A few tips on how to successfully get through transitioning a new dog into your home with as little frustration as possible for you and your dog. Written from the experiences of our resident assistant trainer, Sarah, who has 10+ years and over 100 dogs worth of rescue experience.
Wherever you are getting your new four-legged, furry friend – these tips will help you and your pup weather the transition to their new environment. Some dogs will be easy-peasy lemon squeezy and adapt to their new environment quickly. Some dogs (especially rescue dogs) may take a little extra time to decompress and adjust.
The three most important things to give you and your pup are: TIME, SPACE and PATIENCE.
TIME ~ Give yourself and your new pup time to get to know each other and don’t judge your progress on any other dog/person relationship. Keep in mind that going at your dog’s pace is key to building a positive, trusting relationship.
SPACE ~ Everyone who gets a dog wants that fluffy, snuggly, lovey beast that worships time and attention while also understanding and respecting space. Think about that: you want your dog to love being loved, but also give you space while you are doing things like dishes, laundry, reading a book, etc. Dogs sometimes also want space and for you to respect that.
PATIENCE ~ Again, don’t compare and/or judge your progress with your dog with any other dog/person relationship. Not all dogs learn things at the same speed. And, depending on what baggage your new pup may come with, you may need to work through more important things like potty training, trust, and boundaries before you can start working on sit, down and other “tricks.” Be patient and give yourself credit for progress you do make instead of worrying about what you haven’t accomplished yet. **Journaling even the smallest things like potty times and naps can give you something to look back at to see your progress in real time.**

Establishing a Routine –
Beyond just giving your new dog TIME, SPACE and PATIENCE in the first 24+ hours, you should be working to set a routine. Dogs do much better when they know what is expected of them and when. Your schedule may change at times, but the routine should remain as much the same as possible.
Reestablishing or beginning potty training is probably the main focus for most people right away. The general rule for young puppies is that they should be reasonably able to “hold it” for the number of months old they are +1: A 4 month old puppy can (generally) be expected to not have to go potty for about 5 hours. However, when just beginning potty training, they’ll most likely have to go much more often. I generally take new dogs (of any age) out to potty as soon as they wake up from a nap (or get up from resting quietly), any time they stop playing, before and after they eat, after a training session, after they drink and right before bed. As they get used to a routine, the times between trips outside will get longer. Keeping a log of when they go potty and whether they had an accident inside or made it outside can help you establish a routine and see when to start extending time between trips.
It is never too early to start training sessions with your new dog. Just make sure to keep sessions short, to the point and always end on a positive result. If you are working on “sit” work just on that for a short period of time. Once you have been given 2-3 solid correct responses, stop and move on to another topic, or – give your dog a break and come back to training in a while. Training should become a part of your day throughout the day, not just at certain times of the day. Make it part of your routine as much as possible and you will see far greater results more quickly.
 

Give yourself credit where credit is due –
Again, the timeframe for progress with individual dogs will vary, there’s a general meme shared among rescue groups with varying descriptions of the 3 day/3 week/3 month rule. I don’t like to put numbers on these things as it tends to create a need in people to be at a certain place in a certain timeframe. It also tends to cause frustration and get people “stuck” on one thing because they’re not “where they should be” according to what they read is the “norm.”
My general advice to people when they get a new dog is to not look at how long it is taking for the dog to learn each individual skill, but to keep track of whatever progress is being made in whatever areas progress is being made. It is very easy to want to give up on a task if you are only thinking about the negatives associated with it. This doesn’t mean that I have never sat in the middle of my floor with a bottle of wine, wondering at my level of sanity, while 2 or 3 rescue puppy fosters chew on everything they shouldn’t, have accidents even though we JUST WENT OUTSIDE, cry, bark, play, irritate each other and my dogs, chase the cats… you get the idea. It just means that I take that time to let go for a minute (or 30) while plotting my next move to restore some semblance of order.
It’s also absolutely OK to admit you are in over your head and need assistance. Not everyone is as willing or able as the next person to face certain challenges head-on without support. Any time I get to a point where I don’t know what to do next, I reach out to my rescue family and my training family for help. It is also absolutely OK to put your dog in a crate or other safe space and just step away to recombobulate yourself. The challenge won’t magically go away, but your level of frustration and anxiety over it will diminish and you can take a different approach and work at it from a different perspective.
I have fostered well over 100 dogs in my 10+ years volunteering with rescues: puppies, adults, all different breeds and personalities. I have spent many a day and night questioning my sanity while seriously considering throwing in the towel and just letting the dogs have the house. But every time I get to that point, I think of the last time I was at that point and how things eventually started to get better. There’s nothing quite like the feeling that comes over you when you see something finally “click” for your dog. It’s quite magical, hold on to those moments, they will help get you and your dog through those more challenging moments.

