The New Neighbor

For years, we have lived next door to a calm, older Rottweiler named Sierra. She was a lovely neighbor, never barking or finding another way to annoy us. Unfortunately, she passed a few months ago and was recently replaced by Britta, an 8-month-old Rott who is always trying to play with us. For those of you who don't know me well, I don't like change, and I am not happy with this development. So I have taken to barking at the fence, something I haven't done in years.

Mom says a dog trainer's job is never done, especially with an extra effort dog like me. A famous trainer always says in his seminars that you should never ask clients to do something you aren't willing to do with your own dogs, so Mom has taken to training me. That's right. She's doing all the same things she would tell you to do.

First of all, I'm no longer allowed outside when she's not home. We usually have a doggie door, but now we don't have access to it unless she's around. It's important that reactive dogs not have access to the outside until trained how to calm down. This keeps us from barking all day and annoying the human neighbors.

When she's home, she spends a few minutes outside with me each day, showing what she would like me to do instead of bark. When I run up and down the fence to play with Britta, I get a treat. When I start to bark but look at Mom instead, I get a treat. When I run around barking, she tells me to leave it and then pets me for listening -- but no treat because I barked. She would like me to learn that there are options if I want to be outside.

When she isn't training, I am still allowed outside, but I must come inside as soon as I start barking. Since I like to be outside, I have to learn to stop barking. In addition, she is teaching me what she wants me to do instead, so I have other behaviors to fall back on.

Isn't this exactly what she told you to do? Of course, we are still in week one of training, and I have to remind her to be patient, just like she has to remind you. But we are making progress and will keep you posted on how it turns out.

Love, Muggsy