Dog Health Questions: Dog training/socialization help tips wanted?

My dog is 2 years old, a Lab/Pointer mix. I got him about a year ago from a shelter. I take him for walks every day in the parks around my house. He used to be really good when we would come across other dogs. All of a sudden, just over the past few weeks, when we come across another dog walking, and if they start to sniff one another, he is completely different. He sniffs calmly for a minute, then all of a sudden he barks/growls, and jumps at the other dog. He has gotten to the point where if we are walking and he sees another dog approaching in the distance, his head goes down, his body gets stiff, and he gives them the "stare down" as we approach. Needless to say, I don't allow him to approach other dogs anymore, but I want to know what the best way to go about fixing this behavior is. I don't want him to continue to go after other dogs like that, and I'm not sure how to fix the problem. And any ideas on what could have made this behavior change? He didn't have a bad experience with another dog or anything like that.

Do You Need Dog Training Tools When You Train Your Dog?

Recommended Answer:
As his behaviour has changed, and I presume nothing happened that you know of to cause it (was he attacked?), you need to get him checked by a vet first because it could be that something is medically wrong.

If you get the all-clear (hopefully you will do) your best bet would be to get the guidance of a professional trainer/behaviourist.

It is likely that all he will need is some positive reinforcement when around other dogs so he builds his confidence. That's all my dog needed after she came nervous and defensive after being attacked. She went through a phase of growling at every dog she met, so we kept our distance and I gave her some cheese every time she saw another dog - this taught her that seeing a dog meant good things happen and now she is back to her old, dog-loving self.

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

• Can you say Dog Whisperer? CesarMilan is exceptional with dogs and his training techniques are exceptional...my friend had a dog aggressive dog and she got one of CCesar'sbooks and read and practiced the ttechniqueshe uses...and now her dog even goes to the dog park and no more ddogieincidents. Socialization is very important to puppy's both human and animal especially in the first 6 months at 12 weeks this is when a puppy is away from litter mates and bonds with both humans and other dogs.


• My bff has the same breed, same age, dog. He was adopted from the SPCA and amazingly does the same thing, but he doesn't growl. Just when you go on walks bring along treats. The whole time try to keep his attention on you. When he does reward him. If he keeps his attention on you and not on other dogs reward and praise.


• next time when you see him act this way, correct him. distract him from what he is doing. tell him to down position.
  
  is he trying to dominate the other dogs he meets? is it a playful growl? the other information you provided sounds as if he's becoming territorial.


• Is he not neutered? That is usually the problem. Unfixed males can get very aggressive towards other males.
  
  If he is neutered, he simply wasn't socialized. Social skills are learned at a very young age. I don't think that you can fix this kind of behavior. It's basically molded into him.


• Since your dog was not with you from its puppy age, you can not really be so sure if he had no rough experience with another dog. But if it's just barking that he's doing, here's a link that might just help you with that. hope this helps!
  
  http://dogtime.com/barking.html


• yeah, i've the same problem as you do,
  but since i get dog personal trainer,
  i don't have any problem again with that, :
  www.training-dog.co.cc


• Unfortunately, it's difficult to diagnose behavior issues with mixed breed dogs. I recommend you read a copy of Cesar Millan's book.

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: My dog is reactive on walks, what should I do?

The problem isn't pulling, he walks right beside me. But then a dog comes within sight and he freaks out. Barking, lunging, totally ignoring me. I tried treats to make it a positive experience but that didn't work, toys as distraction do not work, making noise, walking the other way, using a headcollar and harness.

He isn't a aggressive dog, he's cautious but not mean. He goes to petstores, dog training class, the dog park, and he doesn't react like this. It's like the area where I live is stuck in his head as a place that always requires such behavior. He's a mutt, but is suspected to have a little German Shepherd in him. Some people say that this somehow relates...-_- He IS fixed, FYI.

What should I do? I'm open to anything so long as I'm not supposed to mistreat him or use a shock collar/choke chain. Afofldjkcdij...he's a trained dog before you say anything. He knows obidience and knows his name, before you start.

Dog Training Career: Doing It and Loving It

Recommended Answer:
my gsd use to do the same thing. i began training him to sit/stay or down/stay until the people and dog would pass. it took time and patience but he eventually got it and now when he sees a dog approaching, he will either go into a sit or down position and wait until they pass. if he gets up make him sit again. he is on a retractable leash and I keep it all the way retracted so I have control of his head and body. if he gets up, i immediately give a correction and make him sit back down. if he starts to bark, he gets a correction. if he does anything except stay in the sit or down position he gets a correction and gets put back into that position. we wait until the person passes, then he is allowed to proceed on the walk. if he starts to go back in the direction of the person and dog who passed, he gets a correction and goes back into the sit/down position until he settles down. you do this every time you pass someone whether they have a dog or not. it took me several weeks to get him past the lunging barking thing, but with patience and persistence he learned and we now can walk right by any dog or person without so much as a look in their direction.

Canine Clicker Training - How to Avoid the #1 Dog Training Mistake of All-Time

• At your point you should get in contact with a positive reinforcement trainer to help you.

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: 2 new dogs--play time/dog training.?

i have a few questions and wanting suggestions from those who may have had or have two or more dogs.

my husband and i got a dog 3 weeks ago, she is 2. and yesterday we got a 3 month old puppy.

my question is, is biting while playing okay? and when or how do you know when it crosses the line to aggressive? (showing teeth, and biting legs, etc)

how do i make it so one doesnt get jelous of the other, such as attention? seems like if i'm saying hi to one the other pushes the dog away to get more attention?

how to not have one dog get aggressive with their treats and making the him know its not okay to take their treat from them when they have their own?

