive.
My "suggestions" would be:
1. Be careful not to "praise" this dog for his actions around people. Example: don't tell him "it's ok" or pet him when he's acting up around strangers. You want him to understand this action is not acceptable. Don't push him to be around people but do have people over, just have them ignore him. The more people he "sees" and sees they are not going to hurt him, could help.
2. Keep this dog occupied as much as possible. Frisbees, balls, toys, games, etc.
3. IF you see ANY positive actions from him regarding strangers, be SURE to praise him for that action. He has to learn he's going to be rewarded for GOOD behavior.
4. The "licking" to me sounds like an action for attention perhaps, something to assure his "security" within the new family. When you don't want him to do this give him a "command" for that action such as "no lick!" but then immediately give him something else to occupy him. You need to divert his attention to something else until he "learns" what the "no lick" command means. This is all part of training.
5. I don't know if you are using a crate for training at all, but if you are, try setting up a situation where someone comes over and know before hand when they are arriving so you can have this puppy in his crate. This way he won't have to feel like he needs to defend his territory or be afraid. This is only IF you have him accustomed to a crate and he feels this is his "safe" place. You certainly don't ever want to use a crate as a "punishment" place.
6. A lot of dogs "wet" as a submissive behavior. Your dog is both wetting and growling? He sounds like a submissive dog who is really insecure around people therefore feels he must act aggressive in some way. A lot of Border Collies have this "look" about them that looks like they are scared all the time! Ever see one working in an obedience ring? They certainly DO what they are supposed to but look scared the whole time. This is their "look." They are a herding breed and while herding have this "look" to intimidate what they are herding and focus on it..walking slowly, crunched down, etc. If your dog is exhibiting this "look" it could be only his breeding.
In ending: Take it slow with him, he's new to this enviroment and you don't know his background. Be firm in your commands yet gentle. Always praising him after disciplining him. He must know you are the leader but also must know you can be trusted and counted upon for his security and love. You may want to talk to an obedience instructor in your area to see if they have any other suggestions. If you choose to take him to an obedience class, make sure they have "gentle" methods. These dogs do NOT need harsh training! They are much to intelligent for that!!!! This is SO important! Gentle, patient training, LOTS of positive reinforcement and lots of redirecting attention to what you want the dog to do.

BARKING AND JUMPING
I have a 3-year old Portuguese Water Dog. He is a friendly dog that loves people to the extreme. He also is prone to bark at any moving thing in front of our house. When someone comes to the door he jumps on the door and barks. We have large glass windows and a glass fronted door, so he is very aware of the great outdoors. He has been through training and does good sits, fair stays, etc. I don't have the time I once did to work with him and he slips more often. I would like to have him sit when people come into the house. I would also like for him to limit his barking.

(A)First of all "plan" on people coming to your door and when they do YOU will be by the dog ON a leash and distracting him from the barking, jumping, etc. Do this by giving him a treat for doing a sit stay, or down stay while the person is coming in the house. When he does bark, etc, give him a shhhh then praise him. The biggest thing is "distracting" him from going to the door. He will hear it, but hopefully realize by doing a sit stay or down stay on your command will get him a treat and praise whereas going to the door barking will get him nothing. Keeping him ON leash while doing this is giving you more control of the situation. If he knows the sit and down stay, you are already one step ahead. Also practice this when your company is in the house...allow him to say his "hello" then give him the down stay away from the person.

DOG BITING/MOUTHING
(Q) She is a German Shepherd / Golden Retriever mix. She is 6 months old. The reason I am e-mailing you is because my biggest problem with her is her biting. She doesn't respond to "no" and when I try to push her away OR hold her steady (i don't feel that I am hurting her in any way- she doesn't whimper) and say "no", she tends to turn aggressive.

