Puppies and Cars

Is your new puppy afraid of car rides? Read on for tips. (Photo: black pug in a red car)

Is your puppy afraid of car rides? 

Do they hesitate to jump in? 

Do you have to pick them up and force them into the car? Are you worried that your back won’t be able to handle this lifting once your pup grows up? 

Does your puppy pant, pace, whine, and drool during the car ride? 

Perhaps they also bark at people and other dogs they see while they’re in the car. 

You’ve tried: petting them, talking softly to them, giving them treats, putting them on your lap, and reasoning with them (“please just lie down and be quiet.”) Nothing is working and you’re afraid that you’ve made a big mistake adopting this puppy because future car rides to the cottage and kid’s soccer games are looking grim. 

How can you help them over their fear of the car? 

First, take a deep breath. You can always begin again once you have the right tools. 

Did you know that puppies need to be a part of the process of getting into the car? They need to get in themselves. This helps them feel less anxious because they are willingly going into the car, rather than being put into the car. 

Pro Tip: Let your puppy get used to your car before adoption day (Photo: Magic the Rottweiler exploring our car two weeks before coming home with us from the breeder)

The next thing you need to know is going to help you with car training and with crate training, so get ready. Never close the door on an excited or anxious mind. Only close the door on a calm mind. Excited and anxious animals will naturally try to escape. They will vocalize and scratch at the door and become frustrated. 

Wait until your puppy is calm before closing crate doors or car doors (Photo: Magic the Rottweiler at 8 weeks of age sleeping in her crate in the car)

Some puppies are big enough that they can jump into the car at eight weeks of age. Most will require a little bit of assistance finding their footing with their back paws. If you help them find their footing, rather than lifting their hind end, they will learn to enter the car independently very quickly. 

10-month-old Norm was today years old when he learned how to jump in the car by himself. His owner’s back is no longer sore. (Photo: Norm the Pyrenees X Bernese mix in the back of a hatchback with his owner)

Ramps are a great tool to use, especially with smaller puppies. Your puppy can build confidence learning how to walk on a ramp as well as playing an active role of getting into the car.

Check out our IG, FB, and TikTok posts with Ozzy the Aussie-Doodle puppy. He was scared of car rides — even the beeping noise the hatch made when it closed. In the videos you can see the steps where we introduced him to two types of ramp and showed him that shutting the hatch was no big deal. Now, Ozzy can go to the vet, the groomer, and the kid’s soccer games without being stressed out. 

Below are two photos of Ozzy that I took during our in-home training sessions.

Introduce the ramp slowly and have fun (Photo: Ozzy the Aussie-Doodle puppy exploring the ramp. His two front feet are on the ramp and he is sniffing a piece of kibble on the ramp.)

Ozzy relaxing in the car for the first time (Photo: Ozzy the Aussie-Doodle puppy lying down in the back of the family’s hatchback after bravely climbing the ramp.)

Ozzy’s owner hopes to do agility with him when he’s old enough. He can already go up and down a ramp. He’ll be a star! (Photo: Border Collie and his owner doing agility with an A frame)

Are you struggling with teaching your puppy or dog to love going into your car? Let us help you with in-home training sessions. Schedule your free call now. You deserve to drive around making happy memories with your puppy. 

Let us help you enjoy calm car rides with your dog (Photo: Magic the Rottweiler (author’s dog) snoozing on her bed in the car)

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Priscilla Du Preez @priscilladupreez (black pug in a red car,)

Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler exploring our car two weeks before coming home with us from the breeder,) Alyssa Foulkes ( Magic the Rottweiler at 8 weeks of age sleeping in her crate in the car,) Alyssa Foulkes (Norm, the Pyrenees X Bernese mix in the back of a hatchback with his owner,) Alyssa Foulkes (Ozzy the Aussie-Doodle puppy exploring the ramp. His two front feet are on the ramp and he is sniffing a piece of kibble on the ramp.) Alyssa Foulkes (Ozzy the Aussie-Doodle puppy lying down in the back of the family’s hatchback after bravely climbing the ramp.) Melissa Whitecross @furtography_za (Border Collie running doing agility with an A frame,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler (author’s dog) snoozing on her bed in the car.)

Less is More

Less is more in dog training. Dogs use very little sound to communicate with each other. (Photo: Person holding a finger to their lips)

When working with dogs, less is more. What does that mean? What it means is that a lot of the time humans repeat commands over and over again, often before even teaching their dog what those words mean. 

A lot of new puppy parents will follow their puppy around shouting “leave it” when the puppy picks up a shoe or a child’s toy, but the puppy has no idea of what “leave it” means. 

One of the kindest things you can do for your new puppy or your current dog is to ask yourself if they in fact know the commands you are asking of them. If they don’t, now you have the opportunity to teach them. 

Instead of repeating commands, check in with yourself and ask: does my dog know this command? (Photo: Duck Toller wearing glasses with his head on a dog magazine)

Once your dog knows a command (we call this proofing a command,) you can begin to hold them accountable. This means that if your dog knows “sit,” and you ask her to sit, say in your kitchen, and she ignores you, you can now provide her with more information without saying the command again. 

You may need to apply spatial pressure, take a step toward her. You may need to give her some eye contact. That is psychological pressure. Think of how your fourth grade teacher used eye contact to get you to stop talking. It’s not mean, it’s providing more information because you didn’t do what she asked the first time. 

