Dog Health Questions: My dog is scared of my husband! Help!?

My husband and I got a french bulldog about two months ago. He is a fairly meek dog, but very friendly and content. Such a sweetie! Not quite 2 years old. At first he was the perfect dog. Never misbehaved! He is still very well behaved but after a few weeks he began having accidents once a week or so. I grew up around dogs my whole life, but my husband had never been allowed to have one...so he is rather unfamiliar with training. When he discovered an accident, he would drag him by his collar to the accident, point and firmly say "No. This is bad!" Occasionally he would smack his snout, but nothing that would hurt him. I tried to explain that I felt this was harsh, but sometimes I can be a pushover. My husband said he was only trying to get the point across. This happened maybe 4 or 5 times and de has not had an accident since. It still scared our dog to the point that he would be shaking when we came home (at the time we were not crate training him but shutting him off in our very small kitchen) even if he had not had an accident. Just with training in general he would just smack him instead of saying "No!". If he got up on our bed, he would say no as he pushed him off. I explained that this bothered me, and so he stopped. He has gotten better with having patience training our dog, but even now sometimes if my husband plays rough with him he will get spooked, come to me hunkered down and shaking. I think my husband feels bad because it's obvious the dog favors me. He has since before any of this happened.

Anyways...does anyone have any suggestions?? I recently ordered some books about dog training and I hope to share some ideas about positive reinforcement with my husband. He is getting better, but how do I help rebuild our dog's trust in him?? I want them to have a good relationship.

Sorry this is so long, but I felt I needed to explain the situation as best I could.

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Hi

You are on the right track. Hopefully your husband will read the books as well and learn something. Frenchies do need strong leadership, as they can be stubborn. This is not to be confused with forcefull submission. Crate training can be helpful, but should never be used for punishment. If he starts to have an accident in the house, just take him outside, and don't make a big deal out of it. Just lots of praise, when he does good. The same would be true of your kitchen. It should be a safe haven. You can crate him when unsupervised, or keep him on leash next to you. If you have a fenced yard, a doggie door works wonderful.

Your husband needs to be very involved in walks, playing with him, and training, provided you both agree, and stick to the rules. For now, stop the rough housing, as trust is rebuilt.

Frenchies are a wonderful breed, particularily when everyone understands the rules. If you have other questions about Frenchies, feel free to send me an e-mail. I have 5 Frenchies.

Edit: I recommend halters for walks, as opposed to collars. The halters do not put pressure on the Trachea, and Frenchies have a shorter and smaller trachea.

Best of luck,
Rebel

Dog Training Advice - What Or Who Do I Believe?

• its your husband not the dog


• Your husband, by bullying this dog, has probably ruined any chance he ever had of the dog trusting him. The dog is clearly afraid of him and it's no wonder. He's treated this dog very badly.
  
  Hitting the dog, dragging him around by the collar and pushing him off the bed is cruel. Of course he hurt the dog and has terrified the poor little thing. Hands should only ever be put on a dog in kindness.
  
  Maybe he could book into a positive reinforcement obedience training class. He sure needs to learn how to treat animals..but I think this little dog will always be wary of him and afraid of him.


• Amen to everything that is being said on here.
  
  Just to add a little to all the good things already being said, I will tell you a true story. I have a wonderful Lab, he is now 11 years old. When he was a puppy we were traveling in the car and he got out of control and I reached back and smacked him while trying to get him to stay down (I know that is BAD and it hasn't happened since). I was wearing pink gloves at the time....and I still have those pink gloves. To this day my Lab will walk away from me if I am wearing those gloves. Luckily he sees the gloves as what hurt him, and not me. He is my baby and it would break my heart if he was afraid of me. Your puppy may always fear your husband just as my Lab has always feared those gloves....even after I have held him and loved him with those gloves on, he still avoids them.
  
  Good luck.


