My go to moist treat is Happy Howie's rolls. For puppies I like to mix this in with their dry food for training. Thanks for watching! - Alyssa

Thank you for your kind words and support. It is greatly appreciated. Keep me posted on how your puppy is doing! warm regards, Alyssa

Granted she still wants to bark through a barrier but doing well without them as she gets barrier aggressive

Hi Cassandra! Thanks for watching my video and taking the time to write in. Yes! This will help to build calm behavior in the presence of your cat, and set the stage for a healthy relationship between the two of them. Here are a few more tips to move you in the right direction: 1.It's a process! Don't get discouraged if you're not seeing a quick turn around in a few days or a couple of weeks. We are usually tracking progress over several weeks or months. 2. Create a super solid management plan. When you are not training you need to make sure that your dog is not rehearsing unwanted/ excitable behaviors. It's worth the investment to create a "double barrier set up" where there are always two barriers (ie. two extra tall baby gates, or one extra tall baby gate and a door) between your dog and cat at any time. Not only will this help to establish a calmer baseline throughout the day, but it will also ensure that if one barrier fails - there's always a back up! 3. Always, always, always maintain space. Your cat needs to trust that you have his/ her best intentions in mind. Don't lead your dog up to your cat even if if that cat is inside a carrier. Train, don't test! Always keep your dog on harness and leash during your training sessions and maintain a respectful distance. Otherwise your cat can develop deeper fear issues, and will lose trust. If you want more help or guidance you can always check out my online classes at legendsdogtraining.com. My "Mat Work class" would be the best starting point to create a calm, relaxed baseline and clear pathways of communication. You can start at anytime and you would also have the ability to connect with me each week to ask questions and talk through the training. Best, Alyssa Rose, CPDT-KA

Hi! Thanks for watching my video and taking the time to write in. Here are a few tips to hopefully move you in the right direction: 1. Behavior is a form of communication. Your puppy is expressing fear, anxiety or uncertainty. Even dogs that put on a bold face have a lot of insecurity underlying this type of behavior. The best thing that you can do is give your pup lots of opportunities to observe people in situations where she feels calm, safe and curious. For example, taking her to a large park where she can "people watch" at a distance. 2. Creating positive associations. Let your puppy see people and then reinforce your puppy for checking in. If your puppy starts to bark, or isn't able to take food - you're too close. 3. Short sessions maximize learning. It's best to do this for about 10-20 minute periods of time, rather than trying to do a 30-60 minute session. Trigger stacking and the accumulation of stressors will lead to more impulsive behavior and inhibit learning. Keep it simple! If you want more help or guidance you can always check out my online classes at legendsdogtraining.com. My "Mat Work class" would be the best starting point to create a calm, relaxed baseline and clear pathways of communication. You can start at anytime and you would also have the ability to connect with me each week to ask questions and talk through the training. Best, Alyssa Rose, CPDT-KA

Hey! Thanks for watching my video. This really depends on how you structure your training. When it comes to behavior modification (which is what this video is about) it's important to look at how a dog does when they are engaged in the training in the presence of a trigger (in this case the cat), and what the dog does when given a "break" in training. How a dog behaves during the break when food stops becomes information/ feedback. Does the dog get a drink of water, hang out, or grab a chewy? Or do they immediately go back to fixating on the cat (or whatever other distraction you might be working with)? If the only thing that is holding a dog back from reacting to the trigger is food, you probably need to reassess your training set up. With the right structure and progression you can help dogs learn to regulate emotional responses to environmental triggers. A dog that is no longer impulsively or compulsively reacting to the cat, to sounds, to movement, to other dogs.. I agree that most people do not know how to use food within a well structured training plan, and so they struggle to create this type of carry over. This is also why I teach online classes about this topic at legendsdogtraining.com/online-classes Thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment! Best, Alyssa Rose, CPDT-KA

