Dog Health Questions: Im trying to potty train my puppy in the snow, but he wont go! What do I do?

my 3 month old puppy has been doing pretty good going potty outside if i take him frequently enuff. But he will NOT potty in the snow, ( it snowed several inches last night, and its going to be around for a while) . he gets cold and just stands there. Any ideas, Id love to hear from a dog training expert, please help! thanks for any info.

Positive Reinforcement In Your Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
don't push him. he will go into the snow by himself. give him more time.
besides he is too young. maybe he will get cold.

also you should ask the vet.

Basic Dog Training - Timing And Body Language

• first you need to shovel a path and you need to keep him walking. walking always relaxes them, encourages them to sniff and investigate.


• buy some booties for his feet. your feet would get cold too if you had to walk around barefoot in the snow.... if he doesnt take to them in a few days, most petstores will let you return them. it could also be since he is a puppy, hes never felt snow on his feet and something so foreign could freak him out a bit, just encourage him and sound happy when you talk to him letting him know its okay
  
  also, try shoveling a little path (not far from the house) so he can walk on ground not snow.
  
  try it out, if not let him go in the garage if you have one. when the snow stops, you can always hose down your garage and resume using outdoors.


• can you clear a small area of the snow? when he does go, give heaps of praise and rewards... take him out just as he starts sniffing about inside and appears to defiantly need to go! sniffing about and walking usually helps the dog to go. most dogs sniff and snuffle about before they go. if the dog does going inside try mopping up the pee with a rag then clear an area free from snow and put the scented rag down in the area you want the dog to go. the scent is likely to encourage him to go there.


• Simply, it will take time and patience on your part to get him used to it. I currently have 12 inches of snow with at least 12 more expected in the next 48 to 60 hours. My Chi and 6 month old Shih Tzu pup have an area shoveled for them to use. The Chi is old enough that he knows to just get it over with and go back inside. The pup still loves to romp and play and try to figure out what the snow is. So the pup stays out a bit longer. He plays and runs and sniffs and then does what he needs to do and gets a lot of praise for it. In the event that the weather is severe enough that they cannot go to their areas, I have an area on my back deck for them that they use for emergency weather situations and that gets cleaned up immediately. Maybe you have something like that for emergencies? Otherwise, just be patient and dress yourself warmly while he gets used to it.

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Dog Health Questions: My dog plays very rough?

I own a male German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix, who is one and half about. We adopted him July 2nd, 2010, and he is a pretty amazing dog!
We enrolled him in dog training, and he has about two more weeks till he is finished with the basics. (Sit, down, stay, etc.)
But the main problem is that he has Separation Anxiety, so when we arrive home, he jumps up, and is just wanting to play.
In his mind play is to nibble us, and being such a large, strong dog even a nibble hurts! How do we stop this?
Also when he just randomly wants to play, he ignores his toys and once again were his nibble toy.
Please don't say I need to become alpha. I am the leader of him, and he knows it. I can tell because he listens except on that nibble play time of his.
Also I will NOT smack him!

Plus he is my first dog, so I'm not a pro.

Send-Off Dog Training Versus a Dog Obedience Training Video

Recommended Answer:
When he starts to jump or nibble on you. Turn around fold your arms and don't pay any attention to him. Only play again ounce he has calmed down.

A Guide To Your Dog Training for Law Enforcement

• Do not engage. Turn away from him when he starts jumping or nibbling. Every time he goes in front of you, turn around. Don't say anything. Any movement and if you start talking will make him think you are playing with him. When he finally stops give him a treat. Then he will recognize the good behavior as something positive. Good luck.


• I had a rottweiler and I also had a German shepherd, one common trait of both dogs is their energy! so its vital that your dog gets enough exercise, other wise all that energy builds up so much so that your pet cant contain it, additionally your pet may be the most obedient dog ever, but obedience can be hindered when theres bottled up energy just waiting to get out, so what im trying to say is that it will be very hard for your dog to listen if he is incredibly hyper and bursting with energy, additionally you need to make sure that you command him in a strong voice to stop, and perhaps give him a little tug by the nape of his neck that always worked on my dog, its what their mother would do if they ever acted out of line, but all dogs are different, hope this helps

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Dog Health Questions: Dog Training a dominant dog.?

