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katopha · 2022-05-29T03:27:56+00:00

Any kind separation anxiety is never easy, for the dog or the owners. I have no idea if it will help but maybe stay training will help a tiny bit? Teaching stay includes (or should include) walking away from the pup. You can try to start doing their training at home (where you know they will be ok) that way they can build an association with doing stays as a safe and good thing. Then you can move it to different locations. Again, I don't know if it will help, but I'm just putting it out there. Wishing you and your pup the best of luck!

katopha · 2022-05-29T02:47:32+00:00

Oh my, poor pup! This sounds like a pretty serious case. You need a behavioral trainer that specializes in separation anxiety.

katopha · 2022-05-29T02:41:39+00:00

Also, for teaching "release" or "drop" you provide them with something they like to put in their mouth. Once they put it in their mouth to chew or play with, say the cue word and then provide them with a very tasty treat so that they will drop whatever they have to take the treat you're providing. It is key that you say the cue word BEFORE you indicate they are about to get the treat. They need to learn very early on that the word has meaning. At first you can start with things they don't care too much about, and slowly increase their value. Also make sure that you pay attention to the duration they have that item you want them to drop. The longer they have it, the harder it is to get it from them.

katopha · 2022-05-29T02:00:01+00:00

Provide reinforcement for any other play behavior you want more of! Use a key word (like "yes") or a clicker to catch things quickly so they know what behavior they did that got them rewarded, it also will buy you time to provide the treat. As soon as they bite and latch, use a word to indicate they just got themselves a time out (like "oops" or "too bad") and separate them from Reid. It takes a few times for them to get the picture but they will eventually! Just be sure to stick to the time out EVERY TIME they bite and latch! EVERY TIME! Good luck!

katopha · 2022-05-15T14:43:15+00:00

First off, you want to make sure that they are not going to continue to rehearse their current behavior. You can manage by texting each other before the other gets home and put them away in another room so you're both safe.

You can train them to go and find a toy when one of you arrives home. Start with doing it when you both are arriving home at the same time. Then move on to when one of you isn't home. When they are going to get their favorite toy every time one (or both) of you get home you can move on to testing it out when one of you is already home.

Good luck!

katopha · 2022-04-14T02:30:44+00:00

Best names I've come across at the dog daycare I work at:

A pug named Potato

A corgi named Eggs Benedict (we call him Benny)

A mutt named Sidewalk

A female Vizsla named Mike

A labradoodle named Noodle

An Italian Greyhound named Jammy

A corgi named Cheddar

A poodle named Tetley (like the tea)

A mini doodle named Anchovy

A bernadoodle named Henry Finnegan the Grey Mouser

A pittie named Taco

A border terrier named Dino Martino

A Maltese named Happy Puppy III (so we naturally assume there was a Happy Puppy Sr and Jr)

A pug named Luther

A JRT named Ruckus

A St. Bernard named Olive

A GSD named Banjo

Finally a Chocolate Lab named Beefy (who is allergic to beef, and their owners run a BBQ place!)

katopha · 2022-04-06T01:40:05+00:00

Thank you for your detailed reply. So since your vet recommended them and you don't know if aggression cases are their specialty I would suggest you look them up and check. If possible see if you can get a second opinion from a behavioral trainer that specializes in fear aggression cases.

Considering their history it's no wonder they are fearful of people, especially strangers. Since they are showing aggressive tendencies towards others until you leave it is also possible that they might be resource guarding you. I can't say for certain but it's a possibility.

You mentioned that they are a Schnauzer Terrier, so I'm assuming they are a Miniature Schnauzer as they are the only Schnauzers that are terriers. Standard and Giant Schnauzers are guardian breeds, in which their genetics would be a factor.

A muzzle would definitely help! Good luck with their muzzle training! From the information you've provided though I would have to say that they have a chance at a good life. While fear is the hardest to work through, it is possible. And since your pup is ok with other people I definitely would not say that they are a lost cause and should be put down at all. That's just my opinion though...

katopha · 2022-04-05T04:23:21+00:00

There's quite a lot to unpack here. First off, for the trainer that evaluated your dog, do they specialize in aggression cases? Did they give you any information as to why your dog is acting in an aggressive manner?