Just wanting answers and suggestions..have trained one dog before but never had multiple dogs at once so it is new.
Thanks for all the help that you can give!
Thhannkkksss!!!!!

~Frustrated dog owner...............

Clicker Dog Training - Getting Started Clicker Training

Recommended Answer:
First off, it all depends on the breeds. Personality differs from breed to breed (somewhat depends on the dog itself too), but point being, you should research the breed to find out how aggressive or how territorial the dog is on a normal base standard.

Now:

1) Serious biting is not good while playing. What i mean by this is biting at the legs like they're trying to go after them, not really good >.<. However, putting mouth around the other dogs neck is a sign of dominance or rather that the other dog has him / her pinned. This is usually ok in playing, but be careful not to let it escalate (also, ear biting is fine, but when there is blood, break them up!). Rule of thumb is you have to get used to them, unless you see blood or one of the dogs is cowering in fear, then let them be most likely. If they get a few nicks, then you've learned to what extent they should be left alone at, and thus can prevent it in the future. First few months, this is your trial and analysis period almost.

2) Jealousy is definitely part of the breed most likely. A lot of dogs can get easily jealous, and although you really can't prevent this, just pay attention to both. You do not want them fighting with each other or going off into a corner to pout, not very good. But by making sure you say hi to BOTH, and scratch them BOTH, they shouldn't have much of an issue.

3) Territorial, this is a big issue with some dogs. Sadly, not all dogs can get along with all people, and thus in SOME cases, it is impossible to keep both in the same area at any given time. To help them along though, you need to make sure you are introducing them to one another equally, not letting one be more domineering than the other. If one starts to take the others treats, you simply tell him / her no, that is bad. Use a firm voice with firm hand gestures, but do not abuse the dog or make them feel there is malice towards them. This could leave lasting impressions on the dog; you want to help them, not make them fear you, you're friends.

Hope these tips help, but again, first thing that needs to be done is LOOK UP THE BREEDS, that will give you personality, territorial tensions, and such, which will also lead you to more specific ways of getting the dogs more used to one another.

Dog Training Explained

• you have to be ALPHA of the pack,dont give any attention until they calm down and dont let them push each other around,biting-a lite po on the nose and a firm voice no bite


• when it bites its okay if it nips at you its just playing but if it gets too rough stop them and you should get them a chew toy for the biting. you should play with them both at the same time like play fetch but make sure that they get rest and play and try to let some other people on your road see the dogs so the dogs can know and trust them.


• pay attention to both


• Well when they are puppys they are just trying new things and they are wondering what the world is about, so bitting or nibbling is normal,
  when the puppy bites you and you start bleeding really ahrd or when he knoks you over,
  
  for the attention question , they are little puppies they dont know better, lots of the time they just want to be better than the other, if you give them the sdame amount of attention they will end up learning that they are loved equally
  
  Training is just as fun as playing with them but its never healthy for a dog to come home to a new environment and just go straight to traing they need a couple of weeks to know who they are living with and where they are and where there territory is going to be
  
  Sorry i wrote so much but i sure hope it helped!


• play biting is not ok with humans, fine between the dogs. if they start to get too rough yell 'hey' and have them settle down.
  
  when giving attention, have them sit calmly, if they start to push each other out of the way, or get too excited, stand up and walk away.
  
  as for the treat thing, give them each their own, if they go to take it from the other, correct that dog and give the toy back to the dog who had it originally.
  
  i have had up to 9 dogs at a time (i did private rescue in my home) and it seemed to work out fine. i fed them in their crates so as not to allow fighting, but at all other times they were allowed to be out and roam the house. work on obedience one at a time, in an area away from the other dog. eventually they will understand enough that you can work with them both at the same time.
  i have 4 dogs currently living with me (3 of my own and one visiting for a bit) and they seem to do fine. every once in a while they will fight over something, and i will separate the one who started the fight from the rest of them. i work with each separately on obedience training, and when i give chews like rawhides i keep them separate to avoid fights.


• Ha ha you sound just like me :) I just introduced a new dog to my house about 3 months ago and I couldn't tell when my dogs were crossing the line when playing rough etc. They bite eachothers ankles and ears and growl. Trust me, you'll know when the growl is mean when you hear it and if one of them ever yelps I'd make them stop. My new dog pushes the other dog out of the way for attention constantly. You just have to be really consistent and don't pet him/her when she's acting like that. Teach them to sit and once they've calmed down, you can give affection. I'd say really work on sit and stay when giving treats so they know they have to sit there while the other one is eating a treat. I'm STILL working on sit with my newer dog because it is very difficult to train her when both dogs are around. I know how you feel! Good luck.


• The book Feeling Outnumbered? How to manage and enjoy your multi-dog household by Patricia McConnell would be a good bookd for you. http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Outnumbere…
  
  Dogs play rough. Dog play can involve biting, growling, body slams and more. When things start to get to intense one dog might randomly stop playing and start sniffing and the other will do the same, and soon they are back to play again.
  
  What you need to watch out for is one dog showing signs it doesn't want to play. Sniffing, trying to hide etc. and the other dog won't quit. If in doubt you can seperate them for a few seconds to cool down, then let them go back to play. If both dogs start playing again play is mutual, if one dog doesn't go back to play then the play may be getting to rough for that dog.
  
  With my own two they chase, wrestle, bite each other etc. After 10 or 15 mins. of play I call them to me and pet them. After a few minutes of that I send them off to play again.
  
