Help! My Dog Hates Riding In The Car

January 9, 2018 By Fanna Easter

Why Dogs Hate Riding in Cars & What to Do About It

Dog Hates Car Rides — Csák István/Adobe Stock

Many dogs hate riding in cars for numerous reasons. Some dogs will bark, howl, lunge at the window, drool and even throw up. These dogs are clearly uncomfortable, so they learn to hate riding in cars. Before addressing car riding woes, it’s important to understand exactly what is causing your dog’s discomfort first.

Motion Sickness

Nausea is the worst, especially when you’re unable to get away from the cause. Motion sickness is extremely common in dogs. It’s best handled with over-the-counter medication, such as Dramamine and Bonine. For correct dosage, depending on your dog’s age and weight, partner with your veterinarian. Additionally, keep your car’s temperature on the cool side and ensure an AC vent is near your dog. Once motion sickness is prevented, it’s time to take short car rides with lots of treats, so your dog looks forward to riding in a car.

Restlessness

This is a common behavior when dogs are uncomfortable, nauseous or unfamiliar with riding in cars. It’s safest for dogs to ride inside plastic crates or secured with a crash-tested harness. Make sure your dog is comfortable first. Ensure your dog has plenty of space to lie down, stand up and turn around inside your car.

Place a soft bed or thick blankets in your dog’s crate or car seat, and provide plenty of cool water. Play soft music, such as Through A Dog’s Ear, to keep your dog relaxed. If your dog has motion sickness, address it immediately. Take short car rides, while your dog licks away at a super yummy food stuffed toy, and soon your dog will love car rides.

Scared

If your dog is scared to ride in a car, it’s vital to teach your dog that car rides are fun. Not all dogs enjoy car rides since it’s not natural for dogs to ride in cars. Start slow and reward your dog for jumping into the car first. Once loaded inside his crate, give your dog a food stuffed toy to lick, close car doors and turn on the engine while you’re sitting in the driver’s seat.

In the beginning stages, don’t drive anywhere—just let your dog learn that cars make peanut butter stuffed toys appear. After a few minutes, turn the car off and unload your dog. Practice several times a week. Once your dog will happily relax and lick at his toys, then it’s time to take a spin around the block. Continue to add a bit more distance and time while driving, and always bring food stuffed toys along for the ride. This teaches your dog that good things happen during car rides.

Dislikes Seeing Dogs or People

By far, this is the toughest car ride challenge. When dogs are afraid of other dogs and people, they will bark and lunge when these scary things become visible. Teach your dog to ride inside of a crate, and cover the crate with large towels or sheets to block your dog’s view. Additionally, play soft music to drown out dogs barking or people talking while driving. If visual barriers and soft music don’t work, it’s time to reach out for professional help.

When to Get Help

Motion sickness and restlessness due to unfamiliarity with car rides can be easily addressed with medication and dog training. Scared dogs or dogs that dislike people, that panic when riding in cars, may need additional help from a professional dog trainer and veterinary behaviorist.

When in doubt, seek help sooner rather than later.

My Dog Refuses To Walk Up Or Down Stairs

January 2, 2018 By Fanna Easter

How to Help a Dog Scared of Stairs

Walking up and down stairs seems like an easy task; however, traversing stairs can be scary for some dogs and puppies. A few stairs are easy to navigate for most dogs and puppies, but it’s when it’s a full flight of stairs that can be downright spooky for them. If you live in an apartment building or have a second floor in your home, it’s important to teach dogs and puppies that stairs are fun and safe. Below are dog training tips to help a dog scared of stairs.

First, Add Non-Slip Rugs

Most dogs and puppies dislike walking up or down stairs because they’re slippery. It takes balance and coordination to maneuver four legs within small spaces that suddenly incline or decline, and coordination has to be learned. To set your puppy up for success, place non-skid rugs in the center of each step and the top and bottom of each landing space.

Decorative stair rugs are available online for indoor stairs. For outdoor stairs, use remnants of rubber-backed rugs. Either way, providing traction is an important step before teaching your dog that stairs are fun.

Walking Upstairs

Walking upstairs is a little easier for most dogs and puppies. They can take their time placing paws strategically to pull themselves forward. While getting your puppy to walk upstairs is easier than downstairs, she may still find it scary at first. This is why it’s so important to teach puppies that treats can be found on each step.

