Use the table of contents below to jump to specific sections of interest.

• ABOUT
• CHOOSING A TRAINER
  • CREDENTIALS
  • WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• TRAINING BASICS
  • LEARNING THEORY (WHY)
  • A-B-C (HOW)
• GETTING STARTED
  • MARKER/CLICKER TRAINING
  • SETTING UP A SCENARIO
• COMMON ISSUES
  • IMPULSE CONTROL
  • POTTY TRAINING
  • TEETHING / CHEWING
  • BARKING
  • HYPERACTIVITY / SETTLING
  • FOCUS
  • RESILIENCE / FEAR
  • LEASH PULLING

New puppy, or old dog? Never fear, they all can learn new tricks!
Welcome to the ISSA’s quickstart guide to training. There’s a lot of information here, but it has been organized into sections for easier digestion. Feel free to pursue the topics you need, and then come back for additional help.

ABOUT

This page was constructed by Vanguard Kennels and edited with the assistance of Ursa Acree (CDBC, FFCT) with the intention of improving the dog-human relationship by using the most current evidence-informed, ethically-guided standards and methodologies available. Learn more about this here.

Ursa Acree, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Fear Free Certified Trainer, brings over 23 years of expertise in animal behavior. She has served as Director of Behavior Services for Behavior Vets of Colorado, leading a team of 20 specialists, creating a trainer practicum program, and advancing educational initiatives. She founded Canis Major Training in 2016, which provided specialized training services to the Denver area for five years. Ursa’s experience also includes Behavior Manager roles at the Kentucky Humane Society and Dumb Friends League, where she improved animal welfare, reduced relinquishments, and trained staff and volunteers in humane handling and training. Additionally, she has managed animal training at Hill’s Pet Nutrition and co-hosted the Canine Conversations podcast, along with features in Mile High Dog Magazine, Pet Tales, and Paw Street Journal.

CHOOSING A TRAINER

Did you know that in the United States and Canada, anyone can call themselves a ‘dog trainer’ or a ‘dog behaviorist’? No experience, no education, and no certifications necessary. 

In North America, dog training and behavior modification remain entirely unregulated, allowing anyone to claim expertise without formal training or credentials. Some individuals may simply visit a local pet store, purchase a few tools, and present themselves as knowledgeable in canine behavior. This lack of oversight underscores the importance of carefully selecting qualified professionals when seeking help with your dog’s behavior.

CREDENTIALS

WHAT

So, how can you tell if someone truly “knows their stuff”? A good rule of thumb is to check which organizations they belong to and the certifications they hold. However, not all certifications are created equal. Because the industry is unregulated, anyone can create a certification program and award credentials that may lack ethical standards or a foundation in sound research and cognitive science.

WHY

Training and behavior modification each address distinct aspects of a dog’s development and behavior. Training focuses on teaching specific skills or cues, such as “sit” or “come,” and is often used for enhancing obedience, manners, and general responsiveness. In contrast, behavior modification is designed to address underlying emotional or behavioral concerns, such as fear, aggression, anxiety, or compulsive behaviors. While training might help a dog learn to follow cues, behavior modification seeks to alter the root causes of distressing or problematic behaviors, creating meaningful, lasting change in how a dog perceives and responds to challenging situations. Most behavior modification plans incorporate some training as a way to help dogs learn new skills to use in the presence of triggers.

WHO

Internationally known and respected certifications include:

IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants)

• Certifications: CDBC (behavior consulting) and ADT (training.)
• Focus: Advanced behavior modification and problem-solving, requiring hands-on experience and case studies.

CCPDT (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers)

• Certifications: CPDT-KA/KSA (training) and CBCC-KA (behavior consulting).
• Focus: Comprehensive knowledge and practical skills, with emphasis on learning theory and behavior consulting.

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA)

• Certification: KPA CTP (Certified Training Partner).
• Focus: Positive reinforcement and clicker training through structured coursework and assessments.

Animal Behavior College (ABC)

• Certification: ABCDT (Certified Dog Trainer).
• Focus: Entry-level training in basic obedience and dog behavior, with online coursework and externship.

CATCH Canine Trainers Academy

• Certifications: CDT (Certified Dog Trainer) and MDT (Master Dog Trainer).
• Focus: Customizable, in-depth education with mentorship and practical skills assessments.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The first thing to look for is valid credentials, confirming that the professional meets a standard of knowledge, skills, and ethics. This includes verifying that their credentials are current, as reputable certifying organizations require ongoing education and regular recertification. Checking the accrediting organization’s website can help ensure that their certification is active and up-to-date.

The person you choose to work with should be able to understand and explain dog body language to you. A well-adjusted dog is an open book; they wear what they’re thinking and feeling right on their sleeve for the world to see. If a dog is displaying minimal movement, looking for all the world like a perfectly behaved dog standing beside their guardian, it might take an educated eye to observe the body language and determine if the dog is relaxed or if there are suppressed behaviors and emotions.