  Certain treats should be fed seperataly. It depends on your dogs though. My two can happily chew on Kongs together. One will usually come take the one the other has, and the one that it taken will go take the other dogs. They go back and forth like that until Kongs are empty. But if I hand out chicken feet, or during meals they go in there in their crates. Those are high value to both dogs, and while its never been issue, I'd rather not have it become one, so they are seperated.
  
  I've gotten good at petting both at the same time, usually one on each side. Everyone's happy that way.
  
  Here's my two playing on a low wrestle day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAYEUxIIE…

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Opinions on training your dog with "Positive Reinforcement"?

I'm just curious as to what you guys think about the positive reinforcement (no corrections, no saying "uh huh", ignoring unwanted behaviour) method when it comes to dog training.

I'm not sure where I stand as I've only really started getting into dog training for the past few months so I am just barely a beginner.

I don't think it is effective when you ignore unwanted behaviour and in most cases a correction should be given. Maybe I'm a hypocrite because I've tried the whole positive reinforcement/clicker training methods and they have been successful so far. I haven't needed to use prong collars or chockers.. my dog walks perfectly fine next to me and has an excellent recall rate ect.

I've seen some amazing things that have been taught by Clicker Training (search Kikopup/zsianz1 on YT).

But I'm literally torn between which method is the most effective.

My statements probably aren't clear.. (it's probably my fault for being up at 3am haha) but I just want to know what you guys think and what training methods you use.

Star for your dog section contacts? Cheers.

Dog Training - Consistency vs. Habitual

Recommended Answer:
Positive reinforcement is fine when you want to teach a dog a behavior. You have to get them to perform it somehow so they know what is expected of them.
There MUST be corrections in a dogs training. They will not learn properly and their training will not be fullproof until that happens.

All positive or all negative training does not work. There HAS to be a balance depending on the individual dog. Some dogs won't need as strong as corrections as others but that doesn't mean they don't need them period!

The consequence for not obeying a command must be greater than the satisfaction the dog gets from ignoring you. If the biggest thing a dog has to worry about when it doesn't listen is not getting a treat or having you walk out of the room... that is not going to teach the dog anything! That isn't a bad enough thing to happen in the dogs life to make them realize that obeying you is the ONLY option they have!

I think 'all positive reinforcement' training is crap and no one can convince me otherwise. It may work as long as your dog is feeling focused, what happens when they decide to chase that rabbit or car and don't come back to you when you call.. Are you going to ignore them then when they are killed by a car? Shot by a farmer? No, there has to be consequences.

You do good, there are good consequences. You do bad, there are bad consequences.
Ignoring isn't a consequence, dog's don't feel the social sting of 'shunning.
IGNORING A BEHAVIOR IS PERMITTING A BEHAVIOR.

If any bunny huggers disagree then they can eat my bunny for all i care!!

ADD: Tarson.. it is very sad to see your parents dropped you on your head as a child! But no need to spout off useless advice!

Training Your Dog at Home - Save Thousands of Dollars on Dog Training

• Positive Reinforcement is great... but it's only one piece of the puzzle.
  In dog training, just like in everything else, there is no one magic answer to everything.
  
  I think things like clicker training absolutely have their place for certain tasks. Like teaching lightswitches, for example, there absolutely is no more effective method in my opinion - none.
  Clicker training when your dog is chasing a rabbit across a 45mph road - not so much.


• Honestly? No corrections = Crap, IMO.
  
  I correct my dog, and he still respects me as pack leader, and he listens. He is not dead, and he is not shaking in the corner because of my corrections. If you ignore your dog... you are just letting them continue with the undesired behavior.
  
  I've tried positive reinforcement, and it doesn't work too well for my dog.. corrections work best for me.
  
  Starred!


• I think that 100% positive reinforcement makes for ill behaved, untrained, overweight dogs! ;)
  
  Personally, I could not imagine getting ANYTHING done with my dog w/o corrections of some sort. It would not work for us


• I train my dogs with Positive Reinforcement. It works on them very well.


• I think clicker training is an effective way to teach a dog a particular behavior, if you have great timing and the ability to break down the behavior into its parts, so the dog can figure it out.
  
  Personally, it drives me nuts watching the dog try to figure out what is wanted, and I really dont care for that level of intensity. Likewise, I do not want to have to carry treats everywhere I go. I prefer to show the dog what I want, reward the behavior (not necessarily with a treat), and go from there.
  
  I think dogs interpret "ignoring" as permission, and I do not agree with ignoring bad behavior. Dogs, themselves, do not ignore each other, they correct each other, and that is the approach I find to be more effective.
  
  I dont see the two methods as mutually exclusive....one or the other could be more appropriate with different dogs or activities.


• Positive Reinforcements CAN work well so can other methods BUT when it comes to proofing, it is the Koehler method or any "old style" methods that work best. Any dogs that are trained with chokers, prongs & electric collars are usually better trained because if they don't want to feel any discomfort, they will NOT do any nonsense & will obey their handler's commands 100%. That's my opinion.
  
  My dogs have always been trained with chokers & I have recently started using the prong collar on my Dalmatian. I have always used to "old style" method which is jerking to correct the dog & rewarding the dog when it does something right. I have always believed that training should always have a fair amount of corrections & praise.
  
  Clicker training is absolutely fine BUT it's best used for training something fun like tricks & dance, not OB. I have seen many OB trained dogs that were trained with clickers & have never been jerked before, breaking their sit/down stay commands during trials & I'm talking about dogs trained by Chief OB Trainers & dogs in Intermediate & Open levels.
  
  And yes, I agree with you. Ignoring a bad behaviour is UNACCEPTABLE!!! You're only reinforcing it that way.