(A) A dog should NEVER be allowed to put his mouth ON a person! Or his clothes, or whatever. You must assert YOUR dominance and show the dog YOU are the boss. Dogs respect leadership. They are a "pack" animal and you must prove you are the pack leader. Each situation is different as far as the "mouthing" is concerned. Some dogs respond to a NO where others need more than that. All I can say is when you discipline your dog for this biting action...MEAN IT! There is no point in fooling around with this behavior. I can give you some suggestions, please don't try them all at once, and please adjust to YOUR dog's temperament. First of all the SECOND the dogs mouth would be on my hand I would say in a FIRM AUTHORITAVE voice..."NO!!!!" You can also try a sound such as "uh uh" (this one is hard to write as it's not actually pronounced the way I write it!) What you want to do is give a negative "sound" in a loud voice, startle the dog into stopping his biting. The SECOND he stops, you MUST, and I repeat, MUST praise him!!!!! He is not to learn because you are disciplining him, that you don't still love him. So when he stops, PRAISE him in an instant!!!! Saying "Gooooood Boy", really sound happy!!!! Ok you have the NO and the "sound" hopefully that will work. You can also have a toy ready to hand him AFTER you discipline him and praise him...give him something he IS allowed to chew on and remember... happy sounds! You are pleased he stopped his biting. IF he mouths you again, REPEAT the whole procedure. You can also try ignoring the dog...walk away...go in another room, and then do this each time she wants to mouth you. One other suggestion...and this is somethinyou really should consider! Take the dog to an obedience class! She will be in with other dogs and strange people, and you will have the on hand guidance of a qualified instructor hopefully. The KEY to your situation is getting this dog to respect YOUR authority and this is vital. Get her socialized as much as possible, around strangers, strange situations, etc. She will look to you for guidance in these situations, thus reafirming your leadership over her.

(Q) We have a 10 week old black lab that we purchased and brought home when he was 6 weeks old. Now that he is a little older we are having, or should I say, I am having a problem with him biting. I, the lady of the house, am with him all day. Whenever I sit down for a few minutes he is chewing and biting at my feet, lunging to get in the chair with me and when I try to push him down with the "down" command he just lunges back up in my lap. Sometimes I roll a newspaper up and have spanked him but he just lays his ears back and sit and bark at me then start the lunging again.
As far as the biting, I cannot touch him without him biting me. Sometime he will let me rub his belly for a short time or after he just woke up from a nap he lets me pet him but the rest of the day is war. I need to get my bluff in on him soon or else things around here are going to be pretty bad. I don't know what to do.

