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Nothing can cut the enjoyment out of a walk out with your dog like having your dog go berserk when they see another dog! There may be as many reasons for why dogs bark at other dogs while on leash as there are breeds of dog, but the end result is the same – and not fun for you or the other dog and person being barked at! But how can you convince your dog that this very common and natural response isn’t desired? We’ve discovered one method that works quickly and easily for many treat-motivated dogs!

How this method works…

Barking is fun. If you’re a dog that is. Some of the most common reasons that dogs bark on walks are (1) to to alert you another animal or person is coming (as if you didn’t see them too!), (2) to let you know something is making him or her uncomfortable and that more distance would feel better, or (3) to communicate something else, like to go say hello to the other pooch. Dogs get an adrenaline rush when they bark. Adrenaline feels REALLY GOOD. So, once they’ve started barking… it’s pretty close to impossible to either give them something that feels better, or feels bad enough (and isn’t cruel) to make them stop.

So…

Step #1: Anticipation
You need to anticipate when they are going to bark. Ideally, try to stay as far away from the other dog (cross the street for example) so that they are less stimulated, and BEFORE they get close enough to the other dog to start even thinking about barking (watch for staring, hackling, or growling), give them something to focus on that they really really really like, that’s even BETTER than their slightly fuzzy dog-memory of how good the adrenaline felt the last time the saw a dog and barked. That would be…

Step#2: The BEST treat in the world
You know, the one that makes them start drooling when you open the cabinet you keep it in. Eventually you can “ramp down” to lower-value treats, but when you start… stock up on those Bacon-Flavor Beggin Strips! Just like we’ll work a little harder for $100 than $10, a high value treat will increase your chances of trumping the desire to bark! It will also mean more when paired with the new behavior because the reward is greater.

Step #3: Reward Reconditioning
Currently when your dog sees another dog and barks, he gets the adrenaline reward. You want to retrain your dog so he sees another dog, he instead LOOKS AT YOU and gets the treat reward, along with a verbal reward! And not just one treat… break up your treats into tiny bits, so you can be feeding him with tiny ongoing rewards the entire time the other dog is walking by or you’re walking by the other dog. To get your dog to look at you you can try making kissy or clicking sounds, or speak a command – “watch me”, “look” or a single word like “focus”” tends to work best.

If you dog barks – stop the treats and just try to get past the other dog as quickly as you can. Crossing the street or turning to go the other way are helpful methods to head off an uncontrollable barkfest. Then start again on Step #1 with the next dog that approaches. Remember that working with your dog before he/she escalates is the only way to change the behavior and let the lesson sink in.

If treats aren’t enough to keep your dog’s attention on you and not on the other dog, you can try different treats, and you can try taking you dog to an area where other dogs are but you can stay far enough away – like outside a fenced-in dog park, to work with your dog focusing on you as you gradually move closer, maybe a few feet a day, over a few weeks of reconditioning.

Step #4:  Practice!
The more times you practice this, the more engrained the behavior of looking at you when you see another dog will become. You may find you are able to reduce the number of treats over time, but do so very gradually, if at all.

Note: Some dogs are too aroused or entrenched in their “leash aggression” for this method to work. But is a safe method to try, and you’re not going to make their leash-aggression worse as long as you don’t reward the dog after they bark!

One of the most beautiful things about dogs is that no matter how old they are (you can teach an old dog new tricks) or what their past experiences have been, they learn through association. Therefore, we can give them new associations and thus shape new behavior by positively reinforcing what we want, instead of focusing on and fighting what we don’t want. Be patient with your pup as they don’t speak our language! With patience, time, and practice your pooch will learn to understand you and you will learn to communicate the desired behavior better.

Dog aggression is a very complex issue, and there is no way we could cover all the possible reasons and solutions that a dog might bark, lunge, hackle, growl or generally go bananas when they see another dog when on leash. Very often with young or less-socialized dogs, barking at other dogs on walks isn’t leash aggression at all, rather excitement or anxiety about not knowing what to do. But we’ve found that this one method has helped us and our friends with many leash-reactive dogs, and we hope it will help you too!