• While I train positive methods, I do not ignore behaviors. I do not use the command "no" because it confuses puppies. "Know and no" come up in conversation and the puppy can think it does something wrong. I use a command like "shame" instead. I have herding dogs and they want to please you, so it is my job to teach them what behaviors make me happy, and what behaviors I do not allow. I don't have a problem correcting a wrong behavior, I have a problem thinking that I should have to smack my sacred puppy in the face in order to train them. If I ever get so inept at training that I have to smack my puppy, grab it's nose, spray them in the face, use shock collars, or yank them around, or yell and scream and curse at them, then in is clearly a time in my life when I need to quit training puppies. My husband uses a clicker on his puppy, she is a hunting breed and he needs it to gain her attention. You have to do what is best for you and your dog, it doesn't matter what others do. Methods that work for me and my angel dolls, might not work for you, so do what is best for you and don't let others put you down.


• I prefer to train my dogs with basic human common sense. Unsurprisingly many of the things that were taught to me by my parents and grandparents have actually turned out to be useful.
  Know your dog - they're all different. Learn and don't mistake their body postures. Punish misdemeanours instantly or wait til next time. Really bad behaviour needs sharp correction. Reward good behaviour. Don't wake a sleeping dog by prodding it. Dogs need to be allowed to play with other dogs. Dogs know when you don't like them etc etc.
  All of these things can be 'culturally tracked' to their places in 2009. Positive has it's place and will work with a compatible dog that just wants to be a nice dog in the human pack anyway. The old ways can save a dificult dog from being unecessrily PTS. Whatever floats your boat really.


• Praise and positive re-enforcement has it's place. However i find it incredibly stupid (this is my personal opinion) to ignore a dog for doing a behavior or to offer no corrections of ay kind. I mean, come on - if a dog bites you are you just going to stand there and allow it? You wouldn't let a child hit you, would you?
  
  Of course not - you would find some way to correct the behavior that doesn't hurt the individual in question (be it dog or child.)
  
  I find positive re-enforcement to be good for teaching - if a dog does not know what "sit" means then SHOW them and praise like mad. However it has no place when it comes to proofing. You (or at least I) wouldn't praise a dog for sitting ten seconds after issuing the command, AFTER the dog barks it's head off at a bird.... would you?
  
  I certainly wouldn't - who knows if the praise would be seen as praise for the sit or praise for the entire event (which just means the dog will repeat it.) My dog would be corrected for not following a command she KNOWS in favor of barking, then would be praised once her focus was back on me. Simple.
  
  There is a place for praise and a place for correction. NEVER correct a dog who doesn't know what you are asking - that just confuses the dog. NEVER use your hand or foot to hit or kick a dog. My correction is limited to leash type ONLY, and never without due cause.
  
  Note: Bring on the bunny huggers.... i'm expecting tons of thumbs down for this one *sigh*
  
  Koehler Method all the way for me!


• It works wonderfully to start young puppies at 8-12 weeks old. In fact it is the way that many competition trainers use to teach puppies how to learn because they are not "wrong". However, I have found that as the dog gets older the training has a tendency to fall apart, if consequences (adversives) of some type are not added to the mix. This is especially true when the pups turn 4-8 months of age and learn that they have a choice.
  
  In my own training, I have found it very difficult to make myself more attractive that some of the distractions that I work around. This is especially true on things like the recall where disobedience can result in a dead dog. The distractions that I work around include traffic, deer, rabbits, running children, other wildlife, other dogs, etc. So this is why I am more correction based as the dog gets older. It is hard for me to stand there and "act like a tree" when a squirrel darts out in front of my dog and she gives chase. I tried this once and ended up in a tangle of leash, human and dog.
  
  There is no one method that works perfectly for every dog and every person. The effective method is the one that works. So if this method is working for you and this particular dog, by all means continue to use it. However, you need to realize that your next dog may not be so easy to train.
  
  I find that most experienced, successful trainers use many methods. They are not hypocrites. They use what will work for that particular dog at that particular time. Thy also look at what the dog is being trained for. Most service and working dogs are trained with adversives because they must be "bomb proof" and stable in their training or someone can get hurt. On house pets the training doesn't need to be as rigid. Plus there is a difference in training a high drive dog that tests the owner at every level and one that is only interested in pleasing the owner. So keep your mind open as you get more experience.


• I prefer to remain positive when TEACHING. However, there comes a point where a negative consequence helps to reinforce the lesson.
  
  Watch a mother dog and adult dogs (that is, adult dogs that are well-adjusted in regard to other dogs and puppies) and how they treat puppies. None of this "positive only" stuff! They send the puppy running and screaming if they dare to cross the lines. Mind you, they don't actually harm the puppy, but they make their point with a lot of sound and fury. Most puppies will not make the same mistake twice.
  
  An excellent article on the subject is "Lessons From The Masters: Learning about punishment from Dogs themselves" by Suzanne Clothier. You can find it at http://flyingdogpress.com in the articles section, registration is required but it's free. She also has many other excellent training articles.
  
  Excerpt:
  
  "There's a growing tendency among many dog trainers to denounce the use of positive punishment (P+), though properly defined it means only this: "the presentation of an undesirable consequence." For many trainers, P+ is a bit of jargon heavily laden with ugly images of pain, fear and outright cruelty. And there's no denying that historically, dog training has leaned heavily on punitive methodology, much of which is thinly disguised abuse in the name of training. But when we mistakenly equate P+ with abuse, we are ignoring what dogs themselves can tell us about the value of P+."


• I agree with you. Positive reinforcement training does not = no corrections.
  
  I too believe that often by ignoring a unwanted behavior, the person is actually "condoning" that behavior.
  
  Also I don't have the patience either to stand around for half an hour waiting for my dog to finally read my mind and happen to do what I want it to do.
  