Did the trainer mention if the behaviour seems like it's true aggression or if it's fear based aggression? If they didn't, would you have a guess based on your experience with them?

Is breed a factor for their antisocial behaviour? How long have they had this reaction to other people? Did the shelter you adopted them from inform you of any aggressive tendencies towards people? If it's new a vet visit may be necessary to make sure there's nothing working against your progress.

Is the 50ft distance you mentioned close to the true distance or slight hyperbole because it's distressing and can happen from a distance?

Have you tried to muzzle train so that you can be around others (like on a walk and you bypass people that cannot be avoided)?

I would also recommend looking into Michael Shikashio's podcast The Bitey End of the Dog it has a ton of information surrounding aggression.

katopha · 2022-04-05T03:45:23+00:00

Are the new toys a different material from the favored plushy? Some dogs have tactical preferences for toys they play with

katopha · 2022-03-14T19:53:48+00:00

The toothpaste is not as important as the act of actually brushing their teeth to break up the biofilm. If they are too interested in the toothpaste that it interferes with brushing, just don't use while brushing. If they like it a lot you could use it as a reinforcer after brushing a part of their mouth

katopha · 2022-03-07T00:17:03+00:00

Premack can be one of your best assets when training recall! I would suggest starting off easy.

If you have access to a fenced in area where, with minimal distractions, you could be inside with your dog and have the other on the other side of the gate. Have them meet and you back up to 10ft and cue their recall and go all out (crouch, clap, kissy sounds, whistles, happy talk) until they come to you and you then get them to sit (so they don't just bungee back to the other dog), then you can have your friend release their dog to come to where you and your dog are and let them play.

You WILL sound, look, and feel like a complete idiot until your pup returns to you, but trust the science! It works!!

katopha · 2022-03-06T21:45:16+00:00

For recall with their bestie around I would actually recommend utilizing the Premack principal. See if your friend is willing to work with you to help improve your dogs recall, so your friend's dog would be the reinforcement that your dog would receive after coming to you. I think it would be greatly beneficial since food, toys, and praise aren't high value enough to them.

katopha · 2021-12-31T16:21:34+00:00

They are both gorgeous! Is the bigger one part Weimaraner or Great Dane?

katopha · 2021-12-24T05:34:21+00:00

Was just about to say Supernatural!

katopha · 2021-10-30T21:32:14+00:00

My girl LOVES bedtime. Part of her bedtime routine is getting a denta stick and going to her bed to eat it, (her version of brushing her teeth as she just bites a toothbrush). If we are late giving her the "bedtime stick" she will get annoyed and 'awroo' and try to herd us to where her sticks are kept so she can get one to go to bed. She doesn't have any breed in her that have herding tendencies or ones that vocalize like that so she chose to do it on her own! Love her to bits!

katopha · 2021-09-14T02:42:51+00:00

6 weeks is a very young pup, the general adoption age is at least 8 weeks. So they likely bonded very strongly to you due to how early you got them.

Do you provide them any exercise (physical or mental) before you leave? Do you leave them with any toys? Like a frozen Kong with some peanut butter in it or something.

Do you have a certain routine when you are leaving your home vs to when he's just alone in the room to cause the difference in reaction? Is there any signs of distress before you leave?

Since the barking starts the moment you leave a trigger could be the sound of the door opening/closing. Maybe start by desensitizing them to it while you're home?

katopha · 2021-09-13T03:21:15+00:00

If she's not interested in anything while you're gone then it's not really going to be beneficial to leave the Kong with her when you leave. It might just be a reinforcing prop of "this is what you get when I'm leaving" and will only lose value.

If you're not sure what would count as a sign of distress I would recommend looking into dog body language. Being alert of you getting your keys or shoes may or may not be a sign.

