A well- behaved dog is a happy dog. A happy dog is a dog who has been taught what to do in most situations and chooses those behaviors voluntarily because there is no downside to them. Learn how to reward your dog by reinforcing the calm, polite and attentive behaviors. Successfully modify any nuisance behaviors that might be inadvertently reinforced such as excessive barking, barking/lunging/jumping on people entering the house, leash aggression towards other dogs or a variety of anxiety issues. At Dog Relations, I find solutions for these and many other problems that make it clear and straightforward for you both! I teach the basic skills of course but also teach the dogs when and how to use those skills without nagging or prompting. We know that dogs thrive when they know how to have choice and control. All we need to do is heavily reinforce incompatible replacement behaviors for the ones that are natural to dogs but do not align with our human point of view. The dogs can confidently choose those highly rewarded and reinforced behaviors and you get to be the proud and loving guardian communicating with kindness, attention and all the love you are ready to give.
All too often guardians inadvertently provide reinforcement for undesirable behaviors. As part of my private training, I teach you how to become aware of how inadvertent reinforcement happens so that you can avoid those common pitfalls while having a loving, caring and fun relationship with your dog.
Dogs and humans who are prepared and know what to do in situations that make them feel uncomfortable will greatly reduce the risk of accidents or conflicts. Learn how to keep everyone safe by managing the environment while you are in the learning process and prevent the behavior from happening in the first place. You might have a dog who dislikes having guests in the house or delivery people ringing your doorbell or a dog who lunges at dogs or strangers in the street. You will learn how to first manage those situations to then change your dog’s mind about those situations by modifying the dog’s response to their triggers.
Reward-based methods allow the human/dog team to communicate clearly. Guardians can better understand their dogs’ needs and preferences and find behavior solutions that are satisfying to both parties. Dogs will eagerly respond to previously reinforced behaviors which in turn will also reinforce and delight their guardians. This mutual understanding fosters a strong bond built on trust and affection.
Living with a dog who barks, lunges, nips, is generally restless, or has separation anxiety? There are a variety of reinforcement systems that can deal with these behaviors and bring great relief to both the dog and the human. By implementing specific behavior games in combination with basic manners that allow your dog to actually choose calm behaviors, behavior training creates a more relaxed environment, making both the dogs and humans more optimistic, happier, and more at ease.
A Comprehensive Behavior Consultation gives you the knowledge and the hands-on tools to both prevent and/or modify possible nuisance behaviors.
When you learn how positive reinforcement actually forges a very clear line of communication and teaches your dog how to earn reinforcement, you can both establish great habits from the get-go, and modify nuisance behaviors into polite behaviors. Behaviors such as barking, jumping up, pulling on a leash, begging at the table, or restlessness at home can easily be avoided in the first place but they can also be replaced by building a great reward history for replacement behaviors.
The Comprehensive Behavior Consultation will allow you to solve and prevent problems by giving you insight into how behaviors work and allowing you to understand the functions of behaviors. Thinking from the dog’s point of view will allow you to fulfill both your dog’s and your own needs at the same time
If you need support after your 1 month of support that is included in any Comprehensive Consultations, our online check-ins are the perfect solution to ask simple questions and get answers and feedback.
Rather than waiting until your next lesson, book a 15-minute or 30-minute check-in session.
What’s wrong with leaving food out and letting the dog graze throughout the day?
Anything that requires an effort is more appreciated. Things that are taken for granted are not as desirable. So if food is available all the time it becomes much less likely to be a motivating force and is more likely to create a fussy eater.
Fussy eaters are more difficult to reward and can therefore develop behavior issues that are harder to remedy. However, that fussiness can be prevented or remedied easily by making food a valuable commodity.
Additionally, teaching your dog that he does not have to worry about his food or his bowl will prevent resource guarding. For guidance and solutions to this important topic, let DogRelations give you a private dog behavior lesson and show you the many ways you can make feeding fun and educational at the same time.
Destructive chewing should be considered in context and relationship to when the behavior occurs.
If you have a puppy who is teething, the puppy will try to get his teeth on pretty much anything to alleviate teething pain or simply chew on something because it is available and tasty and calming and fun for the puppy. So really the key to solving puppy chewing is: Limiting access to tempting and/or dangerous temptations. Keep your puppy crated or gated and provide him with great chew toys and do not underestimate a puppy’s need to run, play and exercise!
If, however, you find that your dog is chewing on things when left alone you might be dealing with a more serious problem, either boredom or possibly separation anxiety. If your dog tears up the apartment by chewing on couches, door and window frames or desperately tries to get out of the crate you should definitely call a professional trainer for help, especially if you think you have provided the dog with good exercise and mental stimulation and something appropriate and delicious to chew on before you leave the house.