Written by Jennifer Warner, Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Director of Shelter Outreach and edited by Katya Friedman, Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Director of Partnerships & Promotions and certified dog trainer.

We recently received the following letter.  We just love helping make matches like this!  Dear Adopt-a-Pet.com, If not for your Search Saver emails, I would have missed the opportunity to adopt the world’s best little dog. On July 12th I received an email  from you telling me there was a dog available at Wood’s Humane that met my criteria. Fortunately, I was able to drop everything and go down to see her. It was pretty much love at first sight. Mimi was a Beagle Cocker mix with beautiful brown eyes and a gentle manner and a loving personality.She also seemed to be bright, eager to please and well mannered. What’s not to love? She is wonderful and seems to think I am too.

I decided to crate train her which was new to both of us.  Within 24 hours she was entering her crate on her own and napping in her bed. She has perfect manners and is now walking well on a leash and is riding well in a car.  Both experiences were new to her. She needs these skills because she goes nearly everywhere with me.  We start obedience school on August 10th. You have probably guessed that we have also moved from the crate to the bed at night. I can’t thank you enough for the message that got me to her.

By the way my  friends and I have been making up breed names for her a la the doodle craze.  So far we have Beaker, Cockle, Spangle and Coggle! I’m thinking about having a contest.

Again, my deepest gratitude,
Georgie A.

Did Adopt-a-Pet.com help you find your best friend?  Would you like to share your Happy Beginnings story?  Email us at info@cms.adoptapet.com!

 

We just love it when animal-loving sites like the Wet Nose Guide feature pets for adoption! This week their adorable dog blogger Sweetie The Papillon picked another equally adorable adoptable to highlight and help find a home. Chewie, a mature Cocker Spaniel mix, is available through Adopt-a-Pet.com. He’s located in the Manhattan area, neutered, house trained, and up to date with shots. He gets along well with children, but doesn’t see eye-to-eye with cats. He’s one of the friendliest dogs around and found his way to a shelter after his owner became too ill to care for him.

He enjoys the company of others so much that his whole body breaks out into a wiggle of excitement!  At 8 years of age, Chewie is an adult and although he is evenly tempered, at times he can be nervous with new people and places. Those who know Chewie best believe he’d be a great addition to gentle families with children ages 9 and up. He enjoys meal time most, but prefers to enjoy his food on his own (he may growl or snap if you try to take it away from him)…but, who can blame him? After a long day of waggin’ he needs his energy, right? Check out a video of that tail in action! You can see his Adopt-a-Pet.com listing here: http://www.adoptapet.com/pet5841396.html

Thanks Wet Nose Guide for supporting pet adoption!

Do you have a blog or website that is featuring an Adopt-a-Pet.com pet for adoption? Let us know about it, and maybe we’ll feature your blog and pet pick here too! Email jennifer@cms.adoptapet.com.

This is a story about how one dog went from a Death Row at an Animal Shelter to having his own scrapbook of heroic achievements. German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County (GSROC) learned of a male 1 year old German Shepherd at the Devore Animal Shelter in November 2006. Jambalaya, who quickly became known as Jambie, came into that shelter listed as a stray. He lay there, a very depressed and forlorn Shepherd languishing in on the shelter floor. Shepherds are extremely sensitive and intuitive, and they know when their families have cast them off. There was no doubt that this dog had lost hope of being rescued. But GSROC came to his rescue and proved him wrong! He was worth saving and they were committed to making him a happier dog.

Jambie was small GSD with good markings and a rumpled coat. Once out of the shelter, personality wise he was like a highly alert teenager who had never been given any boundaries or direction. He was a handful but in a cute “Dennis the Menace” kind of way. GSROC enrolled him in a basic obedience class, but his handler had to stand at the back of the class with him because he was frequently misbehaving. Much later on, they figured out that Jambie has just been plain BORED with the basics!

