Camping Tips

What are your camping goals? (Photo: black and white Cocker Spaniel sits calmly in a green boat on the water)

You love camping and you want to bring your dog along but you’re worried about how she reacts: 

-on the leash

-when she’s tied up outside your trailer

-in the car

-around children

-around strangers

-and around other dogs

You imagine her swimming, playing fetch, and then having her space invaded by a well-meaning child…and you imagine the bite, the crying, and the furious parents. 

You imagine all of this even though your dog has never bitten anyone in the past. 

Help is on the way! 

You can achieve your camping goals. All you need to do is start small. (Photo: a woman and her dog sit calmly in a tent overlooking the water and mountains)

The first thing that will help you is to envision success. Imagine the swimming, the fetch, great recall, and hanging out at your campfire with your dog. 

Now, you need to set little goals to help achieve your camping dreams. 

Step One: 

Write down your vision. Do you want to do stand up paddle boarding? Canoe with your dog? Would you like her to be able to lay down and be chill at the campsite without defending it (and you) the entire time? Would you like her to relax in your canoe? 

Write them all down. The big goals. The small goals. 

Don’t forget to add: 

-calm in the car

-walk with you without pulling and reacting to dogs and people

Those two things matter because they revolve around teaching your dog to have a calm state of mind which is how you’ll achieve any goal with her. 

All set? 

Cheers to you reaching your goals with your dog (Photo: a couple cheers with wine glasses at a campsite. Their dog is lying calmly on the ground)

Step Two: 

Choose one small goal. Anything off the list that you can work on today. 

PRO TIP: Pick something that you can practice inside your home. A dog who doesn’t listen to you inside your home will not listen to you outside the home. It’s that simple. 

The biggest hurdle dog lovers have is getting started. Taking that first step. Because all those goals look like a mountain-worth of work. But guess what? Everything in life worth having takes hard work and dedication. Start small and we’ll get you there. 

Step Three: 

Commit to practicing this small goal three times today. Five minute sessions. That’s 15 minutes. You can make time for that. 

It doesn’t matter where you start. It matters that you’re brave enough to start. Be brave. 

Let me know what you’re working on in the comments below. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders. 

Alyssa 

Photos by: John Cameron @john_cameron (black and white Cocker Spaniel sits calmly in a green boat on the water,) Patrick Hendry @worldsbetweenlines (a woman and her dog sit calmly in a tent overlooking the water and mountains,) Jimmy Conover @jimmy_conover (a couple cheers with wine glasses at a campsite. Their dog is lying calmly on the ground,)

How Are Your Walks Going?

Are you relevant to your dog? (Photo: a person holding a retractable leash with the dog wayyyyyy out in front of them in a forest)

How are your walks going? Is there a lot of pulling? Does your dog spend most of her time on the walk: 

-zigzagging

-peeing on things

-hunting for squirrels/bunnies/birds/other dogs/people 

-lunging at people and other dogs

-chasing cars/cats/wildlife

-looking at everything but you

-pulling your arm out of its socket

-barking at…everything?

One of the reasons your dog is doing this is because you are not relevant. Sure, you’re attached to the other end of the leash, but you’re following behind her. She’s in control of where she’s going. 

Is your dog calling the shots and reacting to everything? (Photo: brown dog wearing a flat collar lunging at the end of his leash)

Because she’s in the front, she’s also in control of making all the decisions and dogs make pretty terrible decisions (and then yank us along with them, hurting our backs, shoulders, wrists, etc.) 

Here is your dog’s thought bubble: 

“That smells great, let me just pull over here. Now, over on this side of the sidewalk. Awesome! Mom’s pulling on the leash, guess I’ll dig in my nails, so she knows I want to keep smelling this. And GULP! Wow! That tasted as awesome as it smelled. Growl at that guy. Lunge at that senior citizen. I’ll nip that guy’s ankles, but I’ll wait until he’s passed by me. Barking seems to work to get other dogs to move away from me, so I’ll keep doing that move. Yep. Worked again. Those kids are screaming, let’s calm them down by jumping on them. Whoa! Garbage truck! Back away from that friggin’ thing! Squirrel!!” 

And on and on it goes. 

The only communication that is happening is: 

1. The dog is the leader and you are the follower. This is how pack animals think. If you are in the back, you’re a follower. If you’re in the front, you’re the leader.

