Question:

My dog barks when I leave him in the car. We live in an area where car riding is safe, and a big treat for my dog. He began this after the death of my Golden Retriever. I have tried praising and rewarding him when quiet by returning to the car with a treat,..and also by giving him a treat before I leave the car if he is quiet. When I have done this, he then barks when I am away from the vehicle. He stops when I am about 20 feet away, unless he can still see me. As soon as I pull into a parking spot he starts to bark. It has frightened a few people, even though he is only 15 pounds! It seems as if he is warning others to stay away from me??? I am not sure how to train away this behavior. I have also worked hard on establishing dominance so he doesn’t feel like he has to protect me. Any ideas? Thanks!

ANSWER:

My deepest condolences at the loss of your retriever.

Your small dog that was raised with your retriever is I am sure mourning the loss in his own way. He is used to having his companion with him at home and in the car and does not want to be left alone.

Dogs recognize when you are travelling to places and through routine know what will happen upon arrival.

When we go to a conservation area in the summer, my dog recognizes the area before we enter the conservation area and park. She knows that it means a picnic lunch and walking in the forest. She also recognizes the route to the vet.

Having said this, your dog understands that this is a shopping trip, that he will be left alone in the car for a period of time. This is not a welcome situation as he no longer has his companion with him.

Have you thought to leave your dog at home if the trip involves leaving him in the car for a long period of time?

Perhaps at this time while he is adjusting to the loss of his companion he feels more comfortable at home.

Other than this, it is suggested that maybe taking a kong filled with peanut butter along and giving your dog the kong to pass the time while you are away from the car might be a good idea.

Just a word of caution:

In summer, the temperature of a car can rise quickly even with windows open and leaving to dog alone for a prolonged period can lead to severe dehydration and heat prostration.

In winter the temperature of the car can get extremely low leading to very dangerous health problems for your dog.

I hope this helps!

Nancy

“In 2004, I decided to go to the IPDTA conference just to see what it was about. It was amazing, all these dog trainers talking about using operant conditioning,” exclaims Nancy. “I decided that I wanted to be part of that world. The amazing journey of becoming a positive dog trainer had begun. I am still on this new adventure and learning more every day. I did not realize there was so much information and theory to learn about canine behavior and emotions. My social work background has helped immensely as much of the theory I learned at university about human emotions applies aptly to dogs.”

To learn more about Nancy, visit her website, Devoted to Dogs and her Devoted to Dogs Blog.

Question:

I have a 1 year old sheltie/boykin spaniel mix, he is neutured and he has separation anxiety. He is potty trained but he pees on the carpet when I leave? Is he doing it out of spite? How do I get him to stop?

ANSWER:

Hello there,

There is no evidence to suggest that dogs act this way out of ‘spite’ and he certainly doesn’t want to punish you for leaving him. There are lots of reasons that dogs might have accidents, especially when left alone. If you think that the dog is housetrained I would suggest that you have your dog checked by his vet, including urine analysis as changes in toileting behaviour can be a sign of medical disorders.

Even if there is a medical issue present behaviour work may also be required.

How long do you leave your dog alone? He is still a young dog and cannot be considered completely housetrained until there are no more accidents. Nor should he be expected to ‘hold it’ all day while you are out and then all night too. You might try having a neighbour or dog walker come to visit the dog while you are out so that he can get outside for a toilet break. Why not bring him to doggie daycare – a well run daycare is a great place for an active young dog while his people are busy!

Separation anxiety is quite a serious disorder during which the dog is usually reluctant to eat while alone and may damage escape routes such as doors and windows in attempts to get out (these dogs often injure themselves too). Your dog may not be this extreme and may be a case of separation distress so a combination of alone and house training might be needed.

First of all, limit your dog’s access to areas that he likes to toilet in while alone. Clean these areas so as to remove all traces of urine. Don’t use household cleaners as they often encourage re-marking; with carpet you may need to have the area professionally cleaned.

Set up an indoor doggie toilet for your dog to use while alone or perhaps install a doggie door so that he can go outside if he needs to.

Go back to housetraining basics. Bring him to an appropriate toileting area regularly (including late at night and early in the morning). Verbally praise him while he goes and then feed him a couple of really yummy treats once he’s done.

Plug a DAP diffuser in near your dog’s bed and add Rescue Remedy liquid to his water. Walk your dog before you leave him and get home with him about a half hour before you leave so that he has time to calm down after his walk.