Another trait to look for is whether the trainer addresses behavior proactively or reactively. Rather than waiting, expecting, or manipulating the dog into making a mistake for the sake of correcting the dog, a proper credentialed professional will be proactive and set the dog up to be successful in choosing the desired behavior. Their focus should be on understanding what is triggering the behaviors in question, how the environment might be working for or against the desired outcome, and what skills the dog needs in order to be successful in choosing a different behavior. All of this will make reactive corrections unnecessary.

While it might be counter-intuitive, the person you choose to work with should not be making any guarantees about goals, behaviors, or solutions. Animals are living beings and proper training will acknowledge the fact that they will sometimes make their own choices, despite their training. Instead, the person should know your goals and tailor the lesson or treatment plan to your dog, at your dog’s pace. It might not be possible to reach the goal, but a good behavior consultant will be able to bring out the best in your dog. 

This person should be kind to you and your dog. They should be understanding, compassionate, attentive, and they should be able to listen and address your concerns. They should not make you feel guilty for your dog’s behaviors, and they should have a passion for building kindness and understanding between you and your dog, as well as between themselves and the two of you.

TRAINING BASICS

Okay, so you’ve got this dog in front of you, all ready to learn new things, starting with basic manners, graduating to cool tricks, and then maybe even to performance events! Everyone and every dog starts somewhere, and most of us start at the very bottom. No one can be expected to perform perfectly, and at a professional or Olympic-level their first time around! And some days are just a no-go at all. So really, it’s okay not to be infallible, or to underperform; we’re just going to take a deep breath, reassess, readjust, and try again.
Start here to learn the “whys” and “hows” of teaching your learner (your dog)!

LEARNING THEORY (WHY)

Learning theory describes the ways in which your learner takes in, processes, retains, and demonstrates their understanding of information.

Fascinatingly enough, most learners (dogs, babies, alligators, butterflies…) generally learn the same way. Not that you can teach an alligator via giving them reading assignments, but simply in the fact that “reinforcement drives behavior”. Or in other words, “what gets reinforced, gets repeated” – so just like we keep learning fun (reinforcing) for kids, we can apply that across the animal kingdom.

Punishment has the opposite function of reinforcement, and should decrease/prevent the learner from practicing a behavior if the punishment is successfully being administered. If the punishment is removed, the original behavior may creep back in, just as when reinforcement is removed, a behavior may deteriorate over time.

Keep in mind that your learner will determine what is rewarding or punishing. You don’t have to inflict physical pain for something to be aversive. Just like how watching a horror movie with gore, or the sound of nails on a chalkboard does not require physical pain, some people do find those stimuli uncomfortable, and therefore, to be avoided. Similarly, just because one person enjoys going to a sports game does not mean that it’s necessarily reinforcing for another person. It’s because of this that the best learning happens when the reward is selected to be reinforcing to the individual learner, and that the reward is applied appropriately to constitute a change in behavior.

Most people would agree that they would rather use reinforcement than punishment, but how exactly do you change an undesirable behavior without letting the learner know that they’ve done something wrong? First, it’s important to understand that for a lot of learners, it can be very frustrating to be told “no”, or “incorrect”, especially repeatedly. When you are performing a task, and your teacher tells you, “no, not like that, nope, try again, wrong, bad guess, nuh uh”, it can be very discouraging, because they haven’t told you what to do, they’re just telling you that you’re wrong. It might make you angry, frustrated, hesitate to try again, or just shut down. So instead of focusing on letting the learner know that they’ve done something wrong, the teacher should be showing the correct way to complete the task. In some cases, redirection, or rewarding an incompatible behavior can make the undesirable behavior stop. For example, if you were to teach your dog to fetch his favorite toy when someone rang the doorbell, the dog can’t bark at the door – because he’s too busy trying to find that particular toy, and then once he finds it, his mouth is full! 

An additional factor is whether or not the learner was given the space to make the last little leap for themselves. Allowing the learner to problem-solve, make mistakes, and adjust can help them better understand the learning process. Given just enough information, a learner should be able to put the pieces together for themselves. This means that a learner needs to have a safe space where they feel comfortable in trying new things, and are able to make those mistakes without reprimand. Oftentimes, this is where a teacher can get the most information about a learner; as what the learner tries gives the most insight into how the learner is thinking and approaching the problem. It also affords the opportunity for the teacher to encourage the attempt, as well as adjust the learning plan or situation to set the learner back on the correct path. Or if the learner is very clever, they may have just shown the teacher a new approach that might not have been considered before.

This is the bare-bones basics of learning theory; a bit of a deeper dive will take you further into both Classical and Operant Conditioning, and will bring you into the company of some history and prominent psychologists. But for now, let’s look at exactly how to use reinforcement to get the behaviors we’re interested in.

A-B-C (HOW)

Antecedent – Behavior – Consequence (A-B-C)

Knowing your A-B-C’s will help you and help your learner understand their world a bit better, especially when you combine it with your new knowledge of learning theory.

The ABCs of Learning Theory refer to the fundamental components of operant conditioning used to analyze and modify behavior. These components are:

A – Antecedent

The stimulus or event that occurs before a behavior and serves as a trigger.

