Hi!
These types of attention seeking behaviours are ones that our dogs quickly realise usually work, which means that they will continue to do them. I’m not saying that we should just allow them to jump up on us or steal items, just that our response needs to be more measured….so that we don’t turn it into a game, or reward that behaviour with attention. If your dog is jumping up on you then my recommendation is to make sure that you avoid speaking to them or making eye contact, just try to ignore the behaviour. However, if they are really persistent or rough then you can calmly remove them from the room for a few minutes and then wait until they are calm and quiet before you allow them out again.
With stealing the response is similar, avoid speaking to them or making eye contact and certainly avoid chasing them to retrieve the item! Just calmly try to remove the item with as little fuss as you can, and if they do growl then remove them from the room as above. I will say that you should not try to remove a food from your dog in this way, as this may result in a much more intense reaction from them. All the Best, Doggy Dan

Hi Dani,
A change in behaviour can be really common for dogs, and it can happen for many reasons. It may be that as your dog aged she became increasingly reactive, or she may have had an encounter with another dog that left her feeling vulnerable and anxious. Whatever the cause the great news is that you can overcome her behaviour. I have some fantastic resources on my membership website (theonlinedogtrainer.com) that will guide you on how to start doing this, or you can check out some of my other blogs that relate to this behaviour. All the Best, Doggy Dan

Hi Erin,
Dogs can work themselves into a real bother as a result of Separation Anxiety. I have encountered many dogs who self mutilate themselves and it is really a very sad thing to witness. The reason that dogs chew/destroy is because it helps release a feel-good hormone (endorphin) that is aimed at calming themselves down when they feel anxious. When owners understand what exactly is causing this anxiety and how to treat it correctly then their dog can live a happy and stress-free life. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly how to achieve this…maybe take a quick look…its a $1USD trial for 3 days…All the Best, Doggy Dan

Hi Kristen,
You do need to be very careful when working with dogs who resource guard their food. One thing I don’t recommend is simply trying to remove food as a way of desensitising them to it….practice and training needs to be more structured than that and in some cases, where the instinct to protect food is really strong, then erring on the side of caution is preferred. From our dog’s perspective food is a very valuable resource that really does mean the difference between life and death. When a dog has food in their possession their instinct tells them that they are totally justified in defending that from being taken away from them, so I really don’t recommend trying to do this…even with dogs who are not aggressive around their food. I want dogs to know that when food is in their possession they will be left in peace to enjoy it, I won’t try to remove it from them or challenge them for that resource. If bones/chews are an issue then I either only give those in a space where a dog can be left alone to eat, or I don’t give those items if they cause a strong reaction. My membership website covers this issue and teaches owners how to correctly address this behaviour…maybe take a quick look…its a $1USD trial for 3 days…All the Best, Doggy Dan

Hi Mark,
We definitely cover a range of different barking on my website. First of all though it’s important to identify why the dog is barking (Eg. Separation Anxiety, Threat, Excitement, Attention) and then you can put strategies in place to overcome the behaviour. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly how to achieve this…maybe take a quick look…its a $1USD trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

Hi Barbara….Potty training a puppy can take a lot of patience, supervision and consistency. The biggest tip I can give owners is to set a good routine and try to be proactive, taking puppy out regularly to help avoid accidents. It is also common for puppies to be able to hold on for longer periods during the night because they are less active and their body slows down to rest….during the day they are much more active and need to use the toilet more frequently. If you take your puppy out to toilet and she does nothing then bring her back indoors BUT keep a close eye on her and be ready to take her out again quite soon….it may be a good idea to crate/pen her when you do bring her indoors again so she doesn’t sneak off out of your sight!
Puppies can get really distracted when they are outside and this can mean they ‘forget’ to toilet, once that distraction has gone they then remember that they need to go to the toilet. Finding a quieter place in your garden for your puppy to use, even having her on a leash or long-line can help avoid her becoming distracted.
We do have a really comprehensive section on ‘Toilet Training’ on my membership website…maybe take a quick look…we have a $1USD trial for 3 days…All the Best, Doggy Dan

Hi Laura,
I understand your frustration…some dogs do require a lot more patience and input than others. Whenever owners report that their dog’s behaviour has plateaued, and they feel they aren’t quite pushing through the issue, I recommend a review of the 5GR’s to ensure they are still on track. It can be really common to unconsciously relax some of the rules, or even miss elements of them when they were first viewed, and this can have a big impact on how a dog’s behaviour progresses. One thing I have learnt through many years of working with dogs is that ‘the devil is in the details’ and for some dogs those missing details are important.
When heading out on a walk also make sure Jiffy is genuinely calm and responsive, before allowing him too much freedom. In fact using a long-line to work on his recall, but not lose total control, is a fantastic training strategy. When you feel his behaviour is generally good on-leash then it’s time to consider giving him more freedom and extending the learning process. If we give our dogs too much freedom too early then we can lose the ability to create new habits. All the Best, Doggy Dan