Here are some of my go-to tips that I share with all my clients:

1.  NEVER put the dog in the crate when you are mad at the dog…even if you ARE mad at the dog….do it nicely and calmly and do not shove the dog in.

2.  Cute and funny pic to the left - but NEVER 2 dogs in the same crate! 

3.  Teach a verbal command for the dog to crate-up.  I use “time for bed” with my dogs after getting a cookie from the cookie jar.  They run into their respected positions and get their reward after they go in on their own.  

4.  Use the crate for a “time-out” spot when the dog is over stimulated, getting into trouble, acting naughty, etc.  Think of it as a nap time and a place to calm.  It works… Perfect spot for busy families with kids during the time at night that can often be hectic when getting the kids ready for bed.  

5.  To start off re-introducing the crate, use it for naps when you ARE home – and continue with naps in the crate on the weekends when you aren’t at work.  This will dissociate the crate with you leaving and then it won’t mean that you necessarily aren’t home.  

6. My Rocco still NEEDS at least 3 naps a day in the crate when we ARE home.  If we didn't do this - I can NOT imagine the a$$ he would be on a daily basis.  He sometimes even needs a few minutes in there before we allow him to sleep in our bed...which is his reward for having a good day.  He knows that at around 10 PM, Greg and I decide if he is allowed in the bed based on his actions.  Sometimes he is just too wired for words and can't settle his mind.  So...he sleeps in the crate.  We honestly say to him at this time of night when he can start acting up... "ROCCO - MAKE A GOOD CHOICE."  Sometimes he does and grabs a bone and lays down nicely on our bed....and sometimes he just can't...and he lowers his head and will go in his crate.  HAHA - it is quite hysterical to see him contemplate "how bad" he wants to be naughty...and by naughty I am speaking of "zoomies" and just chaotic play that he can't settle down from.  
I need to video tape it one of these nights for you all to see.

7.  When you get home from work, or errands, NEVER acknowledge the dog/s until they are calm/quiet and then wait 3 minutes.  You are then eliminating the over-excited state of mind for the dog for each time you come home.  Your dog knows it is you – not an intruder.  So don’t make a fuss when you get home – this will help to alleviate separation anxiety.  If you want calm – GIVE CALM.  

8.   Have a special high reward item that is for crate time only.  Perhaps a Kong with frozen peanut butter or sweet potatoes inside.  Special safe toy.  

9.  Position the crate either towards the back of your house or in a quiet room - NOT at the front of the house under your big bay window so he/she can look outside and stress about every thing that happens in your neighborhood.  This will lessen the tenancies of over-the-top guarding.  

10.  Every couple of weeks - move the crate - even if it is just across the room a few feet.  Changes things up for the dog and will lessen the chance of them claiming a part of your house. Remember - YOUR crate, YOUR house, YOUR kids, YOUR food, YOUR toys...your dog is just welcomed to use them.  Until they get a job & move out with their friends - all of those things are YOURS. 

Good luck and give back the crate to your dog!!!!!!! They will love you for it… 
xoxo Kim 

More than dog.  The King.  Beyond dog.  That’s what my mama calls him.  And my mama ain’t just any mama (not that any of them are.)  My mum, to me, is the most remarkable person in the world.  She was a single mom for all of our (me and my sister’s) formative years, a paralegal without a college education (yes), and a breast cancer survivor.  Her opinion is as good as fact to me.  (Did this article just become about my mom?)

When I first adopted SP six years and ten months ago, it was in September.  In fact, it was September 11th.  I’ll never forget it.  He was a 7.7 pound, football-sized ball of confidence, and I loved him from the get-go (obviously).  He was at the Lincoln Rhode Island Animal Shelter and he was five weeks old.

This is how I got him.

It was an extraordinary man named Fred – last I heard, still works for the same company in Canada - who changed my world.  When I made the executive decision to move back home (from ol’ Cape Cod to Hopkinton, Massachusetts) - due to the fact that I was spinning my tires – I ended up at the big box store location in Bellingham.  FRED approached me – while effecting the transfer to Bellingham – and said (I’ll never forget it) “The Bellingham location is looking for a part time trainer, and we think you’d be perfect for it” to which I replied, “Fred, I don’t have a DOG, does that matter?”  He, in perfect protocol big box store sales style, says, “Cassie, we love your personality.  We’ll train you the rest.”  Sold.  (In retrospect... such a Big Box Store thing to say, but regardless, it worked, and off I went from ol' Cape Cod to Bellingham, Mass.)