  You don't have to read on...the below is rather lengthy to maybe help some novices expand their thoughts on training.I too understand clicker training can be amazing. I have seen particular behaviors that are pretty difficult to teach be "spot on" when trained with a clicker, but the trainer was a spot on clicker trainer. I have seen very knowledgeable, well known clicker trainers (positive reinforcement only) who are also well known, well educated behaviorists still "training" a dog to simply behave in public after 1 1/2 years and the dog is still pretty unmanagaeable. The vast majority of people I know and see clicker training have poor timing, have poor judgement what and when to click, and the only thing their dog has learned is that when the person clicks the dog is to look at them to get a cookie.There also is "training" and then there is "training"; the importance/value of the "behavior". If I am trying to teach my dog to shake hands, I will only use positive and withold reward until she does offer her paw...because it is only a trick and I really don't care if she shakes or not. However, as a pup the first time she actually noticed a car going down the road and made the first move towards it, POP! Physical correction with "UH UH leave it"! This was the first actual "correction" she ever had.
  
  I am for common sense training. There are behaviors you ask for and train for. There are behaviors/ actions you do not want and you correct for. Take the above behavior of the reaction to the car. I had already basically "trained" my pup to walk on leash and "come" (using positive) on a long line but had not yet proofed with distractions nor off leash. At the time of this first "incident" we were on our property and I was simply offering her "dog time" on a loose leash wandering around our 1/2 acre "potty field" and letting her investigate. She was not under a "heel" command. Her move towards the car was a pretty natural reaction, but one that can result in dead dog.......hard correction! The way I see this and for what "I" want in my dog, this was not a situation for me to call my dog to come. She knew the command come, and she would have come. And then I would have rewarded her. But here is the catch. What do I want of my dog when she sees a moving vehicle? What I want is for her to simply go about what it is she is doing and ignore it. No action nor reaction. I certainly do not want her to every time come to me in a recall. If I had asked for a "come" one of two things would have resulted. 1) She would have come, gotten a reward and that might have been the first step in teaching her that every time she sees a car she must come to me. 2) She would not have come, and I would have set her up to fail her "come" command and would have had to correct her, not for doing what I initially did not want her to do (react to cars) but for not coming when called.
  
  Show what you want, reward for it. Ask it and if you get it, reward. If not, show again (most people aren't clear nor succinct on the show it part). Patience, thought. Many "intricate" behaviors/tricks (depending on what you are training for) can be difficult to "wrap your mind" around and depending on you and the dog, sometimes the person needs to back up and try a different tact.
  
  Once your dog knows it, and chooses not to, correction.
  
  For "dog choice behaviors", as chasing, biting etc, you correct.


• I am very much a positive reinforcement trainer. That doesn't mean my dogs NEVER get a correction, but it does mean I try to minimize when it occurs, and fix my training so it shouldn't be necessary in the future. PR trainers have several items in their bag of tricks for when thing go wrong, and ignoring the behavior is only one of them.
  
  Ignoring unwanted behavior can be an effective tool for certain things. It is not effective if the behavior is being reinforced in some other way. For instance, ignoring excitement barking usually doesn't work, because the barking itself if self-reinforcing. Ignoring counter surfing isn't effective because the dog is reinforced by whatever he managed to eat when counter-surfing. Ignoring the dog for jumping up on you can work because at that time what the dog wants is your interaction, so taking away your attention when the dog is jumping on you, and then giving your attention when the dog is not jumping on you, can be effective. And there were plenty of times when my dog was a pup and did something that I didn't like, that I simply took note of it, and then figured out what I want to do about it.
  
  Sometimes that something was a management solution, especially for puppies, and sometimes it was a training solution, or more likely, a combination of both.
  
  Some trainers use time outs very effectively. Some use Negative Reinforcement Markers (NRMs). As with any punishment, it should work within a few applications, and if it doesn't you should be considering another method.
  
  Congratulations on teaching your dog to walk nicely on leash. That is a great example of using PR when many people consider using corrections essential. And many will say that using corrections works, and yet they will need to use a certain collar every time they are on a walk, and use that collar at least a few times on every walk. They are happy that the dog "responds to the correction" but don't realize that they shouldn't need to. Which isn't to say that there aren't people who do manage to teach walking nicely on leash using corrections, as it is a simple (not easy, but simple) behavior.
  
  And then there's all the things you can't teach using primarily correction, for instance, try to teach a dog to do 12 weave poles correctly primarily using correction, not sure it can even be done, much less hold up in a national competition. But I'm guessing it isn't that you want to switch methods completely, just that you want to know where to put corrections in. My answer to that is that "violence begins where knowledge ends." The better you learn to split behaviors into small pieces, learn to watch dog body language, prevent situations from occuring, and keep your reinforcement rate high, the less you will find you need to "correct" your dog. If you really feel you need to correct, go ahead and do so, and then think about how you might have prevented that from arising in the first place, either through training or management.
  
  One of the things that happens with dogs who don't experience a lot of punishment is that they are more willing to try to new things, which is what makes some of the "amazing" things possible. It can also be crazy making if the dog isn't taught when it is appropriate, and when not- when I first started using PR, my dog was wild because I didn't know how to establish limits without using punishment, which I was trying to avoid. Punishment has an overall depressant effect on behavior- which can be very reinforcing for the trainer who doesn't want his dog trying new things, or wants the dog to be more subdued when not actively engaged in training. I prefer my dogs to be creative, but not everyone does! I'm currently working on some very cognitive tasks with my young dog, object discriminations and matching to sample- something that takes a lot of confidence in the training method because of its complexity. If she were wary of the training, I really don't think it could be done, and I don't know anyone except very PR trainers who even try. One of the side effects of using PR as your primary method is that you begin to have a lot more respect for your dog's abilities, and consider what can be accomplished as a team.
  
