Hi Nicky, thanks for your feedback! Dogs who bark in the car is a really common issue and there are definitely strategies you can use to help calm things down. One thing I always recommend is to look at the process owners use to get their dogs into the car….are they too excited/nervous before they even get into the car for example? My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com has strategies and techniques related to barking in the car…maybe take a quick look…its a $1USD trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

Hi Gina,
At 8 months of age a dog will generally not just grow out of a behaviour, they will need help from their owner to learn how to behave correctly. One thing to practice is the routine you use when preparing to go for a walk, but really focus on your dog being calm at each stage. This may mean that you do some additional, short practice sessions when you have no intention of actually going for a walk…just so you can encourage the right behaviours. Starting a walk with your dog at a calmer level does have a big impact on their behaviour when they are actually on a walk. 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 Jess,
Issues when dogs are on-leash, such as pulling or over-excited behaviour, is something I get asked about a lot! There are a lot of dog owners out there not feeling like they are in control on the walk but this is certainly a something you can improve on. My biggest recommendation is to look at your dog’s behaviour from them moment you even think about going for a walk, and take note of their excitement level. For example, if you can’t even pick up their leash or put on a certain pair of walking shoes without them going bananas then this is the moment your walk actually breaks down and your dog takes control…..often long before you even exit your house! One of the key things to changing this behaviour and calming things down is to practice these things frequently, which you can do when you are around your house and have no actual plan to go on a walk, so that your dog starts to realise that excited behaviour gets him nowhere. If he pulls on the leash then practice changing direction each time he does, but again start this practice in your home first and gradually extend your lesson. In order to really make ground on this behaviour you do need to be consistent and so initially your walks may not be as long as they normally are because your focus should be on the quality of the information you give your dog. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly what to do…maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

Hi Micela,
Having an obedient/well-trained dog can be a very different thing when it comes to problem behaviours. Dogs can do all sorts of tricks and follow commands to make you happy, but if they feel that there are more important things to attend to…..like other dogs and your safety on a walk….then those commands and obedience can all come crashing down. The reason this happens is that dogs don’t view commands as a sign they believe their owners are the leaders or decision makers in their pack/family, they have a totally different set of criteria to work this out. So obedience is important but it’s not the thing that creates well behaved dogs. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly how to achieve this…maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

Hi Jenny,
We only have these videos available on my membership website and not for individual purchase. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com has a a $1 trial for 3 days…maybe take a quick look and see what you think….all the best Doggy Dan

Hi Sally,
My biggest piece of advice for helping a dog overcome issues on the walk is to review what’s happening from the moment you even think about going for a walk. Often a dog will get really excited at the mere sight of their leash, or your sneakers/jacket/car keys as they know it means they are going for a walk. The issue is that if they are really excited at this point then you have already lost control of the walk before you have even left the house. So my advice is to break the process down into smaller steps and practice these when you are at home without the intention of going out for a walk. I mention some of these stages in the Blog but the key really is practice, practice, practice and making sure your dogs are at the lower end of the excitement spectrum. If they get to excited during practice then stop, go and do something else for a while and when they are relaxed try again. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly how to achieve this and we also deal with anxiety…maybe take a quick look and see what you think…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

Hi Shelleyanne,
I have posted a link to another blog I wrote (below) and I think it may be helpful in understanding what is motivating your dog’s behaviour. A key component of overcoming this behaviour is how you respond, both proactively and reactively. Try to remain calm yourself, for a dog who may be panicking it is far more reassuring that are behaving calmly and with as little fuss as you can. If you see a dog approaching and your dog is becoming agitated then allow her some space and move her away. This will enable her to feel a little safer and also remain calm enough where you can help work her through her behaviour. The temptation is often to simply expose a dog to other dogs in the hope that they will overcome their behaviour, but without giving them the correct information as well this will likely not happen. Have a look at the blog link below and my website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com also shows you very clearly how to achieve this…maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

http://theonlinedogtrainer.com/training-aggressive-dogs-understanding-dominant-and-fearful-aggression/

Hi Keri,
It is very normal for dogs to test their owners occasionally just to make sure that everything is as it should be. Dogs will usually do this if something has changed in their world, they have had a stressful encounter, the family has become inconsistent with the rules, but it could be anything really. The most important thing to quickly overcoming a dog who is testing you is how you respond, so ensure everyone is giving your dog the right information. My own dogs will occasionally skip a meal so i just make sure I stick to the process and usually pretty quickly they are back on track. Of course I do make sure they are not unwell!
In my opinion crate training a dog can be a incredibly helpful thing to do, for so many reasons, but it is vital that the crate is used correctly and not to shut dogs away for extensive periods of time. Having your dog used to sleeping i a crate is a great idea but it really does depend what you feel comfortable with. Many dogs do love their crates but some also find it a real challenge to be contained, so it’s about finding what works for your dog. You can certainly use a combination of your dog sleeping in their crate and on your bedroom floor occasionally, if your dog copes well with that. A little flexibility is fine! All the best…Doggy Dan

Hi,
Thanks for your post! I do have advice for you in relation to your dog getting really excited when you return home and that is to delay speaking to her or making eye contact until she has calmed down and left you alone for around 5 minutes. If she jumps at you then you can turn to the side to block her but it’s important not to tell her to ‘sit’ or ‘get down’ as this is actually the attention she is after in doing the behaviour in the first place. It then means she will do that exact behaviour then next time you return because she knows it works. If you show her that jumping up doesn’t gain attention then she is more likely to stop doing it, but you may need to stick to the plan and persevere for a little while. Some dogs are determined! If she is really bad then I would even suggest stepping back outside the door again as soon as her jumping becomes too much for you. initially don;t move too far away from the door so that as soon as she jumps at you too much then you can step back outside. The whole point of this is that she realises she will lose you if she jumps on you and we are then encouraging her to use self-control, the best form of control we have. Again, you may need t repeat this a few times but it is really effective. Stay calm and consistent and she will understand what you want from her. Hope that helps….All the best, Doggy Dan

Now I could use a little advise from you. I have two rottweilers, both female, mother and daughter actually. The mother will be 10 in September (I hope) and the daughter, Ischa has just turned 5. It is about her, that I need your advise. She is almost always very well behaved, except when I have been away for a while and come home. She is so happy to see me back, that she jumps me when I get in. I try to not give her any attention at that moment, I have tried giving her the command to sit, I have turned my back to her…nothing helps.One time I made the mistake to get angry and the result of that was it got worse for that moment, as if she needed to win my approval again…
Any ideas?

Hi Stacey,

The behaviours you describe are really common and the reason your dog is behaving the way she is is because she feels responsible for keeping you safe and she is panicking whenever she thinks you are in danger. You can certainly help her relax in these situations by showing her that it is now your job to keep everyone safe and the best way to do that is by using a language, or form of communication, that she understands and can trust. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly how to achieve this…maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

Yep 🙂

Hi Jill, I would google search for an “Easy Walk” harness or a “Halti harness” (Not a Halti but a halti-harness) cheers Dan

I think she meant to say “eats LIKE she has never had any food”