These clients are anyone with kids in the home and who has acquired a new puppy or adult dog during the past year. This is the time of year when we are inundated with cases involving near-panic: What do we do with the new pet when everybody's away from the house all day?

For this generic case, we offer the following as a way to avoid problems, such as destructive chewing, escaping, barking, household urination/defecation. There is still time to start a program that will help prevent problems. It has been an outstanding success for over 30 years. Here are the bare-bones procedures:

1. All family members use the Learn-to-Earn Program:

Whenever the dog seeks attention, he or she (we'll call it "it" hereafter) is pleasantly told to "(Dog's name) Sit." When the dogs starts sitting, praise with "Good Sit," then calmly pet it on the throat and upper chest. Then, after about 10 seconds, release it from the sit with a code word; anything but "OK," since since gets used casually. Then say, "Good Dog." This is also used whenever it wants anything (like to go outdoors, etc.) and, also, whenever anyone wants to pet it in casual circumstances. this is also know as the "There's No Free Lunch" program.

2. Leadership:

If the dog tends to go ahead of its people around the house, as the dogs starts to go ahead, a single hand-clap is given as you abruptly turn around and head back in the other direction, saying "Good dog." When the dog turns, say "Good dog." This is repeated until the dog stays behind when the person heads for the door, etc., etc.

3. Quiet Leadership:

Before leaving the house, even just to go outdoors for a few minutes, sit quietly in the area where the dog likes to hang out when the family is home. Totally ignore the dog... don't even make eye-contact with it. When the dog settles, simply get up and leave.

Note: If you have stuff to take with you, gather it well before you start this exercise. If the dog starts to get up or look excitable, worried, etc., single hand-clap and return to your seat and sit for a few more minutes. Repeat until you can leave with the dog staying behind. This is called the "Quiet Time Exercise." It applies the principle of "act-like, be-like," (allelomimetic) behavior, which is normal for most dogs. It shows the dog, by your calm Leadership example, that being left is no big deal.

When you return to the house, ignore the dog until it calms down, then calmly praise and pet.

More detailed information:

These procedures are available in detail in the BehavioRx Brochures:

Obedience training - A Primer (A Dog-Talk Leadership program)
Separation Anxiety
Chewing
Barking (for anxiety and barking about the front door, etc.)
Escaping
Digging

These are found at:

http://www.webtrail.com/petbehavior/bseries.html

and are explained in greater detail in the books: Behavior Problems in Dogs and The New Better Behavior in Dogs. (See our home page and click on book's cover for more details.)