Sprinkle a few super yummy treats on the first step, while your puppy watches you, and stand about 3-4 feet away from the step. Your puppy will likely walk over and eat the treats off the step. Next, sprinkle a few treats on the first and second step, and let your puppy find the treats. She may find getting to the treats on the second step a bit challenging, but she will figure it out and self-reward herself. After a few minutes of sprinkling treats on two steps, end the puppy training session.

Heading Downstairs

Walking downstairs is downright scary for dogs and puppies. It takes lots of balance and courage to maneuver four legs downstairs carefully while gravity is pulling you downward. Practice teaching your dog or puppy how to walk up one or two stairs first. When your puppy is standing on the second stair, sprinkle a few treats on the first stair and the bottom landing spot. If she becomes scared, while walking downstairs, pick her up and bring her down the stairs. Continue practicing daily by adding one or two stairs until your puppy is comfortable climbing up and downstairs.

When Dogs Refuse Stairs

It’s common for dogs and puppies, that haven’t encountered stairs before, to hesitate walking up and downstairs. However, if a dog suddenly becomes scared of stairs, then it’s time for a veterinary visit. Older dogs may develop arthritis, which causes severe pain while stepping up or climbing downstairs. If a younger dog refuses stairs, she may have an injury, congenital issue (hip dysplasia) or torn pad. Some dogs slip when walking up and downstairs, and become afraid to navigate stairs again. If this happens, follow the above recommendations for teaching your dog that stairs hide treats.

Take it one step at a time, and reward all progress.

Children And Puppies: Keeping Everyone Safe And Happy

December 28, 2017 By Fanna Easter

6 Safety Tips for Children and Puppies

It’s that time of year where families are bringing new puppies home. One major concern most new pet owners have is introducing their new puppy to their children. Before your new puppy arrives, hold a family meeting and discuss each puppy safety tip in detail with your children. It’s vital to teach young children polite behaviors around puppies. While most of these safety tips pertain to dogs of all ages, there are a few specific to puppies only.

1. Crate Your Puppy in a Quiet Room

Place your puppy’s crate in a quiet place, such as your master bedroom. When puppies are crated, they need peace and quiet to rest and enjoy food filled toys. Refrain from placing your puppy’s crate in your children’s playroom, living room, kitchen or another busy area. Children should not harass your puppy, so close the bedroom door to ensure privacy.

2. Never Disturb Your Puppy While Eating

Puppies should be left alone during mealtime. When children approach a puppy’s food bowl, pet the puppy while eating or stick their fingers in the food bowl, this can cause a puppy to resource guard her food. It’s best to feed puppies in their crates with the crate door securely closed. Even better would be to feed your puppy her meals from food stuffed toys when crated. This applies to when your puppy is chewing on a bully stick or toy too.

3. Give Your Puppy Plenty of Space

Many children like to pick up and hold puppies like babies, but this can quickly annoy a puppy. It’s important for children to understand that puppies need plenty of space and that they should have the choice to be held or picked up.

Hugs and kisses are fine, if the puppy walks over and initiates this behavior. However, children should not walk over and hug or kiss a puppy first. Also, children should never sit, step on or lie down on a puppy. This hurts, and will cause the puppy to growl or bite.

4. Never Take Toys From Your Puppy

Puppies will chew anything and everything; it’s part of being a puppy. When a puppy grabs your child’s favorite toy, it’s important your child doesn’t pull the toy out of your puppy’s mouth. This will cause a tug-of-war game, and some puppies learn to resource guard toys from children. Instead, teach children 5 years and older to play the “trade” game. For children under 5 years of age, you should play the “trade” game.

5. Pet With Gentle Hands

Children should learn to gently pet puppies the moment a new puppy arrives in the home. Gentle petting involves slow strokes with light pressure along a puppy’s side. When children pet a puppy, they should use a flat palm and move slowly. Children should not pet puppies on top of the head, touch their faces, pull their tails, poke with fingers or throw items at the puppy. When children or adults pet puppies too quickly, it causes puppies to get excited.

6. Never Leave Children and Puppies Alone—Ever

Children and puppies (dogs too) should never be left alone together unsupervised ever. It can take less than a second for a young child to unintentionally hurt a puppy, and the puppy bites the child out of self-defense. When in doubt, place your puppy in her crate with lots of yummy treats if you need to answer the front door or cook dinner.

