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11:33

Philly.com - Good afternoon! Opportunity Barks' Leigh Siegfried, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer will join us at 1 p.m. to chat about fun mind games and activities you can do to enrich the bond between you and your dog. Get your questions in early!

12:43

Opportunity Barks - Hi there, this is Leigh with Opportunity Barks Behavior & Training. Welcome to the chat!

12:43

[Comment From Libby]
Can you recommend the best leash or harness for my large rescued dog (Gordon Setter, 75 pounds) who constantly pulls while walking? He knows how to heel (and responds) but has to be repeatedly reminded and within a minute or two starts pulling again. Thank you for any advice!

12:54

Opportunity Barks - Libby,
Great question. Many folks struggle with walking their dog, but it doesn't have to be a battle of wills. I would highly recommend two products.

One is a front clip body harness, meaning the leash clips on the front of the dog's chest. I personally like the Sensation Harness or the Sensible Harness (available at www.softtouchconcepts.com). I find that these can go right on a dog, and most dogs take to wearing them in no time flat.

The other product I like is the Gentle Leader Head Halter made by Premier Pet Products. The head halter, unlike the front clip harness, will usually require some acclimation work on your end.

The head halter is made to fit over the dog's muzzle, but the dog should be able to eat, drink, bite, pant, pick up a ball, etc. It's not designed to restrict the dog's breathing or ability to open their mouth in any way. The leash attaches to the halter under the dog's chin.

To teach a dog to be comfortable wearing a Gentle Leader, you usually put it on, feed a bit and then take it off. Then you attach a leash to the halter and allow the dog to feel a little tension on the halter- still feed a bit. Then you take the dog out for a walk and try to keep the leash as loose as possible. A common reaction when first wearing a head halter is that the dog may nose dive or rub their face on the ground or against your leg as you walk. Many dogs acclimate to wearing them over time, and I find that the head halter often gives people the type of control that they need when walking a large dog that pulls.

Just a note- for "smush nosed" dogs- Premier makes a Gentle Leader that has a special strap to help these guys not overheat. In fact, a Halti Head Halter is usually a better fit for the boxers and bully breeds.
Thanks Libby!
L

12:55

[Comment From Angela]
My dog is more aggressive when meeting dogs on leash. can you recommend a way for her to meet dogs while on leash? (she gets nervous on her leash because i think she feels trapped, like she cant get away if she wants to..she is a very nervous dog)

12:59

Opportunity Barks - Angela,
If you have a dog that is dog social, but a anxious or stressed when meeting dogs, I'd recommend doing a few things. And I have a few questions for you.

1. Allow interaction on her terms.
That means ideally if she is greeting other social dogs, she will likely do well with other dogs that won't overwhelm her. If a dog is lunging at the end of their leash, this is not a good candidate for her.

2. Allow her the ability to get away.
Keep your leash loose and you may want to also use a Gentle Leader Head Halter when walking her if she is lunging towards other dogs.

3. You are right! Being on a leash can be stressful because avoidance may not be an option for her. Keep your leash loose and I'd walk her at least on a 5-6 foot leash.

A few questions for you.
• How old is she?
• What is her typical reaction to dogs (does she pull away? bark or lunge?)
• Where is she meeting dogs (on the street? in a park? in your home?)

1:00

[Comment From Mikey]
please help me...my dog wont stop crying without a towel or bedding when in the crate(he loves the crate with them). I've bought about 3 beds and 5 towels. The problem is he won't stop eating them..anything I can do to get him to stop? He is only a puppy but he has a ton of toys and chews around but chooses his bed as a chew toy. I'm afraid they will get stuck inside his body because he is so small. I've tried the apple spray but he doesn't mind it. Anything I can wash or soak the bedding in and let it dry so it tastes bad but doesn't smell? Any help is appreciated.

1:05

Opportunity Barks - Mikey,
Is the dog ingesting the shredded towels or just shredding them?
Many dogs will shred bedding as a stress response, they may not be happy being confined and then look to alleviate their anxiety by the next best thing- and the bedding and towels happen to be it.

Does this dog do other things when crated? Cry, vocalize, drool a lot? Those can be sign of one stressed pup.

If the dog is not eating the bedding...I'd just use towels, allow the dog to shred (again- IF the dog is not eating bedding). Many dogs love to shred and won't ingest.

Secondly, I'd use interactive or food stuffed toys. For example a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter, wet food or dry food mixed with chicken broth and frozen. Also frozen beef marrow bones are great for keeping a young pup occupied when crated. You can get those at your grocery store and they were a life saver with my newest pup.

If on the other hand the dog is not eating any of these "high value" chewies when crated, that could mean that he is indeed stressed by being crated or being left alone when crated. If that is the case, I'd recommend an in-home visit for something like that. Get started with more enrichment and let me know how it goes. I can always be reached at info@opbarks.com
Best!
L

1:05	[Comment From Lynn] How do I stop my three dogs (chocolate lab and two German shorthaired points) from jumping on people when they enter my home?