B – Behavior

The observable action or response performed by the animal.

C – Consequence

The result or outcome that follows the behavior, influencing the likelihood of the behavior occurring again.

• Reinforcement: Increases the likelihood of the behavior.
• Punishment: Decreases the likelihood of the behavior.

By examining the ABC sequence, trainers and behaviorists can better understand and modify behavior in a structured, science-based manner.

Example: When teaching a dog to touch a target stick, the trainer begins by presenting the stick in front of the dog (Antecedent). When the curious dog sniffs and touches the stick with its nose (Behavior), the trainer immediately rewards the behavior with a treat and verbal praise, such as saying, “Good job!” (Consequence). This use of positive reinforcement—adding a desirable outcome — makes it more likely that the dog will touch the target stick again in the future when it is presented.

GETTING STARTED

Every behavior has a function, so the real question is; “What function is this behavior serving”?

MARKER/CLICKER TRAINING

This will be the foundation for everything, including impulse control, behavior modification, and any trick training.

Because dogs can’t speak English (or any other language!) when we train, we have to have a way to indicate what earns the reinforcement. This is the foundation that “clicker” or “marker” training uses to communicate. The teacher uses a device called a “clicker” or uses a single word (“marker”) to indicate that this is the desired behavior, and therefore has earned reinforcement. Behaviors that earn reinforcement are more likely to be repeated.

In animal behavior, a marker is often called a bridge because it “bridges the gap” between the desired behavior and the delivery of a reward. Here’s why:

1. Precise Timing:
   A marker (like a click from a clicker or a verbal cue like “yes”) allows the trainer to pinpoint the exact moment the desired behavior occurs. This is crucial because the reward itself (e.g., a treat) may take a few seconds to deliver. The marker communicates to the animal, “That specific action is what earned you the reward,” even if the reward is slightly delayed.
2. Connection Between Behavior and Reward:
   The marker creates a clear and consistent link between the animal’s behavior and the consequence (reward). It acts as a “bridge” that the animal learns to associate with the upcoming reinforcement, ensuring that the animal understands exactly what behavior was correct.
3. Facilitates Learning:
   By bridging the gap, the marker reduces confusion and speeds up the learning process. Animals quickly learn that the marker predicts a reward, making training more efficient and effective.

For example, when teaching a dog to sit, the trainer uses a clicker to mark the exact moment the dog places its rear on the ground. The click sound bridges the gap between the behavior (sitting) and the reward (a treat). This clarity helps the dog understand that sitting is the behavior being reinforced.

There are pros and cons to choosing whether to use a clicker or a verbal marker, but the most important thing is to use what’s best for you and your dog.

CLICKER PROS	CLICKER CONS
Same sound every time	Must purchase
Sound is more distinctive	Needs timing practice
	Needs a free hand to operate
	Can be left out of reach
	Some dogs can be sensitive to the sound

VERBAL MARKER PROS	VERBAL MARKER CONS
Free	Inconsistent pitch/volume
Easier timing practice	Sounds different between different people
Hands-free	Less discrete
Always available
Potentially less triggering to some dogs

A verbal marker should be:

• a single word
• able to be said quickly
• able to be said enthusiastically

Favorites in the community are “yes”, “good”, and “yay”.

USING THE CLICKER/MARKER

The marker needs to be said one second or LESS after the dog does the desired behavior. Try to get as close to instantaneous as possible – your pup will learn quicker that way. If you miss the window, you have to wait until the next opportunity. If you mark, you reward. No matter what. Even if you, the handler, mess up and mark something you didn’t mean to, you still give the reward. “Always deliver on your promises.”

LOADING THE CLICKER/MARKER

The dog needs practice to understand what the marker means, and you need practice on your timing. You have the bigger job here, and it truly takes practice. The timing of the marker is so much more important than the timing of the reward, because what the marker means is “That right there, what you just did- I really liked that, and I’m going to give you a treat!” So when you say the word, they know they’re going to be rewarded, you don’t need to have it ready immediately (though it helps if you do).

SETTING UP A SCENARIO

Let’s make a plan!

STEP 1: MEETING NEEDS

Prior to starting a scenario where you’re trying to engage and teach your learner, the first question you need to ask yourself is; “have my learner’s needs been met?” This is so important, because it is so hard to learn something new if you’re not in the right headspace. Kind of hard to talk about the latest blockbuster movie when you haven’t been to the restroom in eight hours, or discuss the most popular restaurant in town when you haven’t had a good night’s sleep, and surely you can’t be expected to perform basic algebra while being chased by a bear! So now is the time to make sure both you and your learner aren’t hungry, thirsty, in need of a potty break, scared, or in need of exercise.