I have a crocker spaniel that is very dominant. He is sweet but refuses to listen. We have been thru the school training with a trainer. I work with him at home but he still is not cooperating. When walked he must walk ahead and pull even if I turn quickly and go the opposite direction. Also, have been working with a clicker, which lasts for a few days. Any suggestions, we are getting frustrated.

10 Dog Training Mistakes You Must Avoid

Recommended Answer:
Crocker spaniels are hunting dogs and He is picking up the scent of the animal and is ignoring you. You are going to have to find a way of making a game out of being outside with the kong toy stuffed with favorite treat and throw it away from him and tell him find it. When He brings it back to you praise him It will take a awhile.

How to Explore the Numerous Advantages of Online Dog Training

• Most doctors would suggest a family pack of Prozac.


• Just face facts. he's the boss. and he knows it. he aint gonna do nothin you tell him. .


• it takes a while to train a dominate dog. you can buy a special dog harness that allows the dog to walk, but it is uncomfortable for the dog to try to pull away from you. this is an affective, but simple way to help the dog be more calm when going out on a walk.


• Don't be.
  it takes months.
  You don't expect newborn babies to learn not to crap anywhere in a few months.
  Puppies are exactly like little babies


• What is a Crocker Spaniel? Contact your breeder and they can probably refer you to a trainer who specializes in these dogs.


• I use a pinch collar on all dogs even my 6lbs ones. You need a pro trainer or behaviorist to tell you IF your dog is truly dominate or not b4 you start training him as if he is BUT the NILIF/ No Free Lunch methods do help with any type dog. Also Leerburg has lots of info.. Allowing on the furniture is a big no no for a problem dog. Hopefully he has been neutered too, that also helps. I don't use clickers as I train Personal Protection/Schutzhund dogs not trick dogs. I do not believe in bribing dogs or kids, they have to behave because I am boss and I said so. A dog running after a bad guy won't break off for a hot dog, arm of bad guy is much more fun.


• first suggestion:
  Dump ** dominance ** and all its relatives from Ur vocabulary.
  
  a certain TV-trainer has used, abused, mis-used and twisted
  so-called dominance into a verbal-pretzel; it doesn;t mean
  ANYthing that is definable, any more. it;s now junk.
  
  originally, dominant + submissive referred ONLY to intra-specific
  behavior in a single event (one transaction) between 2 animals;
  so dog to dog, Not Dog To Human, and NOT a personality -
  a transaction.
  only among *captive* wolves in artificial groups do dom-personalities emerge; in wild wolves, a pack is simply a family of several generations, and the PARENTS are in charge - which is perfectly normal, the kids are not.
  when the kids grow-up, most leave... and become PARENTS themselves, thus now in their own turn, in charge.
  
  dogs do not exhibit captive-wolf hierarchies.
  nor do wild-wolves, for that matter.
  
  when dogs do not comply, it usually means that they have no idea what the heck U want them to do; they may be overwhelmed by competing distractions, nervous, not grasp the cue, be MISSING a salient cue that U are not giving (and did not realize that U had taught to the dog), or otherwise be missing crucial communication.
  
  clicker-training 'lasts' a lot longer than a few days -
  something is not being taught correctly, and at this remove,
  without a video clip, no one can tell U what that error is.
  
  maybe post a LINK to a vid-clip on YouTube?
  --------------------------------------…
  we could go there, look at it, and see what;s wrong...
  perhaps! no guarantees, but it would definitely help...

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Dog Health Questions: Dog training?

how to train dogs

Animal Husbandry And Other Unnatural Acts: A Career in Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
take them to a trainer.

