This topic comes up in a variety of ways in both my personal and professional life.

• Adding a dog to my own personal home
• Visiting family/friends who also have dogs (a little off topic but related)
• Clients wondering about adding another dog
• Clients who have added another dog and things aren't going as they expected.

When we decide to add another dog to our home, we usually have visions of the dogs becoming good friends, playing together, sleeping together, sharing everything, etc.   And while that sometimes does happen, it is also wise to consider that sometimes it doesn't, or not as fast as we would like.  If you're in the thinking about it stage, we'll look at some factors to consider and ways to stack the deck in your favour.  If you've already added your new dog and you've run into some unexpected hiccups, try backing up a bit, give everyone their own space, and reintroduce slower and potentially with some help creating good associations and tolerance for the other dog.

As I live with a new puppy again, there are a few things I find myself very grateful for, and if you have or planning to add a new puppy to your household, you may find them helpful as well.

I love going hiking with my dogs, but there are some things that make that experience more enjoyable for us both.

I find hiking so much more enjoyable when my dogs aren't pulling me down the trail!  Although it can be frustrating when you just want to go on a hike, I highly recommend taking the time to train your dog to walk nicely on a loose leash.  These two things aren't mutually exclusive, I taught Tristan how to casually walk on a loose leash on trails, however, I had to go out knowing that I'd be stopping and turning if he pulled so I wouldn't cover as much ground, or if I stuck with a predetermined route, it would take us longer to complete it.  Consistency is the key here - if your dog gets to explore by dragging you along behind them, that's what they'll do in the future.  

Here is how I taught Tristan not to drag me down the trail:

I usually work with people when they are wanting their dog to learn how to do something, either a specific skill or a different behavioural response.  To teach our dogs what to do, we commonly use food or treats.  Once our dogs understand the skill, and can perform it in a variety of environments around different distractions, we can start to reduce the use of treats.  Here are some things to consider.

Can your dog perform the desired skill consistently, to the level you want?
If not, your dog hasn't fully learned the new skill, and their performance is unlikely to improve if you stop rewarding their efforts.  First, we need to get the behaviour reliably.

Can your dog perform the desired skill consistently, in the face of distractions?
Ideally we teach the skill in a low distraction setting, and then once the dog can respond consistently, introduce distractions strategically so that the dog can succeed in the face of the distraction, growing their confidence and ability to respond even when other things are going on.
Some distractions to consider:

• Treats, in a covered container, in an uncovered container
• Toys, sitting somewhere, you holding it, you tossing it, you squeaking it, you dropping it on the ground
• Other people talking, walking, sitting down & standing up

And they exist, because there is a relatable truth inherent in them, even if somewhat exaggerated.
Adolescent dogs often

• have the highest energy levels, higher than they did as a puppy and will as an adult
• seek out novel things, and have an increased interest in their surroundings
• are impulsive
• have big feelings 
• experience changing social dynamics
• may experience fear periods (no consensus on that currently)

Why?
Because adolescence is the time that they are experiencing sexual maturity, but haven't yet reached social maturity.  Their brains aren't fully mature yet, and are undergoing a tremendous amount of neuronal growth and pruning as they experiment with new behaviours and investigate their world.