Make A New Best Friend

Whenever you do the recall/come command with your pet, it always needs to be a positive welcome when they get to you.  The best way to start this exercise is to have them on a long leash. This way the dog is able to have some distance, but you have a physical way to bring them to you. Also have a super great treat that the dog loves.  Then make this a game, the more fun you make it, the more willing your dog will come to you. 

With your dog on a long line, back away from them and in fun voice, call them to you.  Be consistent. Use the same word for the recall. This is key with any of your commands.  Once the dog gets to you, reward with the treat and praise.  If your pals get distracted on the way to you, give a tug on the leash to get the attention back on you, and repeat your command.  Never reprimand your dog for not listening once they have come to you. This is very confusing for the dog because the dog is being punished for coming. Disciplining improperly at this point can really set back training on the recall command.

You need to desensitize your dog to the vacuum. For starters, do not put the vacuum away after using it, leave it out so that your dog can explore it on its own. Make the vacuum very positive by feeding your dog by it, putting treats on it for your dog to go get. Once the dog is comfortable with it turned off and not moving, start to pretend vacuum (have the power off). As you do this give your dog treats as it is moving, again working with the dog coming closer to the vacuum. Now that your dog thinks of the vacuum as a treat dispenser, turn it on but do not move it, again give your dog treats. Slowly start to move it as you give your dog treats. Keep practicing this exercise until the dog is comfortable with the normal movement and sound of the vacuum.

The first step is to not let the dog out of the kennel when barking. If you do this, your dog very quickly learns that barking behavior is how to get out of the kennel! You want to teach them that quietness gets them out. Our training staff recommends using Interostop.  Interostop emits a sound and an Interomone. It is completely safe and can be used long term. Interostop can be purchased at The Groom & Board or online. Make sure to pair a word or phrase (ie. Quiet, No Bark, Enough) when you spray the Interostop. When using the same word with the Interostop, the dog will learn to listen to the command and eventually you will not need to spray the Interostop. Our staff can assist you with proper Interstop use.

We also recommend desensitizing your dog to its kennel. Kennel your dog  when you are home during the day for short stints at various times. For example: at dinner time or when you are on the phone. This way, your dog's kennel time is not only when you leave for work or when it is bed time. You can also give a safe toy to play with in the kennel, like a stuffed frozen Kong or a Nyla bone, to keep them occupied. 

We recommend reading "Way to Go! How to Housetrain a Dog of Any Age" by Karen B. London, Ph.D. and Patricia B. McConnell, Ph. D. You can purchase this book at The Groom & Board or online. This book is very informative and has helped many owners teach their dogs to eliminate outside.  When house training your dog, you must watch your pal at all times when they are roaming in the house. When you can't keep an eye out, the dog needs to be in a kennel or on leash (even inside).  This way, there is no opportunity to for the dog to have an accident without your knowledge. 

Consistency is the key to success. Always take the puppy out the same door, this will help the puppy know what door to go to later.  When you take the puppy outside, you need to go outside too, to make sure he/she actually eliminates. Keep your pal on leash to help stay on the task at hand.  Once your puppy goes, walk then around a little longer to make sure they are complete done with their business. This process takes patience.  If the puppy did not go, keep them near you when you go back inside and then try again a few minutes later.  Setting a timer can be very helpful.  If your puppy can hold it for 30 minutes, set the timer for 30 minutes.  After a week of no accidents, set it to 45 minutes and so on.  The timer is only for daytime, at night the puppy should be housed in a properly sized kennel and should sleep all night without getting up to go outside.  

If you find an accident, the only thing you can do is clean it up.  Never put the dog’s noise in it and punish him/her. If you catch them in the act of potting in the house you can make a loud noise, for example, saying "Oops" or "OH NO" in a loud voice but not an angry voice.  Do this to distract the puppy and hopefully stop them from potting inside.  Then, with a happy voice, get your puppy outside to finish. Take your puppy outside even if they fully went inside. This teaches that potting is an outside activity.  

Do not use an angry/scary tone to correct a potting accident in the house. This will cause the puppy to think that potting in front of us is bad.  When pet owners yell or hit or otherwise punish their dogs for having accidents, the dogs  may never feel comfortable potting, even outside, if the pet owner is present. This  can create a major house training set back and cause life long elimination problems.

Staying consistent with our dogs is key, if you give them an inch they will take a mile. When other people want to meet your dog, have them follow the rules you have established. Dogs jump to get our attention, so we need to teach them a different way to get this. Whenever the dog jumps, take their paws and put them back on the ground, once the paws touch the ground say “off” and push their back-end into the sit position. Once they are in the sit position, give them soft praise. Try not to over praise, a soft pet is enough, if we over praise we can get them excited and they may jump again.

New puppies do not understand the difference between your shoe and their chew toy,  so you need to teach them the difference. To start, make sure your puppy is getting enough time to play and exercise, a tired dog is a well behaved dog. Then use the 4 “R’s”: Remove, Redirect, Replace, Reward. Remove the object they are not to have, Redirect the dog's attention, Replace with a proper item (example, bone) and Reward with verbal praise for chewing on the correct object.

Therapy Dog:

A therapy dog is trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, libraries, hospices and/or disaster areas. Required training is extensive, it is important that your pet not jump or pull on the lead. Your pet must possess a very calm demeanor and dependably obey commands. Our training team at The Animal House Groom & Board can help your dog prepare for the test, however we do not provide therapy dog certification (see below). Note that dogs with this certification have limited access to public spaces and cannot accompany their owners everywhere they go. Only the above listed facilities allow entry. Dogs with this distinction are not eligible to live in rental housing that does not already allow dogs.

Recommended Certification Resource
Alliance of Therapy Dogs
Therapydogs.com
Email: office@therapydogs.com
Phone: 307-432-0272
Phone: 877-843-7364
FAX: 307-638-2079

Emotional Support Dog:

An emotional support dog provides therapeutic benefits through companionship to help relieve a symptom or effect of a person's disability. Under governing law, an emotional support animal is not a pet and is generally not restricted by species. An emotional support animal differs from a service animal. This designation allows the pet owner to live in rental housing that does not normally allow dogs, however there may be restrictions. No training is required, all that is needed is a doctor & veterinarian sign off. For more information and emotional support animal registration go to: www.esaregistration.org

Service Dog:

A service dog is highly trained to work or perform specific tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Access to public spaces are supported by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). A service dog is allowed everywhere with its owner, including grocery stores and restaurants.

Recommended Training Resource
Custom Canines
Customcanines.org
Phone: 844-888-8850 
Fax: 1-844-888-8850
Email:  info@customcanines.org
2310 Mustang Way
Madison, WI 53718