Give your dog a few really really yummy stuffed Kongs or other enrichment toys to work on while you are out. Working on chew toys can help to relax your dog while alone plus it keeps him entertained!

Keep your departure low key and don’t fuss the dog too much when you come home. If he has had an accident while you were out don’t tell him off as he will not understand. Bring him outside to an appropriate toileting area and then clean up any mess inside.

Spend some time desensitizing your dog to little cues that you are about to leave him. Give your dog something yummy to chew on and then put on your coat, get your keys and then just sit down and read a book. Repeat this often over several sessions.

Once your dog is comfortable and not bothered by you doing this repeat but this time walk to the door and touch the door handle, then sit down and read a book. Repeat until comfortable.

Repeat and step outside the door – again repeat until your dog is comfortable. You can slowly build the time he spends alone.

Alone training can be tough to implement so it might be a good idea to talk to a positive trainer who has experience with this issue. Discuss the level and extremity of your dog’s separation distress with a trainer and your vet – in serious cases, a veterinary behaviourist may be of help.

Lots going on here for you!! Vet check for the toileting issue, continued housetraining, management to prevent your dog having accidents in the same place, some alone training and a chat with your vet and a trainer.

Best of luck!

Anne Rogers comes to us from Meath, Ireland and owns Pet Central Dog Training as well as managing a fabulous blog full of great training and socialization information.

Question:

This behavior mystifies me and have learned that other wheatens have this tendency as well. Buckleyis Male and 6 years old, he’s probably typical wheaten in that he he is normally skiddish about lots of things but he is pretty chill in our NYC apartment. He can be very selective about who he wags his tail for and greets in a friendly manner but the VERY curious behavior is how he will go after most anyone as they leave. Jumping at your back, barking and general aggression (seems like he wants to bite). He does this to family members, including myself, other people he knows and new people that he seems comfortable with UNTIL they leave. If present and not leaving myself, he will sit and stay for me and wait for a treat. However he is very distracted by the person who is attempting to leave and I have to stay the sitting course with him until they leave. Any ideas?? Thank you for your take on this.

Carolyn

ANSWER:

Hi Carolyn,

Thanks for contacting the Good Dog Blog about Buckeye’s behavior.

Often, behaviors, behavioral traits and characteristics like “skittishness,” “aggression,” and “barkiness” are attributed to particular breeds. In truth, while some breeds may exhibit a stronger tendency toward exhibiting these traits than others, no behavior is a product of genetics alone. All behavior is a combination of nature and nurture, of genes and reinforcement history. I’ve met Shelties that have never barked, pit bulls that are incredibly social with other dogs, Border Collies that couldn’t herd a sheep to save their lives, Labs that would never dream of retrieving and live with a very trainable and intelligent, affectionate Chow.

From your post, I can only assume that Buckeye has been engaging in this behavior for his entire life, six years now. Since this behavior obviously has a strong reinforcement history, it will take some time to fix and would not be a bad idea on your part to consider investing in the assistance of a qualified behavior professional. For tips on finding a good behavior professional in your area, read this blog entry

The behavioral intervention for Buckeye will need to include a combination of very consistent management and training. When you are not able to train, you must manage to prevent him from rehearsing the behavior of aggressing during human exits in your apartment.

Management means whenever you cannot actively train and work on this with Buckeye or in situations you know he will react like this, you will need to employ the use of crates, gates, tethers, or a “safe room” where Buckeye will go while people are leaving your house. There should be no visual access to viewing departures from this “safe place.” Before your guests begin getting their coats and preparing to leave, put him in his “safe place” with a stuffed Kong or marrow bone.

Training should involve desensitization to people leaving your house and eventually, the training of alternative, incompatible behaviors (“go to bed or crate and relax” when people are leaving).

Your behavior professional should assist you in establishing “set up” sessions to work on a behavior modification protocol. During this time, Buckeye should be on a leash so he can be prevented from chasing, rushing, barking, or nipping at your volunteer “departers.” If Buckeye has ever bitten anyone while they are leaving your house, your behavior professional may recommend desensitization to a muzzle before beginning this procedure.

You may also want to check out Emma Parson’s fantastic book Click to Calm for some ideas on exercises you can get started on until you are able to set up your first appointment with your new trainer or behaviorist.
Take care,

Casey

Casey comes to us from Binghamton, New York where she owns Rewarding Behaviors Dog Training. She has written for Dogster.com before and is an ‘award winning published author of training material for both professionals and the pet owning public’.