Contact us at DogRelations to learn how you can safely and happily raise your puppy without having your belongings destroyed, prevent separation anxiety. If you have a puppy or dog who might be suffering from separation anxiety, please call us so we can help you and your dog.
Jumping up and nipping are normal dog behaviors among dogs!
Of course when humans get into the mix these behaviors can become a lot less cute and, depending on the intensity, problematic and unacceptable.
Reprimanding or physically pushing back your puppy or dog really only engages you more with the dog when they are behaving inappropriately and therefore reinforces those behaviors especially when they do not know what to do instead!
Of course your best practice for jumping up would be to make staying on the floor far more rewarding for your dog. Ideally that actually means: reinforcing the dog when they are not jumping in order to make the jumping behavior less attractive in general. Behaviors that don’t fulfill the dog’s goal will become less interesting very quickly. As soon as the dog offers an acceptable replacement behavior by even just having all four paws on the floor, reward your dog highly. Additionally, always reward your puppy highly when they are calm, have all four paws on the floor or play nicely with one of their toys.
Help your dog by providing enough mental and some physical exercise and appropriate things to chew and nibble on so they can have an outlet for those very natural urges.
For specific advice and how to time your reinforcements properly contact us at DogRelations and I will be most happy to consult with you, give you individualized advice and teach your dog all the skills they need in private in-home dog lessons.
Pulling on the leash is a natural behavior. Dogs usually like to explore what is up ahead and all around them. The leash obviously constricts freedom of space. Allowing the leash to be tight all the time or pulling the dog back will only increase that behavior:
The easiest way to stop leash pulling is to teach the dog to walk on a loose leash next to you by rewarding the dog whenever he is at your side. Walking on a leash is a learned skill for the dog.
For personalized instructions or private dog lessons to teach your dog to walk on a loose leash next to you contact DogRelations.
Separation anxiety is unfortunately not uncommon.
Observable behaviors might include:
These and other behaviors happen when left alone or sometimes even only if a particular family member leaves or when sleeping separated from the rest of the family.
Teaching the dog to be more confident and optimistic can play a big role in helping them overcome their anxiety. I can help you analyze how you can start turning around this frustrating situation. I will support you through this process and replace the worry with practical and goal oriented advice. Please choose a Comprehensive Behavior Consultation to address this behavior issue successfully.
Teaching your dog to ask politely for food, toys and attention allows you to prevent nuisance behaviors like “begging”. In fact you can replace annoying “begging” by teaching your dog to “beg” in a way that is pleasing to you and gives them the opportunity to earn the things they value most in life by displaying polite and calm behaviors.
This will also prevent resource guarding in a fun and playful way. That means your dog will not “defend” their bowl, food or chew toy when someone walks nearby because they will learn there is only more and better stuff to be had.
For more games and tips to help with this very important topic let DogRelations give you a private dog behavior lesson and show you the many ways you can make feeding time fun and educational at the same time.
Is your dog barking often or uncontrollably? Too much barking can be a major annoyance.
If your dog is basically not aggressive then most likely the excessive barking is a behavior that has been inadvertently reinforced.
How on earth could that have happened?
Well, if you admonish your dog when he barks, you are giving him attention for an undesirable behavior. Your dog however, smart as he is, immediately notices that in a certain way barking works in his favor because it makes you notice him. So, when he feels bored or ignored he decides to try this again…he barks: and miracle of miracles!! You start to engage with him again! In the dog’s mind this is a great discovery and so, since practiced and rewarded behaviors get stronger: Voila! Your dog has successfully found a way to get your attention and you have inadvertently reinforced a nuisance behavior!
For a consultation on how to re-educate your dog and find being quiet more rewarding, please call DogRelations for comprehensive dog training consultation.
Mental and physical well-being are strongly connected. My primary objective is to design a program that suits your dog and ensures that you and your dog can spend as many fun-filled and healthy years together as possible.
Designed to provide maximum support and guidance for first-time dog guardians and/or to address behavior problems such as excessive barking, separation anxiety, resource guarding, adult house soiling or a variety of fear and fear aggression issues.
I can teach your dog to perform tasks that help mitigate your stressful or anxious moments. Together we determine which behaviors your dog should be trained to recognize and then perform these tasks.
The focus for this training is on reinforcing house training, establishing polite manners and building confidence in your puppy while educating guardians in the practical application of positive reinforcement
Rocky is doing so well! We had an especially nice long walk this morning. He was able to pass many dogs, even big ones, without trouble (he pulled a little, but I told him to sit and wait and he did!). He barks a bit at the door, but calms quickly.