• your husband has terrorised the dog - its a combination of the fact he smacked the dog and his timing was out so the dog never understood what the smack was for in the first place.
  
  He should not be dragging the dog, smacking it etc. That is unnecessary in dog training. Yes there is a time for corrections but if the dog is unsure of what to do you SHOW it, TEACH it, PROOF it then TEST it.
  
  Positive reinforcement only training is the the way to go either. I would recommend Cesar Milans books about leadership. Meanwhile your husband has to try to build trust again with the dog. Ignore the dog when it becomes frightened and you - dont coddle it. If it is frightened for no reason (if he yells/smacks that is different) then you ignore the dog too. He will learn there is nothing to worry about. Having your husband do some basic obedience exercises and praising the dog will help as well.


• your husband needs to go to an obedience class with the dog - his methods are barbaric and dont work
  At class he'll learn how to communicate with the dog.
  
  after hitting the dog its gonna take a long time to repair the damage
  rough play isnt a good idea with any dog


• i agree your husbands methods are barbaric, but there is a couple things i would try..
  
  1) i would take your husbands cologne, or some kind of scent and spray it on one of his old shirts or a new toy for the dog, and let the dog get use to him again
  
  2) i would also have your husband walk him by himself and sorta of make your dog watch, as your husband feeds him,
  
  try and make your husband your dogs other master, the other alpha male kind of deal


• The dog is frightened of your husband because your husband has been abusing him. Get him to stop abusing the dog, and act like the animal actually belongs in the house and things may gradually change.
  
  The dog's soiling the house were normal and to be expected when a dog first moves to a new home: he doesn't know your schedule, so he doesn't know how long he has to hold it. He stopped doing it because he figured out what you wanted.
  
  Pushing the dog off the bed constitutes abuse: Frenchies aren't that athletic and he could be seriously hurt, unless you sleep on a futon on the floor.
  
  If your husband continues his abuse of the dog, there will come a time in the near future when the dog will start urinating whenever your husband raises his voice. This is called submissive urination and it is VERY hard to train away. Urge your husband to modify his behavior now.
  
  Good luck.


• Do you know how they say that improperly potty training a baby can cause many other issues down the road? Same with this dog. The poor thing!
  
  Please, your husband is doing more harm than good.
  
  The dog needs positive reinfocement. Your husband is ruining this dog. Keep your husband away from the dog until he reads the books or starts taking the dog to training classes. The classes are for the owner as much as the dog.

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Dog Health Questions: My dog gets to excited / violent with fetch / tug a war ... what do I do?

I have a two year old Pom mix. i got him off of Craigslist in January 2008. His furr was matted, he was covered in ticks, had no training, and marked alot. I got him a cage, enrolled him in dog training class. We just complete the basic one at petco. Well he never played with anything until recently and that is whrere the problem is...

We will throw the toy he sometimes just runs by it then circles the living room as fast as he can.

Recently though he will get the toy and bring it back and the second I touch it he starts growling, jerking his head around. It sounds really violent, but I think he is still playing. Well once were done playing with the toy he starts jumping and snapping at my hands. This is really weird since he is a very sweet and friendly dog.

When we first got him he was possessive of food, but with thrainers help we got over that.

Im afraid he is now possessive with the toy, or he is just playing to hard.

How do I get him to behave?

The Significance of Dog Training Videos

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I just want to add a few things from what other have said...

You can play tug a war with a dog, the issue with this type of play is in certain breeds and behaviours it should be avoided b/c they become aggressive with the play and even dominant.

I have a two year old dog that we have successfully be able to play tug a war with. He understands when we have had enough and he is not aggressive or dominant with anything. Tug of war to him is just a fun game to play and nothing more. Personality can play a big role in determining if tug o war is a good idea or a bad idea with your dog

Growling can be normal play behaviour. But the snipping afterwards is not. I'm not sure if its possessive. I think seeing a trainer or a behaviourist is in your best interest, they will be able to analyze the context and determine if it is possessive behaviour. And be able to give you proper pointers on how to resolve the issue.