Question:

hi me and my husband have just brought a female jack russell she is 5 months old and she wasnt shown much attention before as the owner had another dog and a 2 year old child. we have only had her 2 days and she has started licking my arm then trying to hump me as though she is trying to show me her affection please let me know why she does this thank you

kirsty

ANSWER:

Hi Kirsty,

Licking behaviors have a variety of interpretations. For the dog, licking can communicate information about dominance, intention and state of mind and can be a pacifying behavior. Licking in dog language is a juvenile action. The dog is is saying look at me I am a harmless puppy. This could be one explanation of why your Jack Russell is licking your arm.

This aside, I know that my sheltie will come and start licking my arms, and legs after I have applied body lotion.

Your Jack Russell could be attracted to the scent of your body lotion or could be trying to act as a juvenile as adults in most species are programmed not to harm juveniles. So your dog could be trying to say look at me I am harmless I am just a puppy so please love me. Or he could be saying yummy, this lotion tastes good. Try not using body lotion, even scent free body lotion for a while and see if your Jack Russell still licks your arms. If the licking stops you will know it is the body lotion. If the licking continues then you know she is trying to convey that she is harmless. She could also through licking be trying to find out information about your intentions toward her. Basically, your Jack Russell may be lacking in confidence. Once you build her confidence and show her that she is accepted into your family the licking will probably stop.

As licking can be a pacifying gesture, things like using a spray bottle may increase the behavior.

Try interrupting the behavior by playing tuggy, or going for a walk. Remember that Jack Russell’s are high-energy dogs.

Small children and dogs should never be left unsupervised. Small children make sudden movements that can lead to agitating the dog and the dog then trying to stop the small child by a warning or an aggressive act.

It is suspected that both the licking and humping are due to a lack of confidence.
As the Jack Russell was not given a great deal of attention in her former home she probably is lacking in confidence and in need of attention.

As a way of interrupting both the humping and licking divert her by paying attention in the form of play and walks.

I hope this helps

Nancy

“In 2004, I decided to go to the IPDTA conference just to see what it was about. It was amazing, all these dog trainers talking about using operant conditioning,” exclaims Nancy. “I decided that I wanted to be part of that world. The amazing journey of becoming a positive dog trainer had begun. I am still on this new adventure and learning more every day. I did not realize there was so much information and theory to learn about canine behavior and emotions. My social work background has helped immensely as much of the theory I learned at university about human emotions applies aptly to dogs.”

To learn more about Nancy, visit her website, Devoted to Dogs and her Devoted to Dogs Blog.

Question:

I recently adopted a 3 year old female Australian Shepherd. She came from a breeder, and could no longer do the job, so she was out on her own.

She is very submissive, sweet natured, house trained, and lets anyone touch her without aggression.

She has also never been a real pet, a real companion to anyone.

She took to me, but I am having trouble getting her used to simple household noises. Like the dishwasher, shower, sprinklers, etc. The walks were decent at first, but now putting on the brakes and trying to run into the street have become her m.o.

I have always had aggressive dog issues (always had german shepherd til her) so I don’t want to train the way I did with them for she is sensitive, but I also don’t want her to live this fearful existense. Help?

ANSWER:

Hi Andrea,

This is a common problem, especially amongst breeds that would normally be considered ‘high strung’ so don’t worry, you are not alone here!

Click here to read Casey Lomonaco’s excellent piece on working with a fearful dog and click here to read a piece on fear imprint periods, what are often the cause of many of these troubles we see in our pets.

Does anyone else have any advice for Andrea? Any Australian Shepherd owners who have experience with fearful Aussies we should know about? Any suggestions would be great here!

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Ann

Question:

I have a 14 month old Jack Russell dog, we got him from a dogs home when he was a small puppy (8 weeks old) and never saw his parents, not a very responsible purchase I know, but we just couldn’t leave him there! After having him for a few days he stopped eating and wasn’t very well, we took him to the vets who said that they thought he was younger then we were lead to believe and therefore this was the reason we were having problems, he was on special food for a while and then went back on to normal puppy food, although to this day he is a very fussy eater. He has picked up house training very well and have had no problems with it. BUT, we are having a few problems the major one is that he is being very aggressive when strangers come to the house (but is ok when he meets strangers out on walks), when the postman comes he will tear the post to bits, and if anybody comes to the from door he will attack the door, biting pieces off! We have tried lots of this to stop this telling him NO, putting him in his pen, bitter apple spray was suggested and we have tried that but nothing seems to stop him. If a stranger comes into the house we have to lock him away as we do not trust him, but we don’t think this is doing any good as he is not learning the correct behaviour.