(A) This is a puppy, he will do this, they all do. It is not due to teething, as he is too young, it's a natural reaction for puppies, they do not know this is unnacceptable behavior towards a human. If he were with his littermates at a young age and did this, he would be reprimanded. A mother dog would nip at him or take him by the scruff of his neck and he would be put in his place if he got carried away. Discipline IS necessary for these actions but NOT in a "negative" way. "Hitting" a dog, no matter how lightly, even with a newspaper, is negative action. They associate the hand with punishment not praise (which it should be) Puppys ideally should be left with their littermates until at least 8 weeks old, even 9. It is amazing how much they learn from their littermates and mother during these 3 weeks. Your puppy did not get this "training" from his littermates and now you must be the substitute. Have you ever watched a mother dog with pups that are jumping, nipping at her face? The mother will at a point let out a quick bark, growl, whatever, and the puppy backs off. She has disciplined him! So with that said I recommend this: When the puppy nips hands, feet, etc, try saying "OUCH"!!!!!! You know, in a voice that sounds like that really hurts, because that does HURT!!!! Then IMMEDIATELY give him something he IS allowed to nip and chew on...one of HIS toys. Using this "diversion" "positive" method will work if you are consistant. You may find yourself saying OUCH a lot in one day but you should see it decreasing over time. Remember to follow up immediately with a positive thing...HIS toy. Now another thing you can do is when he starts this nipping action, have a "special" toy handy...one in which he ONLY plays with it and gets it when YOU are around and playing with him. When you are done playing with him, put it up. Only get it out on special occasions when you have time to devote to him and him only. This is your time together with him and his "special" toy. Now if he is in a "mood" where nothing you do stops him from the nipping while he is playing, put the toy up and put the puppy in his crate for "time out"...this is NOT punishment, you are NOT talking to him negatively or stern...you are merely giving him a 10 min time out to settle down. Give him a toy in his crate, not the special one, just another chew toy. Let him do his chewing on HIS toys, not you. Here again, be consistant, don't allow him to play and nip one min and then not the next. He is NEVER allowed to do that to you, NEVER! A dog is a creature of habit and if something is done the same way all the time they will learn to react to that action. So this is why I believe "positive" training is good. Just as a note...Ivy (the Dane puppy 8 mos old now) has never been hit in her life. She responds VERY well to me when I use "uh uh" (like you would say no no? understand?) It's the TONE that stops her from doing something she shouldn't be doing. But this is something I have ALWAYS used and she knows when she hears that "sound" she stops what she is doing. The micro second she stops, she gets a "Goooooood Girl!!!!!" and then depending on what the situation is, she may get a toy she IS allowed to chew on rather than chewing on the Goldens tail! See what I mean? Positive reinforcement. When you are training a dog and you get upset, aggravated, frustrated, STOP YOUR SESSION IMMEDIATELY! This puppy may look at your husband as more of an authority figure than you right now. Maybe it's his "tone" of voice, I cannot say for sure, but you CAN train this dog if you are persistant and positive. The dog can sense your frustration and this is confusing to him. You are the "pack" leader and he has to KNOW you are confident and he can trust YOU to do what is right and "follow" your lead. All dogs are different, no ONE method works for EVERY breed, you have to take their personalities and traits into consideration. Start now making this puppy do what he is supposed to (in a positive way) so he doesn't get into the habit of getting away with something. They have to make mistakes to learn. I wouldn't teach a dog to heel and force him to stay in the proper position all the time. I will let him get out of position so he can be shown what not to do. Right now keep working on: OUCH (for the nipping, and give him something else)...SIT, Stand, DOWN. This is all done on his level with him on your LEFT side. Never hover over your dog or stare him in the eye. Use lots of praise! Also get him used to that collar THEN the leash, then you can start working on COME. Remember, commands only ONE time then make him do it, then praise. Keep your sessions to 5 min at a time, puppies do not have a long attention span. One more comment: Do not use the "DOWN" command when he jumps on you. Instead, tell him "OFF" You will be wanting to train him to DOWN later on and these are totally 2 different commands.

IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE A DOG SIT?
(Q)Someone told me it was almost impossible to teach a greyhound to "sit." Since so many training procedures start from this position, I would like some advice. My dog is a sweet and adorable two year old who loves to greet visitors by jumping on them full force. She settles down after about five minutes of out-of-control behavior. She is not at all agressive, but her happiness and excitement combined with fifty muscular pounds is overwhelming!

(A) To start your sit do the following: Kneel beside your dog (he is on your left) Start by holding his collar with your right hand and put your left hand on his shoulder. Slowly work your way down the back of the dog saying "Doggie Sit" (using YOUR dogs NAME) as you wind up at her knees. What you want to do is "tuck" her into the sit position. While you are tucking, you are slightly pulling "back" on the collar. She will have no choice but to sit if you do this correctly. The only thing she may do is whip her body "away" from you. IF she does this, work on the sit with her next to the wall and you on the side of her as above. Everything is "gentle" as you are working on this exercise. Keep physically sitting her for a while, say a week or so, then try "standing" next to her and giving her the sit command. If she does not sit the FIRST time you ask, then TUCK SIT her again without giving the command a second time. Keep doing this. What you don't want to do is REPEAT the sit command ever!!! Say it ONCE and then make her do it. When you work on the sit after awhile in the stand position, you can tug "backwards" on her leash as you are giving the sit command. Give her all kinds of "hints" for awhile, then after that, make her do it. You can also "lure" her into a sit with treats. (See the "sit" training section)

CRYING AT NIGHT IN CRATE
(Q) I have a 6 month Male Airedale. I have had him to puppy classes, basic obedience classes also had him to a trainer and left him there for a week. My problem is when i put him in his crate at night he cries and will not stop. The trainer told me to go down and do heal sit one step at a time then put him back in his crate. I can't let him cry because my husband wakes up and takes a fit. He doesn't have to go out because I feed him around 5 and take him out before bed which is around 10 . I practice sit,down stay and heal he is great at that. But the crate thing I am going crazy with.

