CATCH CANINE TRAINERS ACADEMY
away BEFORE your guest arrives is to prevent your dog from becoming triggered by the doorbell ringing . He might still bark from his safe haven , but it won ’ t be as intense as it would be if he were free .
• Have a large bowl of treats next to the chair you will be sitting in once your guest arrives . Make sure the treats are super yummy and will hold your dog ’ s attention .
• Ten or so minutes after the guest arrives ( as long as your dog is quiet ), bring him out on leash . Make sure you have a handful of treats with you so that you can give them to him once he walks out of the Safe Space and spots the guest .
• Lure your dog ’ s attention to you and go right into Relaxation Conditioning . Make sure to sit as far away as possible from your guest — if you sit too close , your dog will struggle to hold the behavior because he will be too excited or worried .
• Play the Relaxation Conditioning exercise for 10 minutes . This will help him settle emotionally while acclimating to the guest being in the home . Be generous in giving treats . You might have to give a treat every second or so for the first couple of minutes . As your dog starts to relax , you can allow for more time to pass in between treats .
• If your dog likes having visitors , release him from the Relaxation Conditioning exercise to say hello to your guest . Keep the leash attached to him — it can drag in the house . This will help you manage your dog if he starts to jump and / or barks because you will be able to pull him away from your guest .
• If your dog is nervous of guests , then keep him on leash close to you and do not release him to say hello to your guest . This may or may not come at a later stage , depending on what the dog is telling us with his body language .
• If your dog appears to feel settled after Relaxation Conditioning , then offer the Snuffle Mat .
• If your dog appears to feel settled after the Snuffle Mat , then have the guest practice Treat & Retreat .
Three weeks later , we met again — this was now eight weeks after the initial consult . Jenna shared that after a couple of days of practicing the Relaxation Conditioning exercise , Oliver was laying down almost immediately . She also noticed how much more mellow he was afterward ( Oliver wasn ’ t as active and usually chose to lay on the couch for a while ).
Jenna and Oliver moved to a larger apartment in a quieter building in Hoboken , New Jersey . In the new apartment , Oliver remained free in the living room . Per my instruction , Jenna set up a gate at the start of the hallway to the front door so that Oliver could not settle near the door where he could hear noises in the hallway . She also purchased a white noise machine , per my instruction , and set it up by the front door . All of this helped with the transition of the move to the new apartment and limited Oliver ’ s reactive behavior towards unfamiliar people . Jenna felt Oliver was more comfortable in Hoboken . It is quieter than Manhattan in general when it comes to urban noises . There are also a lot fewer dogs and people walking on the sidewalks .
Introducing an Essential New Person - the Dog Walker Jenna found a new dog walking company that is able to comply with Oliver ’ s behavior modification program . We knew it would be a challenge to introduce Oliver to a new person that he would need to trust for leashing up and going on a walk . The new dog walker joined us for the next consult about 20 minutes after I arrived . I coached Jenna through the steps of the Guest Protocol to introduce Oliver to the new dog walker .
Because Oliver was so much more at ease in green spaces , I asked Jenna to walk Oliver to Central Park and spend time there , avoiding city blocks for the time being . I explained that it will lower the likelihood of Oliver being triggered by urban noise and activity .
Oliver did well with each step . He did not bark . I also asked her to use shredded cheese in the Snuffle Mat and to have the dog walker toss pieces of meatballs . Jenna also had meatballs in her treat pouch , which was on her person . At no point did we allow Oliver to get closer than five-feet from the dog walker , who remained seated on the chair opposite Oliver . It was a total of 20 minutes that Oliver was going through the steps of the Guest Protocol before I asked Jenna to put Oliver back into the bedroom with the Snuffle Mat . Jenna was thrilled with how the session went . I was , too , as was the dog walker . I instructed them to practice exactly what we did today two more times . Then , on the third session , I said they can add on a walk . Jenna handled Oliver the entire time . On the fourth visit , Jenna was able to pass the leash to the dog walker .
Conclusion Jenna continued to practice the Guest Protocol with the new dog walker , as I instructed . By the fourth meeting , Oliver was wiggling his whole body when he came out of the bedroom and saw the dog walker . He was taking meatballs from the dog walker ’ s hand . They practiced meeting together nearly every day for a week . By the next week , the dog walker was able to come into the home and pick up Oliver on his own . Oliver was a bit more reserved ( not as friendly , moving a bit slower , taking treats from his hand while stretching his body forward ). By the third day , Oliver was wiggly and jumping around when he saw the dog walker enter the home .
Jenna practiced the Guest Protocol at her parents ’ house over Thanksgiving weekend . Two of Jenna ’ s parents ’ friends came to the house after Thanksgiving Day . It went well . Jenna also practiced Relaxation Conditioning at parents ’ home to be able to practice
34 Building Better Trainers Through Education