Hi Salli, I have two Chihuahuas, Poncho and Dolly. They bark so loud. Here's the deal.....I have a salon in my house which is very busy. People come and go all day. Dolly has been exposed to this since we brought her home, age 8wks. Poncho came into our home permanently a few months age. They hear clients pull up and park. The moment they hear the car door it begins. They run through the dog door to the gate barking the whole time. Barking the client all the way into the house. It's driving me and them crazy. They do stop once the client has acknowledged them once in the salon. How do I get them to stop on command? I like the warning part but the continuous barking
has to stop. Any ideas?

Thanks, Debra

Dear Debra,

My first suggestion would be to seal the dog door during the day when you know clients are coming. Basically what's happening is that because they are the only ones greeting people at the gate they feel the need to alert you until you are in control of the situation (once everyone is inside). You have unwittingly put the in the position of sentinels. A sentinel's job is to alert the one in charge that something is going on. They are simply doing the job you gave to them, and doing it rather well, I might add.

If you are worried about the housetraining issues with a temporarily sealed dog door, that's a whole other conversation. Dogs who use a dog door are, in my opinion, not really housetrained because they have never learned to hold it. If this is the case send me another e-mail and we can discuss it further.

Very best,
Salli

I have a 3 1/2 year old German shepherd/Doberman female named Mokka. Last month, I separated from my husband and moved to an apartment from our house. I have left Mokka with my husband as we have a yard for her to run around in, but I go every day as soon as I get off work and visit her for several hours and I walk her. When the house is sold, I plan on moving Mokka with me to the apartment, which by the way, I have taken her quite a few times. Number 1, she is nervous and whines when we are at the apartment and # 2, she has never gone to the bathroom when she is on a walk or anything. She waits until we get back to the house and then runs to the patio door to be let out.
She will learn right to use the bathroom on her leash?
Is there a way to make the transition from the house to the apartment easier? My husband says we should give her away as it is unfair to have her in an apartment, but alot of people in my complex have big dogs.

Thank your for your help with this problem.

Vivian

Salli: I don't think you need to give her up at all, provided you will have time for her when she moves in with you. Apartment dogs are very often better behaved and better exercised than they're "fenced back yard" counterparts simply because of the effort required. My hat is off to you for making this commitment to your dog.
The more time Mokka spends at the apartment the more she will get used to it. I would suggest you pick her up after work and bring her to the apartment to hang out and take a walk etc. rather than doing those things back at the house. Any whining or fussing should be ignored completely. You should act like this is your home now and be as relaxed as possible. She will take her cues from you. As far as eliminating on the leash, you should enlist your husband's help to see that she is now walked only on a leash first thing in the morning and at other times when you know she really has to go. Once she figures out this is her only option she will get the hang of it quickly.

Best of luck
Salli

Question: We just adopted a dog from a shelter and she is really sweet but she pees every time anyone new comes in the door and wants to pet her.

Salli: This behavior is call submissive or excited urination and is a very common problem with shelter dogs.

It happens when a shy or submissive dog is unsure about what is going to happen next.
The most important thing to do when dealing with this issue is to NOT scold the dog. Scolding will only make the problem worse.

The way to handle situations where this may occur is to have everyone involved ignore the dog until the big excitement has past, then let the dog approach each new person on her own terms. To go even further, you can ask people to pet her when they are sitting down.

Your relationship with your dog needs to be one where he has a good work ethic. That he believes that doing things when you ask means good things for him will be forthcoming.

Question: My 1 year old Pug is still having accidents in the house. Shouldn't we be past this by now?

Salli: In theory yes, in reality, not necessarily.

For some reason smaller dogs take longer and are overall more difficult to housetrain than medium to large dogs. For a pug of this age to still be having problems, you should rule out medical issues.

An overall workup with a urine test is certainly the first step. If he gets a clean bill of health we then look to behavior. Dogs really don't want to soil the space where they eat, sleep, play and hang out so chances are, you have been giving him too much freedom.

The most important concept to keep in mind is either supervise or confine. If you can't be 100% watching him he needs to be crated or confined to an area small enough for him to want to resist soiling. This could be a laundry room or may even need to be smaller.

I'm also a big fan of putting a lightweight leash on the dog and attaching it to your belt. You may find that he is trying to give you signals he needs to go out and you haven't been picking up on them. Having him attached to you will help a lot in that regard.

Question: My terrier mix bolts out the door whenever given the chance and runs around our (thankfully quiet) neighborhood until she finally comes home up to a hour later.

Salli: This is a case where doorway etiquette needs to taught, along with a good reliable recall (See this question).

Start by making sure your dog is on a leash so you can exercise control and have some great small treats on hand. As you approach the door and go to open it make sure the dog is back and away. If you immediately get dog nose in the crack of the door simply close the door.

Do this several times until your dog finally looks at you in frustration. When she does, praise her for a good "Wait", give her a treat and repeat. Do this until she figures out that pushing towards the door no longer works. The only way the creature with the opposable thumb (you) will open the door is when she waits and watches you patiently.

