Partner Highlight – Highland Hound Hacks by The MARIDOG Method
We are thrilled to announce our partner highlight: The MARIDOG Method. The owner, Mari Fetzer, provides insider advice for dogs that may be disturbed by all of the noise and busyness that comes with living in shared communities.
Have no worries – we have you covered! Enjoy the following Highland Hound Hacks from the founder:
We're all a little afraid of things that go bump in the night, but your dog might think that every little noise in the hallway is a reason to bark like crazy. We're going to look at two easy hacks that will help your dog to "stay calm and doggy on.”
Many dogs were bred to be alarm dogs; they are hardwired to bark loudly and unceasingly at any sign of danger. Your apartment is probably quiet most of the day, so when there's a sound in the hallway, it is disproportionately alarming to your dog. This behavior can be hard to simply train away. Instead, I recommend starting with a simple management approach with our first hack.
The Fan Girl (or Boy) Hack
• What You Need: A medium to large fan - a standard box fan works well.
• How It Works: As the fan pushes air through a space, air currents bounce off walls and break up sound waves, unlike a white noise machine. This disruption makes it difficult to pinpoint or perceive any specific sound outside a room and promotes an overall more relaxing environment for your dog.
• How to Use It: Set up the fan at your apartment door. Place the fan so it points toward a wall or other solid object, about a foot away, to block more noise.
The Fan Girl Hack will make the sounds in the hall as muted as possible, so they are no longer stimulating. If you combine the Fan Girl Hack with a gentle background soundtrack, you'll have created a soothing environment for your dog and you'll see a reduction in overall barking right away.
The Run Away Hack
Instead of saying "quiet" or "no" when your dog barks at the buzzer, we will teach your dog to run to the kitchen for a treat bonanza. You'll need to have small treat jars readily available near your front door and in your kitchen.
To begin with, whenever your dog barks at the door, say “get it,” and toss a treat behind them to turn them around. Immediately toss a treat further ahead and then scatter some on the ground and let your dog “hunt” for them.
As your dog gets accustomed to the buzzer = treats, they should automatically start turning away from the door. Level up by running together to the kitchen and scattering the treats there. Your dog will build the behavior of running to the kitchen at the sound of the buzzer in no time!
Some troubleshooting tips:
• If your dog is too aroused to take treats, start by building the “get it” behavior without the stimulus - just stand at the door and toss treats (or a ball) behind your dog.
• Make sure to scatter feed some treats once your dog is away from the door so that they become focused on that activity and forget about the noise at the door.
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Now that you are equipped with insider’s access on how to train your dog, consider booking an appointment with her.
The MARIDOG Method is available throughout the New York City regions. Search for “maridog” in the URBN app now!