STEP 2: BREAK DOWN THE BEHAVIOR

Once you’ve decided what you’re teaching, the next step is communicating your vision to your learner. The best way to do this is break down the behavior down into small, super easy steps that are able to build on each other. Instead of asking for perfection right out of the gate, use successive approximation to build the skills your learner needs to succeed. Successive approximation is a training technique where small, incremental steps toward a desired behavior are reinforced until the full behavior is achieved. This is sometimes easier said than done, as it takes practice to think about how you dissect the behavior into smaller chunks. Especially when you leave room in your training scenario for the learner to think and problem-solve, which, as discussed in the Learning Theory section, is more impactful and results in a stronger behavior that is offered more readily.

Sometimes this means it’s just a slight movement or inclination towards the right thing, the flick of an ear, or the step of a paw. Rewarding those small increments builds confidence and excitement, and very quickly work up into the larger picture. 

STEP 3: LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

So you’ve got your behavior, and all the little steps it’s going to take you to get there, but now you need to think about where your learner will be most successful. It’s important to start easy, and work up to harder and harder places. Pick a calm place to start, somewhere the dog spends a lot of time, and doesn’t have access to things to self-reinforce. Block access to dog doors, other rooms, other dogs/people, and windows if you need to. Make the location dull to set your learner up for success.

If you are working on a behavior specifically for the certain environment, be sure to try and make that environment as easy as possible, and slowly work your way up in difficulty. If the dog struggles with focus and attention outside, start in your front/back yard; don’t go straight to the park where there’s a youth soccer game going on.

Things to consider when choosing a location; what time of day is it? Are there going to be a lot of rabbits/squirrels out? How many people frequent the area? How many dogs? When do people walk their dogs? Is it going to be too hot? Is there shade? Will someone be coming home from school/work? Are you expecting a delivery? Are there a lot of loud or sudden noises; music, construction, garbage truck, etc? Minimizing (or planning for) distractions can make or break a training plan. Do your best to manipulate, or set up the environment, so that your learner experiences stimuli in a controlled fashion and is set up for success.

STEP 4: SETTING EXPECTATIONS

Alright humans, this one is for you and it’s important. You’ve picked out a cool behavior that you want to teach, but even before you get to dive in, you need to set your expectations. This should help prevent frustration, miscommunication, and will likely decrease errors. Having a frustrated teacher is a recipe for a confused, frantic, or maybe even scared learner. So before you go into your training session, remember what your ultimate goal is, and it’s probably along the lines of ‘I just want me and my dog to be happy and have fun’.

Now you need to set your specific expectations… and then re-evaluate them. You’ve got an idea of you’ve got this awesome trick broken down into easy steps, the whole picture is right in front of you- but now you need to set realistic expectations of what you expect out of this session. Depending on the complexity of the behavior and how intrinsic it is, you might not even get a quarter of the way through your plan. But that’s okay! In fact, it might be better, because the more you reinforce and strengthen the foundation behaviors and steps along the way, the better it will stick in your learner’s brain. So take a beat, and decide what portion of the behavior you want to teach, declare that your ‘jackpot’ behavior, and then ease it back a little and make the previous step your rewarded behavior. Knowing exactly what you’re looking for, what you’re rewarding, and what you’re giving the big payout for will help give good clarity to your learner. 

Sometimes it even helps to talk it out with someone, especially if there’s an undesirable behavior you’re working to change. Identifying and predicting what behaviors your learner will perform when they’re placed in a certain situation will help you plan your actions ahead, rather than just reacting to the situation. Think about how you want to address/de-escalate each behavior ahead of time, and what to do if those actions don’t work. 

For example, I know my dog barks at other dogs when they walk past us on the trail. To set us up for success, I’m going to bring my dog to a quiet trail at an off-peak time and start at a spot where we are far enough from the main path that my dog can stay calm while seeing other dogs at a distance. I’ll reward my dog for noticing other dogs in the distance while remaining relaxed, whether they look at me, sniff the ground, or explore calmly. If my dog stays focused and calm, I might gradually move closer to the path. If my dog gets too fixated or starts barking, I’ll increase the distance again. If my dog becomes overwhelmed or can’t calm down, we’ll leave the area and try again another day, starting farther away. If another owner and dog approaches unexpectedly, I’ll turn us around and move away, saying, “Sorry, we’re training today—thanks for understanding!”

You can only go as fast as your dog can learn, and some days will be better than others. Progress is not linear. Set your expectations individually for each of your training sessions.

COMMON ISSUES

Your dog is not giving you a hard time, they’re having a hard time.

Having a dog is a big responsibility, and is not always easy. Each dog comes with their own set of thoughts, feelings, and challenges. But as we found out in the Learning Theory section above, they all follow the same rules of learning – so if we understand where they’re struggling, and what they’re thinking and feeling, we can help them make better choices. Below, you will find some guidance on changing behavior based on the ‘why’ of the behavior; you just have to remember your A-B-C’s!

Please refer to the steps in “Setting up a Scenario” to make sure both you and your learner are ready and at your best before continuing to the next section.

