Stop ANY Dog Behavior Immediately and Easily

This podcast episode emphasizes the importance of using a leash effectively to manage unwanted dog behaviors in the home, providing practical strategies to address issues like jumping, counter-surfing, and anxiety. By implementing leash techniques consistently, listeners can transform their dog's manners and ensure a calmer environment for both their pets and families.

• Importance of leashes in managing unwanted behaviors 
• Techniques for addressing jumping on people 
• Solutions for counter surfing during gatherings 
• Preventing door dashing and safety risks 
• Controlled introductions to guests with leashes 
• Reducing reactions to household noises through management 
• Strategies for handling resource guarding behaviors 
• Managing rough play and preventing aggression 
• Controlling chasing tendencies within the home 
• Addressing destructive behaviors and accidents 
• Techniques for aggression towards visitors 
• Tips for using a leash effectively indoors

Chapters

• 0:00 Managing Dog Behavior With Leashes
• 19:20 Using Leashes for Positive Reinforcement

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Did you know that you can manage and control any unwanted behavior instantly? Do you have a dog that perhaps jumps on people? Maybe you've got a dog that counter-surfs or steals items? How about those of you that have dogs that run out the door, do door dashing or inappropriate greeting behavior like barking or lunging or barking and overreacting to household noises? What about resource guarding? How about if you have multiple dogs Play, escalating into aggression, chasing other pets or family members? These are all problems. Destructive behavior, overexcitement during training sessions, aggression towards visitors or family members, anxiety-driven behaviors like pacing or excessive licking, potty training accidents All of these things can be handled instantly. All that and more in 60 seconds.

Speaker 2: 1:11

Raised by wolves with canine DNA in his blood. Having trained more than 24,000 pets, helping you and your fur babies thrive, live in studio with Will Bangura Answering your pet behavior and training questions. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your host and favorite pet behavior expert, will Bangura.

Speaker 1: 1:35

Would you like to go on? Are y'all ready for this? Good day, dog lovers. Hey, I'm Will Bangura. Thanks for joining me for another episode of Dog Training Today.

Speaker 1: 1:56

I'm a certified canine behaviorist, a certified dog behavior consultant, certified professional dog trainer and I'm also fear-free certified. I'm a crossover trainer. I used to train both with positive reinforcement along with corrections. Now I'm a force-free trainer. I don't use any corrections, I don't use any punishment. There is no need for anything other than positive reinforcement to teach any behavior and to stop any unwanted behavior. Do me a favor hit that like button. If you haven't subscribed, please consider hitting that subscribe button and sharing this podcast with friends, family members, other trainers, veterinarians, anybody that you think that could benefit from the podcast.

Speaker 1: 2:46

Now, in the opener I talked about, you can manage, you can control, you can stop any unwanted behavior instantly. And, for those of you that are dealing with a dog, specifically and more importantly, I should say, with behavior problems in your home. Now, granted, you may have problems outside of the home, but I'm also and I really want to hit home on this home, on this. Look, if you've got a problem with a dog in your home, with manners issues, behavior problems, whether it's jumping, counter surfing, stealing items, door dashing, jumping, barking, resource guarding, aggression with strangers, with other pets, other destructive behaviors, potty training, accidents, even anxiety. All of these behaviors and more can be stopped immediately if you'd put a leash on your dog. Now, I know, I know, I know, know I'm not trying to trick any of you, I'm being serious. I'm being serious. Listen. If your dog won't listen to you inside your home, you need to have some tools. You need to have some tools to manage your dog's behavior until you've actually done the real work of behavior modification. Okay, using a leash, or sometimes what I call a drag line in the home is underutilized, but it's highly effective. It's a great tool for managing unwanted behaviors in dogs. So let's talk about, especially right now. We're almost into Christmas, we've got New Year's right around the corner. Maybe you're going to be having guests over the house and you've got a dog. That's really problematic and many of you have these type of dogs and you struggle. I know because I walk into people's homes all the time and their dogs are incredibly unruly and it blows my mind that people don't put a leash on their dog. Maybe you just only think leashes are for outside, but it's a tool. It's a tool. It's a training tool. It's a tool to help give you leverage. So let's get right into it.