2. There’s tension on your leash. Tension creates opposition reflex. In a nutshell, it communicates to your dog that it’s go time. Fight club time. Read more about that here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/who-is-protecting-whom

Are you practicing a bite sport, or are you on a calm and enjoyable walk? (Photo: a woman holding her Dogue de Bordeaux back while a man picks up a bite sleeve from the ground)

If you want a better relationship with your dog, but don’t know where to start, start with the walk. Teach your dog how to heel with a nice loose leash. Her head should be behind your knee to communicate to her that you are her leader. 

By walking your dog in this way, you earn leadership points. You get to choose which direction you walk which keeps you and your dog safe — you won’t be pulled toward aggressive dogs, forced to walk on the slipperiest part of the sidewalk, or pulled into traffic anymore!

Your dog will understand that it’s now your job to keep her safe, not the other way around. If she’s in front of you, it’s her job (that’s why she’s barking, lunging, and growling at every person and dog who comes toward you.) 

When your dog realizes you’ve got her back: 

-she can learn to trust you

-she can finally relax and just enjoy her walk (and not have to feel “on” all the time — she doesn’t like that, by the way.) 

-you will feel more relaxed and enjoy your walks more too

Walking your dog should be enjoyable. It shouldn’t feel like a chore. It shouldn’t be something you want to avoid. 

Walking your dog should feel like joy, peace, and calmness (Photo: Author, Alyssa Foulkes and her Rottweiler who is in an off-leash heel position in the forest)

Check out our latest IGTV video to learn more about: 

-fulfilling your dog’s physical and mental needs on walks

-heeling/loose leash walking

-one of the best places to practice loose leash walking 

Our Instagram handle is: @GoBeyondDogTraining

The video you’re looking for is called: Are you Fulfilling Your Dog? It’s in the IGTV Series: Structured Walks 

See you there! 

Happy training, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Marek Szturc @marxgall (a person holding a retractable leash with the dog wayyyyyy out in front of them in a forest,) Upsplash image (brown dog wearing a flat collar lunging at the end of his leash,) Upsplash (a woman holding her Dogue de Bordeaux back while a man picks up a bite sleeve from the ground,) Parry Bast (Author, Alyssa Foulkes and her Rottweiler who is in an off-leash heel position in the forest)

Cottage Tips

How to enjoy driving to and from the cottage and help your dog enjoy it too (Photo: the back of a German Shepherd mix sitting in a canoe)

Is your dog calm when you drive to your cottage? 

Pacing, panting, drooling, whining, and barking in the car is not the behaviour of a balanced, happy dog (Photo: a senior yellow Labrador Retriever wearing a worried expression in the backseat of a car,)

Does she pant, pace, whine, bark, walk back and forth over the kid’s legs? 

They’re not happy. You’re not happy. Your dog isn’t happy. 

Let’s change that with these tips. 

Most couples agree that their dog is stressed out in the car on the way up to the cottage. They have trouble pinning down the moment in time where the pacing, panting, and whining begins. They disagree about whether it begins as soon as the car starts, as soon as the car turns onto the highway, as soon as the car turns onto the gravel road near the cottage, or somewhere in between. 

The first tip is simply to observe your dog’s behaviour. 

Is she panting, pacing, or whining when you pack up the car? Where is she while you pack up the car? What is her state of mind? What is your state of mind? Are you in a rush? Hangry? These things matter. Dogs are our mirrors. 

It’s important to notice when your dog becomes stressed. Chances are it’s long before you hit the road (Photo: man packing camping items into the trunk of a vehicle)

If you notice that your dog is actually stressed out before you even get in the car, here are a few options to help her feel calm while you’re packing up: 

1. Have someone in the family take her on a long hike while the car is being packed up. Dogs who have been exercised are far more likely to be able to go into a resting state (which is preferred by everyone in the car during a four hour trip.)

2. Teach her the place command. The place command is an implied down-stay on an elevated surface. It is also a place of relaxation and calmness, so your dog’s job while you pack the car will be to relax in place.

3. Pack up early. If you’re in a rush and the family is running around yelling, your dog will pick up on that energy and mirror it back to you. You need to be in a calm and confident state of mind if you want your dog to be in a calm state of mind.

If your dog is pretty calm about most of the car ride, but gets amped up on the gravel road when you’re almost there, be mindful that you’re not amping her up. I recently helped a family who didn’t realize that they were getting their German Shepherd mix all excited on that road by letting her know they were almost there. “Almost there, girl. You can’t wait, can ya? You’re gonna chase the squirrels, aren’tcha? And swim, and play fetch, and catch sticks.” 

