Helping Your New Dog Be the Best She Can Be

by Bette Yip

Tails, Inc. Pet Magazine recently asked me to answer the following three questions new dog owners might have about preventing common problem behaviors from forming. I think you'll find the strategy I suggest a useful one to apply to canine behavioral problem solving in general.

1. How can I train my new dog not to beg at the table?
2. How can I train my new dog to ignore distractions such as moving cars and squirrels?
3. How can I help my new dog not develop separation anxiety?

When you welcome a new dog into your home and life, start thinking in terms of what you want your dog to do when (a certain situation presents itself) rather than waiting for undesirable habits to form. Focus not on “how do I stop my dog from doing that?” but rather on, “what would I like my dog to do when this happens?”

Especially in the beginning, be the “good guy” and set your dog up for success 95% of the time by training your dog to do the behaviors you like in various situations and by using careful management to prevent your dog from rehearsing habits you don’t like when you won’t be able to provide appropriate consequences.

Also learn to recognize the signs that lead up to your dog making a bad choice, and redirect her to a desirable behavior BEFORE she makes the mistake! Redirection works much better if you use it just as your dog is contemplating an undesirable behavior. If you redirect only once the mistake is in progress, you run the risk of teaching your dog that doing naughty things gets your attention, or that the bad habit is just plain FUN.

Once you’ve given your dog plenty of practice and rewards for performing behaviors you like in a situation, you might, in some cases, allow your dog to make a mistake and follow up with an appropriate punishment such as a time out, removal of what they want or even a startling noise to interrupt the undesirable behavior. The safe, effective and fair use of punishment is complicated territory, and is best done under the supervision of a qualified trainer until you learn the ropes.

I think it is important to acknowledge that some trainers believe that punishment should never be used at allünder any circumstances. I believe punishment can be a useful and fair part of some training endeavors if used sparingly, without causing pain or fear, and only after you’ve taught a dog what behaviors DO work. Please note that punishment is NEVER effective or fair for a dog that is acting out of fear or anxiety.

How can I train my new dog not to beg at the table?


1. MANAGEMENT: Prevent your dog from learning how to beg when people sit down to dinner by keeping her in her crate or safe zone with a special, long lasting goody such as a stuffed Kong toy or a yummy beef tendon to chew. Also make sure your dog is comfortable and has a reasonably full tummy during your dinner time. Really, how kind is it to eat in front of your hungry friend and scold her for asking if she can have a bite?

2. TRAINING: At times when you aren’t starved, yourself, teach your dog what TO do when people are eating at the table. Role plays are a great help in this endeavor! Training takes your full focus until you get the hang of it, so practice with your dog in between your real meals in the beginning. Microwave some great smelling temptation to have on the table as you and family members sit down for a practice session. Teach your dog to lie down at dinnertime, perhaps on her own bed nearby, and play with a chew item or puzzle toy while humans eat. This approach involves several steps: teaching your dog to stay busy with a toy or chewy; teaching your dog to lie down (on her bed, if desired) and finally, linking these behaviors to the situation of human dinnertime.

3. PROOFING: Once you’re dog gets the hang of the family dinnertime routine, you might begin to reward her less often, and use a time out in an “unfun zone” (not her crate or safe zone) as a consequence for begging rather than staying self-entertained.

How can I train my new dog to ignore distractions such as moving cars and squirrels?


1. MANAGEMENT: Prevent your dog from learning to chase fast moving objects when you aren’t prepared to follow through with your training by keeping her on leash when these temptations might be around. In the car, keep your dog in a crate or use a doggy seatbelt or calming cap to prevent her from noticing fast moving triggers outside—while you’re driving is NOT a good time to train!

2. TRAINING: Teach your dog to respond to focus cues such as “watch me,” “sit/freeze,” “down/freeze,” “heel with attention,” "touch," and "find it" in a quiet environment, and once she gets the hang of it, take it on the road. Choose locations where temptations are likely to occur and stay on the lookout so you can begin prompting your dog to perform one of her focus cues every time the trigger appears. Be generous with rewards! In the case of temptations such as joggers, bikers and skateboarders, consider setting up role plays with a helper who can provide just the right level of challenge with your coaching. To practice setups for fast moving critters, try setting up a furry squeaky toy with a pulley system to make it “run” at your bidding.

Also play impulse control games, such as “Red Light, Green Light.” Start with a green light—run, play, be just wild enough to get your dog a little excited but not out of control. When you say “red light,” have your dog stop and focus until you give the green light to be a crazy dog again. At the next “green light,” run around with your dog, toss toys, and generally get her riled up again until the next red light. Refusal to calm down and focus during a “red light” ends the game and earns boring time in an unfun zone until the next session. Be fair about the behaviors you ask for during red light! You might start with a simple “watch me,” and build up over time to a varied routine of doggy calisthenics.

3. PROOFING: Once you’ve fairly taught your dog how to behave when fast-moving temptations appear, you might punish undesirable responses, preferably with a time out. Be very careful not to scold your dog or using harsh punishments around triggers such as joggers, bikers and skateboarders—you don’t want to turn an exuberant desire to play and chase into a fear of such things! If you need help, seek the guidance of a qualified trainer.

How can I help my new dog not develop separation anxiety?


1. MANAGEMENT: Prevent your dog from learning to worry when she’s left alone. Make her crate or safe zone as comfortable as possible. Play soft, soothing music (I like the “Through a Dog’s Ear” series.) Provide safe, irresistible and long-lasting chews and puzzle toys. Be sure the temperature is comfortable for your dog. You might consider looking into DAP (dog appeasing pheromone plug in, spray or collar) which helps some dogs to feel less anxious. Also carefully plan the duration and timing of exercise to help your dog rest peacefully while you’re away. Mix up your routine: sometimes when you’re home, schedule random quiet times in the crate or safe zone—don’t just put your dog there when it’s the “big away.” Keep your departures and returns low key. Try not to make a big fuss—although you miss your dog, too, if you make a big deal of leaving or coming home, your dog will miss you that much more while you’re away. In between alone times, plant goodies and surprises in the crate or safe zone so that your dog learns to enjoy going there on her own. If you can find a way to safely tether the goody in the space so that your dog needs to stay there in order to continue enjoying it, all the better!

2. TRAINING: Teach your dog a “kennel up” cue, and reward her generously each time she plays the game. (My younger dog’s cue is “go to jail”—which he does with glee, to my great amusement! It’s fun for everyone involved.) While your dog is in her crate or safe zone, “notice the good dog.” Ignore her when she fusses, acknowledge her and reward her during calmer moments. Consider using a Manners Minder remote control treat delivery machine to reward your dog while you’re out of sight. I’ve even used this technique through the wall of a duplex home! Grandma was able to “ping” treats to the dog through the wall at random moments for quiet behavior while the family was out. When the family returned home, the machine went into hiding. What a great way to help a dog learn to look forward to alone time!

3. DON’T PUNISH your dog for fussing while separated from you. Dogs are instinctually upset when separated from the “pack,” and their distress calls are nature’s way of helping the pack stay together. Using punishment on a dog that is fearful or anxious will only make the negative feelings worse! This endeavor is truly a case for “ignore what you don’t like and generously reward everything you don’t hate.”