I agree with what some have wrote about the ignoring and even walking away. Dogs learn very well when you ignore behaviour you don't want and then rewards them for doing what you want. If you choose to ignore the bad behaviour you need to also reward the good, without doing both you can confuse your dog.

The Main Benefits Of Dog Training

• He is probably toy possessive. Most small dogs are. He probably needs some more training. At home you can work with him by playing with him and when these habits come out tell him no, take the toy away and stop. If he keeps snapping at your hands ignore him until he calms down. If this doesn't work you probably need some one on one training.


• As soon as he starts growling or biting, you get up and walk away. Every single time. He'll soon learn that biting/growling means no more playtime.
  
  But remember, you have to be ruthless about it. You can't let him ONCE think he'll get away with that behavior and you'll tolerate it.
  
  Good for you for rescuing, and good luck!


• Take the toy away and tell him NO!
  Ignore him for a few minutes and try again.
  Over time he will realize, he is most likely possessive
  due to some trauma in his earlier life and also trying to show dominance BUT you have the be the alpha and show him whose boss.
  
  Good luck!


• well you need to teach him a leave it command and then ensure that you choose when to play and when to stop!! My terrier goes crazy at tug of war - but he will stop when I show two flat palms to face him and say "finish"


• Any time he steps out of line drop the toy and ignore him for awhile. Once he's calmed down you can try again.
  It's a lot easier than it sounds, but if you're diligent he'll get the message.


• this takes time and patience so he likes to play and he has been abused he is just playing and he wants to play some more just keep up with the dog training


• Put him in time out.


• When your dog starts becoming aggressive when you play, you need to say no and immediately stop playing with him. It will take several tries before a dog can associate that his aggressiveness is bad. Same goes for food. Do not feed your dog when he is in his aggressive state. If he gets away with these behaviors, you're telling him that he is the pack leader. You cannot let him establish dominance over you, which is exactly what he is doing.


• In the trainning classes I went to they said never to play tug of war with a dog, because it is a game of dominance to to dog If they "win" the toy then they are the Leader/stronger boss/ Especially if your dog had a food aggression problem. What I would do is take all the toys away then get one out and give it to the dog as long as he is following the rules, trade the toy for a treat(food) instead of trying to take it from him, put the toy away when problems with the dogs attitude some up, eventually after the dog learns that he gets a treat when he willingly gives up the toy they he will give it up to u. My rottweiler had food aggression too, my boyfriend was o.k with it for some reason, when I moved in the first time the huge dog growled at me over the food he was only given food feed to him right out of my hand( I don't recomend this but I did it for two month and he learned now I can do whatever I want to his food and he feel secure that I'm not going to take it away no way was i gonna let a rottweiler that I live with growl at me for any reason LOL just scary)


• If he won't let go of the toy, make him "Sit" and bribe him with a small piece of food. He'll have to drop it to get the food. But say a command like "Drop it" before you give him to food. Whenever you say "Drop it" he will think he's going to be fed and want to give the toy back. When he runs in circles (mine does this too): Throw the toy, and shake a rattle or something to get his attention and call him with "Come". Then make him sit and do what I mentioned above. Don't give him a piece of food everytime because he won't do it when you don't have food. Every other time or every three times you play, because then he will learn to be curious and see if you have a treat or not. Most of all don't do this on a daily basis. He might get bored and start to ignore you.
  Hope this works!


• You never play any games with a dog that involve competition.
  
  If he brings you a toy and then does anything but drop it, stand up and walk away. Do not fight him for it.
  
  Work with a trainer ASAP on teaching him the "drop it" command. Every time you want to play fetch, it should consist of you throwing the toy, him bringing it back, and you ordering him to drop it, then rewarding him. When the game is over, YOU keep the toy- NOT him. And never ever play any sort of chase, tug of war, etc.


