Q&A for How to Train Your Dog to Be Calm

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When should you reward your nervous dog?

Emily Fleisher, CTBC
Professional Dog Trainer & Behavior Consultant
Emily Fleisher is a Certified Dog Trainer and Behavior Consultant (CTBC) and the Founder of Mindful Paw, a dog training business based in San Francisco, California. She is certified in canine CPR, first aid, and dog training from the Dog Training Internship Academy. She also has a Certificate of Excellence through Dr. Susan Friedman's "Living and Learning with Animals" program. She completed an internship at the San Francisco SPCA (a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and continues her education through the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and Jean Donaldson's Academy for Dog Trainers. She has a BA in Public Health from the University of Florida.

Emily Fleisher, CTBC

Professional Dog Trainer & Behavior Consultant

Expert Answer

Reward your dog when it disengages with something it's afraid of. If there's something that your dog reacts to, like a person in a baseball hat, play with the dog while someone in a hat stands a little bit away from you. If the dog sees the person and then looks away, say "yes" and give them a treat. However, don't push the dog to confront that stimulus, which will reinforce the fear. Chances are, the dog wasn't properly socialized to that stimulus when it was a puppy, so it needs to be gradually exposed to it.

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Question

How do you train a dog?

Beverly Ulbrich
Dog Behaviorist & Trainer
Beverly Ulbrich is a Dog Behaviorist and Trainer and the Founder of The Pooch Coach, a private dog training business based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a Certified CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator by the American Kennel Club and has served on the Board of Directors for the American Humane Association and Rocket Dog Rescue. She has been voted the best private dog trainer in the San Francisco Bay Area 4 times by SF Chronicle and by Bay Woof, and she has won 4 "Top Dog Blog" awards. She has also been featured on TV as a dog behavior expert. Beverly has over 18 years of dog behavior training experience and specializes in dog aggression and anxiety training. She has a Master of Business Administration from Santa Clara University and a BS from Rutgers University.

Beverly Ulbrich

Dog Behaviorist & Trainer

Expert Answer

If you would like to train a dog, you've really got to get a plan in place and stick with it so your dog knows what they're supposed to do. If you aren't consistent, dogs can become confused.

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How can I make my dog stop barking at people?

Beverly Ulbrich
Dog Behaviorist & Trainer
Beverly Ulbrich is a Dog Behaviorist and Trainer and the Founder of The Pooch Coach, a private dog training business based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a Certified CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator by the American Kennel Club and has served on the Board of Directors for the American Humane Association and Rocket Dog Rescue. She has been voted the best private dog trainer in the San Francisco Bay Area 4 times by SF Chronicle and by Bay Woof, and she has won 4 "Top Dog Blog" awards. She has also been featured on TV as a dog behavior expert. Beverly has over 18 years of dog behavior training experience and specializes in dog aggression and anxiety training. She has a Master of Business Administration from Santa Clara University and a BS from Rutgers University.

Beverly Ulbrich

Dog Behaviorist & Trainer

Expert Answer

If it's a very mild case, then you're best off just working with your dog on training and patience. If your dog is aggressive, however, you should consider working with a professional rather than trying to handle it yourself. They can analyze why your dog is afraid or aggressive and work with you to develop a plan that handles the issue safely.

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I have a female German Shepherd dog who fetches balls but does not bring the balls back to me. What can I do?

Community Answer

We had the same problem with our dog. Now we always make sure to have two or more balls, and whenever he decides not to bring the ball back, we show him another one and he drops it. If you want her to come to you and give you the ball, you can also use some dog treats. Nobody can eat with ball in mouth...

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I have a dog who is very naughty. He never stops eating, and he eats bad food. What can I do?

Community Answer

If your dog is a medium sized dog, only feed it 1 1/2 cups of food 2 times a day. Never let your dog near foods that are bad for them. If you have a small dog, give the dog 1/2 a cup of food 2 times a day. If you have bad foods lying around, put them away so your dog can't reach them.

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Our terrier goes crazy when we walk and he sees another dog or person. How can I train him to at least be calm when he see another dog?

Belle K.

Top Answerer

If you have a friend who also owns a dog ask them to bring their dog on a walk with you. If you can take him to a dog park so he gets used to other dogs.

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Praising the dog when he gets tired of his own bad behaviour, won't it make him do it again?

Huskylover Husky fam

Community Answer

The dog might think that you are reinforcing the bad behavior but if you do want to praise your dog when it gets tired of its own bad behavior, then wait 3 seconds before praising him if he does stop.

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How do you get a young rescue dog to ride quietly and still in a car?

Huskylover Husky fam

Community Answer

Try teaching it the command 'quiet' and the command 'off'. Use quiet for it to stop barking and off to get it off something you don't want it to be on.

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My husband doesn’t want to play with our puppy (41/2 months). I am trying to train her but she is very excitable and always wants to play, dark by five and winter is coming, do you have helpful ideas for games?

Huskylover Husky fam

Community Answer

Try getting some brain games for dogs, these will take her mind off her rambunctious behavior and all her energy will be put into trying to figure out the puzzle instead, giving you some time to do something else.

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