Dogs are very situational so it takes practice in various locations before a dog understands the rules that apply at home, also apply outside of the home.

If your pup is only listening at home, chances are there isn't much training happening in new locations. Be fair to your dog and take them to new places and train. This helps them understand something like a sit is the same as home as it is at the park, store or elsewhere.

While stubborn dogs do exist, more often than not it’s not stubbornness preventing your dog from listening to you, but a breakdown in communication.

Dogs do not inherently understand human language. They pick up words and hand signals/actions from us based on experience. Far too often, humans are inconsistent in what they mean to portray or may have higher expectations than what the dog is ready for.

Very often a stubborn dog is actually just confused. If you are unsure of how to fix an issue, find an experienced trainer who can help.

Before introducing a child to a dog, let the child know what the expectations are. If your child will benefit from practice, have a stuffed animal for them to test it out on. If a dog has not been around children before, have the dog on leash and settled next you. Let the dog relax around the child before pushing for an interaction.

Guide the child in appropriate ways of petting. Have them hold their hand out flat, palm up. Pet under the chin, neck or chest. Don’t pet the top of the head. If the dog is showing signs of stress or the child is unable to contain themselves (petting too hard, hitting, etc.), end the interaction.

Even after the dog can go off leash, it’s important to monitor child and dog interactions. Children can’t always contain themselves and forget! And dogs correct each other through nipping. This can make a dangerous combination when left without supervision.

It is never appropriate to let kids crawl over dogs. It is very important to teach kids how to respect a dog’s space. Even a dog good with children can bite when pushed too far. Children are the most common victim of a dog bite. It is very important to monitor dogs and kids together and to hold both sides accountable.

Give dogs a safe space to retreat to (a crate can be perfect). If a dog is getting too excited by children playing or showing signs of stress, then be proactive and put the dog in their safe space.

It’s important to acknowledge that not all dogs will be safe around cats. Some have high prey drive and will always look at cats as prey. Some dogs can learn that cats in the house are “their cats” even if they want to chase cats outside of the house. And some will have no issues at all.

If the dog is new to the household, make sure to have them on leash when the cat is free or crated when unsupervised. Give your dog time to explore and experience the house without the cat around (put the cat in a room for a short period of time). Don’t let your pup get in the habit of chasing the cat(s).

If you are adding a kitten or cat to the household, having a kitty condo might be a good idea (cat equivalent to a dog crate). This allows both sides to get used to each other. You can give your kitten or cat supervised breaks from the kitty condo, but lock the dog up the first few times (in a crate or another room). As time goes on, have the dog on leash during these times. If things are going well, you can start to let the dog off leash. Eventually, you can stop using the kitty condo.

Young dogs may occasionally forget themselves and want to chase a cat, make sure they don’t take it too far and practice a good recall so you can call the dog back to you.

When cats and dogs are loose together it’s important to have safe places for the cat to be able to escape to that the dog can’t follow. This might mean a kitty door to a room that’s off limits to the dog or it may mean a tall structure the cat can climb.

Hold both dog and cats accountable. We often notice when the dog is being naughty, but some cats like to tease their dog counterpart! In these situations a spray bottle with water is usually efficient if it feels like the cat is teasing the dog.

When you add a new dog, go slow! If you throw a new dog into a new situation and a fight breaks out, it will be a lot harder to work through concerns. Consider these steps:

1. Keep the new dog or puppy separated from the pack in the beginning. Older dogs should be on leash or in a crate for the first couple of days to give them space to be comfortable.

2. Don’t overwhelm the new addition with people or dogs.

3. Don’t allow for meet and greets until your current dogs are ignoring the new addition in the crate and your new addition is ignoring the dogs in their crates.

4. If you have more than one dog, only introduce one at a time.

5. When everyone is comfortable, consider creating a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 split of your time.

   1. A third of your available time is spent one-on-one with your new addition.

   2. A third of your available time, the new addition is put away and you’re spending time with your pack.

   3. The final third, either everyone is put away or everyone is out.

   4. This is just a rough outline and it won’t necessarily be in big chunks of time.

• Can I afford the additional care (food, vet bills, training, etc.)?

• Do I have the time for an additional dog and their needs?

• What type of dog will fit in with my current pack (this can include breed, temperament, gender, etc.)?

• Why do I want another dog?

While having your dogs get along will make things easier for you, finding a friend for your current dog shouldn’t be the main driving force in adding another dog to your household.