Because there are never enough foster homes, Jambie had to go into boarding at a kennel that they use regularly. Fortunately, GSROC has a great team of dog walkers who exercise their dogs regularly, helping keep their spirits up and teaching them some basic leash manners. Jambie hated confinement in the boarding kennel but he loved time with the volunteers. He would do anything for a tennis ball – even if that anything meant leaping onto the conveyor belt while a cashier rung up a tennis ball gift from a nice volunteer during a PetSmart outing. People clapped and whistled with glee watching Jambie in action on that thing! Little did they know then that it would be this obsession with toys that would be his ticket to the big time.

It was almost as if Jambie knew he had been saved by GSROC. His spirit soared. He began to prance energetically when he walked. He was relentless and uber focused. He was silly and boisterous. Based on his enthusiasm and agility, German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County rescuers felt that Jambie had tremendous potential that was worth developing. One of GSROC’s favorite training facilities, Sirius K9 located in Yorba Linda, had put out a ‘casting call’ looking for candidates for working dog opportunities. It’s important that in order to be a working dog, rescued dogs must pass both the aptitude tests and a rigorous physical screening in order to make the grade. So they took Jambie to “audition” at Master K9, a facility known for developing top quality Search and Rescue and Detection dogs. Jambie would have to undergo an evaluation, then two weeks of intensive training to see if he was cut out for a “job”. It was here that Jambie tackled the exercises with ease and grace and his knew life as a hero was about to begin.

At the test for working dog candidates, every rescue group was there with high hopes that hey had a dog with that special something needed to be a working dog. When the test started, Jambie’s alert and professional side emerged. He transitioned from a goofy, naughty, distracted pup to the regal Shepherd with a job to do. Jambie passed every test with flying colors….he calmly retrieved every thing that was tossed out or hidden for him, proudly trotting back to the trainer with each new prize. After that, the secret was out – Jambie’s potential seemed endless.

At the very same time the Orange County Sheriffs were looking for a dog for a pilot program, a unit that would be dedicated exclusively to drug detention, particularly drugs coming up through the southern county from Mexico. The dog had to be the best available to handle the drug smugglers that had been virtually unchecked by standard police measures.

Looking at the all dogs available, the prospective handler, Dennis, an OC Sherriff Deputy, kept looking at Jambie who excelled in all venues and who also happened to remind him of his childhood companion, Copper. Jambie was then and there chosen by Dennis to be his partner, and Dennis changed his name to Copper, in honor of his first GSD. GSROC felt like they had a child who got into an Ivy League college! Here was their little shelter rescue dog learning beside pedigreed dogs imported from Germany especially for their skills! The now Copper went to live with Dennis and his family in his Riverside home and service life was about to begin.

The dynamic duo trained to work as a unit in the OC Sherriff’s Department. Copper’s specialty was finding guns, money and drugs; he and Dennis were frequently called in to search homes, businesses and vehicles. He had graduated as a certified K9 excelling every step of the way. Copper was certified in five scents, his nose considered an expert witness in court and “reasonable cause” in the event a warrant was required. But best of all, Copper also had a home with Dennis where he hung out with the family’s toddlers and was loved family life .

Here is some information about two of their search and rescue missions:

In October 2007, only weeks after being in service full time in a black and white, Copper and I assisted another unit on a stop. The handling Deputy conducted a search prior to our arrival and located 1 kilo of cocaine on the rear floor board of the vehicle. I ran Copper around and eventually inside the vehicle and he alerted on the rear floorboard, near where the earlier mentioned kilo was found. Suspecting that he was alerting on the residual odor from the kilo, I aired out the vehicle and ran him again. Copper gave another strong alert in the same place. I began a more intrusive search and found an electronically controlled hidden compartment underneath the center console. In the compartment, we located an additional sixteen (16) kilos of cocaine.

In March 2008, Copper and I were working the Orange County/San Diego County border when we received a call from a regional team. They were calling from the City of Industry and requested a search of a car that they had stopped. Investigators had searched the car for a little over an hour but were not satisfied with the outcome. Copper and I responded as quickly as the law allowed and moments after our arrival, Copper alerted on the passenger rear quarter-panel of a high end European passenger vehicle. I checked a database for known concealments on vehicles of this type and there was only one, the rear quarter-panel. A subsequent search revealed $175,000.00 in U.S. Currency. The investigative team made it clear that without our response, the money would have been lost, so needless to say, I was very proud of Copper.”