Speaker 1: 5:28

First, let's talk about jumping on people, dogs. They often jump right on visitors or family members. They want attention. But that can be really intimidating or dangerous for your guests, especially if there are small children around or elderly individuals. So let's talk about how a leash helps. So a leash allows you pet parents to gently redirect the dog away from the person that they're jumping on and reinforce an alternative behavior such as sitting. But imagine if you've got a really excitable dog that just has been jumping for months, jumping for years. Maybe that's habituated. The dog gets excited. It's going to take a little bit of time and work to teach your dog, rather than jumping, that it should sit and get a reward. And you can do that. I talked about it a lot in many podcasts Teach an alternative behavior. But how you can manage things, how you can stop jumping immediately, is by putting a leash on your dog. Okay, again, it allows you to gently redirect your dog away from the person they're trying to jump on. It prevents the dog from reaching the person in the first place, which also, by the way, reduces the reinforcement of the jumping behavior. Use a leash until you can do the hard work of truly modifying this behavior.

Speaker 1: 7:18

What about counter surfing? You know many of you are going to have people over for the holidays. Do you have dogs that counter-surf? Are they going to steal the holiday meal? You know dogs may jump on counters. They may grab food, they may take household items, they may grab your socks or shoes. This may also lead to resource guarding or destructive behavior. So a leash or a drag line provides a quick way to prevent your dog from accessing forbidden areas and forbidden objects. The leash can be used to guide your dog away from the counters or away from the items. And while you're doing that, how about rewarding them for staying in designated areas? But you are making life a whole lot more difficult, especially in the house, when you've got an unruly dog and you're not willing to put a leash on the dog or you just haven't thought about it. You can stop any behavior.

Speaker 1: 8:30

What about door dashing? You know dogs rush towards the door or try to escape whenever it opens. You know some of you have this problem and this poses an incredible safety risk. Well, the leash acts as a physical barrier preventing the dog from bolting out the door. It enables you also to teach boundary training or a wait queue at the door while maintaining control. But especially for those of you that have been chasing after your dogs your dogs have run out the door and it's been scary. Get a leash on your dog until you've worked through the problem, you can manage any behavior.

Speaker 1: 9:16

What about dogs that give you inappropriate greeting behavior barking, lunging? Well, they may act overly excited when visitors enter the house. Well, a leash is going to allow For a controlled introduction, giving you the opportunity and the ability to prevent your dog from rushing your visitors. This kind of goes along With the jumping issue. Nothing that Frustrates me more when I walk into somebody's home and they've got a dog or dogs. It's always more challenging when they have multiple dogs and you walk in. The dogs are all at the door, they're barking, they're all jumping, they all want to run out the door. They've got no boundaries. Now, I'm a dog person, being a behaviorist and a trainer, of course you know. But what about if you're not and you've got that person, that guest, over? That's not a dog person.

Speaker 1: 10:18

So having the leash on your dog for controlled introductions and it also can help facilitate focus and calm behaviors by Keeping your dog near you, and you're right there to reinforce calm and quiet behaviors. Also, what about those of you that have dogs that overreact to different noises, that are always barking? Right, maybe you've got a dog that barks excessively at your doorbell or when somebody's knocking at the door, or just other benign sounds. A leash can help redirect your dog to a quiet area to encourage them to perform an alternative behavior, such as lying on a mat or going to their place or going to their crate. This reduces your dog's ability to practice these reactive behaviors. Putting a leash on your dog you would be amazed if you put a leash on your dog for 30 days in the house and you used it. How much different your dog's behavior would be.

Speaker 1: 11:37

What about those dogs that are resource guarders? You know dogs may guard toys, they might guard food or other high value items, and we can't have aggressive behavior, can we? Well, a leash allows safe management and creates distance between the dog and the guarded items, preventing escalation. The last thing you want to do if you have a dog that resource guards is reach in, but maybe you need to move your dog. Having a leash on your dog allows you that safety distance perhaps of just being able to grab that loop pulling your dog out of that situation. It provides a means of control and you can begin teaching appropriate responses like drop it or leave it.

Speaker 1: 12:27

Now some of you have dogs that their play gets very rough. It might escalate into aggression. You know dogs can become overstimulated during play and they can exhibit rough or inappropriate behaviors like nipping or growling. A leash will help provide a quick way to interrupt and de-escalate play when it becomes too intense. It enables structured play sessions with built-in breaks to help your dog regulate excitement. Now I'm not advocating you correct or punish a dog with the leash. Just interrupt the behavior. Maybe move the dog away a little bit. A dog with the leash? Just interrupt the behavior. Maybe move the dog away a little bit. Being consistent, before long you're going to have permanence and reliability in that change behavior, especially if you're rewarding appropriate behaviors. But putting a leash on your dog you can manage that immediately and in that situation it might be the difference between one of your dogs getting hurt or not.