You’ve gotta be calm to teach calm. 

Try keeping the energy level joyful, but not bounce-off-the-walls excited. Your dog will be able to behave better upon arrival. 

Your energy and the energy of the other passengers has a ripple effect on your dog (Photo: A woman with her legs dangling out the car window. There is a road map on her lap.)

Imagine your dog arriving at the cottage and not having to worry about her: 

-jumping on the kids

-mouthing your hands

-biting people in the bum

-knocking over your grandkids

-racing to the neighbouring cottages and jumping up on them, their kids, their dogs

-running into the road and not coming when called 

-barking and chasing people and dogs who walk past your property 

Your dog’s behaviour at the cottage begins in your home. What you allow in your home and in your car, is what you agree with. 

Let us know in the comments how your dog behaves during your trips up to the cottage. 

Happy trails, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Lesly Juarez @jblesly (the back of a German Shepherd mix sitting in a canoe,) Karthik Sridasyam

@karthik1324 (a senior yellow Labrador Retriever wearing a worried expression in the backseat of a car,) Eddy Billard @eddybllrd (man packing camping items into the trunk of a vehicle,) Leio McLaren

@leio (A woman with her legs dangling out the car window. There is a road map on her lap.)

Try This!

If you want more of this on walks, read on for tips (Photo: Dachshund wearing a collar and leash looking up at his owner)

This week’s blog is a fun homework assignment. Who is ready to improve their relationship with their dog? 

Let’s go! 

This week, I want you to move more slowly. We humans are often in a big rush. We excitedly call our dog to the door, leash him up (even though he’s jumping on us and biting the leash,) and then we let him out the door ahead of ourselves. 

What happens next? 

We allow him into the car in an excited state of mind, where he barks out the window the whole time, paces, pants, and whines…and then we reward him by letting him leap out of the car and pull us around on a walk. 

You have to walk the dog you allow out of your front door. 

Read. 

That.

Twice. 

Please. 

If you allow your dog to get amped up before a walk, the walk will be a hot mess of pulling, anxious whining, reacting to dogs, reacting to people, and not listening to you. It can also be dangerous for you, the walker, if your dog is zig zagging, wrapping you up in the leash, tripping you, or yanking you into traffic. 

If your leash-up routine is a hot mess, your walk will be too (Photo: puppy grabbing and biting his collar)

Homework Assignment: 

Take your time before you pick up the leash to prepare yourself for the walk. That does not say: “to worry about the walk and all the dogs you think your dog will react to because she has in the past.”  

We are going to live in the moment during this homework assignment. Without talking to your dog, look over at your dog right now. 

Is she in a good state of mind right now? 

Sleeping? 

Calmly lying down nearby chewing a bone? 

Relaxed? 

This is the mindset that you want to reward and nurture, but you must begin with your own state of mind. 

Are you calm and confident right now? 

What would it take to remind yourself that you can do this? 

Do you need to remember a moment in your life where you felt confident? Perhaps you just received an award at work for leading your team to success. 

Maybe you just taught your daughter how to play the piano. 

So why do you think that you can’t walk your dog without drama? 

You can.

(Photo: woman on a mountain top with her arms spread wide in victory) The moment you start to believe in yourself is when you’ll see your dog’s behaviour shift in a positive direction

Hold on to that positive thought, puff yourself up, and let’s go get the leash. 

Wait! Before you get the leash, there’s one more thing that will help you: 

Review in your mind what your goal is going to be. 

It can be small! 

You can decide that this training session, you’re going to wait until your dog is calm before putting on the leash. Dedicate yourself to this process. 

I always recommend a quick potty break before you begin, especially if you have a puppy. This avoids accidents during your training session. It also keeps your mindset calm and confident (rather than worried about whether or not your dog needs to pee.) 

Now that you know what you’re looking for from your dog (calmness,) it’s time to get the leash. 

When you go get the leash, don’t say a word. 

Pick it up. 

If your dog comes over calmly, clip on the leash. 

If your dog comes over like a wild hyena (I’m not walking that thing), calmly set the leash down and go back to whatever you were doing before. 

This works. 

I teach this to all of my clients. 

Some have had dogs who would jump up on them. Others had dogs who would mouth or bite them. Many have had dogs who bite the leash and try to play tug. Other client dogs barked, jumped, and spun in circles. Clients with packs of dogs would deal with mouthing, wrestling, barking, and bouncing against the front door. Some client’s dogs would actually run away from the front hall. 

If any of those things happen to you, put the leash back and walk away. 