• When play is "done" have firm rules. Work on a "that'll do" or "enough" or "no play". Don't allow your hands to be near him when play is finished. Be standing. Let go of the toy, say "that'll do" or whatever key word you want to equal that you're done. After you've released the toy, used your word(s), walk away. Turn your back. If he's calm, or even still into playing, but not showing such enthusasism, you can restart play as a reward! Be like "okay, let's play!" and then "that'll do", and walk away... repeat... "okay, let's play!" "that'll do", repeat! Sounds like he just thinks this play is so much fun, and so great! And obviously he wasn't used to so much affection and positive interaction. Give it a go, see how it works!


• Sorry to say it but I suggest finding a private, positive trainer instead of the big box trainers. www.ccpdt.org is a good start.
  
  Tug toys should be put away unless you bring them out and initiate play. AS soon as he shows you a behavior you do not want, take the toy and put it away and crate him for a few minutes as a time out.
  
  By ending the game when he does something you don't want it will teach him to do those things less and less. Playing tug is a fun game but it can increase toy possession if you allow it to get out of hand and allow him to continue to progress.
  
  I will say that my male pit bull has been very growly since a puppy when he plays tug with me or with our other pit bull. It is only play though. He has been trained extensively and is not aggressive at all, he's just very vocal when playing. Some dogs are but you should know the difference in play growling and a serious warning growl. A serious growl should not be tolerated in play.
  
  http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/tugowar…
  
  I also suggest training a "drop it" cue and a "leave it" cue.


• put it down

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Dog Health Questions: How traumatic is it for a dog when it is rehomed?

Can a dog miss its previous owner? I'm not sure of the specifics of a dog's memory and I'd like to know if the period of adjustment a dog goes through can be attributed to more than just new surroundings but also to missing its master. Anyone with veterinary, dog training, or rescue experience, etc. have any insight? I tend to place human emotions on animals and am trying to cope with the unavoidable re-homing of my 1 1/2 year old dog. I've had him since he was 10 weeks old and I'm worried that even giving him to the best home will cause him confusion and sadness. Thanks.

Dog Training Ebook Review - SitStayFetch

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It really isn't too bad. I got my older dog when he was 13 months old, and I was his 4th owner. He adjusted just fine. We got our puppy when he was 11 weeks, and he did great, better than we expected. My parents just got a 5 month old pup yesterday, and they are his 4th home, and they said that he did just fine last night.

If you have a good reason why you need to rehome your dog, you should do it, if that means that the dog will be better off. It may take some time to adjust to a new family, but he will be fine.

8 Dog Training Tips Every Dog Owner Must Know

• There's definitely a grieving period. Imagine if you had spent the first X years of your life in one home with one family and then all of the sudden you were dumped in a shelter or someone else's home with no way of knowing why or for how long - I bet you'd be confused and sad too.
  
  That doesn't mean they can't learn to love a new owner and a new home of course. I have rescued several dogs and they are all happy, well-adjusted members of the family. It just takes time.
  
  Why are you rehoming your dog?


• Dogs are as intelligent and developed as two year old humans. So yes, he will miss you and yes, he will grieve.But he will also adjust to his new surroundings and new home given lots of patience and love.
  
  Why are you having to give up your dog? There are plenty of organizations designed to help you keep your dog, providing free/discounted medical care and food.


• hmm its hard to tell. I got my uncle's dog when he was 5 years old so he has been with him for awhile. The dog seem to adjusted very well. But when ever his old master came by he never looked so happy and excited. As long as they have a loving home your dog should be fine.


• It will cause him some confusion and sadness. Dogs can grieve. But they can also adjust.
  So if he's in a new, loving home, gets lots of attention, he should adjust well.


• It really varies from one dog to another. I have had dogs adjust in as little as two days and as much as four months. most will adjust in a month or less.