Teaching Your Dogs The Basics Of Dog Training

• Where have you began? Any fondation? what do you want to train the dog to do? Go to the book store, and get a how to book.


• it takes a lot of time and patience. i trained my dog myself starting when she was about 4 months. i have a pug and they say they are pretty hard to train. i spent about an hour and day do repeated tricks with little treats. i would motion the tricks with my hands for example, when i told her to sit i would motion my hand down and tap her butt so she knows. when she sat i would say good girl and give her a treat. and continue this until she would do it herself. and sometimes i would give her a treat and sometimes not. and the next day i would do it agian and if she got that right away and will start teaching her a new trick and mix it up. so, now i got her to sit, shake, high-five, lay down, and play dead. and she's about 10 months


• YOU CAN NOT LEARN FROM A BOOK OR A CD OR A TV SHOW
  
  So much of training involves body language, voice tone, the way you move, when you move, how you show the dog what you want, the timing, why a breed acts like this or that (and no - there is no one size fits all for explaining a number of behaviors) ......
  
  IMPOSSIBLE TO GET FROM A BOOK
  
  Contrary to the poster above who thinks "training" is teaching a house pet to beg for food and rollover, there is a lot more to it than that if you want your dog to "come' off leash anywhere at anytime , sit, stay, down and walk quietly and politely next to you out in public.
  
  Now you both need a GOOD obedience class - and that is NOT Petsmart or Petco.
  
  GO here to find contacts in you area that can help you locate and obedience trainer who works with all breeds and who does AKC obedience competitions competing at what they claim to teach – no proof of ability like winning:
  
  http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.cf…
  
  http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.cf… (set on all breeds)http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.cf…
  
  Even it they are an hour or more away, they will know other people all over the state.


• The best web site for dog training/ visit www.sitstayfetch.com
  GOOD LUCK !!!

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Dog Health Questions: Dog training help?

My yorkie is 3 years old. I have 3 other dogs so shes around animals, she walks around with her head very low to the ground, hides when people come over, and doesnt like outside dogs. I dont know what to do, help?!

Dog Training - 8 Ways to Cut Down on Behavior Problems

Recommended Answer:
Sounds like she need confidence and counter conditioning. Two things. Start to train her, take an inexpensive class at one of the pet stores with a small class (too many dogs will over whelm her).
Next,Take her to the store (so she gets use to it), and other places. Be sure she is on a leash, don't carry her. When she seems afraid, don't touch her, or pick her up - this reinforces the fearful behavior. Just use a confident voice, -nothing to it sweetie- then give her a treat so fantastic she goes crazy for it. Never give this treat to her unless she is outside near other dogs or people.
If she won't eat - from being too afraid, move back away from people until she will eat. You need to pair a yummy specail treat with some of the fears she has.
If she is very afraid, start out far away from the feared object. For example, I might find a coffee shop with people sitting outside. Find a distance your dog will eat the treat and not be too afraid. Every day I would try to move a little closer to the shop, feeding her all the time (maybe 1/2 an hour with treats every few minutes). If she gets too fearful, slow down and go back a few feet. Maybe over a few weeks, you can get very close to the people at the coffee shop and eventually have them feed her a treat.
When puppies are under 6 months old they need to meet 100 new dogs a month and 100 new people a month to avoid this potential fearful behavior. Now at 3 years old, some work needs to be done, so she can get use to people and dogs and the world will not be so scarey.
If you had enough money, you could hire a Canine Behaviorist to help you with this process.

Advantages of Using Dog Training Videos

• I would start with a good obedience class. It is not that she is a bad dog, but she needs to have more confidence. Training helps with that. And it is also about socialization. She can get that in a safe environment.
  
  Be patient. But definitely get some help on it. She will be much happier because of the training.


• I'm not sure I can help you here........... you say you have 3 other dogs, sounds like the yorkie has determined her "pecking order" as bottom of the list.........have you tried keeping her on your shoulder as a vantage point? Let her see the other 3 are not necessarily the top dogs. In my opinion, the problem needs to be addressed at home before you even think about visitors, outside dogs, or other "intruders". I'm sure you give her extra attention, but that
  may not be enough to give her confidence....this little girl needs some comp time to make her feel her oats...yorkies usually don't have a problem with that, I'm surprised..............