Dogs are very smart. 

Once your dog calms down, try this again. Don’t worry about it. Don’t be in a rush about it. You are strong, powerful, and confident and you’re the boss. 

Don’t feel badly about being a boss. Dogs require confident leadership. She won’t be mad at you, she will be relieved.

Dogs require leadership. Provide it and you’ll strengthen your relationship (Photo: woman sitting with her legs crossed holding a mug that reads: World’s Best Boss)

It’s the same as the first grade teacher who waits until all the children in the line are silent before allowing them to walk in the hallway to the assembly. If the teacher allows mayhem in the classroom and in the hallway, they will have wild students at the assembly. 

Wait your dog out. Believe you can do it. And then go do it! 

Post in the comments below how it goes. 

Have a wonderful long weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: laurent mandine @laurent38 (Dachshund wearing a collar and leash looking up at his owner,) Nat Chen @nat0408 (puppy grabbing and biting his collar,) Felipe Giacometti @fegiii (woman on a mountain top with her arms spread wide in victory,) Kelly Sikkema @kellysikkema (woman sitting with her legs crossed holding a mug that reads: World’s Best Boss,)

Puppy Love

Cuteness overload! Happy Friday! (Photo: three wrinkly puppies napping in a row)

If you haven’t had a puppy for awhile, or you’ve just adopted your very first puppy, you may be feeling very overwhelmed by chewing, barking, and crate training. There’s a lot to learn when it comes to raising a puppy into a balanced and well-behaved canine citizen. 

The first thing you’re going to need is not paper towels (though you’ll need a few of those) — it’s patience. 

Dogs are hardwired to follow calm and confident leaders, so freaking out, yelling, and waving your finger in their face are not going to help your relationship. 

The first ingredient to raising a puppy is patience (Photo: A woman leading her black dog on a park trail)

The second thing you’re going to need is this piece of information: your puppy is always, always, always learning. Anything you allow on day one (like pulling on the leash, biting the leash, and biting your fingers) that you’re not going to want your full-grown dog to do, will require lots of work to change later on in life. 

Don’t reach for your camera. Train your puppy that chewing this is off limits (Photo: Weimaraner puppy gnawing on the corner of a couch)

Start off on the right paw by teaching your puppy these five things: 

-they will get petted for having four paws on the floor and for being calm (not biting) 

-chewing the leash is not allowed

-the leash represents calmness (do not clip your leash onto a puppy who is jumping on you, biting you, or biting the leash) 

If you never allow this behaviour, you’ll never have trouble gearing up for walks with your full-grown dog (Photo: puppy lying on its back grabbing and biting its collar)

-you are the most important thing in the environment (so she should listen to you instead of pulling you toward every person, dog, cat, bunny, blowing leaf, and shiny object/reflection) 

-being in her crate is safe and wonderful (I just had a client who could not leave her house for two weeks to get groceries because her puppy could escape the crate. If you like eating, crate train your puppy and don’t skip any steps.) 

If you’ve never taught a puppy how to: 

-love a crate

-walk on a leash (without pulling or biting) 

-be calm around food

-greet strangers politely

-like having her nails trimmed

Schedule your free phone call today and we’ll show you how. 

Schedule your free call here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action

You can prevent: 

-having a puppy who cries and howls in her crate

-your puppy from escaping her crate and injuring herself in the process

-having a dog who bites the leash and drags you toward everyone and everything on walks

-having a puppy who constantly barks at you for everything

This is what dog ownership feels like when you’ve trained from day one (Photo: woman on a hiking trail jumping for joy)

If your puppy is now an adolescent (anywhere from 6 months to 2 years of age) and you are struggling with: 

-leash biting

-nipping strangers

-greeting your houseguests calmly (without jumping up, nipping, growling, or guarding you) 

-pulling on the leash

-crate training 

-separation anxiety

-obsessions with balls, reflections, or other objects 

schedule your free call here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action

There are so many advantages to in-home training that you won’t get in puppy school. 

-greeting guests at your own front door

-walking past the distractions in your own neighbourhood (the neighbour’s barking dogs, the tasty apple tree, cats, bunnies, and squirrels) 

-how to stop biting your table legs, couch cushions, and children’s clothing/toys/toes

-how to get along with your other pets 

Schedule your assessment (Your Dog Would Choose This One) here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action

In an hour and a half, you’ll learn the things that matter most to YOU. 