IMPULSE CONTROL

WHAT

This is certainly a tough one, as it’s a rare case when a creature is born with impulse control. And why would they, when the world is so big and fun and interesting? Just like predator kits in the wild have to learn to be patient and stalk their prey before they make their pounce, so do children have to learn to slow down and think when they’re taken to Disney, and so does your dog to take treats nicely, waiting by an open door, or keeping four paws on the ground when greeting guests. Impulse control is a keystone foundation behavior to help your dog learn to think, so they can do what you’ve taught them to do in a particular situation.

HOW

One of the first games to start out with is the Automatic Leave-It, it’s incredibly easy, and can be frustration-free for most learners. Level 0 of the game is to hold a treat way out of reach of the learner, and then to immediately mark and reward (give them the treat). And then repeat. That’s it, that’s the game. The teacher should not give the dog the opportunity to bark, jump, run away, or have any kind of reaction at all. It’s very important to start this way- because this is the foundation of ‘doing nothing’ to receive a reward. At its core, this game is going to teach the dog to leave-it, and if you mark and reward before the dog does anything, they’ve technically done as you asked. They left it alone; it’s out of their reach, and they weren’t given time to react. Then, the next step is to add one of the following; duration, distance, distraction/movement. Only one of these should be practiced at a time to set the learner up for success. If the dog is unable to perform as expected, lower your expectations and go back a step. Rushing will only create confusion and/or inconsistent behavior.

Repetition is your friend, be sure to repeat each level twenty or more times to ensure your learner understands the pattern. Below is a sample plan of the levels of difficulty, but should be adjusted to fit your learner:

Level 0 – Treat held above head, no delay in reward

Level 1 – Treat at shoulder level, no delay in reward

Level 2 – Treat at shoulder level, two-second delay in reward

Level 3 – Treat held above head, four-second delay in reward

Level 4 – Treat at chest level, no delay in reward

Level 5 – Treat at shoulder level, four-second delay in reward

Level 6 – Treat at chest level, two-second delay in reward

…

Level 60 – Treat in front of dog, four-second delay in reward

…

Level 80 – Treat dropped behind person, no delay in reward (use different treat, but pick up dropped treat)

…

Level 90 – Treat dropped behind person, no delay in reward (use different treat, but leave dropped treat)

Start at level 0 again when training for other scenarios, like when using to train impulse control around a toy (flirt pole, ball, squeaker, etc).

POTTY TRAINING

WHAT

While mostly self-explanatory, there’s some nuance to bathroom habits, and not every household might want the same thing for their dog. Generally, most people will want their dog to be able to potty on grass, but some people might need their dog to be able to consistently go on turf, dirt, gravel, or even on specific places indoors like doggie litter boxes, or potty pads. Or the inverse may be true; some people might want their dog to go on gravel, but not grass. Making sure that everyone in the household understands appropriate relief areas makes for smoother sailing.

HOW

Teaching your dog good bathroom habits starts with consistency, structure, and reinforcement. Whether you’re working with a puppy, an adult dog, or a senior, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you succeed.

1. Establish a Schedule

Consistency is key to successful potty training. All household members should follow a set schedule to ensure your dog has ample opportunities to eliminate in the correct spot.

• Take your dog out after key activities:
  • After waking up
  • After meals
  • After play or training sessions
  • At regular intervals based on their age or bladder size
• Bladder capacity guideline:
  • Puppies can typically hold their bladder for the same number of hours as their age in months (e.g., a 2-month-old puppy can hold it for 2 hours).
  • Small breeds and senior dogs may need more frequent potty breaks.
• Tip: Create a routine that includes wake times, meals, playtime, training, and potty breaks. Tracking these activities in a notebook can help identify patterns and predict when your dog needs to go.

2. Designate a Potty Spot

Having a specific location for your dog to eliminate helps reinforce good habits.

• Choose a spot: Decide if your dog will go inside, outside, or both.
  • Inside options: Use a pad on a tray, fake grass, or real grass.
  • Outside options:
    • Pee spot: Your yard or a specific area near your home.
    • Poop spot: A designated area in your yard or within a block of your residence.
• Bring treats to the potty spot: Keep high-value, shelf-stable treats near the door or leashes so you’re always ready to reward your dog immediately after they eliminate in the correct spot.

3. Reinforce Correct Behavior

Rewarding your dog for eliminating in the right spot strengthens the behavior and makes it more likely to happen again.

• Make it rewarding: As soon as your dog finishes eliminating, give them a treat and lots of enthusiastic praise. Celebrate their success to make it clear they’ve done a great job!
• Stay calm if accidents happen: Do not scold or punish. This can teach your puppy that it’s not safe to eliminate in front of you if they associate it with your presence instead of the location, which is common. Simply clean the area thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner to remove odors and reduce the chance of repeat accidents.

4. Manage Access to Freedom

Limiting your dog’s freedom prevents accidents and reinforces good habits.

• For outdoor potty training:
  • Crate training is essential. A general guideline is age in months = hours your puppy can hold it (e.g., a 3-month-old puppy can hold it for 3 hours).
• For indoor potty training:
  • Set up a large pen with both a crate and a potty spot to encourage good habits.
• Supervised playtime:
  • If your dog has recently emptied their bladder and bowels, they can enjoy 15–20 minutes of supervised play in a puppy-proofed area.
  • Afterward, return them to their crate, pen, or tether them to you with a leash for continued supervision.