The beauty of spatial pressure and eye contact are that they can be applied in complete silence — less is more. 

Training in silence can be very peaceful (Photo: person kneeling in front of a dog who is sitting)

The other thing you’re doing when you’re using these two types of pressure is you’re using your own energy, your own self, as a tool. Since dogs only listen to other animals who have calm and confident energy, be sure that that is the energy you are projecting when working with your dog. If you’re frustrated, unsure, tense, or angry take a break and try again later when you’ve calmed down. 

Spatial pressure and psychological pressure are very natural to dogs because dogs use this language themselves. Have you ever watched a dog claim another dog’s space or toy? They don’t talk. They move in and claim the space they want. Dogs also use a lot of eye contact to communicate with one another. They even have appeasement signals where they purposefully don’t make eye contact with another dog to show that they mean no harm. 

We can all learn a lot about how to communicate with dogs from watching dogs interact with one another. 

If you’re ever at a loss for how to get your dog to understand you, take some time to learn from the very best teachers: dogs (Photo: Siberian Husky playing with a Labrador Retriever puppy in the snow)

Dogs use way less sound than we do. Because humans talk so much to one another (and to our pets,) dogs sometimes learn to tune us out.

Want to try a challenge? Try one day where you only speak to your dog if you need to communicate a command that you are certain that he/she knows. If they ignore the command, don’t repeat yourself out loud. Try communicating using spatial pressure or psychological pressure. Let us know how it goes in the comments below. 

If you aren’t sure how to use spatial pressure and eye contact correctly, schedule a free call with us now. You can learn how to do this during in-home sessions with us. 

We look forward to learning more about you and your dog (Photo: woman grinning at her cellphone)

Have a great weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Kristina Flour @tinaflour (Person holding a finger to their lips,) Jamie Street

@jamie452 (Duck Toller wearing glasses with his head on a dog magazine,) Pinto Art @pintoart (person kneeling in front of a dog who is sitting) Karl Anderson @karlkiwi90 (Siberian Husky playing with a Labrador Retriever puppy in the snow,) Ghen Mar Cuaño @ghenmar (woman grinning at her cellphone)

Thick Leash or Thin Leash?

Thick leash or thin leash? (Photo: Black dog wearing a leash)

Let’s talk leashes. How many leashes have you gone through with your puppy or dog? 

For many of my clients, the answer is several. Some have actually lost count. 

Many clients have had their puppies and adolescent dogs chew straight through a leash in a matter of seconds. Seconds. If they do this while on a walk and don’t have a rock-solid recall command, it could cost them their life. 

I’ve had a number of calls from people whose puppies have chewed through the leash while on a walk and then refused to come back to their owner. There have been several close calls with cars and a lot of tears. 

Catch me if you can (Photo: Weimaraner running away from camera while looking back over his shoulder)

Whether you’re near cars or on a busy hiking trail, when your dog ignores your recall command and runs away it is a very scary feeling. 

Here are some tips to help you prevent this from happening to you. 

First thing’s first, you want a thin leash. So many people get a really thick leash for their little puppy. Know what happens? The leash is actually quite heavy, so your puppy notices he’s wearing it. It’s annoying and kind of looks like a toy, so he chews right through it. 

Puppies find it easier to ignore a lightweight, then leash (Photo: beagle on a beach wearing a thin, lightweight leash)

How to prevent this: 

One: Get a very lightweight leash for your puppy, so he barely notices it’s there at all. 

Two: Supervise your puppy and disagree with him the FIRST time he goes to put it in his mouth. Do not overreact. Do not pull it away from him (or this creates a game of tug of war.) Then, engage your puppy in an activity with you. Maybe you recall him away by moving backwards and making your body language inviting. Maybe you give him a rope toy and engage him in play. 

As pet parents we need to set our puppies up for success from day one. We have to teach them right from wrong right away. They aren’t born wearing leashes, so it’s up to us to introduce the leash in a positive way, so they enjoy wearing one. We need to disagree with them the moment they pop it in their mouths for a little chew. Leashes are not for chewing. Period. It just isn’t a safe habit to develop. 

What you allow, you agree with (Photo: dog running while carrying his leash in his mouth)

What we allow, we agree with.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Tucker Good @tuckergood (Black dog wearing a leash,) Arun B.S

@arunbsonline (beagle on a beach wearing a thin, lightweight leash,) Elisa Kennemer

@elisalou (dog running while carrying his leash in his mouth.)

Keeping it Simple

Let’s keep training simple, shall we? (Photo: woman relaxing on a balcony with her feet up)

You want your dog to understand simple words and hand signals. 

Here are a few ideas to get you started and to make training your dog more simple: 

Write it down: Write a list of all the commands you want your dog to know. Leave space on the right hand side for writing down the hand signal. For example:  

come - pointing at the ground in front of you

drop it - holding my hands underneath my dog’s mouth below the toy

Then write a list of all the commands she already knows.

sit - slightly raising my right hand while making a fist 

stay - holding my palm out toward my dog

Dogs are masters of reading human body language, so decide what your hand signal is going to be beforehand, so you can be consistent. 

Consistency is key. Put the list on your refrigerator where the whole family (or anyone who lives with your dog) can see it. 

Your fridge magnets need a job:) Let them hold up your fancy new list! (Photo: fridge magnets)

Pro Tip to avoid confusing your dog:

Use “off” for — get your front feet off of that person/object

Use “down” for - lay down on the ground, please

Aren’t sure which commands to teach? Here’s a list of commands that can help save your dog’s life:

-come

-leave it

-drop it

-stay

Anything else to add to your list? 