This week, we’ve helped clients with young puppies learn: 

-how to engage your puppy, so she stops demand barking at you

-how to crate train your puppy (so that you have fun doing it — and so does your puppy) 

-how to get your puppy to stop biting your children’s clothes, your children, your toes, your arms….you get the idea 

-how to turn potty breaks into little leash training sessions that are fun and encourage zero leash pulling

-how to teach your puppy how to be calm around his food bowl

-how to correctly introduce your puppy to the bathtub for his first bath 

-how to teach a mouthy puppy from biting your houseguests 

Whether your goal is calmness at the groomer and veterinarian’s office, or politely greeting strangers, we are here to help you (Photo: a calm Pomeranian being groomed)

It’s so important to get on top of your training as soon as you meet your puppy. Don’t wait until a bunch of loud, pointy, pully behaviours develop to begin undoing the damage. It’s way harder (especially if you’ve never owned your own dog before) to train a puppy to stop doing behaviours that you’ve allowed for months and months than it is to train them to do what you like in the first place. 

Let’s get you set up for success. 

Looking forward to helping you and your puppy develop a wonderful relationship. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Nicole Romero @billyynai_ (three wrinkly puppies napping in a row,) Gary Ellis

@garyellisphoto (A woman leading her black dog on a park trail,) Upsplash image Weimaraner puppy gnawing on the corner of a couch,) Upsplash image (puppy lying on its back grabbing and biting its collar,) Upsplash image (woman on a hiking trail jumping for joy,) Upsplash image (a calm Pomeranian being groomed,)

Three Fun Ways to Beat the Heat

Time to beat that summer heat (Photo: Golden Retriever puppy on a surfboard in a swimming pool)

Southwestern Ontario is in the middle of a heat wave. The humidex has been above 40 degrees Celsius for what feels like forever. 

You don’t need to press pause on your training, you just need to be smart about it to keep your dog (and yourself) from overheating. Here are three fun ways to stay cool during a heat wave. 

1. WORK FOR FOOD: If you have access to shade and grass, you can do some of your obedience work and tricks outdoors. Keep the sessions short and calm. Teach your dog something new, or improve something that’s rusty (like recall, stay, or drop it.)

BEST TIME OF DAY TO PRACTICE THIS: early in the morning after your structured walk; lunchtime (if you have a young puppy who eats three times a day); dinnertime 

ALTERNATE LOCATION: Inside your home with air conditioning or fans (or both!) 

You can practice sit, down, come, stay and more inside in the air conditioning to stay cool (Photo: Jack Russell Terrier puppy sitting on a hardwood floor)

2.    SWIMMING: This is one of the most fun ways to cool off with your best friend. If your dog loves fetch, you can play fetch. If they prefer a nice game of catch, do that instead. 

BEST TIME OF DAY TO PRACTICE THIS: In the morning before the sun scorches the earth LOL! Afternoons are great too. If you have a glow-in-the-dark ball and/or backyard lighting, you can play in the evening too — just watch out for the mosquitoes. 

ALTERNATE LOCATION: If you don’t have a pool, try a lake, river, or the ocean. If you have an indoor swimming pool and air conditioning, that would be a lovely option and I would like your address. Ha! 

Beat the heat in a lake, swimming pool, or with a trip to the beach (Photo: Magic the Rottweiler playing fetch in a lake wearing a red life jacket)

3.   PLACEWORK (INDOORS): If you’re new to the place command, read this post: 

Place is the answer to your dog’s question: “Stop barking/stealing the kid’s socks/and jumping on guests and do WHAT?” You can practice placework indoors where it’s nice and cool. 

BEST TIME OF DAY TO PRACTICE THIS: early in the morning after your structured walk and “work for food” session; while you’re cooking; while you’re eating your meals; after your dog has eaten her dinner. If you’re new to placework, practice very short sessions (under 4 minutes) as many times a day as you can fit in. The more you practice, the faster you’ll see results (a calm pup who knows how to relax instead of bark out the windows.) 

ALTERNATE LOCATION: Outside on your walks. I like to use boulders, tree stumps, logs, and benches for outdoor placework. You can even bring your place cot outside (Kuranda makes specific cots for indoors and outdoors.) 

Place is a great way to provide your dog with a safe, calm space (Photo: pitbull puppy in the place command on top of a brown and white dog bed)

Stay cool, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Mia Anderson @miaanderson (Golden Retriever puppy on a surfboard in a swimming pool,) Margo Brodowicz @margobr (Jack Russell Terrier puppy sitting on a hardwood floor,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler playing fetch in a lake wearing a red life jacket,) Upsplash Image (pitbull puppy in the place command on top of a brown and white dog bed.)