Please help!!

ANSWER:

Hi there, thanks for contacting us for help.

Well done for helping out a puppy in need – it’s a pity you were not given correct information about him. There’s nothing we can do about that now so let’s see if we can help you and him out!

First of all – no more telling him off for behaving this way. This behaviour most likely has roots in fear and insecurity – I know it probably doesn’t look that way but this scary dog act works to keep frightening people or situations away.

At this stage you need to manage the situation so keeping him away from people who come to the house is the safest thing right now. It will also prevent him from continuing to practice this behaviour – after all practice makes perfect, and he’s already pretty good at this one!!

Try to get your dog separated from the action before people call over and if you know what time the post comes at have him away from the door at this time too. Bring him into another room, behind a closed door and give him a really tasty stuffed Kong to work on.

You can place a puppy pen at the front door so as to block his access to the door so that at least the post and the door are safe!

Continue to work on lots of greetings while out and about with lots of different people types. If your dog is comfortable, have strangers out on walks feed your dog. If he is not happy or safe doing this you should feed him while standing with him at a safe distance from approaching strangers.

Have a friend deliver false mail while you sit with your dog in a room far away from the door so that your dog doesn’t get distressed. Any time he alerts to the sound of the mail coming through the door, toss a piece of his absolute favourite favourite treat. If he is too wound up to eat, try moving to an area further away (such as the back yard). This should be repeated over and over and over so that he begins to like the sound of dropping mail.
As he becomes more relaxed with this you can gradually move closer and repeat.

You can do this same exact routine for helping him cope with the door bell or knocking at the door.

I would strongly suggest that you contact a professional, positive trainer to help you to put a step by step program in place and teach you how to ‘read’ situations in which your dog might get distressed.

It’s not really important to correct this behaviour but it is important for him to learn that guests are safe and pleasant to be around. If you would like help finding a trainer let me know. You and your dog will need lots of help to work on this anxiety and reactivity along with some basic obedience too.

Try plugging in a DAP diffuser near your dog’s bed, adding Rescue Remedy liquid to his water and lots of jazz up and settle down games:

So continuing to socialise him with lots of people outside the house, stop him from practicing this behaviour, helping him to learn that mail/doorbell means yummy treats fall from the sky, some relaxation ideas and some help from a positive trainer will hopefully get you and your dog through this.

Best of luck, Anne

Anne Rogers comes to us from Meath, Ireland and owns Pet Central Dog Training as well as managing a fabulous blog full of great training and socialization information.

Question:

We have a 3 month German Shephard and a 7 year beagle/basset mix, we are wondering why our female 3 month Shephard is always standing on top of or straddling or 7 year male beagle (she doesnt hump him though)? If they drink at the same time she is like his second skin on top of him from head to tail. If she isnt standing on top of him she does this front leg thing. She stands to his side and puts her front leg and paw over his neck/back and walks around that way with him. He is frustrated but doesnt do anything but bark at her, he allows her to take his food and bite his back and push him around. I guess she has become the Alpha in her short time with us, is there anything we should do to stop this besides do what we do now and try to redirect her when she starts in on him? Is this normal?

Thank you for your time,

Wendy

ANSWER:

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for contacting the Good Dog Blog!

This behavior (or the vast majority of dog behavior) is not necessarily or likely related to dominance or being the “alpha.” To learn more about modern scientific views of dominance, check out the dominance position statement from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

It sounds to me like your three month old GSD puppy isn’t actually “alpha,” she’s just a puppy with no understanding of canine social mores. Very young puppies go through a number of critical stages of development, and your three month old puppy is right at the confluence of a number of these stages: the critical canine socialization period, the human socialization period, and the seniority classification period. This is the time when she should be learning rules and boundaries about appropriate canine interactions from a large number of well-socialized puppies and adult dogs.