By establishing a consistent schedule, choosing a designated potty spot, rewarding good behavior, and managing access to freedom, you’ll set your dog up for success and reduce the risk of accidents or bad habits. Stick to the plan, and don’t forget to celebrate your pup’s victories!

TEETHING / CHEWING

WHAT

Dogs don’t have hands, so they explore the world with their mouths, similar to how human babies want to put things in their mouths. Touching and grabbing behaviors with teeth (also called ‘mouthiness’) is extremely common in dogs, even more so in herding and retrieving breeds. Sometimes this is painful and/or frustrating, especially with puppies who are more likely to lack impulse control. And then there’s teething, when puppies are chewing to cut through their own gums to allow their adult teeth to grow in.

HOW

This can be very frustrating and difficult for a lot of puppy parents, as the parade of sharp little teeth can seem endless. One of the best ways to address the little needle-mouth is to redirect them onto an appropriate chew item, preferably one that they’ve shown an inclination to. Sometimes it might be necessary to carry an extra toy around the house so that when Jaws strikes, they can be gently and quickly be directed onto the appropriate toy. It might be necessary to entice the puppy by wiggling or tugging the toy to give their brain time to make the switch from chewing on you, shoes, or furniture. The puppy might need to be removed from the area if they are struggling to redirect onto the toy. Preventing access from items/objects (non-persons) via management tools, such as gates, will prevent the puppy from rehearsing the behavior, and will start to build good habits. Keeping it light and fun will prevent negative associates or ‘sneaky’ behaviors.

Sometimes, puppies just need to destroy things. There’s a reason that demolition rooms exist for humans, right? Dogs have the same outlet needs, and puppies will sometimes attempt to lay waste to anything in their path. So oftentimes, you just have to give them something to destroy. Cardboard can be great for this, as it’s cheap (often free since it can come out of your recycling bin), is satisfying to tear into, and is easy to clean up. Empty toilet paper tubes are a great choice, as is the cardboard packaging that canned drinks come in, or the brown paper packing material that occasionally arrives in your shipped packages. Let your pup go to town on your paper products, and then simply sweep up the scraps when they’re done. (Advanced Mode: if you start to teach them to trade the scraps of cardboard and paper for treats, you won’t have to clean up at all! They will bring you all the scraps themselves!) Please supervise your puppies closely when they play Godzilla to avoid a trip to the vet – ingestion of foreign objects can be life threatening.

Remember: chewing and nipping are normal, species-typical behaviors that all healthy puppies will engage in to some degree while they are in certain developmental stages. You can’t eliminate these behaviors, but you can channel them into appropriate outlets until your puppy is old enough to make good decisions on their own.  

BARKING

WHAT

Humans bred dogs to bark for different reasons. We wanted dogs to alert to another predator, human, or prey. But after the rapid development of civilization, barking quickly became a nuisance, and the genetics have yet to follow. A lot of dogs will bark out of excitement, frustration, fear, or warning. Determining what the cause of the barking is will help guide the path forward to reducing barking behaviors.

HOW

This is an excellent opportunity to teach an incompatible behavior on the road to teaching an alternate behavior. To begin, make sure you have a jar of small (pinkie-fingernail sized) shelf stable high-value treats available near where the barking usually occurs. 

When your dog starts to bark, say “quiet” in a calm voice, then scatter a small handful of treats around them. The treats should be smelly/tasty enough that the dog should start gobbling them down, and thus cease barking; you can’t bark with your mouth full! Reward again heavily for any stretch of quiet. Over time, you can extend the duration between the word “quiet” and the treat delivery by a few seconds at a time to get a longer stretch of quiet.

By conditioning the “trigger” = “treats” response in the dog, over time it will become easier to ask for an alternate behavior as the emotional response starts to die down. At this point, you can start working on calling the dog away, sending them to their bed, or asking them to retrieve a toy (you can’t bark when you’re holding a toy!)

Sometimes by putting the undesirable behavior (barking) on cue, you can better control when it happens by teaching an ‘off switch’ at the same time. This requires very good timing, patience and precision. Remember to reward most heavily on the behavior you want to reinforce (quiet). Consider allowing your dog an appropriate time and place to bark, as often if there is an appropriate outlet, the behavior is less likely to occur where you do not want it to. Is there a sport or activity where your dog might enjoy a good bark?

HYPERACTIVITY / SETTLING

WHAT

Most dog breeds were specifically bred to work in some capacity, which means they have to have the energy to complete whatever tasks that were required of them. Which sometimes meant running tens of miles a day securing or herding stock, and/or getting nailed by a cow hoof and getting right back up and asking for more. Modern life does not always encourage or allow off this much energy, with most pets being expected to be quiet and calm regardless of breed or environment. A lot of dogs need to be taught to settle, and when their energy is appropriate and when it is not. Before starting this section, make sure you have reviewed the section on meeting your dog’s needs to ensure that your dog is not ‘acting out’ for some other reason.