How to Accidentally Teach Your Puppy to Pull on Leash

Read on if you are tired of being yanked around (or want to prevent this with your new puppy or rescue dog) (Photo: terrier pulling on the leash and walking in front of his owner wearing a flat collar)

Dogs aren’t born knowing how to walk on a leash. It’s our job to teach them. Whether you’re training an eight-week-old puppy or a new-to-you rescue dog how to walk on a leash, these tips will help you to communicate what you want — which is: no pulling. 

As soon as you put a leash on a dog, you’re connected. Most people, especially when training a brand new puppy, immediately begin walking around behind the puppy as he pulls to sniff this, pee on that, or nibble that other thing. He has now learned that leashes mean “I pull this way, and the human follows me.” 

Oops! 

That pup is going to grow up and become heavier. In some cases, over a hundred pounds. 

“Well you better run for cover when the pup grows up.” Any other Les Mis fans out there? (Photo: black and tan large-breed dog lunging on leash wearing a flat collar)

Here’s how to leash train a puppy or a new-to-you rescue dog: Remember that as soon as the leash is on you are having a silent conversation with your pup. Don’t follow them when they pull. They will learn that pulling against the leash doesn’t get them toward that new smell or that fancy stick they want to chew. 

If you stop moving, puppies will often plop down on the ground nearby for a rest. This comes in really handy in real life when you are out for a walk and run into a neighbour or an old friend and want to pause for a chat. 

If your puppy fights the leash and tries to pull away from you, try crouching down. This is often an invitation to come over for some snuggles. You may even call them: “Snowball, come.” Practicing recall while on walks is always a great idea. Remember to reward this behaviour of coming to you with “Good come.” 

Teach your puppy that the leash represents calmness. Show him that when he’s wearing a leash, it means to follow you. Show him that when you stop to chat to your neighbour, his job is to be calm. 

Puppies are always learning. The question is: what are you teaching in that moment? (Photo: Dachshund relaxing on the grass while wearing a harness and a leash)

These leash skills will serve you well in day-to-day life. Not only will you be able to chat with your neighbours, you’ll also be able to stroll into the veterinarian’s office calmly as well! 

If you teach your puppy not to pull on leash you won’t have to worry about: 

-being pulled into traffic

-getting yanked toward other dogs, people, and hydro poles while out on walks

-slipping on the ice in wintertime 

Happy training, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: @freestocks (terrier pulling on the leash and walking in front of his owner,) Sumeet Singh

@rolcye (black and tan large-breed dog lunging on leash wearing a flat collar,) Myriam Jessier

@mjessier (Dachshund relaxing on the grass while wearing a harness and a leash,)

Why Your New Rescue Dog Doesn’t Like Her Crate

Read on for tips to help your new rescue dog like her crate (Photo: A Border Collie in a wire dog crate)

Are you a WHY person? Are you curious why your new rescue dog doesn’t like her crate? 

There is a good chance that: 

-she was picked up as a stray and immediately put into a crate inside a vehicle and then taken to a vet clinic and was in a crate again

There’s also a good chance that: 

-she lived in a foster home with owners who did not understand how to teach a street dog how to love a crate

This doesn’t mean that: 

-she will hate her crate forever or that the foster family didn’t do their best

It means: 

-it’s now your responsibility to learn how to teach your new rescue dog to love her crate

If you’ve never done this before, I recommend hiring a professional trainer who understands dog psychology. They will help you read your dog’s body language and help you train the dog who is in front of you — there is no cookie cutter formula that will work on all dogs. 

At 16 weeks of age, Braxton was already on medication to help with his severe separation anxiety. Medication didn’t work. Training his owner worked :) (Photo: A Brindle Bulldog puppy named Braxton enjoys his first nap in his crate after training with Beyond Dog Training)

These tips have helped a lot of my clients who were first-time dog owners train their dogs to love their crate. I hope some of them help you and your dog. 

1. Don’t leave them alone in their crate on day one: When you bring your new rescue dog home, be 100% prepared to stay home for the next few days (bare minimum.) You are trying to establish a bond with this new dog. If you abandon a dog who is not crate-trained in their crate on day one, you are accidentally setting them up to fail. Some dogs: dig until their nails and paws bleed; hurt themselves as they break out of the crate; damage their teeth from trying to bite their way to freedom; pant and drool the entire time you are away; yelp/howl/bark/whine; empty their bowels out of sheer panic. Get your groceries and dog necessities ahead of adoption day and then batten down the hatches.