These commands are super helpful to communicate with your dog on a day-to-day basis: 

-crate

-place

-heel

-break

-let’s go

-up (think: loading your dog in the car) 

-space - I use this specifically for “give the cat space” 

The more your dog knows, the easier it is for you to communicate with her. This helps her feel happy instead of frustrated. Being able to understand one another opens up the world for you to go out and explore and have fun together. 

Your list will also come in super handy when you go away on vacation, so your care provider can communicate with your dog and make her feel safe and secure. 

Happy training! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Artem Beliaikin @belart84 (woman relaxing on a balcony with her feet up,) Maria Cappelli

@rikku72 (fridge magnets,)

Puppy Socialization Tips

Are you socializing your puppy properly? (Photo: Brown and white puppy making puppy dog eyes)

We all know that we need to socialize our new puppies, but everyone struggles with how to do this properly. 

The word socialize was probably a really poor choice, because it makes most pet parents think they should go to the dog park with their puppy before she’s fully vaccinated so that she can meet lots of dogs. Please do not take your puppy to a dog park. 

Socialization actually begins when your puppy is with her mother, her litter, and her breeder, so choose very, very carefully when selecting a breeder. Reputable breeders should be breeding for the betterment of the breed. They should be showing their dogs in conformation, putting titles on their dogs, and be health testing their dogs before breeding them. They should also know how to begin socializing the litter of puppies properly, bringing in calm people of various age, size, sex, race, etc. They should also be exposing the puppies to different sights, sounds, textures, smells, etc. and be teaching the puppies to simply be neutral around these things. 

Proper socialization begins with your breeder and your puppy’s mother. Choose wisely. (Photo: mother dog nose-to-nose with her puppy,)

So, socialization begins with the breeder and ends with you. This critical stage in development begins when the puppies are born and ends around three months of age (12 weeks old.) There is some debate over this timeframe, with many experts reporting that this critical stage ends at 16 weeks. So, what do you do if you adopt a puppy at 15 weeks of age? And what do you do if the breeder was a backyard breeder who didn’t socialize your puppy properly. Let’s talk about it, because this happens a lot. 

One of my clients adopted a puppy off of Kijiji and was originally told the puppy’s birthdate was April 20th. She was later told the birthdate was April 7th, meaning that she was going to adopt her puppy at 15 weeks of age. This made her extremely anxious because now she would only have one week to socialize her puppy. Like many pet parents, she thought her puppy had to be petted by lots of people and had to meet lots of dogs. How was she going to cram all of this into one stressful week, especially as a working mom? 

The other tricky piece of this puzzle is that the puppy the family adopted was quite fearful. 

There’s a lot of nuance to owning a fearful or shy puppy. In-home training sets you up for success from day one. (Photo: nervous Pomeranian mix)

The first few days didn’t start off well. The family had never owned a fearful puppy before. He bit people who reached their hand out for him to sniff (this is the wrong way to greet a dog, by the way, and we need to stop teaching everyone on planet Earth that it’s correct.) He growled at people who came into the home, the veterinarian (who referred the family to me for help,) nipped two children, and snapped at a Golden Retriever. This left the owners feeling very overwhelmed when they reached out to me for help. 

The goal for socialization is to teach your puppy to be calm and neutral around all of the things you would like them to be calm and neutral around as adults. In a nutshell, your job is to expose your puppy to all the crazy things on planet Earth that are normal to us humans, and teach the dog that these things are no big deal. That’s everything from sprinting children playing tag, to motorized scooters, and everything in between. Take a deep breath, because you can do it! And you need to be calm while doing it, so take another deep breath. 

Socializing your puppy is fun! Enjoy it! (Photo: Rottweiler puppy playing beside a swimming pool,)

We began our first session with a guest greeting that made their puppy feel safe. Greeting a fearful puppy or dog means putting their needs before your own. No touch, no talk, no eye contact is the key. Just because a nervous dog moves closer to you does NOT mean that they want to be petted. 

When we moved to the backyard, you could see that their puppy was afraid of the dog next door who was barking behind the fence. His go-to move had been to run to the back door and pray someone would let him in. By keeping him on a leash, we were able to show him how to relax and just be. Eventually he settled down on the ground to rest. The family did an amazing job guiding him past his fear. 

Here’s a list of some of the things this puppy was being socialized to simply by being in the family’s backyard during our first in-person session: 

-children running, playing, climbing, jumping

-children playing with remote control trucks and a loud toy lawn mower (note: they did a great job playing with these things nearby, but not rushing toward their puppy with the toys!) 

-a guest (me! haha!) 

-a barking dog

-patio stones, mulch, grass

-water (he LOVES playing in water) 

-a hose

-children pushing a wheelbarrow filled with tools

-children wearing hats (the cutest construction hat ever!) 

Teach your puppy to be calm and neutral around children. Distance is your friend. Focus on exposure, not being petted. (Photos: children playing with bubbles)

We also taught their puppy how to:

-follow them on the leash instead of pull

-come when called 

He also enjoyed time simply chewing on one of his toys. If any of you are struggling with your puppy always chewing on mulch, grass, weeds, and leaves, be sure to provide a chew toy as an alternative. 

