Showing posts with label barking dog training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barking dog training. Show all posts

Monday, September 17, 2012

Dog Health Questions: Help with dog training?

i just got a puppy dachshund a couple days ago (she is about 3 months old)
for the first two days she listened really well and came to me when i called her name (jypsy)
but the weekend is over and i have school so i have to leave her with my dad and grandma
she doesnt even acknowledge me when i call her anymore
how do i make her respond to her name?
and also how do i potty train her? (i think when i scold her for urinating inside she thinks she is just supposed to hold it and not go ever even when i take her outside..)
she is also starting to like my dad and grandma better than me since she see's them alot more :l

Small Dog Training Tips



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You're probably talking about the porch potty. Porch Potty is a self-cleaning grass litter box for dogs. You can get your puppy one if you like or you could train your puppy to do it outside whichever works best for you.

I do think that whoever has more time should train the dog though. Potty training a puppy takes a lot of patience and time. To help the puppy learn more quickly, do it by routine and by repetition.

Since puppies have small bladders, they need to potty often. Some puppies need to do it every hour. Some puppies can hold it longer and need only to be taken outside every 4-6 hours. To help you or your dad or your grandma with potty training the puppy, keep in mind the following:

Puppies need to be taken outside after eating, after playing and after they wake up from sleep. These are the times that they will most likely need to potty. If you train your dog to potty on schedule, it will eventually learn that he is to do it outside and not inside the house. He will also learn to hold it longer. He will wait until he's taken outside to potty.

Be sure to give a command whenever the puppy is taken outside. Say "go pee" right before the puppy does it on the grass. Next praise him with a loud and happy tone of the voice and then reward him with a puppy biscuit.

Do this for two weeks without fail until your puppy understands where he is to potty.

Control Your Aggressive Dog With These 4 Dog Training Tips


  • Scolding her for going inside is a very bad idea. You need to follow the directions for house training a puppy from the beginning, many sites on the internet will give you details and you as well as your dad and grandma should stick to the routine during the time you are in school.

    They are probably petting her a lot and she is bonding with them, but do not worry she will likely become an all around family dog.

  • Well if your dad and grandma see the puppy more i think maybe 1 of them should be the trainer in the house. But remember it is a puppy so it'll take a while to learn. There is a lot of websites and videos online that show potty training a dog so go research. Just don't yell at the dog or she'll become scared of you, take her outside every day (or ur dad or grandma) and try to do it often so she'll get used to it. There is also a training pad thing i saw on tv, its a patch of grass but its like a pee pad (i haven't tried it but it sounds cool) My newer dog learned to go outside because my older dog did.
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Thursday, September 6, 2012

Dog Health Questions: Training tips for beagle with separation anxiety?

Hey everyone,
I've posted a few questions in regards to my beagles separation anxiety, but I've never really asked about possible training tips for curing him of this problem. I do not have access to dog training services because I live in a pretty remote area and there are no resources within a reasonable driving distance (esp. with gas being around 4.30 a gallon). But he still goes absolutely nuts when he's left alone. I'm back home from school now so he is rarely left at the house alone because there is usually someone here. But the few times he is left alone, he goes crazy. He has a crate that I usually put him in when we are gone, although he's pretty well house broken and doesn't seem to chew on things he knows he's not allowed to. But in any regard, is there anything I can do to help him with his separation anxiety? I'm concerned about his panicing, and I'm also concerned about disturbing others by his loud, baying howls when he's alone. I was considering purchasing a citronalla (or however you spell it) to help with the barking, but it likely would not hlep with his anxiety itself. I'm worried about him, as well as not disturbing others.

Any suggestions would be greatly apprecaited.

So You Want A Career In Dog Training



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Hello, I'll try to give you some tips to help you. I'm sorry if I don't have many ideas.

Before you leave, take your dog on a 45 minute walk, play fetch for about half an hour, go on a jog. Anything that is exercise will work. The goal is to tire your dog out so when you leave your dog will be tired, so he will sleep or relax while you are gone.

Keep your dog busy, KONGS work great. I fill my dog's KONG up with his dry food, apple chunks, diced chicken, or peanut butter. The KONG will keep him busy, so he won't be focusing on you being gone, but trying to get the food.

Leave the T.V, or radio on for noise. It might help him calm down if he hears other people talking. On iTunes I bought some music from The Dog Whisperer Band, and my puppy falls asleep to it.

Try not to make a big deal of leaving. By that I mean don't say, "Aww, I won't be gone too long!" in a baby voice and smother him with kisses. That will make him even more anxious.

How to Find the Perfect Dog Training System


  • Try this method, written by a trainer and behaviourist:

  • I agree with not making a big deal out of coming and going. You also have to desensitize your dog to your leaving.
    Leaving for 1 second, then come right back. Keep doing this until you dog gets used to. Then leave for 2 seconds, come right back. And so on and so forth.

    This is just a condensed example. I suggest a book titled "I'll be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell. http://amzn.to/hWYfC6
    It has way more details on how to do this. It's a small book that can be read in one sitting.

    Additionally, many dogs with SA will panic in a crate. If you decide to continue using a crate, You also have to acclimate a dog to a crate. A good book on this is "Puppy Primer" http://amzn.to/fY057I

    Also see Turid Rugaas on Separation Anxiety: http://www.canis.no/rugaas/oneqanda.php?…

    If you stop using the crate, make sure the house is thoroughly puppy proofed - nothing available for the dog to get into.

    SAPAWS
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Monday, September 3, 2012

Dog Health Questions: Teach your dog to come?