Chewing is a necessary and natural behavior for dogs of any age. Chewing can help puppies with the development of their teeth and also helps older dogs maintain better dental hygiene. Chewing is very instinctual to most dogs; it is great for mental and physical stimulation. However, with all those fun chewies on the market, how do you choose the right one for your dog? Here are our suggestions:
For puppies and light chewers:

• Nylabone Flexi Chew/Teething Keys
• Can also be frozen for teething puppies
• Frozen Kongs, SodaPups, and West Paw Toppls
•  Filling Ideas: Kibble can be mixed with wet food, yogurt, peanut butter, Kong brand Stuff’N, ect.
• Good Lovin’ Pumpkin Flavored Teething Rings
• Rawhide-free, massaging edible chew

For adolescent and moderate chewers:

• Bully Sticks
• Lean, appetizing to most dogs, and an easily digestible edible chew
• Beef Cheeks
• Sturdy and digestible edible chew
• Benebones
• Durable, long lasting non-edible chew

For adult and heavy chewers:    

• Gorilla Chew
• Natural, untreated java wood. Durable, long lasting non-edible chew
• Himalayan Yak Chew
• Odorless, easily digestible edible chew.
• Antlers
• Durable, natural, long lasting.
• Raw bones
• Natural, durable, appetizing to most dogs

Safety Note: When choosing a bone or chew for your dog, always pick a size larger rather than smaller. This helps reduce the chance of choking. Be sure to always monitor your dog while chewing and take care to remove any small pieces/damaged chews. Use Caution when selecting heavy duty chews such as bones an antlers, they can cause broken teeth in extreme chewing situations.

I go through a lot of treats, like a lot. Between lessons, classes, my dogs, and board and train dogs it seems like the demand is never ending. Enter homemade dog treats, for only a couple dollars and a $10 investment I can make over 2,000 treats in an hour. I get to know what is in the treat and play around with flavors to find what my dog loves.

The key here is the pyramid pan! This handy silicone rack was originally designed to drain fat away from foods during cooking. Flip it over and it is the perfect treat mold for training treats, 556 of them in fact. The batter should be thinned to pancake batter which makes it easy to fill all the holes. 

The ingredients are simple and flexible. Like most baking what really matters are your ratios. I use one can of "something". This can be chicken baby food (check for onions!), liver, any meat, or canned fish. In a pinch I will use canned wet dog food. Be flexible here, you know what your dog likes. If you don't homemade treats are a great way to find out! Then just two eggs, oil, flour of your choice, and water. The special ingredient is... all of the herbs and spices you've got. Well, don't add onions as they are toxic I would also avoid any pepper. Dog smell in layers, the more layers the more interesting the treat.

The recipe I used:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (reduce amounts for almond or coconut flour)
• 1 15 ounce can of mackerel, brine and all
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian herb mix
• 1 tsp Ginger

Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes, watch for them to turn golden but careful not to burn them! The darker treats were left in the oven for 15 minutes, the dogs didn't seem to mind but they burn quick!

Make some treats! Please ask any questions or share your recipes!

There have been several news stories lately about dogs suffering greatly at the hands of "trainers" while staying with them. A Great Dane, starved and wounded. An English Bulldog, dead and hidden. Another family in California left their two dogs with a trainer one was killed and the other seriously injured from the trainer's dog mauling them. This has all happened in the last month. Locally I have personally seen dogs come back from franchise trainers with neck sores, ear infections, half starved, and broken. It is scary. It is a real problem. 