Once this concept starts to sink in, make sure she always "waits" before going in or out any door. This will establish a permission seeking atmosphere regarding doorways and should help a great deal with the bolting behavior.

Question: My dog doesn't reliably come when called.

Salli: This is a huge problem for many dog owners and although the remedy is three pronged and very simple, it is not easy.

If you have a puppy and depending on the breed it may take you as many as two years of hard consistent work.

The first concept that has to be in place is that of leadership. Your dog needs to believe you have the right to influence his behavior. So if he hesitates to do anything even as simple as a sit when you ask. You are already in trouble. Every command no matter how seemingly insignificant needs to be positively reinforced and praised with the same importance as a lifesaving one such as "come".

The second step to training a reliable recall (come when called), is learning what not to do. Never, repeat NEVER, chase your dog or scold him when he comes running up to you. No matter what heinous things he has done in the time between when you called him and he finally returns, you must always praise him for coming.

The third step in this process is the simplest, practice, practice, practice. You need to make time for this throughout the day every day, in as many different controlled venues as possible.

All this being said no matter how much you practice and how positive you make it, you still need to realize the limitations of your particular dog. Younger dogs need to mature, more intractable breeds may need extra treats and toys and some dogs will just never be reliable off leash. Most importantly, keep them safe!

Question: My 5 month old Golden retriever pulls on the leash so badly I'm afraid she is going to choke herself, and she is starting to get strong enough that she will soon be able to pull me over.

Salli: You wrote me just in time. At this age you can still influence her behavior in this area very passively.

The simple truth is that puppies pull because it works. The puppy wants to go somewhere and sniff something and whoever is on the other end of the leash is thrilled. She may be able to find that perfect right potty spot and she is so interested in the world. As a result the hapless human gets pulled all over and then is surprised when the puppy grows a bit and continues the same behavior.

At this point I would tell you to STOP! Whenever your puppy starts to pull simply stop. (Holding on to the leash with both hands if you need to). Your puppy will start to wonder what is happening to her parade, and will eventually stop to turn and look at you in confusion.

At this point begin to walk again until the puppy starts to pull again and then stop! Repeat this process until the puppy gets it. As you will have noticed, following this plan means that no one is getting a lot of exercise so you will need to play some good retrieving games in a securely fenced area in the interim.

Remember, dogs do what works.

Question: I have a 3 year old German Shepherd mix who barks furiously whenever anyone walks past my home.

Salli: The first thing to realize is that German Shepherds were historically bred to be very protective. In addition to herding duties they were used as perimeter dogs, to guard the perimeter of the flock or of the whole farm. That being stated, it’s important to insure that your dog or any dog for that matter will respond to the your calm direction when you say enough is enough.

Your first training job is to help your dog understand what is or is not a real threat. I think it’s appropriate to acknowledge the barking by going to look outside and directing your dog away from the window when someone walks by. By doing this you are showing him you appreciate his vigilance, but you are not concerned. You may be able to nip a lot of this in the bud by this simple act.

The remaining barking can be dealt with by keeping him away from the window with a tether if needs be and rewarding quiet behavior with positive attention, toys and treats. Whatever you do, avoid raising your voice at the dog, as he will perceive this as your barking right along with him.

Question: My puppy loves to chew on wood. She is destroying the molding in my house and has even started working on some chair legs. I got all kinds of chew toys for her, but all she really wants is the wood.

Salli: Puppies go through a couple of serious chewing phases and adult dogs can chew due to stress.

The appeal of wood is that it gives very little and is very tactile. The rough edges massage the inflamed puppy gums.

The best substitute I have found is called a Galileo Nylabone. Most pet supply stores carry them. Get a BIG one. Dogs like to chew on something they have to wrestle with a bit.

If you find your dog is uninterested at first, you may have to rough it up a bit with some coarse sandpaper or a metal file. Once it’s “broken in” the hair and dirt will stick to it and your dog will find it very interesting.

To dissuade her from the wood get one of the many bitter tasting preparations from the pet supply store and apply it to her favorite chewing spots often (it wears off with time).

Question: My 9 month old mixed breed puppy has just discovered how to get into the garbage. He knows better than to try this when I'm in the room, but how do I keep him from going after it when I'm not around or not looking?

Salli: The short answer is you can't. He is just being a dog. This is one where you must change your behavior, i.e. you have to figure out something else to do with the garbage. One thing you absolutely cannot do is scold him after the fact. Dogs do not have an understanding of such an abstract concept.

Some dogs can be set up with a mild aversive like a shaker can, (an empty pop can with pebbles inside) set just on top of the garbage. When it falls it can startle the dog making it less likely he will try it again, but given the size of the prize, the chances of a shaker can working for more that a minute or two is doubtful. The other reason to make other garbage arrangements is that you are just beginning your life and relationship with this dog.

If he learns how to do this at 9 months, you are going to be in for trouble for another 10 to 15 years. The reward for him is too high, get a new garbage can!