(A) Sorry to hear you are having crate problems but it sounds like otherwise your dog is doing GREAT! This is quite an accomplishment for an Airedale. They are smart but can be at times difficult to train. In any case, as I don't know how long you've tried crate training him, here's what I would suggest: Put him in his crate for "short" periods of time as if you were just beginning to train him. Do this when you are home. Give him something to play with, like a "Kong" toy, the kind you can put "goodies" in or smear peanut butter inside. This will hopefully help keep him occupied and not bored. Leave him in there for only 5 minutes. Be sure to let him out ONLY if he is not crying to get out. So get him out at a quiet time and praise him a lot. Leave him out for awhile, then repeat for another 5 min. Gradually increase his time "in" the crate. The crate should be large enough so he can "stand up" "turn around" and "lie down" What you want to do is "gradually" increase time in the crate and be sure to use lots of praise. Taking him out of the crate while he is crying is only reinforcing him to cry. He's getting his way by crying, he gets OUT! At night, when he cries, be sure he doesn't have to go out to relieve himself first, you may want to let him out to go then put him BACK in the crate with a treat. If he cries again, ignore it.It may take a while for him to settle down at night but if you are persistant and have done the crate training properly, he should respond. Don't make the mistake of running to him every time he cries. As long as you know he does not have to go "out" I'd let him cry for awhile. Dogs can do "negative" things just to get attention and they learn this very quick. If crying brings you to him, he's won.

CHEWING, CHEWING, CHEWING!
(Q) A yellow lab, greyhound and Ridgeback. Chewing is the issue. He is 2 and a half now and whenever he begins to chew something like a corner of a book, I distract him and give him a piece of hide, (white) to chew. He chews many of them. We play with him, and he gets at least a mile walk, run each day. He just chewed the book when I wasn't looking. Help. And thank you.

(A) What you are doing is the right thing...distracting him, but you should also be disciplining him when he's "caught" in the act. I do not believe in "striking" any dog so a verbal correction is suggested and a LOUD one! When you catch him chewing something he shouldn't, yell UH UH!!!!!!!!!!!! This will get his attention and then say "Good Boy" Leave the book where it is for the moment and watch if he does it again. If he does, repeat the UH UH!!!!!!!!!! then the "Good Boy." Also practice the "leave it" command. Work on this with "food"....have a treat in your hand, hold it by his nose, give the command "Leave it" and if he comes forward to grab the treat, gently nudge his nose backward with another "leave it" command. Continue doing this until he "hesitates" to come forward to grab the treat. At that point, give the "take it" command and encourage him to move his head forward towards the treat to take it. Then Praise him. continue to work on this until he understands when you say Leave It, he is NOT to touch the treat. This command will then (down the road) work with anything, including the book or paper he might start to chew on. But you must work with him every day on this. It will be very obvious when he KNOWS what you mean when you say Leave It. If your dog has a determination to chew on a particular object I personally would not have this object laying around until you know he is not going to chew on it. Some dogs are lifetime chewers on certain things such as some dogs are just going to dig no matter what you do and you may have to adjust and change the surroundings if he totally refuses to learn and listen. Don't expect instant miracles on the Leave IT, but do continue to work on it, you just may be surprised with the results.

PUPPY BITING
(Q)I have a 14week old golden retriever, we've had him 1 mo. our first dog and we love him. I'm having a problem with his biting, he pretty much listens in most other areas. The biting is a problem because I have two young kids 2yrs old and 6yrs old. He frequently mouths/bites them. Today he mouthed my 2yr olds arm hard enough to leave a raised mark and broke the skin. I was very upset I know my son did not provoke him. I scolded him and left him outside in his dog house for the night(something I've never done before) I've routinely told him no biting and praised when he stops. He is teething because he has two new teeth that just broke through. I hope that this is not something that I just have to put up with untill he gets older or suddenly understands. I can't bere to see my 2yr. old get hurt with puppy bites. Please help!