I offer a unique board and train service, my program uses no shock, prong, or choke collars. I will never put results above the welfare of your dog. I firmly believe learning should never hurt. When an owner entrusts me with their dog I am humbled and honored. My clients adore their dogs, they are their family and the time they spend with me they are treated as my family. My current set up allows for one dog to stay with me and my family at a time. They receive at least one hour of solid training split over the day with playing in a large fenced yard, relaxing in the living room, and learning from three well adjusted adult dogs. There is no chain-link run with a concrete floor, there are couches and orthopedic dog beds. I often refer to my house as Doggy Disneyland.

After we meet for the pick up your dog is taken home with me in a crate or seat-belted. Once we arrive at my home your dog is given free roam of my fenced backyard and training starts. It doesn't start with the skills we talked about, those will come. No, in the beginning I am teaching your dog that I am a source of good things with no social pressure. I sit in the middle of the yard with something tasty in my pockets. Eventually or right away your dog will start to focus in on me, this process takes anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour occasionally longer, but I'm patient. Depending on how comfortable your dog is I can then start to introduce them to my dogs. If your dog needs more decompression time they are taken to my training room for some alone time with a safe chew toy. My main focus at this point is to make your dog as comfortable as possible. After some decompression time it is back out to the yard. Your dog decides what we do, more free engagement, a game of chase, fetch, playing with my dogs, or maybe some training. The days continue on and we start to train the skills laid out in our first meeting. There is no rush here because a comfortable dog learns quickly. You will get videos and pictures daily with weekly written updates so you know what is going well and what might need more work.

I do not offer any guarantee and you should run far and fast from anyone who does. Your dog is a living creature with their own thoughts and feelings. Traditional board and trains use force and with the liberty of no owners around they can be down right cruel. They will make your dog behave by any means necessary. It is scary. It is a real problem. What is the solution?

The responsibility is on you as the pet owner. It is important to know who is taking your dog and what they will be doing. Not just for board and train but for any training! You are the only one who will advocate for your dog. Observe the trainer, ask to speak with past clients, ask about professional affiliations, keep asking questions. Our dogs deserve better treatment.

In this article I will be using learning theory language. Positive and negative mean adding and subtracting respectivly. Therefore positive punshiment means the addition of a punisher and negative reinforcement means the removal of something unpleasant. Punishment means the behavior is decreased while reinforcement increases the desired behavior.

Call them what you would like; shock collars, training collars, electronic collars, e-collar. These collars work by administering a static shock to your dog with remote control. There are two main ways of using these tools, positive punishment and negative reinforcement. Understanding how and why these tools work is nessesary whether you are using them in your training or advocating against them. We also must understand that if these tools did not cause discomfort they would not work. Living being's behavior is dictated by two driving forces, we can work for something we want or avoid things that we don't. That's it. There is nothing that you do that isn't either enjoyable or you fear the consequences of not doing it. If you can think of anything, please post it in the comments.

The proper use of an e-collar requires introducing it at low levels, teaching the dog that they can turn off the sensation through their actions. This is the very definition of negative reinforcement.

​Something else that controls through negative reinforcement is addiction. Having been a decade long smoker I can atest that being controlled through negative reinforcement is unpleasant. When a craving for a ciggarette hits it starts as a mild feeling of need. When you don't satisfy that need it grows into discomfort, this causes irritability and other side effects until you give in and take that first drag. There is a reason addition is called a monkey on your back. That first puff is so very satisfying. But why? Ciggarettes do not taste or smell good, there is certainly no health benefit of smoking them. The satisfaction comes from the relief of discomfort, this is also the definition of negative reinforcement.

Like smoking e-collars have side effects that are not apparent from the start. Like smoking the side effects are physical and mental. These side effects stew under the surface until they develop into full blown problems. With smoking we all know cancer is a real risk. With e-collars dogs can develop aggression, anxiety, and become increasingly fearful. Behavior problems are the number one cause of dealth for dogs in America, just as cancer is a leading cause of dealth in humans. The fallout is well documented, though not to the extent of the side effects of smoking.

E-collars work. That is not an issue that is up for debate. If they didn't work they would not have such wide spread use. The question is at what cost?

Is it possibly to train a puppy to go potty outside without a single accident? The answer is yes, but...

Potty training is very simple in theory but can be difficult in practice. I follow what is known as error-less potty training. This method works for both puppies and adults. Depending on your diligence and your dog's history it has a very high success rate. This is the program I put all my own dogs on as well as the many board and train dogs that come through our home. The perfect potty training system consists of three parts; managing so your dog or puppy can only make the right choice, putting them on a schedule, and reinforcing behavior that you do want. 