Hi! Thanks for watching and for your comment. A few more tips. 1. Make sure your cat feels safe! Make sure that your cat is as calm and comfortable as you can make him/ her. The crate should be in line of sight, but it could be 15, 20 or 25 feet (if your home space allows), give your cat some tasty treats. 2. Short sessions! Do 5-10 minutes of training with your dog once or twice each day. It's helpful to time these training sessions up with breakfast or dinner so that they become routine. 3. Train, Don't "Test." It's not at all helpful to walk your dog in close proximity to the crate to "see" what they'll do. 4. It's a Process. These changes do not come about over night. Some people try to measure progress in days or weeks, but progress in behavior modification is better measured over 2-4 months. Be patient. If you need more help you can go to my website: www.legendsdogtraining.com My online Mat Work class is six weeks in length and is the best foundation for a dog that is hyperactive with the resident cat. Good luck in training! - Alyssa Rose

@legendsdogtraining thank u. I think my dog is jealous it's been dsy 2 that I put her in a cage for the night. She knows the cat is here in the back, she scratches at the crate floor and her pillow and I don't know it's my fiancé's dog, and he can't take care of her in the meanwhile. So I'm stuck with a jealous dog. Anyways I will continue the trainings. And time will tell. My first time dogsitting or fostering a big heavy pitbull. Thank you so much! 💝

It's important to do a lot of proactive training. This is usually 5-10 minutes of training 1-2x's/day. During this time I would be systematically building duration, distraction and distance. The next step is having them sleep in the crate at times where they are predictably tired (like at night, or after you've done training + a walk or "watch the world" session). By doing these things dogs are going to associate the crate with rest and relaxation and offer calm behavior inside the crate. If your dog is going to the crate and barking - this could be a sign that the dog needs more proactive training sessions vs. only reinforcing desirable behavior when it occurs on its own or when the dog is being redirected from undesirable behavior. In this case dogs can easily learn that it's the "squeaky wheel that gets the oil." It's best if training is a natural and predictable part of your routine. Hope this is helpful. - Alyssa Rose www.legendsdogtraining.com

Hey! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. It's a clicker. Clickers are also referred to as "markers" as they "mark" the moment a dog does something we like and predicts reinforcement. The word "yes" or the word "good" can also be used as a marker. There's pros and cons to both. The reason trainers will sometimes use clickers over verbal markers (like "yes" or "good" ) is because the novelty of the click makes for a stronger association. People are more likely to be consistent about pairing the sound of the click with food. That being said, I wouldn't go out and buy a clicker yet. One of the benefits of learning how to be more mindful about how you use words like "yes" or "good" is that it can create a positive ripple effect on verbal cues like your dog's name or the word "come." In the last 6-7 years I've focused mostly on a few key words and the use use of gestures, hand signals and body language to improve connection and communication. Thanks again for watching and if you are ever interested in more formal training you can check out my training classes at www.legendsdogtraining.com My "Mat Work" class would be the one that is most applicable to training calm behavior with other resident animals like dogs or cats. Best, Alyssa Rose

Thanks for watching and for your very kind comment. Hopefully things are continuing to move in the right direction. If at any point you need more formal guidance I offer online classes at legendsdogtraining.com The "Mat Work" class is the best starting point. If you sign up I have information about how to create an effective training set up for two dogs so that they are learning how to be calm and patient when the other dog is receiving attention in training. There's a lot of positive, social learning that can occur with the right set up. Thanks again for watching. Best, Alyssa Rose

Hi! So glad you found this video helpful. Two ways that you can start to increase time. 1. Planned nap time. Choose a time during the day where your dog is normally ready to nap. Sit next to him and read a book. If your dog is doing well with 1minute during training - you can sit and read next to him for 5 minutes. Increase in 5 minute intervals as long as he seems comfortable. 2. Place the crate next to your bed, and start having him sleep in there over night. The goal is to have him associate the crate with rest and relaxation. If he becomes distressed: barking, scratching or biting at the gate, or stress whining for more than 1-2 minutes -- go back to an easier variation of the training in future sessions. Sometimes this means going back to the beginning training steps for 2-3 days. It's better to build positive associations in the days and weeks before the flight than to try and push the training too fast and associate it with stress, frustration or anxiety. If you ever have any other behavioral training needs - my website is legendsdogtraining.com I teach online classes you and your dog might enjoy. Best, Alyssa Rose

Relatable