HOW

If you are sure your dog’s needs are fully met, a first recommendation is Karen Overall’s Relaxation Protocol to help get you and your pup started on settling and mat training.

Another option is to give your dog something to do. This might be something to destroy (see Teething above), a chew, or one of the many pacifier options. Kong is a popular brand, and there is also West Paw (Toppl), Woof (Pupsicle), and Lickimat to name a few. You can look up recipes online, or just soak some kibble into mush, stir in some dogsafe fruits, veggies, cheeses, and meats, and freeze. Spread peanut butter, meat-based babyfood, pumpkin, or applesauce over a lick-mat and freeze. Snufflemats are also a good choice, and there are more and more options to be found online. Load the snufflemat up with dry treats, and let your dog hunt for the goodies. Puzzle toys can be helpful as well, but if you have an easily frustrated dog or puppy, you might need to choose an easy puzzle or an even easier outlet. 

Chewing, licking, and sniffing are very soothing actions for dogs, so if you have a dog prone to hyperactivity, be sure to keep your freezer stocked!

FOCUS

WHAT

The world is big and strange, exciting and scary. There’s so much to do and see and sniff, that it can be difficult to pay attention. While frustrating for the human-end of the leash, it’s very unlikely that a dog is being ‘stubborn’ or acting out of spite. More often than not, there’s just too much going on, or there’s something far more interesting happening just over there. Most dogs need to practice giving voluntary attention to their handler, or shifting focus between two or more things, especially in difficult environments. An important thing to remember is that if the dog is unable to give you their focus because of an emotional response (excitement, or fear especially), it can be far more stressful for the dog that you demand they not look at the thing. Put another way, it would be pretty hard to focus on a math equation when you’ve got a roaring grizzly bear fifty feet away from you.

HOW

Ideally, we will teach voluntary focus. This means that we will be making pieces of the environment a cue to ‘look at me’. To do this, we will play the Look-At-That (LAT) game developed by Leslie McDevitt. It’s a pretty simple one; if the dog sees the trigger, but doesn’t react, you mark and reward. If they don’t take the treat, or if they start to react, you move away and try again. This will take some trial and error to find the correct distance where the dog notices the trigger but is not consumed by emotion. Once you find that sweet spot, mark and reward after a few seconds of them observing the trigger. It might seem counter-intuitive, but as the dog gets more comfortable, you might find that the dog might start looking at you more and more- that’s perfect, reward that, throw a party! Suddenly, instead of having a big emotional response to a trigger, your dog is going, “Hey, usually when I see this thing, I get a treat… Where is my treat??” After the two of you get a hang of the current distance, you can move a little closer and start all over again. It takes time to be sure, but nothing worth doing happens quickly, and emotional reactions to stimuli do not change overnight.

Another Leslie McDevitt game that helps dogs that struggle with LAT (looking at you, adolescent pups!) is the Up-Down game. This one is even simpler than the aforementioned game, but is nonetheless another pattern game. The game is so easy, you wish you could take it to Vegas; all you have to do is mark (click) and get your dog to eat a treat off the ground. Ideally, the dog should be looking at you when you mark, reward, and place a treat on the ground, but we take what we can get sometimes. If you’re doing it right, your dog’s head should be moving up to look up, and then down to eat the treat. This motion (up-down-up-down) is actually very soothing neurologically (think of what scavenging or sniffing actions look like), and reinforces pathways in the brain to look at the handler after having the head down. Be sure to practice inside first, when there are little to no distractions so that you get to work on your timing, and those neuro pathways start to strengthen in your dog. Teenager-brains tend to love pattern games, and this one is particularly reinforcing and low-stress. It is also helpful to reassert the calm that comes with a known pattern when the dog is in unfamiliar situations. 

Now we get to an area where principle is simple, while the execution and application may not be; welcome to Premack. The essence of Premack Principle is “If you eat your vegetables, you can have your cake.” The fancy-smancy version is more along the lines of “utilizing a high-probability behavior to reinforce a low-probability behavior, thereby increasing the likelihood of the low-probability behavior”. So this means that if your dog finds chasing a squirrel up a tree is highly reinforcing and a high-probability behavior, and that you want them to look and focus on you, you can use that opportunity to chase that squirrel to get you that focus that you’re seeking. The flipside of that coin though, is that you have to allow the dog to chase that squirrel after they’ve done what you wanted. When understood and executed properly, your dog would look and maintain focus on you in an attempt to be allowed to chase that squirrel. Timing and accuracy are extremely important when using the Premack Principle, and some iterations would be considered a very advanced skill – but you can start small, for example, by:

• Opening the back door to let them into the yard when your dog sits
• Releasing them to go play more at the dog park when they come to you
• Placing their dinner on the ground when they make eye contact

RESILIENCE / FEAR

WHAT

The world is not all sunshine and daisies, and stressful things are eventually going to happen, but what matters is if your dog is able to recover, and how they behave during recovery. A dog with good resilience might be scared at first, but they should bounce back quickly and not show signs of lasting stress. A dog with poor resilience might lash out or cower, sometimes for hours or days after a stressful event. Building resilience and encouraging confidence can be a long road depending on the dog, but is well worth the effort.