Yup. Me again. Me the dog trainer asking a dog training question.... I went to a Sally Palmer class for my dog and he learned everything (at the CLASSROOM or one day later, cuz he learns so fast!) except Come and Heel. Heel Isn't a biggy for me. When I start walking he stays by my side and (awesomeness!) never goes after rabbits or deer or anything else for that matter, when he's on the lead. He onlly perks up his ears, but he stays by my side. He's SO awesome at that. So I have two complaints.
1. How do I teach him to Come whenever I call? I tried the on the line, let him wander, call, reel him in. Or throw a ball, then say come, reel him in. But our two Border Collie mixes are SO smart that they only get jerked back ONCE and they won't go after the ball. They'll just stay there. So then I tried throwing treats. Not working well either.
2. I failed to metion he goes nuts on the line and WON'T stay by my side if there is another dog. I think that is because whenever we see another dog, his BROTHER who is a (sadly) TERRIBLE walker will lunge ahead towards it and I think Snapshot is copying him. Snapshot is the best walker. But his bro Diggity IS Smarter..... So I wanna know if come willl cut it on that.
3. he is NUTS about balls! If he sees a Tennis Ball....oh boy... How do I stop this...almost...obsession?? I worked on it a while ago till I could roll it, bounce it and throw it on him and he would ignore it. But he won't take his eyes off it when I throw it accrose the yard.
Thanks you so much! You don't have to answer all, but at least one.

Hunting Dog Supplies Can Help Ensure Proper Dog Training and a Successful Hunt



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I have some of the same problems with my dog (except he's not so nice when he sees a rabbit) and what i did was teach him to sit and stay and once he was good at that i got a treat and made him sit and stay. I wouldn't give him the treat but I let him know that i had it. Then i walked away making sure he stayed and then i called for him to come. He came and sat. i fed him the treat and i repeated those steps until i felt like i didn't need the treat anymore and he still comes. try using the same hand motions because my dog responds well to the hand motions i always made when teaching him come. I hope this helps!

Shock Collar Dog Training the Quick and Easy Way


  • Start with the come command and give him a treat every time you say it. Than throw the tennis ball and say come if he comes he gets a treat. than use treats less and less often. and only reward him by petting him saying good boy. But be sure to throw treats in there once in a while. Worked with mine hope this helps.

  • Show your dog some porn, that should make it come.

  • take him to a dog school to train him
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Monday, April 16, 2012

Dog Health Questions: Bird dog Training: How to teach the "Halt" or "Whoa" command?

I am researching alternative non-violent methods to teach the Halt command to my rescued 10-month old AKC Black Lab. She has strong and very obvious hunting instincts to run and flush and, unfortunately, I am not a hunter or appreciate a dog bolting from me all the time. I am a good and consistant trainer who grew up with working and herding dogs on a real farm, but this is my first bird dog. I am experienced enough to see that her issues are a breeding trait and not just stubbornness or air-headedness because she is easy to train and instantly obeys other learned commands--though we're still perfecting "heel". I don't like some of the gun/bird dog methods I'm reading about online and I won't use a shock collar at all. I'm concerned about my dog's safety and I've never taught this particular command before (didn't need to ever). Any non-violent non-painful methods would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Dog Training Collars - A Helping Tool



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Here's a great way: Put the dog on a 6-ft leash, and wrap the leash once around the dog's flanks, loop it under the wrap, and pick it up as if you were going to walk the dog. Don't wrap it or pull it tight, it's not necessary. Take a pheasant wing (available at sporting goods stores) and toss it in front of the dog, out of reach. Keep a hold on the leash and give the "whoa" command. The dog may try to lunge at the wing, but the "hitch" around his flanks will stop him. Give the whoa command a few times (if the dog is a pointer, gently stroke his tail up into a pointing posture...he'll soon start doing this on his own with a little help from you here) and praise like crazy! Don't ever pull on the hitch, the dog will do the work. You may have to try this a few times before you get it right...the hitch should NEVER hurt, just immobilize the dog like a groomer's loop would. Practice this way for a while, and when you feel he's ready, try it without the leash. It really doesn't take long this way, and it is totally humane.

When you feel your dog has a complete understanding of the whoa command, it's time to take him out with a 30-foot check cord. Give the dog his space, and then practice with him on the cord. If he regresses, return to the hitch a few times and try the long cord again. When you feel the dog is totally trustworthy and ready to be off lead, try to find a large fenced area first. These dogs are smart, and they will keep testing their limits, I always use baby steps with training, to ensure a reliably trained dog.

If you stick with this, the dog will be "whoa" trained in short order. Good luck!

Why Is Dog Training The Best Thing We Can Do For Our Dogs?


  • I have a 10 yr old rescue Black Lab also,

    I do hunt with my dog we hunt pheasants....
    I have not seen anyone in my party that uses "halt or Whoa" when working their dogs out in the field.

    All of our dogs are trained professionally and are trained with great respect to the dog and to us.

    I have started to train some hunting breeds and I have noticed that every dog is different in the way they chose to be trained.

    The experiences you have with dogs even though they are of a herding type dog, is and should be the same technique you would use with a hunting breed. With your dog she is very intelligent and wants to do what is bred into her. I would just find a reputable up land bird trainer to understand more of what is expected of your dog....

    Tasha did like to run away allot, she would just bolt out the door and chase the rabbits that were in our yard, so what I did was I would put her at a sit stay and make her wait until I said it was OK to go, then of course she ran like a deer to get those rabbits. Then during the day while we did a walk or our chores I would again put her on a sit stay or even a stand stay and when I said "OK" she was released from the command.
    Your dog may be bolting because of her energy level is so high....find something to let her release that energy.