Copper has saved our community from drugs, violence, and other illegal activities. During his years as a detection dog, Copper had the highest drug bust rating of any So Cal K9, and was the only OC Sherriff K9 to work specifically on drug trafficking.

Copper is still an adventurous dog that amazes his family with antics – but he’s also an OC cop! Dennis and Copper as a team had an impressive record while they worked together. Copper holds the honor of being the first, and to GSROC’s knowledge, the only Southern California rescued German Shepherd to make it into law enforcement. Copper just recently retired and remains with his handler and family. While he still enjoys a rousing game of ball, he can appreciate lying in the sunlit grass almost as much. His hard-earned love and security are here to stay. The moral here is that Jambie wasn’t a bad dog at all—he was a working dog whose talents had yet to be discovered. Once he was in the right hands, he blossomed into HERO dog that he was meant to be.

German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County is a 501c3 all volunteer organization. They were founded in 2005 and boast over 250 volunteers. On average, they place approximately 350 shepherds into loving homes each year. They have no paid staff and receive no government funding. All of their resources come from donations and kind people.

What are the differences between cats and dogs? Find out with this infographic.

[Source: OnlineSchools.org for Neatorama.com]

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is not an automatic death sentence! Franny, our lovely adoption-promoting friend and Guide of About.com Cats, has a very personal, detailed article posted on her site with that title. She knows how a positive result from an FIV test can be devastating to a cat owner – she herself went through it with her cat Shannon, who shared her life and her heart for 19 years. Shannon (in the photo at left) tested positive for FIV two years before he died, and Franny tells how her first instinct was to learn everything she could about the FIV virus. Her second instinct was to share it all her About Cats Guide readers, and she’s done a wonderful job! She answers such important questions that arise when the test results first come in: How could my cat have FIV? What can I do? How long does he have? I thought he had been vaccinated against FIV. Isn’t there some miracle medication he can take? She talks about the FIV Diagnosis, the different tests vets use to confirm the antibodies are present, and what an owner can do once the tests confirm that your cat does have FIV. You can click here to read Franny’s two page Cat FIV article in full. Thank you Franny, for sharing your experience to help other cat owners who’s cats have FIV!

I’ve been curious about Reiki for some time, ever since I read about a farm animal, I think a horse or a cow, getting helped at the Gentle Barn by a series of Reiki sessions. I’ve always been fascinated by scientific studies on plants that show how intention can affect a plants growth. Intention has been studied by philosophers, theologians, and legal scholars for centuries, but scientific interest is relatively new – and its spreading to fields as diverse as chocolate production, and in the case of cats and Reiki – animals! It might sound a little “out there” but I’m a big believer that there is a lot more in the world that we don’t know, than we do. And anything safe that could potentially help a sick or hurting animal is worth exploring. One of our favorite cat bloggers, The Conscious Cat,  has a great article that talks about the use of Reiki on cats. As a Reiki Master Practitioner, she explains “Reiki is a hands-on healing method that originated in Japan.  The practitioner channels healing energy through her hands to a person or a pet through a light touch either directly on the body or from a distance.” She goes on to add, “Animals, especially cats, are naturally receptive to the Reiki energy and tend to gravitate toward it readily.  Although it may be a little far-fetched, some people even say cats invented Reiki.   Cats are sensitive to energy, and because of this, they are ideal recipients for any kind of energy therapy, including Reiki.” You can read the rest of The Conscious Cat’s article on Cat Reiki here.