Pro tip: 

When puppies refuse the chew toy and target mulch, weeds, fingers, and toes, it’s time for a crate nap. 

Near the end of our session, we let the puppy's leash drag on the ground behind him. Would he stay calm, or bolt for the back door as he’d been doing in the past? 

The first activity he chose was to play in the water. After that, he followed their daughter toward the back of the house. He watched her for a moment and then calmly returned to us.

No more running to the back door and praying someone would save him from the scary backyard. Success! 

Teach your puppy that he can look to you for direction, protection, and affection. (Photo: beagle calmly looking up at his handler)

If you have a new puppy and aren’t sure how to socialize him properly, you need a list of all of the things your puppy should be exposed to in this critical socialization window. Sign up at the bottom of any page on our website this week and I will send you my list. I love research. I have looked at every list I could find on the web. I have compiled tips from books, videos, and courses I’ve taken. I've also added to this list for years as I’ve worked with litters of puppies at the University of Guelph, my own puppy, client puppies, and rescue dogs who have missed this window completely. You need this list. If you’re reading this in the future and you would like the list, please email us with the word “List” in the subject line. If you are a current subscriber and you would like the list, please email us with the word “List” in the subject line.

If you’ve never owned a fearful puppy, you’ll want in-home sessions (or online sessions) as well to find out what to do when your puppy: 

• is afraid of your backyard

• refuses to walk on a leash

• pulls like crazy on the leash when you turn toward home

• growls at your houseguests

• freezes out of fear and/or tries to hide

• stops during your walk and refuses to budge

Don’t wait until you’re out of the critical window to get help. You don’t want more houseguests getting nipped and you don’t want to end up with a dog who pulls on the leash at people doing peoply things (bike riding, gardening, skateboarding etc.)  

Imagine having the peace of mind that you’re socializing your puppy properly. We’ve helped so many families through this confusing time who now have well-behaved family dogs they can bring anywhere. It’s your turn. You deserve it! 

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

You want to be able to include your dog in big family gatherings like this one (Photo: people of all ages holding hands on a beach at sunset)

More free tips here: 

Check out our social media for videos and more tips on puppy socialization! 

GoBeyondDogTraining on Instagram and Facebook

BeyondDogTraining on TikTok 

Check out the story highlights on IG: pandemic puppies, prevention, and puppy tips. 

Thank you so much for reading the blog! 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa

Photos by: Izabelly Marques @izamarques (Brown and white puppy making puppy dog eyes,) Jametlene Reskp @reskp (mother dog nose-to-nose with her puppy,) Upsplash Images (nervous Pomeranian mix),) Stephanie Cook @stephtcook (Rottweiler puppy playing beside a swimming pool,) Katherine Hanlon

@tinymountain (children playing with bubbles,) Jaroslaw Knapek @jr3 (beagle calmly looking up at his handler,) Tyler Nix @nixcreative (people of all ages holding hands on a beach at sunset,)

How You Can Help Your Fearful Puppy

How to help your fearful puppy gain confidence (Photo: Pomeranian mix with whale eye)

Is your puppy fearful? 

Does she jump twenty feet in the air when the garbage truck backfires? 

Does she back up when strangers approach? Hide behind your legs? 

Or perhaps she rushes toward strangers and visitors barking and growling…and then backs up. 

You’re beginning to worry about the way she behaves when guests come over. Your puppy is beginning to: 

-air snap (bite the air near people) 

-nip

-growl

-bite at people’s ankles 

-put their mouth around people’s arms, hands, legs, etc

If your puppy is older, you may have even stopped having visitors over because your puppy’s behaviour stresses you out so much. You’ve tried putting her on a leash and holding her collar, but that only seems to make her growl and lunge more.

Now, you’re locking her up in a bedroom or laundry room, which makes you feel terrible because you can tell she doesn’t like being in there. 

She paces. She howls. And now she’s starting to chew the baseboards and the trim. 

You want other people to see the puppy that YOU see — the sweetheart (Photo: boxer with his head, chest, and arms dangling out of a window beside a sign that reads beware of dog)

Let’s get your fearful puppy the help she needs. 

It’s time to build your puppy’s confidence. 

It’s also time to learn how to train a fearful puppy, because there’s a lot of nuance to it and it’s completely different than training a confident puppy. 

First, we need to make sure that we have trust and respect. 

Most owners who have fearful puppies haven’t earned their puppy’s trust yet. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re here to learn how. This is a safe space to build you up too. Breathe and believe. 

As human beings, we often apply human psychology to our dogs. We say things like “It’s okay” when it’s absolutely not okay, like after growling at one of your houseguests. We also tend to pet our dogs in this moment, accidentally showing them that we liked the growling. 

To build trust with your puppy, you’re going to: 

-stop saying the phrase “it’s okay”

-stop petting your puppy when she is tense, fearful, growling, etc (basically, we’re only going to pet and reward your puppy when she is calm because we want to see more calmness) 

-stop retelling her rescue story (this is keeping her stuck in the past and we are in the present) 

-show her what she can do instead of barking, growling, lunging, etc (we’re going to teach her the place command.) 

Learn more about the place command here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/what-is-the-place-command

and here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/place-command-construction-edition

How will the things on this list begin to build your puppy’s trust in you? 

Stopping those first three things on the list will help remove your soft energy. When we feel sorry for our puppy, they have to lead us. They are hardwired to follow calm and confident leadership. If we don’t provide it, they will fill the leadership role. Your fearful puppy doesn’t want this heavy burden, so we’re going to do the job from now on. You can do it. 