2.   Learn to lead in all areas of your dog’s life: You can’t pick and choose when you feel like leading when you own a pack animal. If you don’t show leadership every day, your dog will be confused. If they don’t believe you’re their leader, then they are your leader (in their mind.) That means, they think you can’t handle the big bad world without them, and they must escape the crate to go help you. 

Dogs require consistent leadership (Photo: a woman walking a small dog on leash. The dog is heeling beside her and looking up at her for direction)

3.   Crate training takes a long time: Many of my first-time dog owners don’t realize how many days/weeks it takes to crate train a dog. It’s not something that anyone teaches a new rescue dog (or a brand new puppy) in one day. If your rescue dog has had bad experiences with crate training in the past, then the training may take weeks/months (especially if you’ve never owned a dog before.)
4.   “The dogs on Youtube do it, but my dog won’t”: I frequently hear this from first-time pet parents who are frustrated when their pup doesn’t respond like the pup in the video. Some puppies aren’t food motivated and won’t be enticed into the crate for kibble or their favourite treats. Hire a professional to help you through these tricky times. 

Prevent your new rescue dog from becoming injured by properly introducing them to their crate (Photo: dog with a bandaged foot wearing an Elizabethan collar in a living room surrounded by kid’s toys)

5.   Never force your puppy or dog into the crate: Many clients admit they have pushed or pulled (using a leash) their puppy or new rescue dog into the crate. This happens especially at bedtime when people are stressed, tired, and need to get up for work the next day. Work on crate training when you have the time during the day. Keep sessions short, fun, and positive and you’ll reach your goals in no time. 

We have lots of crate training videos to help you. There’s videos with puppies, fearful rescue dogs, and rescue dogs who have been adopted with severe cases of separation anxiety (think: bleeding paws as they try to escape the crate.) Check out the videos on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Find us on Facebook @GoBeyondDogTraining.

Find us on Instagram @GoBeyondDogTraining.

Find us on TikTok @BeyondDogTraining.

Struggling with crate training? Schedule a free call — https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action

Take Action if:

-you feel trapped in your home because your new rescue dog is miserable in her crate

-you’re worried about her barking and howling getting you evicted

-you want to prevent her from injuring herself while trying to escape her crate

Happy Training, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos: Upsplash (A Border Collie in a wire dog crate,) Alyssa Foulkes (A Brindle Bulldog puppy named Braxton enjoys his first nap in his crate after training with Beyond Dog Training,) Upsplash (a woman walking a small dog on leash. The dog is heeling beside her and looking up at her for direction,) Andy Losik

@like_flamingo (dog with a bandaged foot wearing an Elizabethan collar in a living room surrounded by kid’s toys,)

Picking Up Your New Rescue Dog

Read your new dog’s body language before showering her with affection she may not want (Photo: a woman puckers up while holding a pug’s face in her hands)

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they pick up their new rescue dog is to rush. 

They rush up to the new dog talking in loud excited voices. When the dog backs away from all the baby talk and fast-moving limbs, humans sometimes use even MORE baby talk and move toward them yet again — even though the dog just said in “dog language” please give me space. 

When you first pick up your new rescue dog, practice “no touch, no talk, no eye contact” until the dog is calm and shows you that he wants to be petted. 

Dogs don’t greet in the same way humans do, so it’s really important to remember that on pick-up day and do what is natural for them. It’s not about you. 

Your new rescue dog may have just travelled for days in a car. For some dogs this has been their first exposure to a crate and a car. Talk about stressful. 

Other rescue dogs may have been on a very long flight. 

Before you pick up your new rescue pup, look up “Whale eye.” (Photo: a brown and white puppy exhibiting whale eye.)

They need to decompress. They don’t need you to feel sorry, they just need you to be an anchor in their storm of a day. 

My new clients are always remarking: 

“Wow! My dog is never this calm when someone comes to our home. It’s amazing!!!” and “Oh my goodness. He didn’t pee. He pees on everyone!” 

The reason the dog is calm is because I do not shower them with affection. This is not what an excited/fearful/tense/scared dog needs. They need to greet in the way that is natural for them: nose, then eyes, then ears. 

So I practice: no touch, no talk, no eye contact until the dog is calm. 

If you use this strategy when you pick up your new rescue dog, you will gain their trust much more quickly. They trust people who speak their language. They don’t trust people who rush at them, use baby talk, or pet them before they are ready. 