  • I know this is probably not the "right" answer, but my Dad and grandpa always just took the dog with an older dog with them. Beagles for rabbits and pheasants, Lab for birds. The instinct lead the dogs and the older dog somehow "taught" the younger dog. It wasn't like a formal trainer coming to work with a dog. They just did it from instinct.

  • I know you don't need your dog to actually be a bird dog, but since the instinct is strong anyway, have you considered training and doing competitions for it?

    If you been around herding dogs and seen them trained at all from the first time on the herd on up, you know that it takes time to mold that instinct and get that dog to work with you as a team, rather than flying solo (I am working on this with my herding dog now). I am confident that there are alternative methods to being forceful, but I gotta say that in the case of my Border Collie, soft corrections don't work when it comes to her natural instinct. That drive is SO intense, that you just have to do more than you would in obedience training. Harsh corrections are mandatory, but it does not phase her like it would if I used it in obedience training.

    I have learned that training a dog on top of their natural instinct is entirely different than the basic obedience.

  • I rescue English Pointers and use the halt and whoa command. I use leads up to 200' long doing as the other person said, keeping a wing just out of reach and calling out whoa. The key is once your dog has learned this, they may not whoa without the lead. So I leave the lead on and work the dog with it dragging the lead, so that if they do decide to go for it I can chase the lead making it easier to catch my dogs. As the dog respects the whoa command, you can shorten the lead. I adopted out one rescue who will bolt if he does not have a lead the is short enough yet long enough to just bang around inbetween his back legs. He thinks that he is still under his handlers command, this family also did not want to use an electric collar. I also place a wing on the end of a fishing pole and cast off and my dogs will whoa and hold point until I let them "flush" the wing. You may want to look into a few pointer training videos, the methods are less aggressive since the breed is so sensitive to correction. Also in some cases, an e-collar may be the only way to train your dog and ensure consistent performance. I am not sure what area you are in, but I amsure there is ahunting group that can also help you out. San Diego has a huting group that meets every Saturday morning at Fiesta Island. Pleasanton has a group that goes out on a private ranch and does training for free the last weekend of evey month. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions. Carrie
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Monday, April 9, 2012

Dog Health Questions: Dog training advice please?

Hi all.

I have always trained my own dogs. I have a pup that I just adopted and she is about 4 months old. She was potty trained in 4 days, she will sit, laydown, and heel right beside me.

However as she will heel...if she is around a whole bunch of chaos she will just dart off. I love her to death but she is so hard headed....more hard headed than any other dog I have trained before.

So I guess I just want some advice as to how I can get her to heel, or come and actually stay put around a lot of distractions, without having to get after her a thousand times. Any advice would be awesome!

Thankyou in advance for reading :o)

Dog Training and the Dog-Human Bond



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You don't say how long you have had your new friend but I am guessing only a short time. So I will make a suggestion you may not agree with. Go take a training class with her. This will help you to bond with her, it will get her used to listening to you even with distractions and the instructor will help you teach your new baby to come when she is called and to stay put when you want her to. I know you know how to train a dog but every dog is different and sometimes we need a different approach in our training. Good luck and a big thank you for adopting your new friend.

How to Select a Good Online Dog Training Course


  • Well, first off, congrats on knowing what you are doing! Sad to say, you are not among the norm, but I applaud you!

    And now to the training. Working with distractions, in theory, isn't all that difficult, but is a behavior that needs to be built up to. It can take months, even a few years, to effectively train your dog around heavy distractions.

    To start, you want the general behavior to occur in a quiet, calm place. Do what you would normally do to train the dog (the motion for sit, heel or down). Repeat until the dog knows it down to a pin. Then you should find an area with a low level of distraction. Somewhere like the family living room works well for this, where two people are having a conversation and you are training. Begin this training as if you are teaching the dogs all of the tricks for the first time. Show her how to sit, go down, stay, heel, etc.

    Repeat for a few weeks working on low distractions, then move to medium. Eventually, your dog will be paying attention to you and only you.

    And remember, NEVER hit or punish your dog for not performing the desired behavior! Just let her try again.

    A really great book to check out on this subject is "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training" by Pamela Dennison. I suggest it to many many people, but I think you specifically would appreciate the theory behind it. So check it out and get to training!

    Best of luck!

  • Never let an untrained dog of her leash. It's commen sense.

  • Puppyhood can be soo frustrating!

    A four month old puppy isn't even 5 years in age in humans. I think you have very high expectations for a puppy who just left their mom less than 2 months ago.

    Dogs also have a very hard time generalizing. that is one reason why a dog can 'sit' at home, but has a very hard time 'sit'ing at another place (park, friends house, vet etc) Dogs and puppies have to be taught the same command in different areas.

    A great training book is "The Dog Whisper" by Paul Owens. This book really shows some great way to train and explains the way dogs think and see things. (this is *not* the same 'dog whisper' as Cesar Milan. Please stay away from his stuff/books.)

    Your puppy is also a great age for puppy classes. You'll both learn a lot if you can get him in to a class soon. The benefits to puppy classes are over with at about 6 months. Then you can look in to obedience classes.

    Good Luck!

  • At 4 months the pup doesn't have the cognitive development to properly understand training and corrections.
    Rest assured that everything you have taught the dog so far, you will get to teach it again.
    At that age a pups only motivation is food, so take advantage of that and have fun and cookie train. It's time to make friends with your new friend. What you are really trying to teach the pup at this age is 'how to learn'.
    Work on the three basic motions, moving away from you, remaining stationary, and moving toward you, but only on a fun basis.
    At about 5-6 months the pup will demonstrate a newfound since of independence and self awareness (you will swear that it has forgotten everything you have taught it). This marks the development of 'other motivations' (should not need an explanation). At this time the dog will also have developed the necessary cognitive skills so that formal training can begin.