Several times our AdoptaPet.com staff and outside adoption experts have covered how to pick the RIGHT pet for your home. We do like focusing on the positive actions you can take, but it’s important to know what to avoid doing too! So we’ve matched some common mistakes that can result in picking the wrong pet, with some suggestions of how to avoid making them. You want the result of your pet-selection process to be that you and your family choose a pet that is the best possible match for your home and lifestyle. So along with being prepared for the work that it can take in the beginning with any new pet, knowing what common mistakes that enthusiastic, often first-time future pet owners make when they pick a pet to adopt, you can do your best to avoid them! Here they are, to help you avoid picking the wrong pet…

1. Don’t decide on a breed of pet that sounds like the best match for your home, without taking into consideration the often WIDE variation in physical and personality characteristics of individual pets. Make sure to spend time and get to know the actual pet you are going to adopt as much as possible, before deciding to adopt that individual pet.
2. Don’t adopt a new pet without doing some self reflection, planning and research first. How much time do you have in your life right now to bring in a new pet that may require training? Are you financially ready if your new pet is injured, or gets sick? For more questions to ask yourself, see our past blog article Tips to Finding the Perfect Family Pet.
3. Don’t make an impulse decision on-site. It can be overwhelming at a shelter when there are so many adorable furry faces begging you with their sad yes to “pick me pick me” and take them home! If you get emotional in a shelter setting, take a more objective family member or friend along to make sure you are making as good and rational choice of a match for your lifestyle and pet experience.
4. Don’t let your kids sway you to pick an inappropriate pet. While involving your children in the pet adoption selection and adoption process is a wonderful way to teach them about responsible pet ownership and many other important life lessons, you as the adult need to make sure the pet you adopt is a good selection. Do involve children in age-appropriate decision-making parts of the adoption process: they can help pick out the new pet’s toys, or a color of collar, and certainly making sure they and the pet get along is important too! See our past blog article for more ideas at: What Can Adopting A Pet Teach Your Children.

We hope these four tips will help you avoid picking the wrong pet, and find the right pet for you to adopt!

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Texan. Originally from a small town in Texas, and now with my parents living in Austin, I admit I pay attention to what goes on there because my family is there, my roots are there. But I’m also paying attention because Austin, Texas is doing great work to help animals. That’s what this article is about: getting inspired to do something, small or large, in our own towns today to help our local shelter animals. Now, it may be hot down there but it’s also a great place to live – especially if you’re a shelter pet. Austin has frequently been named one of the most pet-friendly communities in the country, and not too long ago, they decided to move full steam ahead on path to become a “No Kill” city! The Texas-capital’s accomplishments are in no small part due to rescue groups, animal shelters, leaders, politician and citizens working together to utilize their advocacy, skills, and heart to help their homeless pet population.

There are many fantastic organizations and innovative people doing great work for the animals, but here are various groups I discovered that are helping Austin achieve “No-Kill” status.

Austin Pet’s Alive is a non-profit volunteer organization committed to promoting and providing the resources, education and programs needed to eliminate the killing of companion animals. It’s hard to believe, but this 501c3 is run almost exclusively by dedicated volunteers who develop innovative and progressive programs to assist Austin and Central-Texas in becoming no-kill. Austin Pet’s Alive both focuses on helping healthy, treatable animals in shelters and helps owners who are having problems with their own pets so as to decrease owner relinquishment. They are their own rescue group and find great homes for the many pets in their care, especially those who have been overlooked, through their various programs including an active foster system, mobile events and the upcoming Adoption Resource Center building they will soon open. Austin Pets Alive also work closely with the Town Lake Animal Shelter so that their city can achieve a save/adoption rate of 90% or more for all pets entering shelters.

Teeny’s Friends collects toys for needy dogs. Their goal is simple: to make sure that no dog ever has to go without the simple pleasure of chasing a ball or snuggling a plushie. They raise money by doing toy drives and their buy-one-donate-one designed toy program. All the toys they gather are then donated to rescue groups, animal shelters, and families in low income neighborhoods – all with pooches who need a little mental stimulation that only a toy can bring. Teeny’s Friends helps promote adoption retention and gives back to homeless pets.