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Dog Health Questions: Dog Training Advice...?

I have a jack russell and walking her is becoming a real chore, she pulls on the lead and barks alot.
Is there any ways i can train her from home that will actually work??

Dog Training Ebook Review - SitStayFetch

Recommended Answer:
We have this exact same problem with our Lab, and just found the most fabulous thing that works almost immediately.

It is called Gentle Leader...

It works by sitting loosely on top of the dogs nose and tightly high on the neck. What happens is when the dog tries to pull, you give a slight tug on the leash and the collar causes the dog to turn his head towards you.

We put this on our dog and it the first day he was a 100 times better. You still need to work with the dog but it makes it so much easier. Our obedience trainer recommended this to us and I wish we would have gotten it when we first got our lab a year ago.

There are a couple of different brands called Halti & Promise. It was suggested not to get the Halti brand as they fit too loose.

If you decide to go with the Gentle Leader, make sure you follow the instructions fully for fitting it, or it doesn't work right.

I hope this helps.

Dog Training Tips

• You would do well to train the dog to walk on the leash.
  Try looking at the "Dog Whisperer" for help.. or his books or web site.
  OR there is a lead that hooks under the chin that is helpful.
  The dog should be trained to walk beside you;.. Not in front.


• i seen on a show always have the dog walk beside you on a leash dont let her pull you because that means shes is in control so you have to be in control and just hold the leash so she will be beside you it make take time but she should get used to it! i know because i have a chihuhua and hes little and he trys and pulls me and hes so small lol


• start in the house and yard and work with her on staying next to u do not allow her to walk ahead of u that lets them be in control when u walk out of the house she should wait and exit after u u are the leader not her then when she barks try using a shh noise but be loud or aaat when she stops priase her when she is barking do not give her phyical touching like petting or holding that incurrages the behavor


• I have this leash connector someone else decsribed in her answer to you. It hooks onto the dogs collar and goes around their nose. Then when they start pulling, since its around their nose and attached to their collar it is very uncomfortable for them. I use this on my dog who weighs 50 pounds and its a dream come true! He walks at my pace and its great! They sell it at Pet Smart.


• Jack Russell Terriers are very intelligent which make them easy to train. These are very useful,
  
  http://dogtime.com/leash-training.html
  http://dogtime.com/barking.html


• Hi!
  
  You should train your dog with a proven system. There is a guide I used and got great results. It is called 'SitStayFetch'...
  
  But, what exactly makes this guide so special? Would it be something that can really help you train your dog?
  
  When you first download SitStayFetch, you may become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of material presented. Not only do you get over 170 pages of information, but you also get nine audio files, eight videos and several bonus books.
  
  What you will quickly notice with this book is that it's very well organized. It comes with a detailed table of contents for quick reference. It really helps the user get a quick overview of what's to come and to also go directly to a specific area of the book they need to look at.
  
  The content of SitStayFetch is actually used by leading dog training professionals around the world. The solutions to numerous behavioral problems such as barking, aggression, chewing, digging and jumping are offered to the reader in great detail.
  
  Another great aspect of SitStayFetch is that it allows you to correct an older dog's retained habits so the saying "you can teach an old dog new tricks" does not apply if you implement the methods found in this book.
  
  Beside the obedience training commands and tricks you will learn, here are just some issues you can eliminate by using Sit Stay Fetch:
  
  - Puppy and Dog Aggression
  - Biting and Nipping
  - Bad Breath
  - Dealing with 2 dogs in the house
  - Jumping on people and furniture
  - Jealousy
  - Fighting with other dogs
  - Fear of leash
  - Hot weather
  - Separation anxiety
  - Housebreaking and house training
  
  The SitStayFetch guide contains full color photographs that will help make you own learning process even easier. You can also get a set of 8 videos which will further complement the main guide. With the videos, you will be able to see the dog training techniques in action which is probably the best way to learn the material.
  