Bailey was a little teeny brindle mix with a helluva personality.  She was so damn smart, so “willing to please” (I hate that term generally speaking but that’s for another article), affectionate but independent, goofy, funny, confident… and owned by a prepubescent boy named Jake who was a STAR.  I had never witnessed the type of relationship that Jake & Bailey shared, and I wanted it. 

Previous to becoming a professional dog trainer, I didn’t have any pre-existing opinions about “pit bulls.”  There were just like any other dog, albeit an extremely beautiful variety.  (Who could deny that?)  I wasn’t intimidated.  I wasn’t scared.  I wasn’t a fan.  I wasn’t anything.  Bailey changed all that and after her, I wanted my own.

Enter Spark Plug.

Okay… the trainer who trained me had a very big influence on my career and life.  After (her) fostering this little puppy (SP), for one day, I received the following text message: I think you’d be perfect for him.  Sold.  Again.  When you said, “I’ll look,” you basically signed on the dotted line. 

So I went to pick him up.

He SCREAMED in the crate the whole way home. 

I also didn’t tell my sweetheart I was getting a puppy.  What do they say?  Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission? 

Hence, the name.  People ask me all the time… “Where did you get Spark Plug from?”  Well… because I’m about to marry an electrician.  I brought home an unexpected puppy and get this – this is what he says (because he’s the most wonderful man on the planet) – “I love you so much you can do anything you want.”  To which I said (whilst holding up said 7.7 pound puppy like an offering) “You can name him.”  He thought about it for a second, and – ridiculously talented electrician that he is – said “Spark!”  I agreed.  (You wanna know a really freaky thing about that??  A few years earlier I had a dream that I had an unexpected child and named it Sparks M‘Gee.  Go figure.)

Spark knows everything.  He knows EVERYTHING.   I can literally be having a bad dream, and he’ll wake me up by licking my face, and then lay right up alongside me until I fall back to sleep.  He’s amazing. 

If I'm on the computer in the office, and he's sleeping on the couch on the other side of the house, and I start to get frustrated - I won't even be moving or saying anything or huffing & puffing - he'll come in and put his head under  my hand to get it off of the laptop while making this  adorable rrarrrarrrrrrrarrrrr sound.  He'll be so adorable and so funny that inevitably I laugh and he won't leave me alone until I'm not frustrated anymore.  Then I continue working and he goes back to his thrown and lays down.  Amazing.

Spark also has a long & extensive training career; not only as a pupil, but as an assistant.  He can be depended on in any situation – and any former client would attest to this.  He has helped in the rehabilitation of countless dogs with his ability to make good decisions.  He can be trusted off leash in basically any situation and, although he’s a “pit bull,” not to engage an aggressor in a fight.  (This comes from his being a balanced dog, genetically & psychologically.)  Spark has been bit once or twice in his life.  (Okay, twice, and the events are very explicitly documented in my mind).  One was by a foster dog (Tug Boat) when Spark was six months old and I knew a lot less than I know now, and one was by a friend’s Australian shepherd, who gave him a nice little “drive-by.”  (We’d been excusing the targeting behavior for too long.)  Spark would rather walk away than engage.  I feel the same way.  When people say our dogs are mirrors of ourselves… there’s truth to that, I think.

Spark changes minds all the time… everywhere he goes.  He may not be world’s most affectionate dog, but that is one of the things I love about him.  You gotta earn it with Spark Plug.  He’ll never be mean to you, but he won’t automatically run up and kiss you either.  Once he knows you, he’ll go bat***t when he sees you – just ask my mom or sister.

We’ve had umpteen foster dogs, and adopted more than five.  (I honestly think SP would rather be an Only Dog.  He can’t be bothered.)  However, despite his own misgivings, he’s helped those dogs become the dogs they were meant to be… he helped bring them to balance.  He’ll always have that legacy.

Spark will be turning seven in August.  I am desperately trying to convince myself that he isn’t “middle-aged” (contrary to popular belief and countless brands of dog food).   I repeatedly state that I will have to be scraped off the ground when he goes.

... To Be Continued ...

Patches... was an asshole.  No other way to say the way a typical layperson would describe him.  When I first met him, he introduced himself by standing back on his haunches and barking defensively.  As an experienced "dog person" (trainer being a better word), I gave him my side, ignored his barking, chatted with his [amazing] foster parents, and tossed treats in his general direction.  (While this was an effective way to meet Mr. Patches in his highly aroused state, the typical "Don't do this at home" waiver applies.)  Within minutes, we were fast friends.  (This had way more to do with my energy than my dog treats.)

