Does your puppy constantly bark at the door? Do you want to learn more about socializing your dog outside the dog park? We invited certified dog trainer and ethnologist Shelly Inglenook from Inglenook Academy to participate in a What The Pup community expert takeover.
For over 10 years, Shelly Inglenook has developed customized training and behavioral management techniques in the Washington DC metro area and beyond. From monkeys to dogs from Chicago to South Africa, she’s cared for and connected with animals of all sizes to improve a specific issue and overall behavior. Her specialties include obedience training, dog socialization, and working with rescue dogs.
We’ve pulled some of the questions from the takeover and her responses for people to learn more about positive reinforcement training and different tips for training your dog.
Q: Hello, Shelly; how can I get my shihpoo to stop barking when someone comes to the house or close to the door?
A: First, focus on what you *do* want your pup to do when someone comes over. Practice skills like “sit,” “watch,” and “go to bed” in low-distraction environments to build up a history of success. Then bit by bit, level up the difficulty with various distractions. For an in-depth training plan, fill out a training request form at www.inglenooktrainingacademy.com
Q: My girlfriend and I have two dogs that will not get along. They do okay sometimes, and then other times, they fight. Any tips on how to fix that?
A: Control of the environment and advocating for each dog’s boundaries can help set them up for success! Many dogs struggle with the life changes we humans make but can’t explain them to our dogs. Moving or combining households can be tricky (and possibly dangerous), so I recommend getting a certified trainer to help you create a customized training plan.
Q: We have two babies; one is 4 the other is 2; the 4-year-old is very laid back, and when people come in, he only barks until he can see them, then stops. But the 2-year-old keeps barking at them, and if he doesn’t know them, he will keep barking the entire time they are in the house. How can we help him feel comfortable and safe, so he doesn’t bark?
A: The issue at hand sounds like we have an alarm barker (4yr old) and an arousal barker (2yr old). Your 2 yr old is in prime adolescence, and teenage time is never easy. We want to give them a way to get out their adrenaline in a productive way while showing them that they are safe & comfortable around visitors. My rule is that no one *has* to engage or socialize with visitors, but they *do* need to demonstrate good choices. So instead of running to the door to attempt & “control” the visitor, I ask dogs to “go to bed” or another spot around the house for rich rewards. If they’re still riled up and want to bark at the visitor, I take that energy and redirect it into a game of tug, fetch, or scatter treats. If a dog feels uncomfortable with a visitor, I encourage them to go to their crate/bed / etc. and advocate for my dog’s space, so no human (or another dog) gets to mess with them while taking a break. Let me know if this quick tip helps.
Are you interested in learning more about dog training? You can read the entire thread in our Facebook group here! We invite experts to participate in takeovers every three weeks. Past takeovers have included other certified dog trainers, a pet grief and loss expert, and a Vet specializing in Chinese Medicine!