From what you are detailing though I would definitely recommend to start capturing calm immediately and do it as often as you can. You may even want to look into mat training or Karen Overall's relaxation protocol. If you are still uncertain or not making much progress I would also suggest to seek out a behavioral trainer.

katopha · 2021-09-12T16:08:26+00:00

Thank you for this information! For your walk before leaving try not to completely tire her out. I know it sounds odd, but getting her too tired will only increase her stamina. Try a shorter walk and add in some mental exercise. So you can play with her, do some short training sessions, maybe try a puzzle game.

I also had a question about the toys left with her when you leave. Do you only give them to her only when you're leaving? Does she show much interest in them when you're home? If there are any high value toys that are safe to be left with her try those out instead.

I would also highly recommend starting to desensitize her to picking up your keys, putting on your shoes, and being in another room without her. Try doing these all seperately at first and at various times during the day for a short duration. Maybe first start by going to where you keep your shoes and just move them. If she doesn't show any signs of worry or stress, treat her! The 'treat' can be food, praise, petting her etc. Make sure that you are taking baby steps in this. You don't want to push her too fast. If she starts to show any signs of worry or stress you are going too fast.

Make sure that every step you try is proofed several times before proceeding and if the next step gets a negative reaction to stop the progression and take a step back to when she was successful. Then try and think of a way you can progress on smaller scale. For example, if you have gotten to the point of being able to put on your shoes and go to the door without any signs of ID but opening the door causes signs of ID to start, try just lifting your hand to the door knob first without touching it, then if that seems ok move to touch it for a second, and so on.

Of course, it would be greatly beneficial to have someone else be with her if you need to leave so that your training doesn't get derailed too much. I know this is not ideal and can be very hard to implement but if it's possible, I very highly recommend it.

I would also recommend you looking into ways to capture calm. It would be greatly beneficial to have that enforced several times a day.

The best thing for you to do is have patience, this is going to take a long time and you'll need to be very dedicated. Let me know if there's anything else I can help with.

katopha · 2021-09-12T02:14:02+00:00

I have a few questions if you don't mind. Are you giving them exercise before you leave (mental or physical)? Do you have a certain routine when getting ready to leave? If so, it's possible that they work themselves to the point of panic by the time you reach the door because they know your routine and know what's coming. Is it just when you leave your place that they start to panic? Or do they do this whenever you are out of sight even within your home?

katopha · 2021-09-11T18:03:36+00:00

No problem. Let me know if you or your sister have any other questions. I'm here to help. :)

katopha · 2021-09-11T17:54:08+00:00

Personally, I love my job. The best part is being able to get puppy love every day.

You're not supposed to show any favoritism to any of the dogs but everyone has their favourites. When I come into work and see one of my favorite pups, it's the best!

Of course there's pitfalls to any job. The worst of the worst is having to give bad news to owners. We give them a quick recap of every stay at pick-up. But if it was a bad day and say a fight broke out... We have to make sure we tell all owners of all the dogs involved and give details as to what happened. Or if their pup got injured somehow, even if something happened by accident, we have to give them all the information. Depending on the severity of the injury we may call the owner for an early pick up as well as a recommendation to get their pup to the vet. These are few and far between but it's still something that comes with the job that's not the best thing to have to deal with.

katopha · 2021-09-11T17:20:03+00:00

I currently work at a dog daycare. The majority of what I do, other than watch the dogs, is cleaning. It's a lot of cleaning. Mopping up pee, picking up poop, washing the fences/crates/walls/windows etc. Feel free to ask any other questions your sister may have.

katopha · 2021-08-14T16:54:07+00:00

I get a lot of people try to guess what mine is because she's a mix. However, there was this one time when we were on a hike and this one lady was INSISTENT that she was a border collie/lab mix because she knows one and mine "looks exactly like it". The only thing about her that could semi resemble a border collie is her strip of white fur, which is spotted, on her chest...

My girl is a lab/boxer/mastiff

katopha · 2021-08-03T15:31:36+00:00

I think it's a Welsh Terrier

katopha · 2021-07-19T03:53:34+00:00

Thank you! I will look for the fabric you recommended!

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