Several years ago I became interested in a breed of dog known as Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs. They are bred for pulling, carting and plowing, and I knew that a little extra effort would be needed to train loose leash walking. From the very first day I had them I worked on that slack leash, spending countless hours standing still, backing up, talking about whatever came to mind as I kept their attention despite the sideways looks of my neighbors and passing cats, dogs, skateboarders, trucks, overhead passenger jets and other city marvels. I took them to classes, got private training for us, practiced with friends’ dogs and took them everywhere I could to reinforce all that good loose leash action I was seeing.

Now, admittedly I had one small issue with the fact that my live-in, a very nice but relaxed man named Andy, really didn’t want “the girls,” Betty and Addie, to be stressed in any way, for instance by asking them not to pull. Or to go home when walking. Or even to walk in a certain direction. (In later years, I would discover how lucky I was to have chosen Swissies rather than, say, German Shepherds, as had I chosen the latter Andy would have gone out for his first walk and never come home.) At one point it became Andy’s job to walk the dogs each morning as I was overwhelmed by parenting duties (my sole domain in our household) and he was willing.

Over time, Andy came to really treasure his walks with the girls, spending long, wandering hours out, frequently sitting under a tree until Betty had decided it was appropriate to move on. It worked out pretty well for all of them as Andy would get his time with his beloved girls, Betty could wander where she would, and Addie got to practice her snarking-jumping-barking-at-other-dogs behavior uninterrupted by a pesky mom.

Anyway, I know I’ve wandered off topic a bit, but here’s the story. Family politics being what they are, I knew that I had to pick battles carefully and frequently in order to mitigate and support those things needing attention. Poor behavior notwithstanding, the one thing I couldn’t tolerate was both dogs pulling at once, as I knew that someday somebody was going to be pulled into an icy winter street and get clocked. So I begged and pleaded and cajoled and talked and threatened, and over time Andy came to understand the importance of not pulling, and agreed to carry treats, use a no-pull harness and avoid other dogs when possible, sometimes even by changing directions without Betty’s approval!

The one big hurdle to my loose leash walking dream was the crossing guard. While there are other routes off my street, the early morning traffic of trucks, school buses and cars is so unpleasant that the only real options are out and to the right, taking us directly to the busiest street, or to the left, past the crossing guard. Over the years, he and Andy have trained an admirable pull as the crossing guard waves his dog biscuits at the girls, wandering across the street (screeching brakes not finding his aging ears) as Andy does his best to hang on and prevent the girls from meeting the guy half way into the road. Once united, the dogs jump up and down as the crossing guard waves his cookies around in the air, giving dog training advice on how to get them to stop jumping, and how to get them to follow us when he leaves (”Here. Take another cookie or they’ll come with me instead of you.”)

Now, I’m a reasonable woman. I’ve gone and talked to the crossing guard, telling him how I’m trying to get my dogs not to pull and asking if he’d mind skipping the cookies. I’ve suggested to Andy that he perhaps go the other way regardless of the unpleasant traffic, but that’s not always advice that’s followed. Which makes the crossing guard an intermittently reinforced enjoyment, kinda like hitting 3 cherries at a Vegas slot machine after 400 tries. I’ve asked that the girls be required to sit before receiving the cookies, but apparently “sit” is a relative term, something of which I was previously unaware. I’ve even taken each dog individually to the crossing guard in hopes of training better behavior, but the man is just not willing to cooperate and simply gave the one dog more cookies without allowing calm behavior, or even me getting closer than 50 or 60 feet before waving those cookies in the air, across the road.

So I started planning his doom. I looked for easy openings. Maybe purple fingers or a florid, capillary-streaked nose that might indicate congestive heart failure, or at least angina. Could I be convicted for shouting “BOO” suddenly out of nowhere? Though I heard no obvious wheezing, I hired delivery trucks to sit and and idle by his post, anticipating that the exhaust fumes would do the job for me. I offered him candy, thinking that any man with these impulse control issues would surely accept, regardless of blood sugar levels. When he took the sweets I saw no telltale pinpricks in his fingertips. I bought him a pack of cigarettes, but he doesn’t smoke. I suggested it would be calming given the stress of his job, but left head hanging and pack in hand. I thought about throwing a bucket of cold water on him some frigid, February morning, but realized that it might look suspicious if I ran away carrying an empty bucket, and that someone might dry him off rather than letting him freeze, stuck to the stop sign as I’d designed.