Once you have gained their trust, now you can begin to teach them. Lead them. Have them follow you to some grass so they can sniff, eliminate, be a dog. 

Invite them to follow you on leash to the car. Invite them to sniff the car. Allow them to be the one to jump in. Don’t shut the doors right away, just hang out and share calm vibes for awhile. 

Your new rescue dog needs you to slow down. (Photo: Duck Toller sitting in a hatchback with the door open. She is wearing a leash and has a nice soft expression.)

A lot of people talk baby talk the whole drive home. This only makes the dog more nervous. They sense your energy which is soft and feeling sorry. They have no idea what you’re saying, they just sense that cars make you act weird and throw treats at them. They learn from this car ride that car rides are something to be nervous about, because you acted nervous and rewarded them for acting nervous (by petting them and tossing them all those treats.) 

No touch, no talk, no eye contact is: 

-what your dog needs

-helps humans to speak dog

-natural to dogs

Give it a try and let us know how it goes in the comments below. 

Wishing you a wonderful pick-up day with your new rescue dog!

Alyssa 

Photos by: Upsplash (a woman puckers up while holding a pug’s face in her hands,) Upsplash (a brown and white puppy exhibiting whale eye,) James Frewin

@jamesfrewin (Duck Toller sitting in a hatchback with the door open. She is wearing a leash.)

New Rescue Dog? Read This First

Other people may be in a rush, but if you’re meeting your new rescue dog at the airport: do not rush (Photo: people bustling through a busy airport)

If you’re about to bring home a rescue dog, you’re just in time for tips that will start your relationship off on the right paw. 

PICKING THEM UP FROM THE AIRPORT: 

I’ve had many clients pick up their rescue dog from the airport late at night in the pouring rain. If possible, pick up your rescue dog in the morning, so that you don’t have to rush any of the important steps. It is far easier to earn a dog’s trust when you’re not: 

-rushing them out of their crate before they are ready

-throwing a leash on a dog who has never worn a leash and then pulling them around 

-dashing to the car in the rain

-worried about how you’ll introduce them to your neighbourhood in the middle of the night (in the rain, with the skunks out, etc) 

-hurrying them into the car so they won’t get soaked

Many clients who have rushed their new rescue dog’s introduction to the car, call me for help to achieve this calmness (Photo: Yellow Lab relaxing with her head out the window of a car)

Take your time. Slow down. Work at the dog’s pace. Some dogs you have owned in the past may have been happy-go-lucky, middle of the pack, easy going dogs. This dog is not that dog. 

Always work with the dog who is in front of you. This is not your childhood dog. Spend some time getting to know her. Be respectful of her space. Read her body language. 

Rescue dogs are often: 

-shy, nervous, tense, fearful 

-back of the pack (sensitive) 

-under-socialized or just plain feral 

-lacking in confidence

If you rush these dogs into moving on your schedule, you will set yourself up for way more work (AKA hours and hours of training called counter-conditioning) in the future. 

PREPARE AHEAD: 

Prepare yourself ahead of time. 

Be sure your home is ready with everything you need. You don’t want to force your new rescue dog to go into a pet store with you (a stranger) to shop for the things you need. You may learn what many of my clients have learned while shopping in this store: not many write-ups from rescue organizations are accurate. 

You may set your dog up for failure when another dog approaches her and she feels trapped because she’s on a leash and in a narrow aisle. She may lunge at the other dog, snap, growl, or even bite. 

And what about that toddler in the toy aisle who innocently strokes your dog — wham! That’s a snap or a full-on bite. What a terrible way to find out that your new dog is terrified of children. 

Let’s prevent this from happening by shopping ahead of time.

You are just getting to know your brand new dog, she’s had enough stress for one day. Please don’t take her shopping. (Photo: Wide-eyed Italian greyhound laying with a pink and white rope toy)

KEEP CALM

It’s difficult to remain calm while in heavy traffic in a city you aren’t familiar with. Be mindful that your energy has a ripple effect. Your dog is learning about you from the moment you meet. Stay calm and show your new dog that you’ve got everything under control. 

Wishing you wonderful first moments with your new rescue dog! 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders!
Alyssa 

Photos by: Tomek Baginskin @tombag (people bustling through a busy airport,) Emerson Peters

@spemble (Yellow Lab relaxing with her head out the window of a car,) Juan Gomez

@nosoylasonia (Italian greyhound laying with a pink and white rope toy)