Teaching your fearful puppy the place command is going to provide her with a confidence boost. If she’s super fearful, she may be shut down and think she can’t do that task. While stepping up on a cot seems minuscule to us, it’s a lot of effort for a puppy who has no confidence. 

When you lead them through activities, they learn to trust you (Photo: Corgi mix sitting on top of a platform looking happy)

Some puppies are so fearful that you may need to flip the cot upside down to begin teaching the place command — and that’s 100% okay. Check out the video of Bandit the Australian Shepherd X Border Collie on my Instagram to see how suspicious he was of his new cot. He actually hid while it was being put together. Even the box moving around scared him. 

Your puppy will learn to trust you as she realizes that nothing bad happens when she steps on the cot. In fact, as you show her that this is her do-not-disturb zone, she will trust you even more to protect her space from other people.  

Pro Tip: Be sure to put the cot on a non-slip floor. The last thing you want for your fearful pup is for her to be brave enough to step on the cot, only to have the cot slide and make a noise that she finds scary. 

Fearful puppies are my absolute favourite to work with because they are so often misunderstood. To outsiders, they look aggressive, but when you peel off that layer of fear, you find an absolute sweetheart underneath — and you can feel their relief that someone finally speaks their language. 

I always say that at the client’s front door I’m having two conversations simultaneously — one with the owners and one with their puppy. The conversation and greeting are completely different. When we greet humans, we make eye contact, we talk out loud, and sometimes shake hands. When we greet puppies in this manner, especially puppies who are fearful, we completely overwhelm them. Dogs are a different species. If we remember that and greet them in a way that is natural to them, we can earn their trust immediately. 

Try using this formula when you greet a new puppy/dog and you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes in their energy. 

No touch.

No talk.

No eye contact. 

Post in the comments below if you know who succinctly summed this up for all of humankind.  

Need more tips on placework and want to see more fearful dogs overcoming their fears? Check out all of our videos here: 

On Insta and FB: Go Beyond Dog Training. 

On TikTok we are at Beyond Dog Training. 

You’ll see: 

-guest greetings go from barking and lunging to dogs sitting calmly beside their owners

-fearful dogs learning the place command, how to go in their crates, how to go into rooms they are afraid of, and more 

-Marley the fearful rescue dog who used to lay down and try to disappear (by closing her eyes) overcoming her fear of the garage

Thank you for reading the blog!

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Michelle Tresemer @mtresemer (Pomeranian mix with whale eye,) Don Agnello

@donangel (boxer with his head, chest, and arms dangling out of a window beside a sign that reads beware of dog,) Alvan Nee @alvannee (Corgi mix sitting on top of a platform looking happy,)

Help! My Dog Won’t let me Groom Him

Does your dog show you his teeth when you try to groom him? (Photo: Pomeranian wearing a pink towel on her head. Owner is holding a comb.)

Does your dog show you his teeth when you’re trying to wipe his dirty paws? 

Does he snap at you when you try to take a burr out of his fur? 

Are you scared to brush him? Terrified of clipping his nails? 

You’re not alone. 

Here are a few things that will help you begin to unravel this lack of trust. 

The first thing you need to check on is your dog’s health. Is he limping? Stiff and sore? Does he have an injury? Schedule a visit with your veterinarian to ensure that there’s no underlying health issue causing your dog to be guarded about certain areas of his body. 

If you get a clean bill of health, and the veterinary team said handling him was no problem at all (no snapping, growling, or showing teeth,) then there is a high probability that the issue lies within your relationship with your dog. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you, or that you don’t love him. Right now, the issue is trust (and possibly respect as well.) 

When your dog doesn’t trust you, activities like this are very difficult on both the dog and the owner (Photo: Golden Retriever getting a bath)

Make a list of any other times in the day when your dog shows you his teeth. 

For many people, the list will include: 

-when I ask him to get off the couch

-if he steals something (towel, cushion, slipper, sock, etc) and I try to get it back

-when I ask him to get off my bed

-when I walk past him when he’s eating 

-if I walk near him when he has a bone or special chew treat 

-if I need to move him out of my way and try to push past him

This is a great list to show your trainer. All of these issues need to be resolved, not just the grooming/handling piece of the puzzle. I shouldn’t have to mention this, but since one of my current clients recently had a “trainer” tell her to throw a bean bag full of metal bits near her dog to startle him out of growling at their cats and to carry Ziploc bags filled with water on her walks to stop leash reactivity (yes, to throw water on her dog), please find a trainer who will help you improve your relationship and build trust. 

If you are truly nervous, worried, anxious, and/or scared at the thought of touching your dog’s paws, removing a burr from his fur, or brushing him, definitely work with a professional to help you over your fear. Schedule your free call with Beyond Dog Training by clicking the button below.

Things you can do in the meantime to build trust with your dog: 

-wait for natural eye contact before going in and out of doors

-teach him something new (how to heel, a new trick, how to play fetch, how to lay down, the stay command, etc) 

-work on his recall inside your home (keep a leash on so he can’t ignore you - reel him in if he tries to blow you off) 

What about muzzle training? 

Teaching your dog to love wearing a basket muzzle may help you feel more confident as you work on your grooming goals with your dog. The muzzle provides you with peace of mind that your dog can’t bite you, so that you can practice handling and grooming activities. If you’re nervous about muzzle training, work with a trainer/behaviourist who can teach you how to condition your dog to love wearing a muzzle. 