  Please consider joining one of the training lists such as clickersolutions (a yahoo group) which can help you work through different training solutions.


• With dogs it's all about association. A dog can either associate positive or negative emotions with something. The problem is that most people treat their dogs like they are human. For example when a dog owner returns home to find the dog has shredded a newspaper they yell at the dog. The dog has no idea why their owner is yelling. They perhaps chewed the paper 3 hours ago and have no idea this is why the owner is yelling. They are more likely to think that the owner is displeased because they welcomed their owner home!
  
  There are some really useful dog training tips here...
  
  http://www.training-dogs.biz
  
  I believe that if you reward good behavior that your dog will associate that good behavior with whatever reward you give them. That doesn't mean you can't use negative reinforcement for your dogs negative behavior. It just means that you have to make your dog understand clearly exactly what they are being rewarded or punished for.
  
  So when a dog jumps up you should say "down" in a firm voice without shouting. If they persist perhaps give them a firm tap on the nose and say firmly "down". If you take action at the exact moment they exhibit negative behavior they are more likely to associate that action the unwanted behavior.


• It's very sad to see that so many people have been abused by their parents that they only know how to be abusive back. By the way they recommend negative punishment it shows the uneducated dolt with menial mentality. Please don't listen to them!


• Positive reinforcement is the only way to go. ( positive reinforcement instead of negative punishment )


• I am a firm believer in corrections. I don't see how 100% effective ignoring unwanted behaviour can be. It makes no sense to me.
  When you have an 80 pound Doberman thinking it's okay to jump on you - are you willing to accept the risks that may occur if you just ignore them? Most dogs' brains don't work that way anyways - they may become more frustrated with you ignoring them and just keep going at it. At least that's how my dog would be! He's too smart - he needs to be told what is "good" and "bad".
  
  It's good that your dog is listening to you. But, depending on his age, new behaviours can develop. A perfect walking dog may develop behavioural issues with socialization (not saying this is what happens, just using it as an example). So although the dog is perfect in the home, wouldn't you want the dog to be well behaved in public too? So in that case - if the dog is becoming aggressive towards other animals or people - do you thinking a clicker is going to help that? Or ignoring that behaviour? Of course not! Some people may think ignoring that is a good idea and then when the dog finally stops, to give it a treat - but do they understand what they are reinforcing? They just told their dog that the previous behaviour they were displaying was good!
  
  "Negative punishment" as one poster has mentioned is not what a correction is. It's not hitting your dog or getting mad at it. It's something that takes their mind back to the task - a simple touch, or correction by leash in most cases.
  
  There has to be a happy medium. You need positive reinforcement when you want a dog to learn a new behaviour - but it should also be phased out. Example: I taught my dog to sit or heel with treats, but he doesn't necessairly get them anymore just because he did what I asked - now a treat is just that, a treat. But ignoring a dog's behaviour seems, for lack of a better term, just wack lol.
  
  I don't know - to each their own I guess. I'm just not a believer in the "positive reinforcment" training in the sense that there are no corrections being used.
  A lot of people come on here with problems with their dogs and a lot of it can easily be fixed with effective corrections.
  
  ADD: Oh, the bunny huggers are out to play! Judging by the TD (didn't know you weren't allowed to have a preferred method of training LOL). Either that or Greek's fan club is pissed off haha
  
  ADD: Tarson...speaking of dolts...correcting your dogs does not mean you are abusive. Get a grip.


• I thinks its a crock both that and clickers.
  
  I think its for the bunny huggers who are more worried about Fido liking them, then training them. They do not realize that a dog loves you more when he knows his place in the world-as a DOG.
  
  I think clickers and cookies are for people who believe that their dog needs to be bribed and are more interested in training their dogs stomach then their brain.
  
  There is a tried and true method that has trained thousands upon thousands of dogs over many DECADES. A method that creates reliable happy dogs who obey on one command and one command only.
  
  http://www.koehlerdogtraining.comClicker training is for those who like multiple commands, sit, sit, sit, good sit.
  Really wonderful until Fido is running across the street and by the third or fourth command he is now a speed bump.
  
  Forget the cookies and clickers and use traditional dog training if you want a truly obedient dog.
  
  ADD: WOW, I just went and read the other answers!! WTG you guys!!!

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Un-Socialized dog - Training?

I was at my friends place today for that day, we were going to see a movie and go to the fair. They have a small probably 9 month old bichon type dog. The first time the dog seen me was today except for once when it was a 6 week old puppy. Anyway, I ignored the dog and went to walk by him (he is tied) and he starts running at me barking and snarling. I asked if he was friendly, even though i had my doubts, they said yes. I was walking by him, and he bit me twice. One was just a nip, one was a bite, its a purple mark now with a bit of blood. When i had to leave the house, the same thing happened. I ended up just leaving the house, cuz when i went to sit on the couch he was jumping on the sofa beside me and bite me once on the hand drawing blood. They want me to spend the weekend at their place and bring my dog, Rocky with me. But i really dont want to spend the night getting bitten, nor do i want my dogs socialization to be ruined. He is 4 years old intact male cattle dog with PPT training. He gets along with ALL other dogs intact or not. I feel really bad about not wanting to spend the weekend, i mean, i do with all other friends and my dog comes with me, but my other friends dogs are social and don't bite. I train dogs, but this isn't my dog and i don't want to chastise there dog. I am not scared of him at all. I basically do no touch no talk no eye contact but he still bites and attacks. How can i get her dog to accept me? If anything i can leave Rocky in the car at night. He is totally fine with that. But help please.
After he bit me, and barked and growled. The owners said that he has done this to their sisters, and even the owners themselves, as well as there daughter who is 4.