Today I got a really good chance as, while I was walking Betty, cheese to her nose and cursing the man’s unwillingness to leave his post even 45 minutes after school was in session, I shouted “STOP” and he did, right in the middle of the street. The SUV driver was apparently involved in a very important phone call, and it was some wretched instinct in me that then shouted “Move!”, prompting the crossing guard to amble toward me, cookies waving, vacating the very spot where two tons of American pride came barreling by a split second later. I grabbed Betty’s collar, told her to sit, at which point the guy came up, waved his cookie over her unseated head, and said “Oh, she knows me, I’ve been giving her cookies for years. Here, take another one or she won’t go with you ’cause she’ll want to stay with me. She sure likes to pull!”

So you see, Your Honor, that I felt I had no other choice. I am on my way to the store to buy a crossing guard outfit for my friends and relatives to wear. I believe I will be able to practice crossing guard greetings during my work release off-hours, and once I am on parole. I hope Your Honor will grant me some leniency as I did, after all, save the man today rather than watching the dream I’d so hoped for come to fruition in front of my very eyes.

Sincerely,

Marjie Alonso

What can you say about a person who saved your dog and – in the process transformed your life? Can any turn of phrase do them justice?

Marjie Alonso is an extraordinarily gifted trainer. One hopes to find someone who can speak “dog” – reading their body language, expression and intentions – but it is actually rare that you meet someone who is fluent. Marjie knows in the first 30 seconds of meeting wo/man & dog the short story version of their tale, the nuggets that tell the essential truth.

She is also deft at the delicate task of training the human – the secret to success in dog training. Truth is, humans are so mired in how to relate to other bi-peds, they have to unlearn all the ways of greeting, communicating and relating in order to work with their dog. Marjie is great at seeing the subtle ways that miscommunications happen and in providing clarity.

So 10 months after my anxious, concerned 17 month old dog met Marjie, he has settled into a happy life of greater trust – where strangers are not scary, men may approach without barking, loud noises are not necessarily incoming mortars, and maybe his human knows a thing or two and should be the leader.

And she does it all with humor and a wealth of human kindness, which every owner needs in buckets when struggling to forge a solid and healthy relationship.

If you are reading this letter, you should immediately hit the “Contact” button and arrange to have Marjie meet you and your dog. That is all it will take for you, too, to become her devoted admirer.

Jane Beal
Cambridge, MA

Digging: Does your dog love to dig? Everywhere he shouldn’t? Digging is pure pleasure for many dogs, and a pure pain to the city gardener or tenant dealing with a tiny space. Rather than scolding your dog for something he so clearly enjoys, how about giving him a digging area? Whether a section of the yard or a kiddie pool or sandbox with a lid, fill an area with sand and, when your dog isn’t looking, hide a few toys, tennis balls and/or bones in the sand.

Show your dog where to dig – dig a little yourself, talk in an excited voice if he needs encouragement. Very soon that patch of sand will become everybody’s favorite place in the yard. Be aware that some dogs really like to throw that sand around when they dig, and you may have to sweep or rake sand back into the box from time to time. Re-bury the toys at night so your dog has new treasures to find each day.

Hide and Seek: Really! Your dog will love it. If you have a young puppy, start by just hiding in the next room or on the other side of the couch and calling her. You don’t want to frustrate her by making it too hard. When she comes galumphing in to where you are, tell her what a good girl she is and give her a few treats to reinforce the idea that finding her human is a wonderful thing.

With dogs of any other age, you can play this game all over the house and yard. Make your hiding places easy at first, and always be very excited when she finds you. As she gets the game, you can make your hiding places harder and more interesting. This is a great game for kids to play with their dog, and uses up a little kid AND dog energy - never a bad thing.

Find it: Put your dog in a sit stay (or tie the dog to a door or fence if he doesn’t know how to stay). Place a treat or toy several feet away from the dog, go back to him, say, “find it!” and release him from the stay or untie him. Let him get the treat and praise him. Do this several times, then “hide” the treat where he can see you do it – behind a tree or chair, for instance while he’s watching you– and again, release him and say “find it!” Whenever he finds the treat, praise him and tell him how great he is. If it’s too hard for him to find it, help him.

Vary the number of treats (or kind of toy) used, distance and difficulty as the dog gets the game. Hide them where he can’t see them. Eventually, you can hide several toys or many small treats around the house or yard and turn it into a veritable treasure hunt. This is another great game for kids and dogs, with plenty of running around but no direct mouth-to-hand contact.

Arriving back home at 6:00 pm sharp for their bowl of kibble?

While there’s a lot to be said for the convenience of scooping a dog’s daily ration of food into a bowl, there’s nothing inherently natural about him eating from a container once or twice a day. It’s a fine and traditional way to feed a dog, of course, but there are ways to give your dog his daily calories that can engage his brain, enhance his sense of fun and training, and alleviate some of the boredom our city dogs endure each day.