Teaching your dog to love wearing a muzzle will help you, or a professional groomer to groom your dog. It will also reduce your dog’s stress. (Photo: black dog wearing an orange basket muzzle)

Is there anything you should stop doing which may be accidentally promoting mouthing/snapping behaviour? 

If anyone in the family allows mouthing behaviour during play, stop that behaviour because it is working against your goal. Waving your hands around your dog’s face is not only teasing the dog, it’s teaching him that mouthing and snapping are what you like. When you go to wipe his paws, he’s mouthing and snapping. This is all connected. What you allow, you agree with. Stop allowing rough play and choose a game like tug of war that has rules (no biting human body parts and drop it when I say.) Your relationship with your dog will improve very quickly. 

Are you confusing your dog? (Photo: a puppy biting his owner’s hand)

This blog post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning body language. Dogs are masters of reading body language. They don’t speak English. They are paying attention to the way our bodies move. One of my clients was struggling to wipe his new rescue dog’s paws. He said his dog would growl and snap at the towel and that he was afraid he was stressing him out too much. I asked my client to show me exactly how he wiped the dog’s paws. We didn’t use the dog because we didn’t want to set my client up for a growl or a bite in the face. This client was quite tall and he showed me how he would bend over at the waist to wipe his dog’s feet. Then, he would kneel down on the floor and lean over the dog to reach his back feet. Remember that when dogs show dominance to one another they put their head over the top of the other dog’s shoulders. My client was accidentally creating conflict between himself and his new rescue dog, when all he wanted to do was wipe his dog’s feet after a nice walk together. 

The other thing we looked at was the small space where he wiped the dog’s paws — a 3 foot X 2 foot area with the back door on one side and a few stairs leading upstairs on the other. Some spaces are really cramped, so you need to be even more mindful of what your body language is saying and what your new rescue dog’s body language is saying too. We solved this by practicing wiping his dog’s paws in larger spaces (the front hall had way more room, as did the covered porch.) Once his dog trusted him (because they’d built a relationship over time,) he could wipe his dog’s paws in the tiny basement entrance without a problem. 

Always be mindful of your own energy and body language (Photo: woman standing in a bathtub leaning over her Golden Retriever as she bathes him)

Relationships with dogs are built over time. If you accidentally taught your puppy not to trust you and he shows you his teeth, I would recommend working with a trainer who can help you repair that trust. 

Prevention. Prevent this behaviour from developing with your dog by calmly handling your puppy every day when he’s young. When you introduce calm foot wiping as part of your daily routine as a puppy, you’ll raise an adult dog who will happily stand still to have his paws wiped. 

We know how scary it can be when your dog shows you his teeth. If you’re nervous to try asking your dog to get off your couch or scared to brush him, schedule a free call with us. We’ve helped so many owners overcome this issue and go on to build amazing relationships with their dogs. You deserve to be next! Click the Take Action button and schedule your free call today. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Hayffield L @hayffield (pomeranian wearing a pink towel on her head. Owner is holding a comb.); Autri Taheri @ataheri (Golden Retriever getting a bath); Annie Spratt @anniespratt (black dog wearing an orange basket muzzle); Upsplash Images (a puppy biting his owner’s hand,) Autri Taheri @ataheri (woman standing in a bathtub leaning over her Golden Retriever as she bathes him);

SWIMMING TIPS

“Come on in. The water’s fine!” (Photo: two dogs enjoying a swimming pool)

Swimming is a great way to exercise your dog. A lot of people have an easier time teaching their dog to swim using a river or lake that has a sloping shoreline. Some dogs have trouble learning if there are large waves, so aim for a calm day if you’re on a very large lake or going to the ocean. 

Start small. Play with your dog on the shoreline or a wading pool in your yard (Photo: two sleek grey dogs prance along the shoreline)

Magic learned to swim in a swimming pool. The tricky part about this, is that dogs don’t know there is a step in the shallow end. We know it’s there, so we expect them to simply hop down onto it and swim away, but dogs need to be shown that the step exists before they can learn to use it. 

Is there another stair over here? (Photo: Magic the Rottweiler stands on the top step of the shallow end of the swimming pool, reaching ahead of her with one paw)

In time, your pup will learn to use the step to rest and to exit the pool (Photo: Magic the Rottweiler swims back to the step in the shallow end carrying her ball in her mouth)

Here are a few tips to help your puppy or dog learn to love swimming with you: 

1. POSITIVE — You wouldn’t appreciate learning to swim by being thrown off the dock (this happened to my father’s best friend, and trust me, it wasn’t cool!) If you have a new puppy, take your time introducing them to water and make sure that the experience is positive. You can even begin with a wading pool at home. Use a few liver treats and their favourite toy to entice them into the water. They don’t have to swim on day one, they simply need to learn that water is fun. This also makes bath time a LOT better, so really take your time here and enjoy yourself. Your puppy will enjoy it too. 

2. SOUND — Humans use a lot of sound energy. We talk in excited voices and when we get impatient or frustrated it comes out in our voice too. The last thing you want to do is to teach your dog that water/swimming/bath time makes his human tense/excited/frustrated. Begin working with your dog around water when you are in a calm and confident state of mind. Your dog’s natural curiosity will draw them to you. If you wade along the shore, they will likely follow you and get their feet wet too. If you begin swimming, many dogs will simply follow along and join you. 

