Hello! This behavior is actually fairly simple to correct, although the process is tedious. You will be slowly desensitizing him to the sound of the doorbell. Practice having someone ring the doorbell and as soon as the bell rings, you ask him to sit. Once he sits, give him a treat. Practice this with him on leash, and you may have to show him the treats before you start with the doorbell so he is a little more focused on you. But you will practice this on repeat until he completely stops responding to the doorbell. It could take up to about 2 weeks to correct this, as long as you are practicing consistently during that time.

Aug. 24, 2020

Hello, is the barking new since you moved? If so, it may lessen as he settles in. In the meantime, teach Melo the Quiet command, It usually proves quite effective. Practice every day for 10 minutes: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark. The Desensitize Method is also a good one to practice, especially for issues like the doorbell. You'll need a friend to give you a hand. As for the peeing and defecating everywhere, it may be a good idea to take him to the vet to rule out a medical issue. It is most likely due to the move, but just to be on the safe side. Try using the Exercise Pen Method: https://wagwalking.com/training/litter-box-train-a-chihuahua-puppy. Read the entire guide through; there are a lot of excellent tips. If you use the exercise pen it will mean that Melo is confined sometimes but the space can be as big as you want to make it. Keeping him there will encourage him to pee there on the pads. You can spray the pads with a potty encouraging spray before you put him in and this may help. Clean all of the areas where he has peed and pooped with an enzymatic cleaner, which is the only thing to remove the smell (your bedding and floors) to prevent him from going there again. Keep working on it - Melo will get the idea! Good luck!

Aug. 12, 2020

Hello Elise, First, for the barking, I suggest combining a few things in your case. You need a way to communicate with him so I suggest teaching the Quiet command from the Quiet method in the article I have linked below - don't expect this alone to work but it will be an important part of the puzzle for what I will suggest next. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Next, once pup understands what Quiet means you will choose an interrupter - which will be a form of punishment - neither too harsh nor ineffective. An e-collar or Pet Convincer are two of the most effective types of bark interrupters for most dogs. A pet convincer is a small canister of pressurized, unscented air that you can spray a quick puff of at the dog's side to surprise them enough to help them calm back down. (Don't use citronella and avoid spraying in the face!). An e-collar, aka remote training collar, uses stimulation to interrupt the dog. Only use a high quality e-collar for this, such as E-collar technologies mini educator, Dogtra, SportDog, or Gamin. A good collar should have at least 40 levels, the more levels the more accurately you can train - finding the lowest level your dog will respond to, called a "Working level" so the training is less adverse. In situations where you know pup will bark or is already barking (catch them before they bark if you can), command "Quiet". If they obey, reward with a treat and very calm praise. If they bark anyway or continue to bark, say "Ah Ah" firmly but calmly and give a brief correction. Repeat the correction each time they bark until you get a brief pause in the barking. When they pause, praise and reward then. If pup tends to get highly aroused while barking and may redirect aggression toward you if you are close by, you will need to correct remotely and not with the pet convincer, unless a professional trainer is helping you manage any safety issues then. The combination of communication, correction, and rewarding - with the "Ah Ah" and praise to mark their good and bad behavior with the right timing, is very important. Most bark training only gives part of that equation. Fitting an e-collar - it should be put on while he is calm, just standing around - Ideally have him wear the collar around for a while before starting any training so he won't associate the training with the collar but just with his barking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLxB6gYsliI Finding the level to use for him (sometimes you will have to go 1 or 2 levels higher during training while the dog is aroused but once he improves you can usually decrease back to his normal level again) - this training level is called a dog's "Working level": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cl3V8vYobM Once pup is calmer in general after the initial training, practice exposing him a lot to the things that trigger the barking normally (make a list - even if it's long). Whenever he DOESN'T bark around something that he normally would have, calmly praise and reward him to continue the desensitization process. An automatic bark collar can also be used during times when he likes to bark while you aren't there after the initial training is done - so he understands that the correction is for his barking at that point in the training. While you are not home, confine him in a crate or room that doesn't look out the windows right now - barking at things out the window lets him practice the bad behavior over and over again and barking is a self-rewarding behavior because of the arousing chemicals released in a dog's brain - so once a dog starts he is naturally encouraged to continue it and stays in that state of mind if you aren't there to interrupt. Rewarding calmness is half the training, so don't skip that part - the interrupter often helps with the initial part of the training but the rewards are often what give long-term results. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Nov. 21, 2019