• Yes it will be quite bad.
  your dog is so used to being with you and loving you =]
  
  he is going to be so scared going to a new home =/


• stoppit...
  
  you're making me tear up about re-homing my aggressive shih tzu a year ago. :(


• Imagine being a child. You've known your parents, your whole life. And then suddenly at age 7 or 8 (say 1-2 human years for a dog) and you are suddenly torn away from everything and everyone you have ever known. And you find yourself crying after your mommy and daddy and wondering "Why don't they want me anymore" and you don't trust anyone anymore because the people you trusted, the people that you felt kept you safe, just abandoned you.
  
  I'm afraid you as a human would need some serious therapy after that.
  
  Luckily dogs are resilient and can and do adjust to a new home. But you know it has to be hard.
  
  But that is what its like.
  
  Think twice about rehoming your dog, its never a good thing to do. There is always a way to make it work, always.
  
  ADD: Okay I just got your message you sent through. You told me you have two pit bulls, two dogs known for dog aggression. Do rehome the younger dog, make it quick and get it over with soon, and do not I repeat do not, bring another pit in while your older dog is still living


• They do miss old owners, but can grow to love the new ones.
  
  There will be a period of confusion, there is no way to explain the situation to the dog, no way to make him understand whats going on. But, if re-homed correctly, that period of sadness passes rather quickly.
  
  The dog I had growing up came from my aunt, who had her for only a few days (transition period...long story). That dog although she loved us a whole bunch, still got excited when my aunt would come visit. We knew she missed her in a way, but the dog was also very happy where she was.
  
  *******
  I am sure you've thought about this, but just incase, when you rehome the younger PLEASE specify that this dog MUST be in an only-dog home. If possible, make up a contract. if you rehome this pup without letting the new owners know why you are rehoming, and they buy a "friend" for this dog, that ends up being terribly injured because of it, you could potentially be brought up on charges (don't know if they would stick...but its not fun to go through) And plus...i know I would be upset to adopt a dog that had known problems and werent told of them :)
  
  Not being mean...just a little reminder incase you hadn't though of it already :)


• police k9's I've heard can die from depression and starvation without their owner.

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Dog Health Questions: Which dog trainer advocates "nose flicks"?

I keep seeing people refer to "nose flicks" as some sort of training method or technique. I have had the privilege of working with & learning from many top obedience trainers & AKC judges over the last 20 years, but I have never heard anyone advocate doing such a thing as it is essentially a euphemism for hitting the dog. Obviously this would be anywhere from detrimental to downright dangerous in the case of some dogs. Is this some kind of thing one of those TV trainers advocates? I know some of them are really just actors pretending to be trainers, so it sounds like something one of them came up with.

Just curious where it comes from as I see those exact words "nose flick" so often here and always from people who obviously do not know much about dog training.

Thanks!

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Here on YA is the only place I have ever heard of people flicking dogs noses. In fact I have never seen any other dog forum or website where so many people advise hitting/slapping/tapping or otherwise using their hands to abuse their dogs. Sweet Jeebus, they even suggest hitting a little puppy who is not yet house trained.

I've met a lot of dog trainers in my time and not one of them has ever suggested nose flicking to be a training method. If anyone flicked my dog's nose they would very smartly have their nose flicked by yours truly to see how they like it. IMO the only people who rough house their dogs and refer to it as training are those who don't know how to train a dog.

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• As someone who trains Pure Koehler, I can not say that I have ever been told about a nose flick.
  My instructor spent many many years training directly with Bill Koehler.
  It is not something related to the Koehler Method of dog training, and I have trained through Utility with the method.
  
  This is definitely a term I have never heard before.


• I've watched by Ceasar Milan and Victoria Stillwell and have never seen either of these TV trainers use nose flicks. Of all the instructors I've ever trained with, none have ever recommended doing a nose flick.
  
  I tell you, if someone flicked me in the nose, I'd bite them.
  
  edit: I've heard of a ear pinch to train a forced retrieve, but I've never heard of a nose pinch.