Management is the temporary prevention of unwanted behavior and is a pillar in perfect potty training. There are several techniques that work well and are at your disposal. Crate training is very useful for puppies and adults, crates should be large enough that the dog is able to turn around and lay down. If the crate is any larger you risk your dog trying to potty in the corner. If your dog is also soiling their crate remove all bedding until you've built more value into going potty outside. When your dog is outside of their crate you need to have constant vigilance! Especially if your dog goes to a secluded corner of your home to potty. There are several different options for keeping your eyes on your dog. My two personal favorites are tethers and exercise pens. For a tether use a leash attached to something sturdy such as a couch, door handle, or install an eye hook in the baseboard, you can also tie your dog to yourself. Using a tether allows you to passively watch your dog while doing other activities such as reading, watching t.v, crafting, or working/playing on your computer. If your dog starts to sniff and turn in circles, get them outside! If they do start to go, clap your hands and say potty outside then take them immediately outside. The exercise pen is useful if your dog is uncomfortable being tethered or will chew through the leash. I prefer to use ex-pens for puppies as they also will manage the environment of the dog to control their access to chewable items and other dogs in the home. The concept of the ex-pen is the same as a tether, you're able to have your dog with you but contained. You can also use baby gates to keep your dog in the same room as you. Baby gates are not a good option if your dog can go behind you without you noticing and potty. I once had a foster that would get behind me and potty, he was the fastest pooper I ever met and had to be tied to me. Management boils down to keeping your dog under your supervision, if you ever have to wonder where your dog is you need to up your management game. Unsupervised time is a privilege, not a right. If you potty in the house, you do not get the run of it.

If you are having a hard time with potty training you need to think about putting your dog on a set schedule. With puppies under four months it is really easy to predict when they are going to have to go potty. After a puppy eats they're going to have to go number 2 within the half hour. If you're feeding at a specific time you can plan to potty them soon after. With really young puppies and adult dogs start taking them out once every hour. Keep track of what times your dog is going potty and decrease potty breaks from there. Print and use the potty training schedule chart at the bottom of the article. 

The third and final pillar of perfect potty training is rewarding the behavior you want. We want our dogs to go potty outside and we need to communicate that to our dogs. The best and fastest way to do that is with the use of high value food*, think bacon, not kale. This treat should be something your dog does not regularly get, break out the ham, chicken, or steak. When you take your dog outside take them to one spot in your yard on a leash. Completely ignore your dog and wait them out. As soon as your dog squats down tell the "potty", or "outside", my cue is "hurry up". As soon as your dog finishes reward them with THREE treats fed in a row, that's, 1-2-3. You dog will think, "Wow! That was awesome! I need to figure out how to do that again!" After several repetitions of rewarding pottying outside your dog will connect the dots, they can trade in pee and poo for treats. Most adult dogs figure this out in less that two weeks, puppies take a little longer because of their smaller bladders. 
*Nitro 
Nitro was very hard to potty train. He was heavily punished for pottying inside with past owners. When he first came home he would cringe if he had to go in front of me, running up and showering him with treats did not work. What did work was throwing a ball immediately after he finished had him demanding to poop outside within a week. 

If you reward each time and the dog is managed so that the only times they potty are outside potty training can be perfect. If you ever punish your dog for doing to the bathroom inside you are teaching them that you are unsafe to potty around. We want the exact opposite! I want the happy reaction of a toddler crapping in the toilet the first time, every time. 

Once your dog picks up the habit start to think slot machine with your rewards. Soon it will become habit, just as we need our American toilets to feel comfortable. I have attached the chart I use for my clients below. Best of luck!

Let me start by defining what is known as a straw man argument: "A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not advanced by that opponent." Baiscally it means that someone builds this inaccurate representation of something they are against and then they take it down, piece by piece. 

Nitro was alone, again. His family left him with so many strangers and scary dogs. What was worse was that it was his second time back here. All the noise from the other dogs and the "firm hand" he faced when he yelled at the others to leave him alone. He was a good boy. All he wanted to do was rip up paper and chew his bones maybe a fun game of fetch. He didn't understand why the humans would get so angry. It was his bone, they gave it to him! They never listened so he had to scream, maybe that is why they left him here.