  The first section is an introduction for people who are considering buying a dog or puppy and for first time dog providers. The second division is for more experienced dog owners. The last part goes into more detail on the increasingly popular technique of "dog whispering", as well as learning more regarding common and uncommon dog problems, and teaching more advanced commands and tricks.
  
  You will agree that this appears like a wonderful dog training guide. And I have found out that it really is. My amazing dog has never been so much of a delight!
  
  Check out my source, hope it'll help. Good luck!

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Dog Health Questions: How long do you have to keep a dog in crate training? Also will this prevent "excitement dribbles?

We rescued out adult aussie/husky mix, Remmy, from the pound last weedend and we soon figured out she wasn't potty trained yet. So, I read through my dog training book and searched on the internet, and came up with this "crate training method". My dad bought her a good sized crate and this is the first day of crate training.

What the book told us to do it keep her in the crate throughout the day, exept for letting her outside every hour. (I take her on a long walk everyday after school too) When she eliminates outside I praise her and give her a treat. Then I take her back in the crate. I've been keeping track of the times she's peed/pooped outside today and I will do this everyday this week until I can see a pattern and predict when she normally goes. If I keep this normal schedule up how long do you think this training will last until she has become potty trained?

Also, she has this problem whenever she gets excited (like when I wake her up in the morning or when I come home from school) a few drops of pee lands on the floor. Can potty training stop this too or is it a different problem?

Dog Training - Fun Ways to Train Your Dog

Recommended Answer:
Are you feeding her on a regular schedule as well? That's a necessity.

You don't have to crate her all the time. It's not supposed to be a prison. A crate is where she should hang out when no one's around to supervise (when you're at school and when you're sleeping), but under supervision there's no reason for her to be cooped up in there. Just keep walking her every hour, and watch out to make sure she doesn't try to go indoors.

The submissive urination is a separate problem.

Dog Training School

• The dribbling is submissiveness. This will resolve itself as the dog feels more comfortable at your home. Just ignore it. Making a big deal of it will just make it worse.
  
  I always let my rescues out of the crate for a while after they have gone outside. I only put them back in the crate when I can't watch them. If you look for the signs, you know when they have to go. Of course, watching for the signs means not watching anything else but them, no TV, no friends, no homework, you get the idea. This should only take a couple a weeks at most.


• Sounds lik you're doing just perfect with the potty training! She should catch on quite quickly since she's an older dog- and the fact that you're praising and giving a treat after she does is great. When she does go though- I'd suggest putting a command to it like "go potty" she'll start to associate the two quickly and after awhile you'll be able to use the command to TELL her to go when you want her to.
  
  Once the potty training is a little more solid, try having her drag a leash around instead of the crate or restricting her to a kitchen with a babygate so she's not going from the crate to a big open floor plan.
  
  The potty dribbles are another issue altogether. Its called submissive peeing, ad stems from some slight unconfidence- although probably not due to you. I write a dog blog @ www.shespeaksbark.blogspot.com if you go there use the search bar at the top and search for these 2 articles. "Dealing with submissive urination" and "giving confidence a boost" both have tips that will help you out with these issues. She should get over it as she begins to feel a part of the family. Good luck and congrats on your new pooch!