Dogs follow leaders (Photo: dog following a surfer toward the ocean)

3. DON’T PANIC — If you’re training your dog to swim in a swimming pool, do not panic if they fall in. Calmly and SILENTLY join them in the pool. By the time you react, they will likely already be above the water and attempting an awkward doggy paddle. A new puppy may require a hand under their belly as they figure it out, a new rescue dog may just simply begin swimming. Move calmly toward the stairs in the shallow end. Your puppy or dog will most likely feel the stairs beneath their feet and use them to get out. Don’t make a fuss. If you freak out, yank them out of the pool, repeatedly say “It’s okay baby. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” then you will teach them that water is something to be avoided at all cost. If you spend the rest of the day holding your breath every time they approach the edge of the pool, worrying that they may fall in again, you will begin cementing the idea that the pool is dangerous. 

If your dog loves fetch, you can use that to teach them to love the water (Photo: Irish Setter retrieving a tennis ball out of a lake)

If your dog is barrel-chested (Rottweiler, Boxer, Bulldog,) invest in a life jacket. Magic can swim without it, but over time gets lower and lower in the water as she returns with her ball. The life jacket allows her to swim much longer, which is awesome because I could happily play with her by (or in) the water for hours. 

Magic the Rottweiler playing fetch in a lake wearing her life jacket

Be patient with your dog as she learns to swim. You didn’t learn how to swim in one day either.

Good luck, be safe, and have fun!! 

Alyssa

Photos by: Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler swimming in a lake carrying her favourite toy,) Gayatri Malhotra (two dogs enjoying a swimming pool,) Nathalie SPEHNER (two sleek grey dogs prance along the shoreline,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler stands on the top step of the shallow end of the swimming pool, reaching ahead of her with one paw,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler swims back to the step in the shallow end,) Taylor Deas-Melesh (dog following a surfer toward the ocean,) Ryan Stone (Irish Setter retrieving a tennis ball out of the water,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler playing fetch in a lake wearing her life jacket.)

Edited: July 15, 2022

Practice Makes Progress

Keep practicing! You’ve got this! (Photo: smiling woman squats beside a mixed breed dog)

No matter where you are in your dog training journey, if you’re practicing and putting in effort every day, you’re going to see improvements. 

Sometimes dog owners get stuck in “fix it” mode. All they see are the things they want to fix in their dog’s behaviour. It can be all-consuming and it can feel very defeating. Imagine if all you kept tabs on were your least successful walks — the ones where your dog lunged at another dog. You’d feel pretty crappy as those stack up on you one after the other. 

If you read the blog post “Let it Go,” from two weeks ago, you know that feeding yourself a steady diet of negative thoughts isn’t doing you or your dog any favours at all. One of my varsity soccer coaches liked to say: “garbage in —> garbage out.” This was true for what we ate as athletes — put in crappy fuel and you won’t have the energy to play well (or think well.) This saying also held true for how we practiced. If you put in a lousy effort all week at practice (poor first touches on the ball, not communicating well to teammates, making wobbly passes, etc) how would you play on game day? Probably pretty lousy. Garbage in —> garbage out also applies to our thoughts. If we feed ourselves a steady diet of negative thoughts, we won’t feel well or produce positive outcomes in any area of our lives. 

Dog training is a lot like athletics. You get out of it what you put into it. 

There’s a lot of this, before this… (Photo: person dribbling a soccer ball along a street)

(Photo: professional soccer game with fans in the stadium)

And even more practice before this. (Photo: hands holding up the World Cup Trophy)

Dog training and athletics also both require lots of repetitions (practice) to build new skills. 

Here’s what we’re going to do: 

Positive in —> positive out 

Here are a few ways to help you put in positivity so that you’ll see more positive results. 

Put in positive thoughts — Read “Let it Go” to learn more: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/let-it-go

Set small attainable goals — Day one of heeling isn’t a 5 Km loop for anyone, not even dog trainers. Teach the heel in a distraction free environment and build up slowly. Keep sessions short and positive. End on a positive note. 

Put in the time — People live busy lives. Some worry that they won’t be able to find the time to train (especially if they already struggle to find time for the gym or eating lunch every day.) Here are two tips to help you find the time (because if you don’t put in any effort to train your dog, you won’t get the results you want): 

Your dog’s mealtimes make great training sessions. Work on things your dog already knows that will save their life. I call this “practice how you play.” This is the time to practice “come,” “leave it,” and “stay.” You can also teach new tricks that are just for fun, like spin or whisper. 

Another great time to train is during your walks. You’re going to walk your dog anyway, so dedicate a portion of that walk to training your dog not to pull on the leash. Throw in a few on-leash recalls while you’re at it. 

Use your walks and your dog’s mealtimes as mini training sessions (Photo: woman walking her dog on leash beside sunflowers)

Teach — You need to teach your dog what to do instead of barking out the window, digging in the garden, or lunging at bikes/cats/strangers/dogs on your walks. When you become your dog’s teacher, they will look to you instead of making these mistakes. They need leadership and leadership takes practice. When you frame your thoughts in this way and look at yourself as your dog’s teacher, you’ll understand what your dog needs from you in order to give you what you want.

Have fun — Dog training is fun. If you’re not having fun, you may need a new trainer. Dog training is all about spending time with your dog, bonding, learning new things, building confidence, and enjoying yourself. 