1:10

Opportunity Barks - Lynn,
Door drama, it's on of my favorites. Here's the skinny.
1. Are you preventing the dogs from rushing the door and jumping on people?
If not, leash them, use a gate or figure out some way to interrupt this old pattern.

2. Have you rewarded the dogs for doing something other than jumping on folks at the door? Or are we trying to get them to "behave" after they jump all over folks?

I'd focus on few things.
• Interrupting the old pattern- prevention, prevention, prevention.
• Setting some ground rules- "Yes, you can say hi, but only after you can pull yourself together and be calm."
• Reward what you WANT- Standing, sitting, not jumping, being CALM...then they get to say hi.

I'd recommend doing lots of set ups to have them rehearse this routine, because they will need some practice. And you may want to set up a treat station near your front door (jar with treats) so you can praise and reward when the dogs ARE doing the right thing. Good luck!

1:10

[Comment From Eric]
I have a 2.5 year old English Bulldog that I obtained from a rescue service. He was not abused or neglected. However, he was also never socialized with other dogs. Currently, he is aggressive towards other dogs and always tries to be the dominant dog. He knows the basic commands of sit and stay, but I was still thinking about taking him for obedience training so that he could socialize with other dogs. Any suggestions?

1:18

Opportunity Barks - Eric,
So we've rescued a dog and he's probably missed the "socialization boat", which would have been well before you ever got him.

Questions for you-
Does he have any dog friends?
What does he do around other dogs?
Has he bitten and drawn blood on other dogs?
Does he have regular off leash interaction with other dogs?

I think that Manners training would help him learn skills and perhaps learn to practice those skills around other dogs on leash, but I don't know that you will get many opportunities for socialization that would give him better skills with other dogs. So, it certainly can't hurt.
But, I would ask you- what is he currently doing around dogs? And what would you like him to be doing around dogs?

That would give me a good idea of your expectations and then I could make a recommendation on what I think would be the best bet for you and your Bulldog!

1:18

[Comment From Angela]
She is 2, I adopted her and she was initially terrified of all dogs. Now she is good with dogs in off leash settings, like a dog park. On leash it seems like she wants to meet the dog but is very anxious (hair up and lunging)..95% of the time she smells the dog they are fine and start to play. once in a while she will freak out and snap (no contact, but still scary). She is better in places she doesnt associate with "home" (she is much better on neutrul territory than right in front of our house)

1:30

Opportunity Barks - Angela,
It sounds like you have come quite a long way with your pup. Remember, you have pretty good stats on your side- 95% of the time she is great. And when she does snap or "snark" she makes no contact- that is normal dog behavior.
If she would escalate to biting or causing damage, that would be another conversation, but I think you have a pretty solid pup.

Remember that leashes can create tension, so do you best to be confident and to keep her leash loose. Praise and reward those great interactions on leash! You may want to consider walking her on a Gentle Leader head halter, but I don't know that she needs one.

Many times a dog is more confident in their own territory, so you may find that she's more likely to be "snarkey" in your home than in a new environment. When she is outside the home, she may be more like a small fish in a big pond.
Good luck!
L

1:30	[Comment From Steph] Good afternoon, Leigh - Can you recommend any good training schools in South Jersey?

1:31	Opportunity Barks - Steph, I don't know of any, but I would visit www.ccpdt.org and see if you can find a Certified Professional Dog Trainer in your area via their area code search! Thanks!

1:32

[Comment From Eric]
Thank you Leigh. Currently, he is going after the other dogs. He head butted one dog and then retreated. Luckily, he has not bitten or drawn blood but I don't want it to escalate to that point. He hasn't done anything else because I've restrained him. He doesn't not have any dog friends because of his behavior. I introduced him to my friends dog and now my friend's dog is afraid of him. He does not have any off leash interaction with dogs. I would like him to be able to play with other dogs and not have to worry about him hurting them. As I'm sure you're aware, he has a very large and powerful jaw. I don't want anyone elses dog to get injured. He is very friendly with people and doesn't hesitate to roll over for a belly rub. He's a very playful bully. I've only had him for about 7 months and I'm working with him the best I can for just the basics.

1:34

Opportunity Barks - Eric,
The basics are a good place to start. I'd also recommend doing the work that is going to help you have to restrain him less and help him make better decisions about how to interact around other dogs. He could likely benefit from self control work, and relaxation work. That is best addressed initially in private sessions, and I'd be happy to help. You may also want to check out a few books, I'd recommend Brenda Aloff's "Dog Aggression" Book.

1:34	[Comment From mag] I have 2 pits, a male and a female and we live on a farm. I'm interested in rescuing another dog since we have so much space and they are so great, but is it better to have 2 males or 2 females?

1:35	Opportunity Barks - Mag, How old are the dogs? Are they spayed/neutered? Would would you say is the most "mellow" or social with other dogs? L

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