Nitro was so fearful of my husband and I when we went to meet him. We drove two hours to meet this little guy who seemed full of spunk and life. When we got there he was cowering, a shell of a dog. He was only five months old. I wanted him from the moment I saw him, this little dog was meant for me, he needed me. Nitro like so many others was surrendered because he was guilty of being a high energy, resource guarding, un-potty trained, squirrell chasing, little pistol. In an adorable wirey little terrier package. This is a dog that you could say "no" to a thousand times and he would start to scream it back at you with his teeth. 

The only people who believe that purely positive exsist are those that believe in a balanced approach or traditional punish and praise. I myself am a positive trainer. I use positive reinforcment to reward behavior I like rather than punish behaviors I don't, the term force free applies to me. I am one of those zelots that don't say "no" to dogs. Does that mean that I don't set boundaries? Nope, as I write this little Nitro is in his x-pen because he is learning to settle down and relax when mom is on the computer.

I work with all types of dogs big dogs, little dogs, low energy dogs, high energy dogs, food motivated dogs and non food motivated dogs. Dogs that are rambunctious and dogs that are aggressive. More importantly I have helped owners find ways to work with their individual dog. I use postive reinforcement the vast majority of the time. Just because I don't say "no" or give physical corrections doesn't mean that I don't use punishment. No where does it say that punishment must be mean, nasty, or painful to work. Punishment can be taking something away that the dogs want. You bite me I stop playing or step over a gate, or close a door between us. For puppies when they bite I will yelp "ow" and get up and move away. That yelp? That is what is known as positive punishment (I know a little confusing) which is adding something unpleasent combined with getting up and moving away which is again taking away what they want. At the same time I am rewarding behavior I like with play, treats, and affection. Whether it is a large dog or a small one, young or old. Behavior that is rewarded is more likely to occur. Every dog I work with is an individual and some methods work for some and not others. Luck for me my "tool box" contains a variety of methods that do not emcompass force, fear, or intimidation.

Well what about nature? Other dogs use phyiscal force and so does the environment. This is true, and I have no problems with a dog correcting another dog without damage. I've also worked in a doggy daycare, corrections could result in scuffles when a correction isn't taken. The enviroment doesn't care about the dog, a porcupine wants to live, using quills is how it avoids being eaten. My older beagle mix corrects Nitro often, less than before but will tell him to knock it off when she has had enough-I usually praise her. Yuna wants a very different relationship with Nitro than what I want. She would probably prefer that he leave her the heck alone and allow her to eat all his food. I want Nitro to love being around me. I want him to come when I call him and walk on a loose leash next to me. The fact that we have developed a wonderful relationship that trumps chasing birds in the field or killing my ferrets. He wants to do what I want him to do, he never fears the consequence of not doing it. Even when he is chasing some varmit in "the real world".

A great number of dogs have unwanted behavior based in fear. Almost every single dog I have worked with that has shown aggression are fearful. As are many dogs that are thought of as stuborn. This is truth and if you ask any positive trainer they will tell you the same. However, not all behavior problems are based in fear. That is just silly. Many unwanted behaviors are simply normal dog behaviors; jumping, chewing, digging, mouthing, and the like are what dogs do. It is our job as owners to teach them what we want instead of jumping, give them proper chew items, and release both their mental and phyiscal energy through training. Focusing on how you want your dog to act and teaching them to do it will result in a well behaved dog that has excellent manners built through habits.

Timing is very important in dog training regardless of what method one may choose to use. A poorly timed leash pop or zap with an e-collar could result in negative associations with the surrondings, other dogs, or even the handler. The worse thing with rewarding is that if you do so at the wrong time the dog gets a free cookie. Darn, one less treat for the exercise. That is also poor positive training and can be improved upon with the proper coaching. I would rather spend some time helping my clients with their timing than handing someone with poor timing a correction collar. Here is a simple exercise, next time commercials come on, clap every time the scene cuts. After several days of practicing maybe 2-3 minutes a day you will have better timing.

Lets train smarter, not harder. Lets use our brains and figure out how we can identify how we want our dogs to behave and lets teach it to them.