Something clicked with Patches & I in the very beginning... something that hasn't changed in the intervening years since we've been together.  That moment at the Hopkinton State Park changed quickly from making fast progress, to Patch showing me what was up when a less dog-savvy friend of mine pulled up late in his vehicle.  Jimmy walked casually to where I was standing (while I was winning over "Kujo") to hand me a collar.  I calmly said, "Don't stare at him; just hand me the collar."  Human nature frequently takes over.  And it did in this situation - and Jimmy was pretty lucky he didn't get within bite range.  I grabbed the collar and dismissed Jimmy boy.

Ya'see, Patches was blessed by having some seeeeeeeeriously wonderful foster parents who were unwilling to accept his "un-adoptable" status as the be-all, end-all, and they were pulling out all the stops and reaching out to give him options.  THAT, my friends, is how we met.  I received the longest email I have ever received from a foster parent, got intrigued, and responded.

I am the fortunate owner & founder of HEX Dog Training & Behavior Modification, blah blah blah - let's spare you my credentials - but suffice is to say, I live my life in bully breed dogs, and that is the capacity in which Patch's foster parents reached out.

Let me reiterate: Patches' foster parents were incredible, especially Kelly.  She is an amazing budding trainer who had Patches very familiar with the clicker, as well as countless other skills positively reinforced, & Patch had some "mad skills" because of her.  (Clicker training is AMAZING I'll cover that happily in a future article).  Patches did not come to me a wild animal with no skills - he had skills.  He just had some major obstacles to overcome, and my situation was better equipped to deal with those, and my techniques able to take him farther.  After we proved that with a "meet 'n greet" with our three dog household crew, the rest may be history... (Who's writing this article?  I adopted him.)

On top of the fact that Patch had "Stranger Danger" issues, he also displayed early symptoms of dog-aggression and had been previously returned to his original shelter after proving more than his lovely (no sarcasm) first foster family could handle.

I am proud to say that Patches went on to gain his... ta-dah!.. Canine Good Citizen certification, and has assisted countless foster dogs in their own rehabilitation.  Imagine that?

Alas...  His many successes were not without difficulty and there are many factors that contribute to a dog's developing personality, in particular, what I love to call the "M" Factor ("M" for Maturity).  (Did I mention Patches was around eight months old when I unexpectedly[?] adopted him?)  The "M" Factor is clearly evident in our case study here, Mr. Patch-Tastic.  While true dog aggression is extremely rare, there are dogs that display it - I'd say less than 1%.  It [true dog aggression] is largely genetic, and while someone (qualified) can certainly do a lot to modify behavior, it [the trait of dog aggression] is something that will always be present to more or less degree and have to be managed.  No prob'm.  (That's a New England accent in type.)

So what's he doing here with three other dogs, you say?  Most (even dog-aggressive) dogs can become acclimated to life with their specific pack (under very strong, calm & benevolent leadership).  It is commonly acknowledged that dogs are pack animals, and animals, of any species, "want" to be balanced.  You can cater to that deep-seeded nature with proper exercise, (YES, folks, LOTS of physical exercise - there ain't no substitute), training & management.  (Management is an under-discussed term in the training world, and here we will touch on it.  I'll blog about that specificity later.)

SO, less about the logistics of controversial canine philosophies and more about Patches...

Patches is my third dog.  By third dog, I mean the third dog that I adopted as, myself, an adult (as opposed to participating in the adoption of my family dogs growing up).  (Caruso, a Chow mix, was my first, who passed away to cancer after two short years and spent most of his time with my roommate Emily* - with whom I adopted him.  Spark Plug, APBT, was my second dog, and he is turning seven this August [2015].)

Patches bounded into my life completely unexpectedly after my angel of a [different] roommate set up that first meeting (partially chronicled above) after which Patch came home with us "to try an overnight."  Ya'all know how that ends up.  Regardless of all these facts seemingly to the contrary, Patches is one of the greatest things to ever happen to me.  

Patch-Tastic has taught me so much about love, patience, sensitivity, handling, management, training, and perhaps most important of all - the difference between training & rehabilitation.  I say this all the time, but Training and Rehabilitation are not the same thing.  They go hand in hand, for sure, but are they the same thing?  I say neigh.  Patches taught me that.  Training is easier.  Rehab means months, years, of work and consistency, and training is merely a component of rehabilitation.