(A)You are certainly correct in not wanting your pup to bite. My suggestion would be: EVERY time this pup puts his mouth on a person, whether it be you or the children, he must be re directed to something else. HIS toy! OR...I would walk away from him. You must supervise when the puppy is around the children at all times until you are confident he won't do this. A puppy this young is going to be rambuntious, especially around children, and especially the breed he is...but getting his manners under control, Goldens are wonderful and wonderful around children. They DO take some time to settle down though, I hope you are prepared for this. A good 2 to 3 years they have puppy behavior. BUT if they are trained in obedience they will listen. I would strongly suggest you get him into an obedience class if possible. This would help you greatly in understanding him and how to "control" him. If this is not possible, go over my dog training site and try it on your own. Spend time with him EVERY DAY doing obedience....20 minutes, that's not a lot of time. Start with SIT, then STAND, then DOWN, get him to actually do these things when you ask. Don't expect him to learn this over night though. Be patient, not at all agitated while you are training. I know they can get to you!! Work on the "LEAVE IT" command using treats. This "leave it" comes in handy for a lot of things especially now that he's teething. Take it step by step and one day at a time, you will see a difference in him. Above all, spend personal time with him, teaching him things..it does wonders when you occupy their minds. Be sure he has plenty of chew things he's allowed to chew on also.

TEARING THE HOUSE APART WHEN LEFT ALONE
(Q)We are fortunate enough to work out of our home, but sometimes need to leave our 14-week-old black lab at home for durations of between 2-5 hours. Surprisingly, he has not recently gone potty in the house when left alone, but he does sometimes tear apart the house. Is this his way of letting us know he is upset? Should we reprimand him for this? Thank you in advance for your advice.

(A)A 14 week old puppy no matter what breed should not be left alone running in the house. put him in a crate. It's actually too dangerous for him to be loose. Electric wires to name only one. I would venture to guess if you continue to do this, something sooner or later will be destroyed. I strongly recommend some sort of enclosure. A crate (large enough for him to stand up and turn around) Give him a safe toy such as the KONG toy while you are gone...NO rawhide!!!!! (Rawhide will get slimy and can choke them) Just as a note: Black Labs are so called "puppies" for sometimes up to 3 years!!!! They are smart, yes, but take "training" and patience. No, I would not say he is showing you he is upset. He is only doing what any normal puppy would do when bored. They will find something to entertain themselves with and in this case, it's your house! I mentioned the Kong toy...it's a great toy. You can put peanut butter, doggie treats, cheese, whatever inside of it and they can sometimes stay occupied for hours trying to get it out! There are also other toys on the market specifically made to put treats inside. You may want to give this a try as they are very sturdy toys, virtually indestructable and you will need that with a Lab especially when he starts to teethe.

POSSESSIVE ABOUT FOOD
(Q)Our 14-week-old black lab has been with us for a month now, and tonight when I tried to move him off the white carpet with a greasy pork bone, he growled and snapped at me. I reprimanded him, and later gave him back the bone. Five minutes later, I tried once again to coax him off the carpet, and he once again growled and snapped. Is this normal? What can I do to prevent him from snapping at me?