• Each puppy trains at their own pace, so do dogs. Limit the space she has in the house until she can behave in that room and graduate to more space, supervised of course. She should only have to be in the crate if you are not watching her, all other times she should be practicing how to be good in the house. Use a bell method so she will let you know when she needs to go. I use a crate* to potty train with, but only for potty training and then I break it down and store it. I put blankets and a small food and water dish in the crate. Dogs don't potty where they eat and sleep. When they are first little, I only expect them to hold their potty for 4 hours, and then 6 hours, then 8 hours and so on. So when they are first little, I set a timer or alarm clock to wake myself up at night to take them *out. I only allow my puppy in the bedroom* or the living room, only one room at a time. They have to graduate to more space. If I allow them to have full run of the house, it will overwhelm them. I take them out the same door each time. I tie a dinner bell to the door handle. Do not use a jingle bell as they could get their toe caught in it. So when they are little, I ring the bell for them, and then open the door to go *outside to potty. When they get bigger, I take their paw and whack the bell and open the door to go potty. Eventually getting to the place where the puppy will ring the bell and let me know when they need to go potty. Dogs want to please you, so it is your job to let them know what behaviors please you and what doesn't. So when my puppy goes potty, I give her a treat*, and clap, and make a fuss and praise her. So she learns that going potty outside makes me happy. If she has an accident, make a disgust sound like “tsst” and take her out right away. I never yell* or spank* my puppies. Take them out when they first wake up, after they eat or drink, before nap, finish romping, when their activities change, or when they are sniffing around. Some puppies go pee right away, but may not go poop until 10 minutes later, so wait for the poop. I have a little play time here, because sometimes I think they are done, and they are not. Puppies train at their own pace. While I may have a puppy that hasn't had an accident in several weeks, I don't let my guard down. I don't expect my puppies to be "fully potty trained" until one-year-old. If they have a setback, shake it off, and start over. I only have my puppies in the crate when I am not watching them. When I am sleeping, cooking, ironing, doing chores, basically when I am not watching her. All other times, she is out of the crate practicing being a "big girl." This is the time I train her how to behave in the house. So we are practicing "no barking", 'no biting", "no jumping", and "don't eat the furniture." I also have to practice "playing inside" so she doesn't knock over things. You must keep the puppy in sight when they are little because they don't know the difference between newspaper and carpet, and you don't want them sneaking off and getting into trouble. Some puppies can sleep through the night around 3-months-old, but their bladder is grown around 6-months-old.
  
  REVISIONS:
  *I use a CRATE to train with. It is the method I prefer, compared to other methods I have tried. I noticed that if they are in the crate, while I am doing chores, they are o.k., because the crate allows them to see me and be re-assured. The crate can also be a comfort when stored in the basement for dogs who live in areas where thunderstorms and tornados are an issue. . However, use the method that works best for you.....a laundry basket, a cardboard box, a woof-woof house, x-pen, child gates, whatever works for you.
  *OUTSIDE, pee pad, litter box, whichever method you are using. When the puppy is first little, keep the pee pad, litter box near the food and water dish, so the puppy can eat and drink, and then go potty. You can move it away as they get older. The pee pad has a scent that smells and initiates potty. Sometimes a pee pad makes a sound that scares some puppies, so you might want to use a litter box if that happens. The pee pad allows a puppy to walk around, but a litter box keeps the puppy in one place.
  *BEDROOMS, I use the bedroom and living room for training, because it works for me. Choose rooms that work for you, but watch for rooms that are damp, or drafty. While my puppies sleep in the bedroom during training, once they are trained, I let them sleep where they want to. They don't have to sleep in the bedroom forever.
  *TREATS. While I use treats for training, you don't have to. I like Charlee Bears for training (a little cracker for a little mouth,) I use them for training, but once they are trained, I cut back on them.
  *SOME PUPPIES will go potty in the same spot each time. Some puppies have to be told to go potty. A command like "go out" for pee, or "go finish" for poop, might work for you, keep saying “go finish” until the puppy poops. This is a good thing to train if you travel with your dogs. By using commands, the puppy won't get confused when you are visiting someone, on vacation with you, or when you get to a new home. The command will tell them what you want them to do in an unfamiliar place. You might also want to use a leash method, so the puppy doesn't sneak off, or for strange places.
  *YELLING. It is not a good idea to "yell" or "spank" your puppy and then take them outside when they have an accident. They may get confused and think that going outside is punishment. While you want to correct them, if you are extreme, they may not want to go outside again. Shake it off, and resume your schedule. You have to keep it real. Puppies train at their own pace, but a puppy can only hold their potty for a few hours. A guide would be 1 hour for each month of age, plus 1 hour, so a three-month-old puppy should only be expected to hold their potty for 4 hours at most.
  SOURCE: These tips, tricks, and ideas were contributed from many brilliant minds. Thanks for your help!