    When teaching off lead, the dog needs to be almost 100% without any form of distraction, and then start adding distractions sloooooooly!

  • Stick a leash on her till she grows a little and the brain fills in. 4 month pups have the attention span of a grasshopper (so do human toddlers...). Its to be EXPECTED that a youngster that age has trouble with distractions.
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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Dog Health Questions: UK........anyone tried royvon residential dog training?

i'm seriously thinking of sending my 10 month old border collie here for 3 weeks training, i have tried some trainers but with no success i'm getting close to having to get rid of my dog now which will break my heart. she is very attentive and nips at my 9 year old daughter all the time, she does not come back when called, this is mainly when there is a distraction around. advice please?

this training school has a 98% success rate but i would like to hear from people who have had first hand experience.

thanks

Small Dog Training Tips



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i am not a registered trainer and have trained other peoples dogs with great sucsess im 23yr old female. where abouts in the uk r u? perhapsi could help you without the exspensive fees as i would only ask for travel costs if things worked out for you and would train in your own home because he may work gereat for a trainer but not for you u have to know what u need to do to stop the behaviour u dont want. if this appeals to you contact me via email

Must-Have Tools For Easy And Fun Dog Training


  • I haven't, so I don't know, but I do have a BC and have read lots about them and apparently them nipping is part of their herding instinct.

    From personal experience, if mine sees "something shiny" he no longer pays attention to anything else in the world. I think he's a muppet most days, and not a dog. :)

  • what is that
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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Dog Health Questions: Dog training questions?

I have a (roughly) 4 month old male red nose pit bull, Rugby.

Rugby has only has his first set of shots. Our vet told us he can only go outside after getting all his shots, other dog owners insist it's okay. I'd really like to get him outside as I don't think he's getting enough exercise in our house, he always has tons of energy.

He bites everything, and doesn't like to be petted much. This is a big problem as I have two young nephews (5 and 6) who want to play with their dog. He attempts to bite me frequently and has bitten my older nephew recently while trying to play with him.
Is there anyway to discourage his biting?

Rugby sits and we're working on stay though it takes several tries for him to listen, any tips on improving his reaction time?

We've had Rugby since he was about a month old (too young, yes I know) and he still doesn't consistently 'do his business' where he's supposed to. We started with training mats but he took to destroying them 4-5 a day and we switched to plain old newspaper to save some cash. (both of which he tries to eat.)

He'll bark and whine if I come home or leave him alone but he'll growl if anyone else walks on the stairs and scares thee kids. And lately if I cross my legs he'll try to subdue my foot and hump it.

Also Rugby doesn't like having things around his neck, we don't have a collar and leash as of yet since we're not taking him out, but I think we should try a harness and a chain leash because a regular leash he'll probably chew through.

Any help is appreciated.

Dog Training Command - Communicating With Your Dog



Recommended Answer:
When the vet says that your dog cannot be taken out until after its injections/shots, this does not mean that it cannot be taken into your own fenced garden/yard. It simply means that your puppy must be keep away from anywhere that could have been contaminated by other dogs.
To help with it's socialisation you can visit friends, with the proviso that they do not have a dog. Your puppy can be carried around the outside perimeter of a supermarket; you can also stand outside the school gates to get it used to children. You can take it out in a car and park where your puppy can see passers by.

Please do not be tempted to train your puppy to eliminate in the house. It must be taken into your garden/yard every hour, after it eats or drinks and when it wakes up after a nap. You should also take it out just before you go to bed, every time you see it eliminate you must praise your puppy. I use a catch phrase when my puppy has a pee, I say “get one” while it is urinating and “big job” when it passes faeces. If you do this your dog will pee on command when it is older. (Unless it's bladder is empty)

You should set your alarm and try to take your puppy out about twice during the night. If like me you are a heavy sleeper and you don't trust yourself to wake up, take the lazy way out. My puppy's sleep in the laundry room until they are toilet trained, during the day I dip newspapers into the urine which it has passed in the garden and put these on top of a thick pad of newspaper at night, they are drawn to this because of the smell and they will pee on this during the night. Nevertheless I go to bed very late and get up very early when I have a puppy.

Eventually your puppy will go to the door when it knows that it wants to eliminate. In spite of the fact that I leave newspapers down at night my puppy's are clean from an early age. However they are like babies, they have no control until they are older. Regardless of how diligent you are, your puppy could still have an accident in the house during the day, it you see it stooping or peeing, pick it up and let it finish in the garden/yard.

Common Tools Used In Dog Training Schools


  • You need to get rid of that dog before it fully hurts one of the children. Or gets out of the yard and attacks an innocent person and you end up getting sued.

  • It sound like Rugby is your boss. You need to get strict with this dog. If you cant or don't wish to take him to obedience training, then you should definitely research ways to make him behave.

    First off, the walks are a double edged sword. Your dog needs the exercise but being young and not fully vaccinated can be risky. Id try to find a way to get your dog outside while minimizing the risk of dangerous exposure to viruses such as Parvovirus and Distemper.

    Second, your dog doesnt like things around his neck? Too bad, get a collar and a leash, put them both on your dog and while monitoring him, let him wander with the leash and collar and just get used to them. When you finally start to take hold of the leash, let your dog lead the way mostly while giving subtle hints as to where you would like him to go and not go. Also, a harness is nice, but give gentle leaders a consideration. They are basically a leash with a loop that goes around the muzzle that provides just enough resistance if the dog pulls too hard to dissuade the dog from pulling while causing no pain.

