Teaching a Dog to Stay Behind an Invisible Line Out of the Kitchen

For this Omaha dog training session we trained 7 year-old Yorkie Lexi to stay behind an invisible line to the kitchen and ways to build up her self control to build up her confidence and stop her separation anxiety.

Lexi was pretty reserved to start the session, barking and taking steps backward which can indicate an insecure dog. I used some Dog Psychology and positive reinforcers to help Lexi practice approaching then moving away from me. Many people think petting a dog is the best way to work with a fearful dog, but the more you try to interact or approach a fearful dog, the more fearful they tend to become.

I shared a number of dog behavior tips to help Lexi stop acting scared when she meets new people. Playing hard to get and avoiding eye contact are two things guests should do when visiting the home. But the real dog behavior rehabilitation will take place when the guardians add in rules and structure.

After showing the guardians how to pet with a purpose, reward desired behaviors through passive training and enforce rules consistently, I shared the four escalating consequences I use to disagree with unwanted behaviors so the humans can more clearly communicate what they do and dont want from Lexi.

I pulled out my camera and handed it to the guardian so I could show her how to teach a dog to stay behind an invisible line outside the kitchen.

Because of her timid nature around new people, it only took one correction to keep Lexi out of the kitchen. Im guessing the guardians will need to disagree more than I did. But if they stay consistent and set up the dog for success by microwaving a piece of bacon and pretending to cook while keeping an eye on the dog out of the corner of her eye.

The bonus dog training tips I shared at the end of the above free dog training video will also help Lexi develop more self control and confidence. This works for civilians and professional Yorkie trainers!

We also went over some tips to help Lexi feel better about going into her kennel. Adding some positive reinforcement and lots of practice going in and out of the kennel will help her get over this fear of going into the crate.

To help the guardians remember all the dog psychology tips we shared in this in home dog training session, we shot a roadmap to success video summarizing the highlights.