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Dog Health Questions: Could someone help me with a little dog training?

I just got a male golden retriever puppy named hunter about a month ago. He's about 3 months now. Everyday when i get home and let him out of his outside pin, he is so excited to see me, he starts to pee all over my feet. What should i do to make this stop? Maybe some kind of training to help break him of his habit?

Basic Dog Training Commands - Improve Your Dog's Behavior

Recommended Answer:
congratulations for getting a pretty golden retriever. Those pretty puppies need too much care a special training.
Please refer to: www.trainingagoldenretriever.com, where you can find free training lessons and courses. Thanks

Would Purchasing a Dog Book Or Dog Training Book Be Useful?

• Don't make a big deal over you coming home and seeing him. When you go to get him out of his crate, don't say anything to him. Put on his leash and walk him directly outside. You can also wait a few minutes to let him out of his crate until he calms down. The good news is most puppies grow out of the excitable peeing stage.


• When you come home do not acknowledge him. When he is calm in the crate walk up and open the door and walk him outside without talking to him, the more excited you are the more excited he becomes.


• first teach him to stay. then when you let him out tell him to stay. then go in the house until he is done going to the bathroom. when he finaly finishes then go see him.!!


• well he is still a puppy, many pups really does that thing.but if not stopped as soon as possible this will become a behavior for the rest of 15 yrs of his life or less hehe..
  
  one thing you can do is to carry him right away by the time you get home and get him outside ryt away and dont let him in until he is done. to make sure that he is done, wait till he poops that will show he really is done peeing too..
  
  for more solutions try my site http://lemonline.bravehost.com

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Dog Health Questions: In dog training what are examples of closer and closer approximations?

Training my dog to bark when other people knock at the door or ring the doorbell.

Dog Training Advice - Tips That You Can Use

Recommended Answer:
You are talking about behavior shaping, rewarding things that are steps towards the target behavior. Hopefully it will be easy as it is something most dogs naturally do.

For that I would start with some perceptible reaction to the stimulus, for example the dog looks towards the door in response. Go from that to the dog going to the door in response, assuming this is what you want. (In training service dogs for the hearing impaired, we teach them to go to the handler in response to doorbells/knocks.) It is up to you what you want. If you want this behavior to warn off burglars or sale people, send dog to door & if you want it to alert you, have the dog come to you.

If the dog has no natural occasional barking response to the doorbell/ knock, you will have to teach him to "speak" separately. Your helper rings bell or knocks (can use recording if you don't have helper), dog goes to door & you reward and command to bark & then reward that. If you want a lot of barking, gradually increase number of times he has to do it for reward. Please note, when you teach a dog to bark on command, some of them will produce this behavior when not asked to in hopes of a reward. As long as you correct or do not reward this unwanted barking, it will stop. Ditto if dog starts going off from TV doorbells.

Of course, eventually you will not need to give all the commands and the dog will chain the entire thing into one response. Depending on the dog, this may take time and you will need to continue practicing and issuing rewards for a good while. I assume you want the dog to do this when you are not home too, so leave the house for a few minutes, return, ring the bell or knock and, assuming dog barks the way you want, enter and reward him. You can also have your helper ring, come in and reward the dog. You will also want to teach him a release word, so he stops barking as soon as you tell him to. If someone rings the bell and you are on the phone, you probably do not want him barking until you get to the door.

It's not a hard behavior to teach and shouldn't take you long if you are patient & consistent.

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It is not a natural automatic response by any means! This person's dog obviously doesn't do it and my Doberman I just adopted does nothing when someone rings or knocks except look up and no, his hearing is just fine. It is a common response, but not all dogs bark when someone comes to the door.

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