    All his bad habits are easily trained out of him if the training is done early on. You can mold this dog into a happy, friendly, and well behaved dog or you can let him become a monster that runs your home. You decide. It takes a lot, A LOT, of CONSISTENT work to get your dog to become well behaved. You cannot slack off. Work on it a few times a day, every day of the week. Involve treats in your training and it makes it much easier.

  • Do what the vet says. He can go out in the garden but not off your property or come in contact with other dogs until they are all done. If he got parvo and died you would never forgive yourself.

    Personally my dog would get knocked into next week if she bit but he is only a puppy. Let him mouth you but as soon as it starts to hurt, yelp or scream really loudly, pull away and turn your back. He hurt you so he doesnt get to play. This is how he would learn from his siblings.

    If he doesnt respond to a command first time he doesnt get the treat. If he does, then give him one. He will get the idea.

    Dont use training mats, they confuse him. I dont know a single dog who was reliably toilet trained using paper or pads. He does it outside ONLY. You will have a few messes to clean the first few weeks but it will be worth it. Take him outside every hour and as soon as he does his business out there, treat him and praise him loads. If he does it in the house, clean it up and ignore him. My friends dog was reliable within 2 weeks using this method.

    When he humps you, scruff him push him over on his back, hold him there, tap his nose (not hard) and say NO! Then ignore him. He tries it again, repeat.

    No puppy likes having things around his neck but you do not want to walk a pitbull on a harness, trust me. Harnesses encourage pulling and help him pull. Put a soft material collar on him, not too tight, you should be able to fit 3 fingers underneath it comfortably and dont take it off no matter how worked up he gets. He is testing you and will be used to it within a day or two. The chain leash is a good idea fo a chewer.

    Good luck with him, he sounds like a challenge lol. Just stay very consistent with all these methods and keep at it even if it doesnt seem to be working at first. The toilet training stuff especially works even if you have to take a couple of days off work for it.

    Edit: If you dont have a garden, that could make toilet training a little trickier. Use a grassy area outside your apartment that is not frequented by other dogs. This is just one of those situations where you will have to take his chances. Keep him away from strange dogs as much as you can until his shots are finished though. Theres a lot of parvo going around according to my vet.

  • Your dog needs to be walked. Regularly. Eat beans for the next week till you can buy a chock chain and leather leash. He, and you, need to be trained. He can be a great pet if you put the time and energy into his, and your, training.

    Check out this site. Cesar Millan is awesome and can be seen on Nat. Geo channel on TV.

    http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/

    Look through the different subjects. They all apply to your situation. If you don't care to learn from them, get rid of your dog before he hurts someone, as the previous poster suggested.

  • First things first. Yes, it is bad to take him out before all of his shots. But after the first one, he usually had enough protection to be able to be taken to safe places (i.e a friends home where he can play with another dog who you know its medical history or carried in a basket or in your arms at a pet store). It's necessary to get him out there, otherwise he will go through the important part of his puppy-hood cooped up in the house with no socialization and that is just another handful of problems. Take him for short walk in your neighborhood, making sure he stays out of poop and other nastiness. So get that puppy socialized now!

    Most puppy owners know the painful plight of puppy nipping and biting. It's a very natural thing for him to do. Dogs and puppies use their mouths in almost everything they do, including play. However, most learn how hard is too hard by their litter mates. It sounds to me that he did not have that bite inhibition training via mom, litter mates, or you. It can take a little while to break him of it, but it should be done ASAP. First off, don't let him play with the children until he has learn this bite inhibition. It is inconsistency in the training and will just reward him for the biting. Have some small, fingernail sized soft treats on hand and get down on the floor with him. If he begins biting or nipping, promptly yelp and stand straight up, folding into yourself and not looking at him. The reaction you should get is pretty much "what happened?". If he is very persistent and jumps to bite set up a baby gate in the room and remove yourself from the room completely. After a few seconds return to the ground. Repeat if he starts to nip again at anytime. If he doesn't, treat him. When he doesn't bite with you simply on the floor, begin petting him calmly. Remember that during all of this training, you should be very calm. He's going to follow your example and you need to show him the kind of behavior you want from him. At first, make it a single pet, rewarding with a calm "good boy" and treat or yelping and removing yourself from the ground depending on his reactions. it is likely that this dog may never be able to "rough house", which most dogs shouldn't do with their owners anyways, so teach him games like fetch and hide and seek. And be sure to only allow your nephews to play these games with him. Do not allow him contact with the children until he does not bite you period. Then introduce the children again, keeping care to manage the situation and use the same rewards (though it should be a game this time) and corrections (you or children removed from the area).

    When you give him the stay command, say it only once. This is very important as you saying it over and over will do one of two things, desensitize him to the command or tell him it is OK to ignore it the first time. Say it once and move away from him. If he breaks the stay give him the No Reward Marker "eh-eh" or "ah-ah", which tells him he's not done something right and there is no reward. Do it again until he stays put for even half a second. Make it easy, he's still a baby and any step int he right direction is going to be helpful to him. Once you make it easier and only say the command once, his reaction time should quicken. You may also want to implement a reward grading scale and a weekly or biweekly goal. Say he LOVES steak, think chicken is GOOD, and petting is OK. And say in the next two weeks you want his reaction time to go from 3 seconds to 2 seconds. Begin grading his performance to the Stay command and rewarding based on it. If he gave you a typical 3 to 2.5 seconds, only give him a small piece of chicken. If he gives you a 2 second reaction, give him the steak. If he gives you a 4 second reaction only give him a short pet. And anything longer gets an "eh-eh".

