Dog Health Questions: Help with dog training?

my dog is 4 yrs old and when he was younger, he was so obediant, but now he walks around like he's better than me and he also sucks up to my dad.
PROBLEM 1
whenever i ask him to "sit", "lie down",.. etc he would whine and bark at me, and sometimes even chew on my fingers or toes.

PROBLEM 2
i'm a little worried about his behavior towards others. Whenever we're outside of the house he's very gentile with humans but not with dogs. He's very obedient outside of the house but not inside. If we have a guest over he would bark constantly and we would usually bribe him with food. but just yesterday, he actually bit our guest and the bribing did not work at all.

PROBLEM 3
my dog does NOT enjoy dog treats. so it's very hard to train him. we have a whole box of doggy treats, but he just won't eat them. i also tried toys, he likes his toys but he won't "sit" or "lie down" for them.

PROBLEM 4
I try very hard to make him walk beside me with the leash but he won't listen. he would always pull ahead. It hurts me watching him choke himself.

PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO CORRECT THESE BEHAVIORS. WE CAN'T TAKE HIM TO A TRAINER BECAUSE MY DAD JUST WON'T ALLOW IT, SO I HAVE TO DO IT MYSELF. I DON'T WANT MY DOG TO GET PUT TO SLEEP.

5 Tips to Choose Effective Dog Training Courses

Recommended Answer:
Problem 1- This chewing is actually called Mouthing. It's normally a puppy thing.. but what I usually do is screech like a dog in pain. Normally they will stop, because they don't intend on hurting you and this screeching is a sign of discomfort and sort of a "please don't hurt me/stop hurting me". When he stops, reward him.

Problem 2- This could be a sign of lack of socialization, especially toward other dogs. With people in the house, he may feel that he needs to protect his territory and feels the need to show everyone who is boss. Put him on a leash before you let someone in the house, and have them play with them or give him a treat when they come in, showing him that they are not a threat. If he's on the leash, you can control him, allowing you to quickly remove him from the situation and prevent him from biting someone.

Problem 3- Don't use dog treats then. I boil chicken, make milk-less scrambled eggs, boil beef stew cubes... Something my dog has only had a few times and is quite tasty. This should only be used when training him, and never any other time, so that it remains special.

Problem 4- teach him the Heel command. this requires a lot of bending because you have a smaller dog, but bend over with the treat at your left side, hold it to his mouth and take a few steps. He should stay right with your side as you walk, and when you stop, reward him. There's a lot of places on the internet and in books where you can find more precise instructions on teaching the Heel and fixes to any problems you may have when doing so.

When teaching him things, or even commanding him to do things he already knows, do NOT repeat the command over and over. If you say "Sit" and he doesn't sit. Don't keep saying it like, "Sit. Sit. Sit." This is technically insanity- doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If he knows sit, and you tell him to sit and he doesn't do it? Force him into a sit. THEN treat him. Let him know that when you say sit, he has to sit, and it's not until he sits that he is going to get the reward.

Dog Training and Why it is Important

• Persistence is in order here, you must train him every day, several times a day if necessary. One problem, don't ask him to sit, command it. You must say commands in a firm voice, when he obeys, give him praise. Hold the leash kinda taut where he's walking beside you...don't worry, he won't choke himself if he pulls ahead. Practice the leash over and over until he gets it, and practice daily. If he shows aggression to other dogs while walking, pop the leash to show him it's not acceptable behavior. Maybe your dog doesn't like treats, but there's other things he might like for rewards, my dogs like a little piece of cheese, but, only use it as a reward, not for bribes, they don't understand, he'll think he's being rewarded for bad behavior. When talking to your dog, only use 1 or 2 words at a time (NO, instead of don't do that, etc). Dogs need to be controlled, but it sounds like your dog is controlling ya'll. Dogs love to make their owners happy, yet sometimes they need to remember that.


• The problem is he thinks his the 'PACK LEADER'.
  You need to start from scratch as if he hasn't been trained at all. Use Chicken or Beef cut into small pieces for treats you will soon get his attention.
  As for the dogs you really need obedience training to socialise him, if you aren't allowed to do that, take him for lots of walks where there are other dogs, have the treats in your hand (let him know they are there) and keep walking past and until he ignores them and then reward him.


• I have a Maltipoo as well, He's actually turning five this week.
  (I think he's the qutest dog on earth - but of course we all think this about our dog.)
  I had the same problem with the walking next to me, but with a lot of patience, praise when he does well and offering him a reward it eventually worked out.
  In general dogs seem to respond best to a balanced, loving yet firm treatment. If yours sucks up to your Dad, watch what your Dad might be doing differently - it seems to be working and your dog is not a lost cause.
  Hope it works out for both of you.