Speaker 1: 13:35

What about those of you who have dogs that like to chase right? Maybe they like to chase after other pets or family members. You know you may have a dog that chases a cat in the house or other dogs or your kids, and that can lead to stress, frustration, craziness in the house and potential injury. A leash or a drag line can prevent your dog and its chasing behaviors and allows for controlled interactions with the other pet, controlled interactions with the kids. It ensures that introductions between pets are calm and supervised, reducing the risk of conflict.

Speaker 1: 14:26

Put a leash on your dog. Reducing the risk of conflict. Put a leash on your dog. If you don't have a dog that has impeccable manners in the house, or if you're just frustrated with certain behaviors in the house, put a leash on your dog. They're not just for outdoors.

Speaker 1: 14:43

What about destructive behaviors? You know dogs may chew furniture, they may dig and scratch at your carpets. They may destroy other household items. A leash provides immediate management, allowing you to prevent the dog from accessing items that they shouldn't chew or destroy. It enables you to be able to redirect your dog to appropriate behaviors like chewing on toys or engaging in other enrichment activities. Now, what about aggression towards visitors or family members? First of all, let me just say this If you have an aggressive dog, contact a professional. Aggression is dangerous. You need to get the help of a professional, a qualified, certified professional. Aggression is dangerous. You need to get the help of a professional, a qualified, certified professional. But you know, dogs can exhibit aggressive behaviors. Maybe you've got a dog that growls or snaps or even bites.

Speaker 1: 15:42

Well, a leash acts as a safety tool, right To maintain control and to prevent close contact until your dog is calm. It allows you to safely practice counter conditioning and desensitization techniques too. Listen, leashes even help dogs with anxiety driven behaviors. You know dogs can engage in repetitive or anxious behaviors that are self-soothing but disruptive. A leash provides a means to redirect your dog to calming activities. I can't say that enough. You can redirect your dog to engage in scent work or other relaxation exercises when anxious. It keeps your dog within a manageable range and you're able to start preventing pacing or fleeting behaviors. Not fleeting, fleeing, now nobody everybody hates their dog using the house as a toilet.

Speaker 1: 16:51

So let's talk about potty training. Accidents, you know your dog might be eliminating indoors despite your house training efforts. Well, a leash ensures that you can supervise your dog closely and guide them to the appropriate potty area. It can help to prevent accidents by allowing immediate intervention when your dog might be showing pre-potty cues. You know, like sniffing, starting to circle. Look, think about what I'm saying. I don't care. Pretty much whatever the behavior is, especially if it's a problem in the home. You can stop this behavior immediately by putting a leash on your dog. It allows you immediate control.

Speaker 1: 17:42

A leash prevents your dog from practicing unwanted behaviors and it can help you to be able to redirect to proper behaviors and reinforce those appropriate behaviors. Consistency also it allows you to consistently manage situations, leading to faster learning. One of the biggest problems is that you guys aren't consistent because you don't have the ability, you get frustrated, your dog runs away from you, you can't reach out and manage your dog. Having that leash on your dog allows for immediate control. It allows for you to be a lot more consistent. And safety. It creates a controlled environment, reducing risks Not only risks to family members and visitors, but risks to your dog.

Speaker 1: 18:39

Now there's a few things as far as tips for using a leash indoors. Use a lightweight drag line or a leash. Now, I like drag lines. What's that? It's about four feet of light rope that I attach to the dog's harness. I don't put a handle in it. Not having a handle helps to prevent snagging on furniture. Okay, it's important when you have a leash or a drag line on your dog that you supervise your dog at all times when using them you don't want. You need to prevent accidents. You don't want your dog getting entangled or hung up somewhere because of that line or leash.

Speaker 1: 19:20

The other thing pair the leash with positive reinforcement. Yeah, pair the leash with positive reinforcement to teach desired behaviors. Put a leash on your dog. You can manage, you can control just about any behavior and stop it immediately. Well, that music means we are just about out of time. Thanks for listening to this brief podcast. Hey, consider using a leash if you've got a dog indoors that is unruly, has bad manners and you're frustrated. It doesn't have to be that challenging. You can go a long way in changing this behavior, even permanently, if you're consistent, but immediately stopping unwanted behaviors, stopping your dog from rehearsing and habituating and making these unwanted behaviors more and more conditioned. Give it a try. As always train, train, train. Be calm. Have a good holiday. Everybody, everybody, I'm out of here.