    Potty training. If he is still peeing on the rug, he needs to have less freedom in the house. Purchase a crate or an x-pen and confine him to this area when you are not there to watch him, whether you are at the store, work, or taking the garbage out to the trash can. Feed him on a schedule and take him out after each meal, every 30 to 60 minutes, after a nap, or after play time. When you can watch him, he needs to be on a leash. So you need to purchase a collar and leash ASAP. He should have already had one whether you planned on taking him out or not. He could have taken an unplanned trip out the front door and should always wear a collar, with ID tags attached. So buy one, slap it on him and let him roll around in his discomfort for a few hours to a day. He'll get used to it. And a chain leash is fine, if you think he'll destroy other ones.

    I really hope I helped and if you have any further questions or need anything clarified, I'd be happy to help.

  • You are going to need to get professional training advice! Really and truly!

    You have made some poor decisions and are realizing them and paying for them now.

    Pup should have been done with his vaccination regime by now. By 4 months old he should have been potty trained to go outside. He should have been leash trained. He should have learned bite inhibition, as well as not jumping on people. And, quite likely, with your inexperience, you chose the wrong "breed" type.

    You need to learn how to train your dog. You need HANDS ON experience with a good trainer. Start searching NOW! And you are going to have to buckle down and pay for the training sessions.

    Or....I foresee your dog is going end up being euthanized as a dangerous biter.

  • For the biting, grab his muzzle and hold tightly until he sqeaks. This says that he is doing something wrong. It can be used as a genral punishment, sort of like a soft spanking on a kid. It really discourges whatever he was doing wrong before and increases respect for you and says that you are the boss. He will soon catch on as well.
    As for the collar, theres really nothing you can do to ease the transition (sorry). Give about two fingers vertical room for the loosness and let him rampage until he realizes its really not worth the effort to throw a tantrum. Dont take it off until maybe a month later (As long as he hasnt grown; be sure not to let it get tight, or it might become something he really hates for a reason). He will just have to get used to his collar then he will get the leash.
    I would say he can go outside, but only in the front yard. Dont take him places with lots of others dogs, and dont expose him to too much or he can get sick because puppies dont have a fully developed immune system.
    Always use the muzzle squeeze when he growls or bites, and never lose the consistency. Make sure he understands that you are the boss, and that he has to respect (Or at least tolerate) kids. Remember, if he makes an aggresive move always be ready to disipline. You are not hurting him, and if you think you are then smack him (firmly, not harshly) across the muzzle. He will most likely look at you and thats when you assiciate the disipline with the word 'No'. Never waver, or he will most likely slip into his old habits.
    For potty training, move him as soon as you see him take the 'position' to pee or poop to the place where he is supposed to go. If he suddenly starts to sniff around at stuff, you should probably move him to the corner because that genrally means that he is looking for a place to go. Praise with with lots of attention when he goes in the right place, and soon he will actually want to do the right thing. (The same principle works with almost every aspect of training. Convince the dog that it is in his best intrest to do what you want.)
    I would also adivise to not let him near the kids until you trust him a little more, and always stay close until you have faith in him. Pit bulls are nice dogs, but you have to handle them firmly.
    Good luck, I hope this helped :)
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Saturday, January 7, 2012

Dog Health Questions: Dog Training for unusual personality?

I'm having trouble dealing with my new dogs personality. I choose min pins cuz they're upbeat, i've trained two before. But this dog almost seems like if she were a human she'd be on antidepressants or something. How do I deal with such a humble, sensitive & easy to upset dog when teaching commands & discipline? she's about 2-3yrs old, maybe she was spanked or disciplined in a counter productive manner before, cuz she's really a smart dog, she's catching on quickly but i'm just having the hardest time keeping her from being upset

The Evolution of Dog Training



Recommended Answer:
Training a sensitive dog is a challenge. You will need to tone down your voice and often your cues or signals to your dog. Keep training sessions short, they will pick up if you are starting to get inpatient or upset with them. I use very different methods when training my weimaraners and pointer than I use with our terriers. Don't be in a hurry take the time to build up and strong bond with her and soon you both be able to read each other's body language.

Some Helpful Tips To Help You With Your Dog Training Abilities


  • she probably doesn't like being "controlled" by you when you are training her. she may have been like the leader of the litter or something when she was a puppy so she probably doesn't like having you in control now because you are the alfa. you should still train her but not as often and reward her a lot when she accomplishes something so she realizes that it isn't so bad not being the alfa anymore! hope i helped!
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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Dog Health Questions: In Los Angeles, is it illegal for a 14-year-old to have dog training services?

Free? A fee? What are the chances of being "hired"? I'm honestly doing this because I cannot work at shelters since I'm under 16. What alternatives can I do, or is there a minors permit I can obtain somehow?
Thank you!

Teach Your Dog (And Yourself) Some New Tricks With Online Dog Training Programs



Recommended Answer:
Normally you'll need a worker's permit, and sometimes you can't get those until you're 16. Most training services won't hire you unless you're at least 16, but you'll also have to be pet-training certified which means classes and money to get certified. You could do training on your own for neighbors, etc. but I don't recommend that unless you really know what you're doing. Training is not as easy as it seems, and, not to be mean, but most people would probably be offended because you are so young, and wouldn't take you seriously.

A Look At Bird Dog Training


  • check your local police department. if you can't work because you're underage chances are you can't charge for your service.