HOW

One of the foundations of building resilience is ‘agency’. In this context, ‘agency’ refers to the ability to make one’s own choices. While we might need some guardrails for making sure our dog stays safe, allowing them to make their own small choices goes a long way to building their confidence, and consequently, their resiliency. This can be as small as choosing which direction they want to go on a walk, who they interact with, and what toy they want to play with. 

With an especially fearful, reserved, or occasionally excitable dog, the best course of action is to engage in what is called ‘world-watching’. Allowing the dog to just watch the world go by while they feel safe and secure can make a huge difference in a dog’s emotional state. They are provided the opportunity to process information without having to interact with anything around them. At its most basic level, this can be done by setting up a comfy area in your vehicle with beds and pillows and chews. Then, all you have to do is drive to a good location with the proper experiences (humans, dogs, noises, children, etc), plop your puppy in that comfy area, and keep them in your vehicle while the world goes on outside. This is also a great idea to get some socialization in prior to your puppy completing their vaccines, especially if you live in a high-risk area.

Another way to build confidence is showing your dog or puppy what exactly their body can do! When your dog uses their body and brains together, they gain assurance in themselves and what they can do. To facilitate this, gently encourage them to interact with objects in their surroundings. Have them put their paws up on safe objects like trees, fire hydrants, plumbing guards, playground equipment, or decorative statues. Encourage them to jump on or over logs or bushes, boulders or park benches. The more you can get them on, over, around objects (and they can earn rewards for), the more their confidence will grow.

Resilience is so much more, however – and behavior specialists have identified seven “domains” that can help build resilience in dogs. You can read more about them here.

LEASH PULLING

WHAT

As a self-reinforcing behavior, pulling can be a tough nut to crack, especially if the dog is strong. The dog is pulling 1) because there is something reinforcing they’re trying to get to; a smell, a person/dog, a prey animal/toy, food, etc, and 2) the pulling has worked before. So just like what was mentioned in the Learning Theory section, if the dog knows that the pulling gets them the reward, they’re far more likely to repeat the pulling behavior. This is a great opportunity to teach incompatible behaviors, and raise the intrinsic value of the handler.

HOW

First and foremost, it’s best to come to terms with the fact that the walk is for the dog. You might also be walking for your own health or peace of mind, but unless you own land that your dog has unfettered access to, and has agency in, the walk needs to be for the dog. So if you only have twenty minutes, that’s fine, but allowing your dog to spend it (safely) how they like is very important.

This brings us to our first order of business; ‘sniffaris’. We’re going on a ‘sniff safari’ or ‘sniffari’! Dogs noses are very sensitive, and they take great pleasure in sniffing and mulling over scents. Engaging in this species-typical behavior can help reduce and relieve stress and improve their welfare. Additionally, by always expecting them to keep pace, or always be in a heel, they are not getting enough mental stimulation from the walk. And as proper mental stimulation can be more tiring than physical exercise, taking advantage of just letting your dog sniff will help soothe them, as well as tire them out. So if you’ve only got a certain amount of time, it might not be worth it to make sure you get around the block, as the dog might still be unsatisfied afterwards. Instead, just keep an eye on the time, and let your pup explore as they will; you might only get a couple hundred feet from home, but the dog was out doing something engaging and tiring for that chunk of time.

Now that we’ve reviewed meeting the dogs’ sniffing needs and letting them read their ‘pee-mail’, we have to make sure they aren’t being a complete nuisance to the other end of the leash. A good way to go about addressing this, is making sure that the dog wants to engage with you on the walk. If they are checking in with you, and it’s rewarding to be around you, they are less likely to stray far. We want to reward these check-ins; so when the dog looks back at you, mark and reward. You can also mark and reward each time they come off a sniffy spot. If you start to build trust that they are going to get to sniff that sniffy spot, that they are rewarded for checking in with you, and that they get another reward for finishing sniffing, they are going to be much more likely to stay close and not pull. After you have more of their attention, you can start rewarding them ‘in position’. What that means for most people is that the dog is next to them in a heel. The more you reward from that heel position, the more likely it is that they will naturally gravitate to that position.

It’s important as you’re working on this behavior to not let the dog pull to get what they want. It’s here that you employ some Premack to show them that if they pay attention to you, they get to go sniff whatever it is that they were interested in. If the dog starts to pull to a good sniffy spot, do a U-turn, and lure them along with you with some treats. Reward them when you are a few feet away. Reward, reward, reward until you approach the sniffy spot, and tell them to ‘go sniff’ and gesture to the grass (toss a treat if you have to), then let them sniff their fill. Preventing and redirecting the pulling will go a long way to building sustainable habits.

Keep in mind that “heel” is a complex and precise behavior, and should be taught after basic leash manners have been established. This will keep things less frustrating for everyone involved!