How can i get the dog okay with me over night? Would it be rude of me to ask if they wanted me to train/socialize the pup? Should i mention my concerns to them?

Dog Training Collar Aka Shock Collar Buyers' Guide

Recommended Answer:
It's hard to say as this is not your dog. Do you know what (if any) discipline the owners give? Or if they give their dog any boundaries? From the dogs behaviour it doesn't sound like they do, it sounds from your description that the dog thinks its in charge. The minimum the owners should do is correct their dog when it jumps at you. It shouldn't get to the stage that the dog can lunge at you. The owners should correct their dog & stop the intensity getting to that stage.

I think the owners need to take responsibility for their dog &its actions.

Again, I know its not your dog but do you know if it gets much exercise? It could be pent up energy coming out in this form of aggression.

In terms of their dog affecting yours, if your dog is well adjusted (sounds like it is) I wouldn't worry. I'd suggest maybe getting some of your other friends together who have well adjusted dogs with the problem dog & let them sort it out. They will pick up on its dominant energy & let it know what is acceptable. Dogs can learn lots from other dogs. I don't mean let them fight or anything like that, their dog will learn a lot from other dogs body language.

At The end of the day the owners need to put the time in. As a trainer I'm sure they'd take your advice on board, especially when they have a young child!

Dog Training Career: Doing It and Loving It

• You were bitten several times by this dog and YOU feel bad that you don't want to spend time there?!!! You need to tell these people what happened (if they don't already know). They need to bring the dog to a vet to make sure the dog doesn't have anything physically wrong with it and to discuss its behavioral problems. The vet can recommend what steps to take next and have their dog trained. At the very least have it muzzled before it bites someone VERY seriously and they have the dog taken away from them (maybe that what they really want!) Its not your job to get your friends dog to like you, the dog has much bigger problems then that. I wouldn't bring any animal of mine to their house either. And the dog has also bitten a 4yr. old, their sisters and them? What the heck are they waiting for???


• the dog sounds like its leader of the family and so its decided that it decides who comes into the house(its territory) this is why is biting you, try crouching and not looking at the dog, then spread food around you and the dog will learn that when you are around, it gets fed
  
  dont take your cattle dog there, my cattle dogs socialisation was destroyed after being minorly attacked and now she hates other dogs. simply say your dog has kennel cough and its going to be contagious for the next 3 months(thats how long a dog with KC is contagious for)

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Dog training tips from petsmart classes?

i recently took my dog to pet smart for training at the puppy level. he did great. he learned sit, stay, come, lay down, leave it, and drop it, and shake over a 6 week course. he graduated saturday and i want him to learn more but i dont want to take him back to the training be cause all they really did was tell me how to teach him. so i feel like if someone told me what they cover in the intermediate class then i could teach him the rest myself and save $100 bucks. any tips from people who have taken there dogs to the intermediate classes?

Do You Need Dog Training Tools When You Train Your Dog?

Recommended Answer:
If you want to do this on your own, why not just buy a book? There are plenty out there and they are not very expensive.

However, if it was me, I wouldn't be cheaping out my dog's training experience.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0…

Dog Training Career - How to Become a Dog Trainer

• WORST POSSIBLE PLACE ON THE PLANET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  Find a REAL class,run by REAL dog-people-not the minimum-wage-morons at Pet-NOT-so-smart!
  Call your local kennel club.

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Tell me about Dog training?

Hi yahoo answer can anyone able to suggest me some of the basic dog training programs .. And also please mention some of the training centers in Chennai

Rescue Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
Dog training: the process of teaching a dog (Canis lupus familiaris) to perform certain actions in response to certain commands which the dog is trained to understand. It is a general term which does not, by itself, describe what or how the dog is taught. Most dogs, no matter their eventual advanced training or intended purpose, live with people who want them to behave in a way that makes them pleasant to be around, keeps them safe, and provides for the safety of other people and pets. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience on their own; they must be trained.

What To Look For In Dog Training Ebooks

• Hi Ratha:
  
  Unfortunately I am not familiar with any specific dog training programs in Chennai. However, I can direct you to some good dog training tips, which provide overall guidelines as well as specifics regarding some of the basic commands to train. In addition, this resource also includes some videos that demonstrate how these basic commands can be taught. Take a look at http://www.golden-retriever-magic.com/fr…
  
  Hope you find these helpful. All the best with training your dog!
  
  VJ

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Can somebody give me the quick and dirty with respect to building a dog training device that uses electricity?

What would I need to include. Clearly I need a capacitor, but what voltage?

I was thinking, about it and the circuit diagram seems straight forward. Battery, capacitor and electrodes. Should I include anything else to space out the duration of the shock, or should it be instantaneous.

My largest concern is the voltage stored and released on contact.

Professional Dog Training Methods Revealed

Recommended Answer:
Most simple way.....try to series a capacitor rated at 400 volts at 0.1uF to the 120 volts AC hot line. This way,capacitor limits the current of 120 volts AC and it shall not harm the dog but shocking as the dog bits other end of capacitor. It might not work if only by touching the skin where has thick hair. Then increase the voltage to 240 volts.

Dog Training Career - How to Become a Dog Trainer

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Where do I get pigeons for dog training?

I need pigeons for training my 2 lab puppies.... hunting season is coming soon and they have no bird experience so far.

Basic Dog Training - Starting Off on the Right Paw

Recommended Answer:
We train with Quail around here. Quail are pretty readily available through all kinds of mail order. Also go to a local feed store and ask who sells and raises birds. Somebody comes in there and buys feed if they are raising game birds.

