Working through a dog’s reactivity goes so much deeper than you might think. We have to set up very clear expectations for behavior. We have to teach them how to achieve a calm mindset. We have to teach them to look to us for guidance. And we have to do that in so many environments until it becomes second nature.

Scout has shown some reactivity toward cars, and will try to run away from loud noises. So we’re tackling both of those issues in this session by simply teaching her to exist in a highly stressful environment for her. By teaching her to look to me for guidance rather than react to all of the scary noises, we’re teaching her appropriate behavior in this environment. With practice, she’ll be able to calmly handle anything that comes her way. But it starts here. Actually, it started a week ago by teaching her the expectations inside around limited distractions. It starts small, and then you can add on that solid foundation to open up her world to new experiences.

Molly is such a high energy dog that feels the need to be part of everything going on around her. That’s simply not feasible, and can be annoying and at times unsafe. In this video, we’re getting her all excited by playing tug with her for about 30 seconds, and then asking her to go on place. When on place, she is expected to stay on the cot and remain calm until released. When I see that she is calm, I release her for another fun tug session. We repeat this over and over so that she can learn how to turn off her energy when we need her to.

Last week we showed you how to lure your dog onto the place cot with treats. Now we’re going to show you how we layer in the e-collar. This is the first step in teaching some great impulse control.

As with any new tool, we are taking things nice and slow for Hank and working him at a very low level on the e-collar. Any time he gets confused, we’re going to use the leash to help guide him into position.

If you are at all unsure of how to use an e-collar, please talk with a trainer before using it with your dog. It is so important that new tools are taught in a safe and fair manner so that your dog can truly succeed.

You hear me talk about the place command all the time, and we’ve finally made a series of videos to show you the step-by-step process to teach your dog this wonderful command.

Step one is simply luring your dog onto the cot and rewarding for any length of time that your dog stays on the cot. Don’t worry if they pop right off, this step is simply getting your dog comfortable on the cot. Some dogs may be nervous or confused, so take your time and really help them understand that getting onto the cot gets them a reward. You’ll see their confidence come up and a willingness to jump on the cot in no time!

Let’s talk about how our attention affects our dogs’ behavior.

Your dog loves getting attention from you. All of the belly rubs, tug of war challenges, and late night snuggles are incredibly rewarding for both of you. You get the warm fuzzies when your dog is excited and happy to see you, and she feeds off of that happy energy. It lets her know that you’re happy with her, that she’s doing a good thing, and that if she does it in the future, she’ll likely get the same happy attention from you.

And there is the catch that I want you to really think about. Your dog is incredibly smart and knows that there are certain behaviors that will get your attention again and again. So when you give her that attention is critical. Lots of play, kissy noises, high-pitched greetings: they are all incredibly fun and tell your dog “let’s celebrate!”. The more fun you make it, the more reinforcing it is for her (meaning the more likely she is to try that behavior again so that she can have that fun again).

But do we always want a high-energy dog? What about when you’re about to sit down to dinner? I’m guessing you don’t want your dog bouncing around and getting underfoot, or trying to snuggle everyone at the table. And what about when you come home with an armful of groceries? If she’s used to you ecstatically greeting her every time you come in the door, you better be ready for her to rush into your bubble, whether you’re ready or not.

If we want to have calm behaviors, we need to practice them. And this comes down to only giving your dog the attention she so desperately craves when she is calm. Don’t throw a party every time you walk in the door, or she will jump on every guest that you have over. Don’t pet her as she barks at the dog outside of your window, or she will think that she gets rewarded for barking (and she’ll start doing it a whole lot more). Don’t wrestle with her two minutes before bedtime and then expect her to robotic-ly curl up in her kennel at night.

Your dog loves getting attention from you, so use that to your advantage by only providing it when you want to encourage more of that behavior. Not sure what this looks like in action? We’re here to help!

If your dog is amped up when you pull the leash out, get them into a calm state of mind before you walk out the door or you’ll be fighting with that energy for your entire walk.

Hank is getting the hang of this skill before we start on our morning walk! Great job, buddy.

Do you ever wish for more freedom with your dog; the ability to take them to your favorite places, introduce them to new experiences?

Let’s tweak how you communicate with each other. When you simplify, clarify, and set boundaries, your dog will be able to understand exactly what you need from her. Once you’ve mastered that, the possibilities are endless.