Ask questions — I always ask my clients to send me videos with questions or to email me questions in between sessions. If you’re struggling with the homework or think you’re doing something wrong, ask for help. It’s what we’re here for. 

We want to hear from you in between sessions. Have a question? Please ask us! (Photo: dog sitting down and raising one paw as if he’s asking a question)

Write it down — Write down your goals. Once it’s written down, you can put checkmarks on your successes. It helps remind you that you are seeing progress. 

Special Note: If you write down a big goal, like: I want my human and dog reactive dog to be calm on a camping trip around dogs and humans, make a list of all the little things you’ll need to teach your dog in order to succeed at that big goal. Some examples would be: 

-teach my dog to be calm in the house (because right now he barks at people and dogs all day long) —> begin teaching the place command in the home 

-teach my dog to be calm on walks without distractions of unbalanced dogs around us 

-teach my dog a solid recall, so I can call him away from dogs and people 

-introduce my dog to my tent (reward calm behaviour) 

-socialize my dog around boats, paddle boards, people swimming (socialize means expose them to these things at a distance and reward them for being neutral) 

Training a new behaviour with your dog (eg. heeling, placework, stay, come, fetch, etc) is something that takes a few minutes a few times a day. Consistency is the key. 

So get out there and keep practicing and keep having fun. Be consistent and you’ll see amazing results very quickly. Dogs learn very, very quickly. Give them the opportunity to dazzle you and they absolutely will. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Jorge Salvador @jsshotz (smiling woman squats beside a mixed breed dog,) Kobe Amoh

@kobexamoh (person dribbling a soccer ball along a street,) Waldemar Brandt @waldemarbrandt67w (professional soccer game with fans in the stadium,)

Fauzan Saari @fznsr_ (hands holding up the World Cup Trophy,) Delphine Beausoleil @dbeausoleil (woman walking her dog on leash beside sunflowers,) Camylla Battani @camylla93 (dog sitting down and raising one paw as if he’s asking a question,)

NEW RESCUE DOG AND CANADA DAY FIREWORKS

Wondering how your new rescue dog will do with fireworks? Read on. (Photo: fireworks over the water)

Are you unsure of how your new rescue dog will respond to fireworks? Are you nervous about what might happen? 

Check out these tips to help enjoy Canada Day with your new best friend. 

#1. Stay home. I can’t tell you how many clients I have helped who have adopted a rescue dog, crated them, and left home on day one of the relationship. These clients struggled with crate training and separation anxiety issues because they left the dog alone before they earned their trust. If you have a new rescue dog, stay home on Canada Day and lay the foundation of your relationship. Next year, you can attend a Canada Day party, or maybe even host one, but this year you need to teach your dog how to be calm and neutral during fireworks. And yes, there’s a good chance that they will be completely unfazed by the fireworks. I have clients who sailed through the May 24 weekend with their brand new rescue dog. He didn’t bat an eye, so they all enjoyed a nice evening at home together. 

You will have an amazing Canada Day at home with your new dog. Promise! Get creative and have fun. (Photo: person holding a Canadian flag behind his body like wings)

#2. Don’t Host A Party. If you have a brand new rescue dog, don’t host a party until you have built a solid foundation with your new dog. The last thing you want to have happen is to overwhelm your dog with lots of people, especially if he isn’t crate trained yet. By “crate trained,” I mean he loves his crate and enjoys napping in there. The other thing you want to avoid is learning that your new rescue dog is scared of fireworks and Aunt Emily assures you that she’s the Dog Whisperer and cuddles your trembling dog all night. Not only will this teach your dog that fireworks are indeed something to be suspicious about, it’s a great way for Aunt Emily to get bitten by trapping the dog in an unwanted hug while it feels nervous and tense. This leads us back to #1. If you have a new rescue dog, stay home and train/lay a solid foundation of trust with your new dog. You will never regret missing a random Canada Day party. You will regret Aunt Emily getting bitten in the face, or Aunt Emily teaching your dog to be scared of fireworks.

You’ll never regret staying home, keeping it simple, and training your dog how to respond (calmly) around fireworks (Photo: two hands doing a cheers with sparklers)

#3. Stay calm. Our job as humans is to teach our dogs to be calm and neutral around things in the human world. We want them to be calm and neutral when we watch our kid’s soccer games; while we picnic in a busy park; and when our swimming pool is full of screaming children. You can build up to these three things gradually, using distance and patience as your guides. If you’ve adopted your rescue dog on July 1st (Canada Day,) then you don’t have much time to gradually introduce fireworks sounds (using videos on Youtube.) Don’t panic. Stay calm and neutral when the fireworks begin. Keep your dog on a leash in your home. Don’t overreact when they notice the fireworks. 

Extra Tip: 

Keep a radio on during the day and while the fireworks begin. This can mask some of the fireworks sound. 

You’re going to do great! (Photo: bright pink fireworks heart)

Will these tips help my rescue dog who is afraid of fireworks? 

Yes. We have used all three of these tools to help our clients help their rescue dogs over their fear of fireworks. Staying home with them and staying calm really does work. It isn’t easy, but nothing worth doing is easy. 

Happy Canada Day, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Ray Hennessy

@rayhennessy (fireworks over the water,) Redd @reddalec (person holding a Canadian flag behind his body like wings,) Ian Schneider @goian (two hands doing a cheers with sparklers,) Jamie Street @jamie452 (bright pink fireworks heart.)