Your best bet is to get her into a puppy class immediately. This will provide her with the opportunity to learn about acceptable canine and human social interactions. While it is very important that she socialize with other puppies, it is equally important that she met adult dogs who are well-socialized around puppies.

Much like we cannot count on one toddler to teach another toddler appropriate human social interactions, we cannot rely specifically on puppies to teach other puppies appropriate dog behavior. Adult dogs who are practiced in their puppy interactions set rules gently and fairly. For an example of how my own Chow mix functions as the “fun police” within the context of a play group, check out my blog entry.

As for addressing the immediate problem at home, I would implement a number of intervention strategies which would like include:

1.) Teaching an alternative, incompatible behavior. Read up on clicker training and click and reward your puppy for all friendly, non-confrontational social interactions with your beagle. Work on teaching “leave it” and a strong hand targeting behavior so that you can lead your GSD away from your beagle without having to drag her away. Recently, friend and colleague Jane Fallander of A Great Dog Now visited the Rewarding Behaviors forum as a pet expert to discuss targeting. To learn how to teach your GSD to hand target, visit this link.

2.) Increase the GSD’s socialization.

3.) Increase the GSD’s exercise and mental stimulation.

4.) Implement time outs when things get too crazy – have a frozen marrow bone or frozen stuffed Kong on hand at all times. If your GSD gets too “amped up,” put her in her crate with the bone or Kong and give her something else to do with all that energy.

5.) This might sound a little crazy, but I would also do some classical conditioning with the beagle for tolerating this behavior. When we have “humpy” dogs at class, I always feed the “humpee.” Why? Because mounting is a common stress behavior and a dog that has been taught to tolerate this well will be less stressed in canine interactions and becomes the “bomb proof” dog. As soon as your GSD places her paws up on your beagle – food goes in the beagle’s mouth the entire time her paws are on him and goes away when the GSD dismounts. This will teach the beagle that “GSD paws on you makes good things happen.”

6.) If your beagle has any physical problems like arthritis, obesity, etc., you must skip step 5 and employ intervention strategies all the time to avoid injury to your beagle.

7.) Reinforce the beagle for any calming signals toward the GSD pup. For more on calming signals, read Turid Rugaas’s great booklet “On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals.”

Also, around six months of age, puppies lose what’s called “puppy license.” This means that things they normally got away with are no longer acceptable to other dogs and may be addressed with less tolerance by adult dogs. Much like I would not be upset with an 18 month old child who wet his diaper overnight but would be exceptionally peeved if my eleven year old niece did the same thing, puppies can get away with behaviors that teenagers cannot get away with. If the problem has not been resolved through training at this time, your beagle may begin to react with considerably less patience to the same behaviors.

Best of luck in your training endeavors! While puppies exhibit a lot of frustrating behaviors, they are also knowledge sponges and tend to catch on to training very quickly at this stage. With training consistency and dedication, you should see a reduction in these types of behaviors very quickly.
Take care,

Casey

Casey comes to us from Binghamton, New York where she owns Rewarding Behaviors Dog Training. She has written for Dogster.com before and is an ‘award winning published author of training material for both professionals and the pet owning public’.

Question:

Hi all,

Here’s a new situation for me: many of you know I have five Schipperkes very senior males, all neutered. Recently one has been diagnosed as bleeding out and we are preparing for “the time.” I’ve noticed that another of my guys, about three years younger, has started “picking on” the ailing one. He will scratch at his face, eyes, etc. There have been some damages and vet visits for eye drops w/antibiotics. I’m trying to keep this guy comfortable and protect him from this biter. Suggestions?

Thanks so much. Michele

ANSWER:

Hi Michele,

I am so sorry to hear about your old Schip. For those of you that don’t know, Michele does Schipperke rescue and often has a handful of dogs under her care, many of which are in their twilight years. She is one of the ‘good guys’, taking in the dogs that are hardest to adopt out and caring for them until they pass on. Thank you, Michele, for doing what many of us cannot do!

Animals understand about death and dying and unfortunately, he is only doing what his instinct tells him to do. This does not happen in all cases but I would think that when there are several or more dogs in a household that did not necessarily grow up together, it is more likely to happen.

The best thing for everyone is to keep them separated. The old boy does not need the stress of trying to protect himself or the added injury, you do not need the stress of breaking up the one-sided fights, and really, the younger dog does not need the pressure of trying to become top dog by removing the competition. It is always a headache to separate dogs but its really for the best.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? I am at a loss for any other options for Michele in this case.