I’m still training him regularly and feeding him the raw diet, and it’s really making a difference. A few neighbors with dogs he’s always barked at before have even remarked on how much better behaved he is!
So, thank you thank you thank you Elisabeth!
My dogs and I have never personally met Elisabeth, but thanks to the internet we’ve been able to communicate. Elisabeth has given me really good advice with dietary problems I had with my dogs and the results were instant. It was amazing! I also have been reading her great articles on dog training and behavior She helps me be a more responsible guardian. My dogs are very grateful and would love to meet her. I can only imagine what she could do for us in person!!!!
Elisabeth is amazing. She sees things most vets and trainers don’t see. I’m looking forward to working with her to train my 5mo old puppy to be a therapy dog.
Hi Elisabeth, after you left today, I took Chi-chi for a walk. She peacefully walked past at least 5 dogs on the street!!!! Thank you God and Elisabeth! !!!Will contact you soon for another session. We had a great day today. She’s smiling!!!! Me too. Thanks for helping to make this day possible.
Thanks for everything.
Last week my dog’s behavior and my reaction to it prompted me to call a professional trainer. What an amazing experience. Elisabeth came to our home and gently guided the three of us through the training process. She was tough and patient through Max’s barking, and showed us how we could be too. The training technique is subtle and I wasn’t sure I’d get it, but one day in and Max is looking to me and his daddy for cues and his anxiety level is way down. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience and outcome. Now it’s up to us to keep up the training, but it’s really a joy.
Elisabeth was one of the key people in helping maintain the spirit and integrity of Lola’s life. Everyday Lola looked forward to her time with Elisabeth. It was a great relationship that we all rejoiced in. Elisabeth is a kind dog genius. Her help cannot be overestimated and went far beyond what one can buy. Lolabelle loved her.
We all loved her.
Working with Elisabeth is the best decision I’ve made to help transition into life with a new puppy. She is incredibly helpful, responsive, and made an impact in my puppy’s behavior immediately. Elisabeth has been an incredible support as I’ve managed being a brand new dog-mom–I don’t know what I would do without her! Cannot recommend her enough for new puppy parents or any dog owners alike.
Dear Elisabeth,
David and I read your wonderful and enlightening letter. We cannot thank you enough for taking the time to care and relate your experience and wisdom to our problem.
When you said “Fear Aggression” the biggest lightbulb went off. We always thought that Zeus was over protective of David, but I think you absolutely have nailed it. Now we have an entirely different perspective.
We also are thankful for you excellent description of Schutzhund training and why that would not be a good option for Zeus. And most of all in one simple sentence, you have explained to us the importance of the positive reinforcement training. When you said that it is much better to do something because you want to do it, than worrying about some terrible thing happening if you don’t, again the sky actually parted for us. I never knew that was the reason for that kind of training. When we worked with the folks at Santa Fe Tails previously, no one ever said that. We just thought it was a newer, more modern way to train dogs. And we worried that they gave far too many treats. And finally your wonderful explanation of deferential behavior gives us such hope for Zeus’s future. I could not bear the thought of living a life of constant fear about him and for him and you actually have lifted a terrible and ominous weight off of the situation. Our only challenge now, is can these folks train us to understand and work in this way with Zeus?
Could I ask you to recommend a book or DVD that would be appropriate for us to learn to work with Zeus in this manner?
I am ever grateful to Freddie and Myrna for discussing our problem with you and I am ever grateful to you for your amazing expertise and for being so generous in sharing this with us.
Warm regards,
Roberta Remy and David Shields
Simba is doing great! I love the change – he got more calm since I switched his food and treats, and he loves his crate now as well
I’m so glad to be asked to write a testimonial because I want to tell everyone how great Elisabeth Weiss is with dogs and people! Animal behavior is my field of interest. I’m a marine biologist working with reef and estuarine ecosystems. I specialize in fish professionally, but dogs are my main hobby. I’ve read maybe 20 books on dog behavior and watched hundreds of hours of video footage on dogs.
Over the last ten years I’ve worked with I think four trainers and a dog psychologist, but didn’t keep it up past a few hours with any of them because I didn’t really like how it was going. Elisabeth Weiss is different from other trainers. Her background is different and I think her methods are more highly advanced and refined. People say “Oh, Your dog is so smart!!”, but I tell them it isn’t my dog, it’s my trainer. I think Elisabeth could train any dog.
I love to watch Elisabeth work with my dog too, because it’s a joyful and happy and funny experience. That’s different from the other trainers too, who made me feel anxious.
My dog Bebo now has 34 tricks or behaviors he can do, some of which can be seen on this website. Thank you, Elisabeth.
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