10 Dog Training Mistakes You Must Avoid

• First of all, it is very illegal to use live birds to train dogs in most, if not all, states. It'll get you into a lot of trouble that you don't need. A friend of mine in Texas trapped some of the pidgeons in the town where they lived and was using them to train his dogs. Someone found out about it and turned him in. I don't know how much it cost him but it must have been plenty because he had to get a loan to pay it. Most people that I know of, simply save a wing from a bird that they have hunted and use that to train the pups.


• you can check in your yellow pages or phone directory for people that sell pidgeons also there are a number of quail farms you can call and check with about using quail, i found that the best thing for training when i did it was to keep several birds i killed the year before frozen and use them the following years there are also some people that will sell you pen raised ducks to use


• Well, you if you're looking for pigeons, if there's any big city around, you could just set up traps to catch them. I'm sure that would make the city people happy, even though using alive animals for training is wrong in my opinion, but what other choice is there? You could also just search "dog training pigeons for sale in [enter city or state name]" to find some people that raise pigeons just for training dogs, or get in touch with a local pigeon fancier to see if they have any mixed breeds they don't want. If I was going to train my dogs, I'd just use quail, since there's hundreds of places to buy quail ready to shoot all over the place.
  
  Good luck
  - Becky

Read More...

Dog Health Questions: Dog training?

ok i need serious help. before i begin, i dont want any comments on how i need to train my dog properly or how i obviously shouldn't be taking care of a dog.
i took my dog down on the leash and started training him to not pull. everything was good and at the beginning of the stairs, i took off his lead so he could walk up by himself. he went up before me and i called him to come. he did. however, he then continued downstairs and went back outside. he found a big bone and ate it all. i tried to get it from him but he ran away. keeping my cool, i knew i couldnt say NO otherwise he'll think coming to me means getting in trouble. i then tried to go all crazy and saying come to excite him. he came halfway, during the whole time i was saying good boy, but he then turned back, uninterested. then i continued to call him but he decided to ignore me. so i tried running away so he would follow. he did. when he came after me i said good boy and opened my arms so he could come but he dodged me

How To Download A Book On Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
In my opinion you made a few mistakes. First you removed the lead and let the dog go ahead of you up the stairs. Never let your dog go ahead of you without permission. Simply removing the lead is not permission. If you wanted to permit the dog to go ahead of you upstairs, you should have removed the lead, made him sit and then gave him the go ahead to move forward. Always lead whether it's physically , visually or verbally. Really, you should have led him up the stairs and then removed the lead only after you entered the room.

Second, you tried several different ways to get your dog to come. Which one did you want him to respond to? I guarantee he has no idea now. When he got the bone and you couldn't get him to respond to you, you had two options. Walk toward him, take the bone away and then escort him back into the house or leave him alone until he finishes because you don't want to create a chase game. If you do that, your dog will assume you like to chase him every time he gets a bone in his mouth...not a good thing.

To get your dog to come on command, you must first lead him. When you lead him properly, he will come without hesitating. Be calm, consistent and in control of each of your dog's movements and he will quickly learn what you want him to do. Soon, he'll be looking to you for the next set of instructions.

Dog Training - Teach Your Dog the Sit Command at Once

• Sounds like you are doing great. The only thing I would suggest is meaty treats so he associates you with a good treat. He will catch on quicker using his food drive.


• You are confusing your dog. You should have said NO and made it very obvious what he was doing was wrong. You trying to get him excited, made it a confusing game to your dog. In the midst of all of this you were actually praising him... while he was still being naughty, its very confusing.
  
  If your dog is doing something wrong, you must make it aware to him that it is wrong with your tone, actions, and words, so he knows its wrong. When the the dog corrects the action, then praise.


• Dogs live in the moment so to him he was being good for letting you go to him and him coming to you. You seem to have a great handle on training so I would just keep up all the great work you are doing with him:>)


• Any dog is only as good as the training it gets.


• Sounds like you need some training help. There are some really excellent dog obedience training courses out there that you can use. Be careful though - there are some pretty bad ones too. Here's one I recommend (a ton of people have had success with this one):
  http://dogobediencetraining123.com/course


• Your dog sounds like my lab/ coonhound mix. He is ten now, which has slowed down his bolting to just out the gate and a couple of houses down and back. But when he was 1, 2 or even 6 years old, these jogs could go on for hours. I tried all the things people say. I made sure he had plenty of exercise, I worked on all sorts of recall exercises on long lines, in the training building, and in fenced areas. I never punished him for coming to me, i even came at him with a raw steak, and he would not give up his freedom. That instinct was just soooo strong. Sounds like you are experiencing the same issue. And the bad thing is, everytime it happens, the dog gets a big pay off for running, which is such a strong reinforcer for him. It is an up hill battle.
  Two things finally worked for me. I gave up one time and sat on the front porch where he could see me and cried. He came right away when he noticed. He wanted to see what i was doing and what was wrong. When he came to me, I gave him a hug, hooked him to the long line and played fetch with him for a minute to cheer us both up.
  The other thing was by the time he was 2 he was fetching frisbee like a mad dog. That was the only thing that would bring him home. I had to toss the frisbee in the air close to me or in a fenced in yard that happened to be open, but he fell for it every time. (woohoo)
  Fetch was my life saver, and maybe even his, as we lived on the corner of a busy intersection.
  
  Good luck.
  it is nerve racking.


• You did a great job actually! I believe that your dog interpreted the "good boy" for allowing you to approach him because dogs have an immediate action/your reaction time span in their brains. Good work and good luck.

Read More...