Page 7 of Her Eternal Warrior

“You got that right,” Mateo winked.

“Pay attention,” Brax ordered his friend. “I want to understand this. Go ahead, Lainey.”

“Let’s go out to the backyard where they can’t hear us as well.”

They all trooped out to the big backyard and sat down at the picnic table.

“You need to have a voice that they can associate with positive reinforcement. When we’re still in a training phase give them a treat. If they’ve done really well, give them a better treat.”

“Makes sense,” Brax nodded. “What else?”

“Then there’s time-outs.”

“Like a kid?” Mateo asked.

“Exactly. First, if they’re acting out, doing things like misbehaving, jumping, or barking, just turn around and ignore it. Because they’re trying to get your attention through negative behavior. When they realize it can’t work, they should stop what they’re doing. If that isn’t working, then they need a brief time-out. Send them to a corner. Use a calm, firm voice. This voice is one you’re going to use again and again. After Faith or Hercules have calmed down, you can invite them to come out again.”

Brax really liked what he was hearing. He looked over at his friend, and he could see that Mateo was really into all the information that Lainey was giving him, too.

“Often all you need to do is redirect their energy toward a positive activity like playing with a toy, or practicing a command they know, like sit or heel.”

“Should you do that before putting them in time out?” Mateo asked.

“Judge their behavior and decide,” Lainey explained. “You’re the boss.”

“Just like a child?” Brax asked in a tentative voice.

“I wouldn’t know. I just read stuff off the internet and went into an on-line chat group. One man in there definitely said it was like handling his teenagers.” Lainey laughed.

“What else?” Mateo asked.

“Try to always keep it fun. Distraction is a great tool. If they’re doing something they shouldn’t, like chewing on your shoe like Hercules did.”

“Yeah, the bastard only stopped when you tempted him outside with the frisbee. I should have thought of that.”

“The website said the key is to always praise good behavior. End on a high note. Try to stay away from saying things like ‘bad dog.’ We’re supposed to always stay calm.”

Brax looked over at Mateo and snorted.

“Hey, I can do calm like a motherfucker.”

“Sure you can.” Brax smiled.

“I can.”

Lainey went over to her fiancé, wrapped her arm around his waist, and slid her hand up his chest. “Yes, you can. You’ve been calm with me when I’ve been out of sorts.”

Mateo smiled.

“See how she ends on a positive note with you?” Brax laughed.

“You’re just jealous,” Mateo smirked.

“And the last thing I learned is that you need to increase mental and physical exercise so your pups can burn off all that energy they have. Make sure they have mental and physical stimuli to keep them entertained. It’ll help reduce misbehavior.”

“See, I’ve got it all kinds of good,” Mateo crooned.

“Before I have to witness any physical stimulus between the two of you, I’m taking my dog and we’re out of here.” They went back inside and Brax got Faith’s leash. “Come on, girl, we’re going for a ride.”