Patches is a GOOF ball - and anyone who knows him will attest to that.  (Right Kelly, Mikaela, Randle,  Mum, Ryan, Jame...?).  He is one of the most affectionate dogs I have ever come across, and extremely intelligent.  He does obedience & tricks with the gusto of a fifteen year old girl at a carnival.  He is so intuitive - it's almost creepy sometimes - and he does this crazy thing when you're upset where he comes up to you all slow and gentle and grabs your hand ever-so-sweetly with his paw.  All he wants to do is hold hands, nothing more.  He'll sit like that for two episodes of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.  (Can't help but insert the very linguistic "lol" right here.)

Just recently, a client-turned-friend came by the house. (We'll call her "Jill" for this article.)  She has a freaky and deep-seeded fear of strange dogs.  (It's reasonably understandable if you know her story.)  I made the executive decision that it was time (in her own? rehabilitation) to meet the dreaded Patches.   

***Side Note*** Ya see, Patches doesn't often come to work with me at HEX, nor does he participate in every dog-friendly event that occasionally the rest of my crew does.  It stresses him out and he isn't into it, nor is it safe beyond a shadow of a dog, for the rest of the K9 participants.  Let's clear it up by saying this: I walk him in my public neighborhood wearing a muzzle because, while we could walk by you and your dog - and you'd have NO idea anything was "wrong" with  him, if he was nozzle-less ("nozzle" is the favored term for "muzzle" around here) and Fluffy ran up on him off leash and jumped him, Fluffy wouldn't make out so well.  My neighborhood is a normal neighborhood and while they're all sweet and generally under control, there is the occasional loose dog.  Can't do anything about THAT so I choose to nozzle my non-dog-loving dog while walking the neighborhood because I am aware of what his reaction can be to the unexpected (and well-intentioned) miscellaneous "friendly" dog.  I've gotten over the "oh my gosh, what will the neighbors think!" bullsh*t with regard to the nozzle.  It doesn't matter.  I am protecting my dog.  I'm being responsible.  They [the neighbors] appreciate that.  Whether they know it or not.

So Jill's in my kitchen.

I walk Patch out of his crate by his collar, and lead him through a quick obedience routine as Jill's color drains from her face... and then returns three shades redder.  I keep Patch busy and - I admit - showed off a bit.  (Did I mention how effing smart Patches is?)  You'll never guess what happened next...

Patches goes up to Jill very gently, circles her - no petting him; she was too scared - and lifts his paws ever so slightly to jump up (which I haven't vehemently put time into correcting over the last several years because it took long enough to get him to want to approach anyone) - which freaks her out.  He recognizes his jump (however gentle.. still a jump) isn't welcome.  So... instead... 

Patches drops to the floor. On Jill's feet. And then he rolls onto his back with his paws folded in the air!  (You know the move??)

It was right there in that moment that he made it impossible for Jill to be afraid of him.  She started laughing, reached down and scratched his belly (just like he wanted!) and we all laughed.  It was simply amazing to see Patch's intuitiveness really show.

Ya see, this is the dog that Patches was always meant to be.  He has that beautiful intuitive nature, desirable of therapy dogs.  In Jill's moment, they both had a chance to shine.  He felt her anxiety, and reacted to it in a way that even I couldn't have predicted.  

Given, let's be clear - I am a professional dog trainer & instructor (have been for almost eight years at 30 years old), and I regulated this entire situation.  I would NEVER put anyone in harm's way, and this wasn't a "Let's see how it goes" situation. I was aware of every moment and I orchestrated the interaction... like a conductor.  The rest was up to Jill & Patches.  And it was totally beautiful.

So here, folks, is my tribute to Patches.  He is an my angel, my "cuddle-buddy," my protector, my sweetheart, my teacher... and it means a lot to me to unveil this great guy.  Because he doesn't frequently come to work with me doesn't mean he doesn't do his job to change perceptions (to the positive).  Just ask Jill. 

It is my pleasure to release the second (revised) edition of this article about dog backpacks. IMO, dog backpacks are one of the training world's (strangely) best-kept secrets, so here we are to bring some more awareness to a super cool tool that can help you and your K9 in ways you probably never imagined.