Kongs: Sold under the brand name “Kong,” these hollow rubber cones are a dog owner’s best friend. The toys come in various sizes and strengths (get black if you have really tough chewers, red is fine for most dogs, blue swirls for puppies) and sizes (always bigger than can fit in the mouth whole or be choked on). Simply fill them with some or all of your dog’s daily food, stuff a few extra yummy leftovers in there, top it off with a good sized dollop of mashed sweet potato, cream cheese, peanut butter or any kind of cheese and stick it in the freezer. Or you can fill the whole thing with mashed spuds and leftovers, or mix the kibble in to the mix. Your dog will then get his meal, or part of his meal, over the course of a half hour or more as he works the food out of the Kong, licking and bouncing and chasing his dinner in a happy game. These are also great for crate training, giving something fun and rewarding to do during down time. Kong also makes a timed Kongtime dispenser that releases a filled Kong at intervals throughout the day.

Lunch Bag Hunting: Some dogs really love to stalk, pounce on, shake and “kill” their prey, in this case the Wild Lunch Bag. Take some or all of your dog’s kibble, put it in a paper lunch bag, inflate the bag so it’s not flat, and then fold or tape the end shut. Shake it so it makes an interesting noise, toss it into the air or throw it in the yard, and let your dog chase it, pounce on it and rip it open to discover his meal. You might have to demonstrate and “allow” him to rip the bag as he may well think you’ve lost your mind at first, but he’ll pick it up in no time. Expect kibble to scatter some when he rips and shakes the bag. Fear not – he’ll find it and clean it up. Supervise this activity so the lunch bag doesn’t get eaten too.

Feeding Toys: There are a growing variety of feeding toys, like Buster Cubes, Molecuball and Bongo Balls, that dispense treats or kibble a few nuggets at a time. Fill the toy with kibble, Charlie Bear treats or other dry pieces of food that will fall out of the holes as your dog bats and chases the toy around. It’s great to watch your dog sit and think and puzzle over the secret to obtaining the loot – often solved by bashing the thing with joyous abandon!

The Treats: Be sure, while you’re exploring these new entertainment meals, that you keep calories under control and the quality of the food high. Real meat and poultry, high-grade treats, vegetables, fruit and of course kibble are fine choices (no raisins, grapes, chocolate or onions!). Junk food is junk food for humans or dogs, so check the ingredients before you buy!

One of the first steps is teaching your dog not to pull. A dog out in front of his owner and pulling on his leash is likely to find trouble, if not to create it, and nobody likes being dragged down the street!

Pulling: if your dog pulls you and you go in that direction, it’s working for the dog and there’s no reason for him to stop. You need to stop (or better yet, never start!) this habit. When you feel the leash go taut, stand still and be prepared to wait for your dog to notice you. You can’t be in a hurry when you’re training this. Say his name once, back up one step at a time, do whatever you need to do to get his attention. You’re waiting for your dog to walk towards you, not just in a peremptory “can we get moving please” kind of way, but a real connection. When he does move toward you, praise him, treat him and move on! His reward is to move forward again. You may only get one step until you have to stop again. This is normal (and can be very frustrating!), but stick with it. If you need to take your dog for daily walks for exercise while you’re training this, try using a no-pull harness to indicate that there’s no training going on and you’ll just be managing him this time out. Changing direction unexpectedly, make a turn you don’t usually make, and making a U-turn for no reason also helps keep your dog’s attention on you.

Good and Bad Habits: If your dog is really reactive to other dogs walking by - if she’s jumping, pulling and barking - it’s important to break her of that habit as much as possible. The more your dog does something, the more likely she is to do it again. That’s the good news and the bad news, because it means that the more you practice things you like (sit, come, down, roll over, shake, walk nicely beside me) the more she’s likely to do it. But it also means the more she does things you don’t like (barking, lunging, jumping) the more likely she is to do that, too.

Those of us in the city have a million obstacles we can use to our advantage to prevent unpleasant dog interactions from becoming a habit. With some treats in your pocket, Parked Car Slalom can be played. If you see something coming that’s going to arouse your dog, step between the parked cars, away from the distraction before your dog gets excited. Treat your dog for good behavior, and keep walking in and through the parked cars until the coast is clear. Talk to your dog, breathe so you’re not conveying tension, and keep your voice light and relaxed. And then chalk one up for you, who took away one chance for your dog to practice acting up, and gave one chance for her to practice behaving well!

The urban landscape is filled with opportunities for avoiding bad and building good habits. Learn to use whatever is nearby – bushes, trees, front porches, bus stop shelters, even an open umbrella or brief case can be used to block a view while you practice good behavior . Anything your dog is comfortable around can be used as a space for positive training and building better instincts. See our web site for recommended reading.

Molly Weir

Marjie Alonso is a life saver! She worked with us and our dog Maya for about six months last year, and I can’t say enough about how important her work with us was. If it weren’t for Marjie, I’m not sure we’d still have our dog today.