  • It may or not be illegal. It depends on your local ordinances.

    However, I would not allow a 14 year old to train my dog, so even if it not "illegal", you may have a problem finding any customers. I would not take obedience classes, or hire a trainer, who wasn't a certified dog trainer, or animal behaviorist.

    Also, you have to accept the fact that you may be held responsible if you give advice to someone, and it leads to their, or their dog's injury.

  • you may have trouble charging people just because of taxes. i don't know if legally you can be taxed.
    you may want to check with the local police or even your school guidance counselor.
    can you VOLUNTEER at a shelter?
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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Dog Health Questions: Dog Training/Competition Question?

What are all of the different kinds of dog training competitions you can enter your dog in? (ex. Obedience Competition, Agility Competition, etc.) Thanks!

Dog Obedience Schools: 4 Tips For Choosing The Right Dog Training Schools



Recommended Answer:
You own a mixed breed dog, so that immediately excludes almost all AKC competition. AKC limits participation to purebred, registered dogs, with the sole exception of their Canine Good Citizen program, which is open to all dogs but does not confer an official AKC title, only a certificate certifying to the dog's temperament and behavior.
http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/

There are a few other organizations that allow mixed breeds to compete for titles.
http://www.mbdca.org/
Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America offers titling in Obedience and a few other venues, but has show giving chapters in only 4 states. CA, WA, OR, MO/IL (St Louis area)

http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/WebPa…
United Kennel Club offers competition in Agility and obedience for mixed breeds.

http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/activities…
A list of organizations that offer obedience competition for mixed breeds.

Clicker Dog Training Will Make Your Pet the Next Neighbourhood Wonder


  • What is a breed specialtie? It is a show where only 1 breed of dog is shown in conformation.
    A group specialtie is a show where only dogs from that group are show. IE-a toy group specialtie would only have toy poodles,pekingese,affenpinschers,chihuah… and all the other breeds for the toy group.

    All breed-
    All breed conformation
    obedience
    agility
    flyball
    rally-o
    tracking
    canine freestyle
    skiijoring(if dog is big enough)
    dock diving

    Herding-
    Herding group specialties
    herding instinct test
    herding trial
    herding breed specialties

    Toy-
    Toy group and breed specialties

    Terrier-
    earthdog testing
    earthdog trials
    terrier breed and group specialties

    Hound-
    lure-coursing
    Hound breed and group specialties

    Sporting-
    gun dog
    dock diving
    field trials
    sporting breed and group specialties

    working-
    drafting
    sled pulling
    schutzhund
    working breed and group specialties

    non-sporting-
    breed and group specialties

    Goldendoodles can only be shown in UKC obedience IF the are spayed/nutered

  • Really there are too many to list, and new ones are being added/invented all the time. I'll give it a go, but I'm sure I'll miss several that I am less familiar with.

    Probably the most well known and most widely available sports include Obedience, Rally obedience, agility, flyball, herding, tracking, shutzhund, field trials (ie retrieving for retrievers, pointing for bird dogs, etc), earth dog, dock diving, and lure coursing.

    Less well known but growing in popularity include French ring sport, carting, driving (similar to carting but the dog pulls a person instead of an inanimate load), sledding, weight pull, skijoring, bikejoring, cani-cross, canine freestyle (dancing with your dog), backpacking, and messenger dog trials (not very common here in the US but growing in popularity in many European countries).

  • there are so many to list here. But say if you go look under AKC, there are obedience, Agility, Field Trial, and so on. If you go out side of AKC, especially for working breed, there are Schutzhund, French Ring Sport, Street Ring, KNPV, ... tons more.

  • Enjoy
    http://www.akc.org/events/index.cfm?nav_…

  • dogs really love fly ball
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Sunday, November 6, 2011

Dog Health Questions: What is the best dog training facility in Washington?

I have a boston terrier who needs trianing

He's 2

Train Your Dog - Don't Let Your Dog Train You



Recommended Answer:
(Seattle, Washington) ahimsa dog training - Voted Best of Seattle in the Pet Services category http://ahimsadogtraining.com/group-dog-c…

(Washington, DC) A click above - http://www.aclickabovellc.com/

Best person is yourself.. Try it but being consistent is the key. http://animal.discovery.com/guides/dogs/…

Use treats only to train first. Then gradually fade them out of the training..

Quick training tip:
If dog is pulling on leash in one direction, go the opposite until he stops pulling on the leash..

Use loud sounds to train (i.e. if the dog eats off the table, make a loud noise so that it startles them and keep doing it until it doesn't happen)

Service Dog Training - How to Prepare Your Dog


  • my house ! my dog is perfectly trained !
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Saturday, October 22, 2011

Dog Health Questions: Interesting Dog Training Facts?

I am looking for a series of 20 interesting facts about dogs. I want
facts that aren't commonly known as well as facts that are
interesting/amusing to read.

Most of the facts should pertain in some way to dog training. Please
write them in your own words--don't copy and paste from websites or
just provide links.

Dog Treats for Dog Training



Recommended Answer:
Dogs and humans are the only animals with prostates
Ancient Chinese royalty carried Pekingese dogs in the sleeves of their royal robes.
A "Bloodhound" can distinguish and identify several scents at the same time.
There are 701 types of pure breed dogs.
Two dogs survived the sinking of Titanic

Common Tools Used In Dog Training Schools


  • Did you know that larger dogs live one average 10-15 years while smaller dogs live 15-20 years.