A dog backpack, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, is a piece of equipment that looks like saddlebags.  (See pic above of Spark Plug modeling his.)  The dog wears it - (as opposed to is carried in it!) - and the bags, which come in many different styles, can be used to carry everything from actual weights, to cell phones, leashes and poop bags!

Dog backpacks can work wonders in a training program, as there are psychological reasons to use one, not just physical.  The psychological benefits of this tool far outweigh the physical benefits.  Here is what I mean by that: 

Picture you're the dog for a paragraph. 

A weighted backpack is sized to you.  (Sometimes one takes the step of acclimating the dog to wearing the pack with NO weight in it first, but not always... it depends on the sensitivities of a particular dog).  You're aware of the pack on your back.  You have to compensate for it in your movement.  You have to adjust your balance a little bit.  It can shift the focus from panicky & scattered to more stream-lined and focused.  

Often, and sometimes immediately, you see the dog relax.  Less "scattered," I call it (scanning ahead or around them with their eyes, looking back 'n forth, setting themselves up to over-react to whatever is on the horizon, that kind of thing).  The backpack helps channel their focus & helps them "settle" or feel more grounded.  

(I found out recently they do similar things with child behavior modification programs... using weighted vests to help with that "scattered" feeling of anxiety.  I am in no way, shape or form an expert on child behavior modification, but countless clients that work in those fields have a light bulb go off in their heads when we are having the "doggie backpack" conversation, and repeatedly, that is the feedback that I get.)  

Worth a thought: many many MANY people own working breed dogs and don't even realize it. When I say "working" I am referring more to a personality type than a specific breed.  A working dog wants a job to do, and for lack of education, a large percentage of owners don't give their working breed dogs that respect.  Carrying both of your parcels via the backpack on a structured walk can be a form of a job, and once acclimated, so many dogs flourish with this change in their routines.

The backpack also has obvious physical advantages - it's like you running with weights.  Tires ya out more because you are working harder, and I definitely feel that any amount of anxious energy one can alleviate is a good thing!  (They apparently make similar things - vests - for working out as well, which I learned from a client that is very into physical fitness & the gym & that kind of thing.. who knew! Makes total sense.) 

I am not saying that getting the backpack and weighing it down will solve every (or any) behavior (or weight!) problem, but this is a safe product with safe advice that I can safely give over the internet. Sometimes, the change in a dog is remarkable and immediate in just adding the backpack alone to a well-planned training/rehabilitation program - no guarantees, of course.  Dogs are individual and independent-minded.  No matter what any trainer tells you, you cannot guarantee the behavior of a living creature any more than someone can guarantee your behavior.  The backpack, however, can be a very valuable tool in a well thought-out rehabilitation, behavior-modification, or simple exercise program.  Almost every HEX client has one and many will tell you what a life-changer it can be.

As far as adding weight goes, you generally start with minimal weight (like cans of tuna fish or soup, depending on the size of the dog), and get to about 10-12% of the dog's body weight; hardcore "backpackers" approach 20% of the pet's weight.   (Some packs - or vests - like the LaGuard fitness vest, actually don't have "saddlebags," per se, but allow long thin weights to be slid in to compartments. This makes it possible to adjust the weight in small, consistent increments without the bulk of a traditional doggie backpack.)

The backpack can be a huge asset to part of an overall rehabilitation/training program: no more, no less.  Any tool sitting on the dining room table is just that: an inanimate object that has no power behind it on its own.  I am a huge fan of the backpack for what it is, and just like anything else, it isn't for every dog, every situation, every time.  Check with the vet first if there is any reason the physical weight could be a problem.

Here are links to some of my favorite models and searches:
   http://www.laguardvest.com/
   http://www.petsmart.com/dog/backpacks/outward-hound-dog-backpack-zid36-7323/cat-36-catid-100303
   http://www.ruffwear.com/Products/dog_packs
   http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Pet-Supplies-Dog-Backpacks/zgbs/pet-supplies/2975314011
   (In my opinion, the version they carry at popular PetCo isn't worth getting... there is a reason it's so cheap; our fell apart rapidly.)

Please visit HEX Dog Training on facebook at www.facebook.com/hexdogs and check out our actual website www.hexdogs.com!  Contact us at hexdogs@gmail.com or here.  Thank you for reading, and HAPPY TRAINING!

Cassie-Leigh Stock, ABCDT, CTDI, AKC-CGC, CDT, TPU, All-Star TC
Owner & Founder, Higher Expectations Dog Training & Behavior Modification