Maya is a rescue, thus we know nothing about her past. But, it’s not hard to surmise it wasn’t good. She was very skittish when we first brought her home, had significant separation issues, and was generally pretty fearful of most people. I took Maya to a beginner class at the New England Dog Training Club, where Marjie is the training director, to learn some basic dog training techniques. However, Maya had her own ideas about what she was willing to tolerate, and after trying two different dog walking services and a dog daycare facility, I knew we needed more intensive training to get Maya past her fear of …well, just about everything.

Marjie came to our rescue. She came to our home several times to provide one-on-one consultation and advice. She was also available by phone and email whenever I needed her. She really went above and beyond the call of duty trying to help us resolve Maya’s behavior issues.

There were many techniques that Marjie suggested we try, some creative, some practical, but always offered with a great deal of humor (which we really appreciated after struggling with such a difficult dog)! Marjie knows dogs, but more importantly, she knows how to work with the people who own those dogs. The one method fits all is not her method. She assesses the situation, makes recommendations, shows you what to do, evaluates the outcomes and makes adjustments if needed. We were one of those who needed lots of adjustments – and Marjie was there with us all the way. She even went so far as to talk with my vet (with my permission) about some of the issues we were struggling with. I’m not sure many trainers would take that kind of time or care that much – Marjie did.

Our dog today is more relaxed, more confident and I believe truly happy. While she’s not perfect, she’s light years ahead of where she was a year ago. There are certainly many factors that have contributed to this success, but definitely Marjie was a major part of it. She has my wholehearted support. I would recommend her services to anyone and any dog!

Connie DiCocco

As the director of Baypath Humane Society’s pit bull placement and foster program, I rely on my foster homes to no not only house our dogs, but to help assess the dogs’ personalities and behavioral needs. Since most of our dogs have unknown and diverse backgrounds, the transition period into a new foster home can often pose many challenges for our foster parents. Marjie has worked closely with me and many of my foster homes to help ease this transition process. I rely on Marjie to help me asses each dog and their new living situation and provide honest feedback and information about each placement as well as training exercises and tools for each foster home to use in order to make the dogs more adoptable and marketable.

Because all my foster homes differ in their levels of dog/breed knowledge and experience, and because every dog is so different, it is very important that I work with trainers who look at the entire situation carefully and who are skilled in their ability read dogs. Marjie is very consistent and thorough and she takes the time to get to know each client and gather as much information as she can about the dog’s new environment. She is creative and confident in her approach and I am always impressed with her knowledge and her abilities to read each situation differently and to develop training plans tailored to each dog’s and foster’s needs.

Marjie conducts herself in a very professional manner, but is also very entertaining and engaging. She is a wonderful teacher and her great sense of humor makes her very easy to relate to. Marjie is very detail oriented and makes herself available via email or telephone when extra help is needed. She also provides handouts and helpful reading materials to her clients to refer to after their sessions.

Marjie does a wonderful job communicating her thoughts and ideas to me. Each time she meets with one of my fosters, I receive a detailed description of the session. She is very honest and I trust her judgment and value her opinions. She always follows up on a dog’s progress and success as well.

I have had only positive experiences with Marjie and have found her to be very helpful in providing information, advice and opinions about dog behavior to me and to my foster and adoptive families. It is a joy to work with Marjie and she is someone I can recommend with confidence.

Sincerely,
Susan Bennison, President

Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton, Inc.

I have also had several private training sessions with Marjie and Layla (the dog) and most of the real work has been in Marjie’s teaching me how to read the dog myself, and how to respond to what I see in a way that works for all of us.

Marjie has a terrific sense of humor and a very low key way of delivering information. In my experience, she has read both dog and humans right in every situation. I think it is Marjie’s perceptiveness with all parties, and her gentle no nonsense way of conveying information that makes her a really special trainer…and person.

Jennifer Knapp-Stumpp

Training is about dogs and people together and Marjie is excellent with both of us! We had basic obedience covered, but to find a way to work together with Sage through his fears and as partners required that I learn to read Sage and to help him succeed in small steps and always, always in a positive way.

Marjie helped me gain perspective on his behavior and taught me positive ways to work with him in small steps. Now I can help him build skills to cope with things that are hard for him, and we can work to build his comfort and self control on leash walks. I can now recognize Sage’s signals when he is becoming vigilant and can redirect his attention, change direction or praise him for staying cool despite barky dogs we may pass by- meanwhile staying patient and helpful toward him myself. His reactions to dogs we pass in the car is down to quiet interest and a turned head with only a rare bark.

I am really grateful for Marjie’s expertise, patience and humor toward training as Sage and I grow into a closer, go-(almost!)anywhere team!

Chrystal Cleary
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