Help! My Puppy Just Growled At Me, What Should I Do?

December 26, 2017 By Fanna Easter

How to Handle Puppy Growling

When dogs growl, it can be scary. However, when puppies growl, it can become very confusing and concerning. As a professional dog trainer, I can tell you most clients are more concerned when puppies growl than when adult dogs do it. Let’s discuss why puppies growl and how to prevent the behavior.

What Causes Puppies to Growl?

Many pet owners have a hard time telling the difference between “play” and “scared” puppy growling. Puppies mostly growl when playing; it can sound vicious, but it’s harmless. During playtime, a puppy’s body language is rounded and fluid. A puppy moves quickly, and will growl and show his teeth while playing.

A scared puppy’s body language looks completely different from that of a playful puppy. Fearful puppies will freeze, and then move backwards. Their body language becomes straight and stiff. These puppies growl because they’re scared or uncomfortable, especially when children are holding them and they can’t get away. Basically, when a puppy growls due to fear, he is begging everyone to stop what she is doing.

Prevention is Best

Puppy play growling is fun, but it can scare some pet owners. If your puppy growls while playing, just stop the game. Once your puppy stops growling, start the game again. This teaches him that growling makes the fun stop. And when growling stops, the fun begins again.

When a puppy growls while playing with another dog, it’s best to monitor their puppy play session. Watch each dog’s body language, and step in and separate dogs with an interrupter cue if body language becomes rigid. If a puppy growls while being held or when approaching his food bowl, back off immediately.

How to Change This Behavior

If a puppy is growling while being held or touched, it’s time to change his behavior. Instead of walking over and picking up your puppy, call your puppy to you and reward him with cheese when he gets to you. Choices are important to puppies too, so only pick him up if he’s comfortable. Some puppies will growl when touched because they’re scared, so it’s important to pair something good with touching.

Also, it’s best to partner with a professional dog trainer who only uses positive reinforcement methods to address this behavior. There may be other things going on within the household, so a professional dog trainer can observe and address potential issues quickly.

Dog Pawing Behavior: What It Means And How To Stop It

December 11, 2017 By Fanna Easter

How to Stop a Dog From Pawing And Scratching People

As a professional dog trainer, I’ve witnessed dogs pawing people, which leave long scratches on arms and legs behind. Many years ago, during a private dog training lesson, a Great Dane welcomed me at the front door with a massive swat across my back. Wow, that scratch burned, bled and bruised over the next couple of days. The pet owner and I immediately put a plan into place to prevent it from happening again. If your dog paws at you or your guests, check out these tips to avoid painful dog scratches.

Why Dogs Paw

Dogs paw at people for numerous reasons. They paw mostly because it’s been rewarded. When a dog paws a person, the person will most likely turn around and look at the dog, which is considered a reward for some dogs. Additionally, pet owners may respond to dog paws by:

Petting their dog.
Continuing to pet their dog.
Picking up their dog’s paw and moving it.
Giving bits of food under a table when the dog paws a leg.

Teaching a dog to “shake” can increase pawing behavior. When dogs learn that “shake” makes treats appear, they will offer a “shake” behavior more often. Plus, dogs will try out their new behavior with guests in hope of treats. 🙂 Instead of teaching a dog to “shake,” teach him a stationary behavior, such as “sit.” This prevents a dog from pawing guests, and it’s a great behavior to reward.

How to Stop Dog Pawing Behavior

When behaviors are no longer rewarded, they will disappear. When a dog paws at you, take a step back and wait until all four feet touch the ground. The moment all four feet touch the ground, say “yes” and reward your dog. Of course, most dogs will paw right afterwards because they’re not sure which behavior provided the treat. Reward only when all four on the floor again.

Continue to practice daily, and wait for your dog to make a choice—watching your dog make a decision is a glorious thing to watch. Some dogs will gently place their paw on a person, think for a few seconds, then drop their paw to the ground. Reward good choices every time!

To prevent your dog from jumping up and pawing guests, teach him to “touch” guest’s hands with his nose. This keeps all four feet on the ground, gives your dog a chance to decide if he wants to greet a guest and offers a form of physical contact (like petting) for your guest.

If you don’t reward it, the behavior will disappear. 🙂