My 8-month-old puppy steals food from the table, but when I yell “NO!” at her, she starts racing around the kitchen like a crazy dog.  Yelling louder and running after her yields faster laps.  What’s going on?

What’s going on is a little miscommunication between the species.  Dogs don’t understand human anger – they fear it (think submissive urination), ignore it (think teenagers), or it amps them up and makes them wilder (your situation).  To stop the insanity, take control of the situation before it breaks down.  Teach your dog a “place” or a “down/wait” command so she can be in the room during dinner, but not be an unwanted guest at the table.  Or, if there are times you’d prefer not to have her in the room at all, provide a confined area where she can enjoy a special toy or treat while you enjoy a quiet meal.  Another idea is to keep a six-foot leash attached to her buckle collar when you’re in the room with her – that way, if she does start racing around you can easily step on the leash and regain control.  Training her to do the right thing rather yelling and chasing her for doing the wrong thing will ensure you both have a happier relationship – and more peaceful dinnertime!

My dog weighs 75lbs and has a beautiful, spacious dog bed in the kitchen.  Instead of using that, she’ll lay under the glass top coffee table in the living room when we’re watching TV. or under the computer desk when I’m working in my office.  The glass on the coffee table is full of dog fur and nose prints, and my legs cramp up at my desk because there’s no place to put them!  What can I do to make her love her bed?

It seems as if your dog is giving you lessons in Canine Behavior 101.  First lesson:  most dogs retain a den instinct from their ancestors.  Simply put, it means that they derive comfort and security from being in a place that approximates a den, and a large fluffy dog bed in the middle of a kitchen doesn’t meet the criteria.  A snug, cave-like location does, hence her preference for the coffee table and computer desk.  In this case, I think she’s also seeking out your companionship, which is your second lesson – dogs want to be with their pack.  Since you’ve expressed that you’re not in love with her choice of resting places, consider buying her inexpensive airline crates, remove the doors (needing to confine her isn’t your issue) and place each of them in the rooms that she prefers.  You’ll be meeting her need to be with you and be in an enclosed area all at the same time, as well as your need to have legroom at your desk.  As for the beautiful dog bed, if it won’t fit in the crates, consider donating it to a local animal shelter.  Beauty truly is in the eye of the (canine) beholder.

My neighbors tell me that my dog barks all day long when I’m not home, but when I arrive at the front door at night, he’s as quiet as a mouse.  Who do I believe, and why would he do that?

Dogs bark for many reasons, but when you’re gone, loneliness and boredom are usually at the heart of it.  Separation anxiety occurs in a very small number of dogs, but if that were the case here, you’d normally see other symptoms (having accidents, destructiveness, being very clingy when you try to leave).

There’s the group of people who’ve reinforced barking, because whenever they hear a noise outside they ask urgently “Who’s there? Who’s there?” inciting the dog into a barking frenzy and rewarding them with either laughter or praise.  A cool game until you’re dog barks at everything he hears without you having to say a word.

But more often than not, dogs who bark while their owners aren’t home have learned that barking gets them what they want, just as a trained dog learns that doing a “sit” earns them a treat or praise. It’s worth taking note of what your reaction is when you’re home and your dog barks at you –  do you produce a treat, play with him, or run to open the door so he can go outside and play? Housebreaking issues are exempt from that last example.  Teaching your dog that barking doesn’t cause you to spring into action will go a long way in extinguishing the behavior.

For the times when you do leave, make sure that your dog is suitably exercised and has a few cool toys to play with while you’re away. Don’t allow him access to windows where he might see people or dogs pass by, because that kind of “TV” viewing encourages barking every time someone passes by your home.

And speaking of being away, make sure that your goodbye is brief and unemotional.  Avoid cue words that trip off the behavior you don’t want; for example, if your last words before leaving are always “Mommy misses you”, simply stop saying it.  Fifteen minutes before leaving, turn on the or radio for white noise, and give your dog a dog “pacifier” in the form of a stuffed hard rubber toy, and skip the long goodbyes.  Eventually, your dog should look forward to leaving so he can have his reward.

 

 

 

Yesterday we adopted a very hyper, 8-month old puppy from the shelter and were wondering how to integrate him into our dinner party next month.  We’re expecting a hundred people, and the guests range from toddlers to the very elderly, so we want him to be well behaved when he’s wandering around.  Any tips?

What you’re saying is that you have a new, hyper, adolescent puppy, and are wondering how to train him to accept not only the new home and new family that he’s with but also a hundred people that he’s never met before?  I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s a slim to none chance that you’ll be able to quick train this dog into the party ambassador that you so desire.  Not only that, but I think that it’s asking far too much of a puppy to have to deal with that kind of excitement and potential stress.  Probable disasters range from him jumping on and injuring a guest, stealing food (or having a guest feed him!) resulting in an upset stomach, or, the ever popular, failing to alert someone of his need to use the “facilities” and leaving an unwelcome surprise on the floor.  In my opinion your dog – and you – would be happier if he were upstairs in a bedroom, preferably under the watchful eye of a neighborhood teen you hired for the evening whose sole purpose is to meet the puppy’s needs.  After the party, dedicate yourself to obedience training him, and he can make his debut at next year’s event!