  • If you would like to train your pup i can give you some steps on healing, walking nicely, no bitting etc.
    love.malachai@yahoo.ca

    otherwise..
    -dogs are very social animals, they always want to be with you 24/7, when you are around, make sure your pup is with you. This will help with the dog being more gental and prone not to bark at others.
    -when you want your dog to come, even if he is not listening, have a big smile on your face, and use a high pitched voice. He will come as he is like "oh i am a good boy!!" When he comes reward him with praise or sometimes (first few times) give him a treat.
    -when walking, do not hold him back, the stronger that you hold him back so he stays beside you, the harder he will pull.. you need to learn "nice walk" -- i can give you this.
    -If your dog has the 3 things provided he will not want to run away when you open the front door:
    1.Socialization- take him to off-leash parks and meet new people, and do not forget the off-leash parks!!!
    2.Play- get down on your knees and play with your dog everyday for at least 15-30mins. Be the best doggie buddy ever!
    3.Food- make sure you are in control of the food. Feed twice daily, do not leave the food out for him to get it whenever. If he does not eat food within 15mins take it away and do not give it back!!!
    -When your pup does something good for you, do not always rely on the treats for the praise, use your voice, it is much more helpful, the dog will do the thing over and over again so he is praised (have your voice go high and happy with a smile on your face)
    -Attention. Make sure you pet your dog and keep him happy, even give bones and make going to the vet a happy place, bring treats and praise.

  • Puts bells on a rope and hang it from your door. For about a week, take your dog's paw and hit the bell before letting it out. Within a week or two, your dog will start ringing the bell on it's own.

    I trained a border collie pup in two weeks. We began when she was only 6 1/2 weeks old!
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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Dog Health Questions: What does a martingale dog training collar do?

I have only just heard about them and was interested to know if they help to train a dog to walk on a lead properly without pulling or barking. Thanks if you can help.

Best Dog Training Books



Recommended Answer:
They can be used instead of a chain (collar). The fabric is easier on fragile necks than the regular chain collar. when adjusted properly, it will not close around the neck like a chain collar But you still get the chain sound of the correction. I do not reccommend a flat, chain or martingale for a dog that has pulling issues. For that a prong collar used correctly is actually much safer for the trachea as it stops the pulling with the least pressure on the trachea.

I use the martingale for my two poms. Poms have delicate neck and also they have large heads compared to their necks and a regular chain collar is too long when it is long enough to get over their heads. The martingale can be adjusted after it is put on so the chain does not hang down too low. They do not have pulling issues but a quick jiggle of the chain will put them back into proper position. Plain flat collars are too damaging for small dog's necks when training or the dog is pulling. They have no "give" and no warning "jiggle".

Four Dog Training Tools That You Must Use


  • Not much for training, however, are safer then a choke or prong collar, because their are no chains to get caught and keep pressure on the neck, they are made of the average nylon color material. We got ours for our new pup because, when sized properly it is much harder for a dog to slip out of it and when training a puppy how to walk on a lead, this is necessary.

    Good healing/walking training collars are the harness and head halters.

  • The only thing it is good for is to keep the dog from pulling out of the collar if it were to become scared, backing up wiggling out of the collar. As far a collar to train not to pull would be a choke chain. But is best to seek a professional trainer to help you use the choke chain correctly.

  • don't bother with one my trainer told me to get one and they don't work at all, I have found that a prong collar works much better on training yes, some people may think they are abusive collars but the old style use to be because they were sharp and poked the dog but the ones they have now have rounded tips that don't hurt the dog. get the prong collar

  • It's not so much a training collar, as it just an alternative type of collar. They're good for dogs with long, fragile necks, like the greyhound, as they apply even pressure, all the way around the neck, and not just where it's being pulled.
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Dog Health Questions: Question about dog training please help which obedience class do i take her to basic or intermediate?

My dog she knows how to sit and crawl and rollover but i can't get her to stay or lay i want to take her to training but should i do the basic class or the intermediate and why?

Top Dog Training Tips



Recommended Answer:
Take her to the basic class. You need to learn how to train her, and teaching come, stay, and down are the basic behaviors taught in the basic classes.

Common Dog Training Mistakes


  • I would talk to the trainer. They will be able to assess your dogs "knowledge" and guide you best. Good luck.

  • Basic, your pup knows the 'cute' tricks, not the important ones. She needs to know how to heel, lay down, stay, come, and more.

  • Obviously the basic class since she doesn't know the basics(stay, down) which you need to have first before moving to other commands. The trainer would be best to advise on individual dogs but unless you have had previous training classes with this dog, they will advise starting at the beginning & going forward.

  • You take her to a beginner class. Crawl and rollover are cute tricks, but it's not obedience. Obedience commands are: Sit, down, stay, come, wait, leave it.

  • Basic. Because she doesn't know the basic commands. Down & Stay are 2 of the basic commands. She will NOT be ready for an Intermediate class. You would be frustrated because you would be lacking the basics to fit into that class & it wouldn't be fair to your dog. Give her the correct start. Good Luck.
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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Dog Health Questions: Hunting dog training in the panhandle of texas?

I want to know where I can take my lab to be trained? I live in the panhandle of Texas, and cant find a good dog training kennel around here, even in OK. would be fine. please help!

Dog Training Collars and Harnesses - Making the Proper Selection is Essential to Training Success



Recommended Answer:
here try this website http://www.uplandbirddog.com/dogcamp/ind… the camp i believe is in amett oklahoma, or you can go to http://www.amarillo.com/ to check out place in amarillo, they have a lot of different petstores and grooming and boarding kennels as well as places to train so you might look into it.

Dog Training Tips - Training Dogs For Your Own Benefit


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