(A)Yes and NO it's normal. Yes because the dog is "defending" what is his, and NO because he needs to learn YOU are the boss, not him. I would be very harsh on him for growling!!!!! He is only 14 weeks old and much too young to start this kind of habit, and it will turn into a habit IF he is allowed to get away with it. You should NEVER tolerate, growling, nipping, jumping, snapping, biting, or having his mouth on you what so ever. You are the "pack leader" here, he is not and needs to learn that in no uncertain terms. Now I will give you MY opinion on what I would do. I know there are a lot of training methods out there but I also know I have worked with dogs practically all my life and believe me, not one has ever bit me or growled at me. I do recall some "growling" but it happened once and only once! Ok here is what I would do: First of all that dog would "not" have gotten that bone back after I got it. He didn't deserve it. Dogs have to earn what they get and part of that earning is being good. What you need to establish here is his trust in you that you can take anything from him and you will give it back (sometimes) For example....when you feed him do you put his dish down, let him take a few bites, then take the dish away? If not, you should be doing this. Feed him, let him eat a few bites, then reach down and take the bowl saying "leave it" at the same time. IF and I say IF that dog goes to snap, growl, bite, you immediately give out the loudest NO you can, do anything to startle him and take that dish. Work on "Leave It" (it is on my site for training), work on giving him a toy saying "Take it" then you take it away saying "Out" ...in other words you are giving and taking. Progress to using food rather than toys. Apparently he's possessive around food so work on food treats, hold it in front of his nose, say LEAVE IT...you gently nudge his nose away from you if he goes to get it saying LEAVE IT at the same time..The second you see him hesitate to take it, then you say "TAKE IT" and allow HIM to come to YOU to get it...dont advance YOUR hand towards him. Just remember, GET CONTROL and get it fast. Dogs can get into "habits" quickly!!! Like feeding from the table!!!!!!!!!!!!! ONCE is all it takes then you have a begger on your hands. I sometimes have 5 dogs in here with me while eating supper, not one will sit and beg, stare, nothing! That is because they NEVER get fed from the table!!!! If I give them something, it's IN THEIR BOWL so habits don't start. Be firm but gentle and let him know YOU are in control.

STEALING FOOD FROM COUNTER
(Q)My dog is not permitted into the kitchen. However, she sneaks in when she thinks no one is around. If food is left on the counter she steals it.

(A)Teaching a dog to stay away from things on the counter would be no different than teaching him not to take things that don't belong to him. It's the "leave it" command. Work on this with "food"....have a treat in your hand, hold it by his nose, give the command "Leave it" and if he comes forward to grab the treat, gently nudge his nose backward with another "leave it" command. Continue doing this until he "hesitates" to come forward to grab the treat. At that point, give the "take it" command and encourage him to move his head forward towards the treat to take it. Then Praise him. continue to work on this until he understands when you say Leave It, he is NOT to touch the treat. This command will then (down the road) work with anything. After working with "food" go to his toys. Of course he's allowed to play with his toys but he should stop IF you want him to. Advance by putting things on the counter telling him LEAVE IT (once you are sure he understands this command of course). Now don't ever give him the "thing" on the counter as you don't want him thinking he's allowed to take anything from the counter but you do want to praise him for NOT taking it, so be prepared to give him a treat instead after he's left the "thing" on the counter. Don't tempt him by leaving it on the counter after he's obeyed, just remove it. Now the tricky part. Start leaving food within his reach. SHOW him the food and tell him LEAVE IT. Keep an eye on him while you are not in the same room. If he goes to get the food or even if he looks likes he's thinking about getting it...yell LEAVE IT! Then of course he'll be startled and you can praise him. Then just leave the food there for awhile to be sure he's not going to try and get it again. All this is going to take time and patience on your part. It's just a matter of working with it often plus "testing" him now and then.

BITING AND LUNGING PUPPY
(Q)My puppy bites and lunges at me and the more I correct him the madder he gets!Help!!
(A)Be firm but gentle. Here are my suggestions:
1) When the pup lunges, redirect her and give her one of her toys. In other words you are diverting the pups attention to something she is allowed to do.
2)Time out! Yep, just like a kid! Hopefully you have a crate and this can be her time out place. Now if you do have one and you do this, you do it as soon as she starts this behavior and do it firm but gentle. (You don't ever want to give the impression the crate is a BAD thing, so watch your tone of voice) Give her one of HER toys. Let her stay in the crate a little while. When she's let out and she does it again, she's back in the crate. Hopefully she'll learn this behavior gets her in "time out." And that's no fun being alone.