We all know sterilizing our pets is one of the most responsible things we can do to solve pet overpopulation. Emancipe+ offers high volume, high quality spaying and neutering for pets who live in the City of Austin and Travis County. They offer free spay and neuter at their mobile clinic on Thursdays and Saturdays. They also offer a low-cost clinic for those who are can afford to pay for the low-cost services, and all surgeries are performed by licensed veterinarians. The City of Austin/Travis County Animal Funding provides sponsorship for this program and donations are welcome. Emancipe+ will also now be offering low cost, walk-in wellness clinics for dogs or cats who are already spayed or neutered so that local communities can have access to more affordable basic care such as vaccines and preventative medicine.

The Austin Humane Society is helping feral cats (also known as free-roaming cats) as they are the largest cause of pet overpopulation in Austin. Their Free Roaming Cat Program has already sterilized and vaccinated more than 15,000 feral cats since 2007. They are currently the only program offering free feral cat sterilization in their community and are calling on every-day citizens to get involved and be a part of the solution. The cats are humanely trapped, sterilized for free, and then returned to their colonies safely and effectively. In 2009, the feline euthanasia rate in Austin dropped more than 40% due in larger part to the contribution of their feral cat Trap-Neuter-Return Program!

Love-a-Bull is dedicated to educating and advocating in Austin and beyond, on behalf of the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Terrier, and Bull Terrier (all breeds commonly referred to as “pit bulls”) and pit bull mixes. Their mission is to promote responsible ownership and improve the image of pit bulls in the community. Their strategy is to lead by example and so they started an all-pittie therapy group, The Pit Crew. These pitties and their handlers visit children and adults in need, providing therapeutic interaction that can improve mood, build confidence, and repair hearts.

In some ways, what can help homeless pets most is spreading the word that they are sentient beings with personalities, preferences and individual characteristics. Virtual Petwork is a social networking site catering to pets – it’s a way for Texas pets to connect with their pet pals. Pets can blog, join groups, chat on a message board, discuss [or complain about!] their parents, write on their pet pal’s wall, and support their favorite animal charity among other activities. The Virtual Petwork is giving voices to animals, something us pet owners already do. By helping make sure other people get it too, and including an adoption corner available to members, they’re helping promote adoption and shift perspectives.

These are just some of the many, many resources I found when researching animal welfare and the progress this city is making; there are plenty more terrific groups and organizations out there. There is a lot we can learn from Austin, and I urge other volunteers in other towns to do their part in helping homeless pets near them. It seems when it comes right down to it, what I believe is making Austin successful in their efforts is that people are uniting to make a difference for the animals in their community. I guess it really does take a village – even if it’s a really hot one.

Home. Some cats and dogs never have one to call their own. PeoplePets.com would like to help change that by introducing you to an extraordinary homeless pet from Adopt-a-Pet.com every month. This month it’s Indira, who’s being fostered for a local rescue group by one of our own Adopt-a-Pet.com staff! Indira is a sweet-natured senior dog who may have missed her calling as a supermodel. This 7-lb. Chihuahua has legs made for the catwalk. “Some Chihuahuas have little short legs, she’s got long legs,” says foster mom. Much like a sashaying model, “she floats when she trots.” The 10-year-old pooch was at a Pasadena, Calif., shelter when Molly’s Mutts & Meows animal rescue scooped her up in May. The housetrained and well-mannered pooch was obviously someone’s pet, judging by her skills. “She’s trained to wait at the door and only go out when you say, ‘Okay, go,'” says Warner.

“She’s a little doll, one of the easiest fosters I’ve ever had,” she adds. Quiet and super friendly, Indira loves other animals and is great with gentle, calm children. “I call her Miss Social,” says Warner. “Because everyone that passes on walks she’s like, ‘Hi, hi, hi, hi.'”

The cuddly canine (who will “jump in your lap if you invite her”) has a unique white stripe on her shiny black coat, reminiscent of her namesake Indira Gandhi. And like the famous Indian politician, “She’s very politically correct in everything that she does.”

If Indira sounds like the model canine you’ve been looking for, fill out an application on the Molly’s Mutts & Meows website. To view her full profile on Adopt-a-Pet.com, click here.