Ann

Question:

Why does my male dog constantly lick my female dogs face? They’re not related and they are both fixed. We like to think that he loves her and is giving her kisses but why is he really doing that?

Lisa

ANSWER:

Hi Lisa,

How old is the male dog? Puppies and wolf cubs will lick the mother’s face, particularly around the snout, in order for the mother to regurgitate food so that they may eat. This usually occurs shortly after the pups have been weaned and they can only eat soft food as their baby teeth are just coming in.

When dogs lick the face of a human, it is usually with the some instinctive expectation that food will be regurgitated.

Your male dog is licking the face of your female dog with the instinctive expectation of food to be regurgitated. Why is he doing this? There could be a number of reasons. He could have been weaned to early, believes that your female is his mother or is under the impression that your female should be providing nourishment.

I hope this helps.

Nancy

“In 2004, I decided to go to the IPDTA conference just to see what it was about. It was amazing, all these dog trainers talking about using operant conditioning,” exclaims Nancy. “I decided that I wanted to be part of that world. The amazing journey of becoming a positive dog trainer had begun. I am still on this new adventure and learning more every day. I did not realize there was so much information and theory to learn about canine behavior and emotions. My social work background has helped immensely as much of the theory I learned at university about human emotions applies aptly to dogs.”

To learn more about Nancy, visit her website, Devoted to Dogs and her Devoted to Dogs Blog.

Question:

My dog is eating the railings, cabinets, floorboards, and books. I just want to know how to get her to stop chewing through the house.

Thanks,
Jessica

ANSWER:

Hi Jessica,

I am guessing your girl is at that wonderful eight month to fourteen-month-old stage where the teething is really a problem. I feel for you, honey, as that can be one of the most challenging times in pet ownership! Keep in mind that this is a physical need for young dogs and not an attempt to upset you or cause problems. She does not know any better and if she were still a wild dog, well, she would be chewing on trees, rocks, bushes, and whatever else she could find to fill that physical need.

First, buy a crate and spend some time crate training your girl. Crates are wonderful things when used properly as they guarantee the safety of your dog, and your house, while you cannot monitor their behavior. Basically, they keep everyone happy and sometimes that is the most important part of getting through a busy day.

There is a few great articles on how to properly introduce dogs – just type in ‘crate training’ in the search field on the right hand side of this page.

Once your dog is crate trained, put her in it any time you cannot monitor her behavior. Making dinner? Showering? Popping over to the neighbor’s to borrow a cup of sugar? Put her in her crate anytime you cannot watch for chewing OR if you are not able to stop what you are going to stop and retrain the inappropriate behavior.

Next, pick up all her old toys, wash them thoroughly and put them in a box. Then buy her some tough new toys and put them in the box as well. Each day give her three toys from her box and pick them up at the end of the day. This will work to keep her interest and excitement focused more on her toys then your house. I use this trick for all my dogs no matter what their age or behaviors just to change up their day a bit.

Now treat the areas she chews most often with a chew deterrent such as Bitter Apple. These products taste nasty so most dogs decide that chewing that spot is no longer in their best interest and will move on to something that does taste alright.

And this is where the retraining comes in. It is always most effective to stop a behavior before it happens, when the dog is still thinking about it and it is easy to read a dog’s mind by watching their body language. In the case of chewing, she will probably be awake but somewhat quiet and will be chewing on a toy when she will get up and start looking around the house for something hard that will help more effective for teething.

If you see her wandering around, looking for something to chew, distract her with a toy and a game of tuggies or something similar. Praise here works well. If you miss the wandering and she actually, say, lays down at a spot to have a good chew, give her the negative ‘eh eh eh’ noise with a frown and as soon as she stops eyeballing the spot and looks at you, give her a happy ‘good girl’ and show her one of her toys (I always keep toys or balls in my pockets during this stage – amazing how it can help to always have a distraction on hand). Always over emphasize the happiness and excitement when she stops – she will probably come over to you for a cuddle and a play that way. When she takes the new toy, lay on even more praise.

Soon she will get the idea of what it is she can and cannot chew. I usually keep ice cubes around as well and even freeze some toys as the cold feels good on those sore gums. The important part is to always either monitor her behavior or put her in her crate so that she cannot break the retraining you are giving her.

Good luck and let us know if you find any other tricks!

Ann