• I don't see how ''nose flicking'' would be needed to train a dog. Train a dog to do what? That's what I don't get. I've VERY lightly tapped my dog on the nose before to get her nose out of something like a bag, my shirt, dresser, etc. but not flick it. Don't know where the method came from either nor when it would be needed.


• Eh...maybe someone tried to smack a dog on the behind (following the human principle) and couldnt tell the back side of the dog from the front side?
  
  IDK...Yahoo is actually the first time I've ever heard of training "techniques" having to do with a dog's nose lol


• Nose flicks are ridiculous. Can you get a dog to exhibit a certain behavior by inflicting pain? Yeah, probably, but who in their right mind wants that kind of relationship with their dog. I want my dog to do what I want simply because I've asked him to.


• one of the best trainers ive gone to has never done that and some others ive watched b4 i would take them to them havent done that doesnt seem like it would work very well but maybe for some


• I have done it, not so much a flick as a swipe at his nose, enough to make him 'sneeze'. I did it to teach him not to bite as a puppy and again to teach him not to snap at food that was handed to him and my dad was the one who showed me how to do it and when.
  People can say what they want about it but it worked very well for me and my dog didn't get damaged or become hand shy because of it. For me to disregard it, someone needs to show me that it is physically damaging to the dog or it is ineffective, neither of which has been the case with my own experience.


• I've heard of it. It's been around since before I started training. This was a time that more "hands on" training was done. It's a correction technique just like a collar pull, leash correction or other consequence. I think that I first saw the technique mentioned in a book by Blanche Saunders. I don't remember which one. William Koehler and Bob Self I'm sure also used the technique some. Ruth Tabaka taught several of us how to use a nose pinch to train the forced retrieve at a seminar in the 1980's. I don't know of any TV trainers that use it but then I don't watch the TV trainers. I'm sure just like any method, if it is used properly by someone experienced in the technique, it probably works fine. I've found other methods that work best for me.

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Dog Health Questions: My 10 week old english bull terrier thinks she's dominate and she's aggressive towards my other dog. WTD?

This is getting scary. She viciously growls at my other dog whenever she's around me. I know she thinks she's in charge but the poor thing is tiny and my amstaff is full grown 3yo male. She's enrolled in a private dog training facility but she doesn't start for 6 more weeks. My amstaff is very calm and loves dogs but there's only so much aggressive growling he can take. How can I get her to realize she's not top dog before she gets hurt?

Time To Find Out More About Appropriate And Efficient Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
Whether you Puppy is trying to "dominate" an older dog or not, for right now you don't let the behavior be practiced. So that means for right now you manage the situation. If you can't be there to supervise, they get no alone time. If she is growling and acting aggressive even when you are there, they need to be separated. Invest in some baby gates and crates. That way when one dog has roam of the house the other can be crated with a yummy bone.

Are you sure it's not loud play? Some dogs are just very vocal when they play. And your puppy could just have no manners yet.

Also, what kind of socialization is she getting. This is the use it or loose it phase. I would call your training facility/trainers and talk about socialization, and your concerns about her "aggression".

Dog Training - The Right and Wrong Way

• You didn't say how long you've had the puppy.
  
  If your armstaff hasn't laid into the puppy yet, he probably won't hurt it. I tend to think the puppy is afraid of the armstaff, since you didn't mention she has tried to play with him at all. Fear is probably the reason she's growling.
  
  If your older dog gets fed up with the puppy after she's adjusted to living with you, i'm sure he will put her in her place. Dogs who are well-adjusted won't hurt a puppy, but they will tell them who is boss.
  
  My dog is a middle-aged lab, and she's not real fond of puppies, because they tend to like to go for her ears. She will snarl at them, and sometimes "snap" in their direction, giving a warning,and not meant to be aggressive or to harm. It's her way of saying "leave me the hell alone."


• There are two parts to this: 1) you may have an aggressive dog which would need a trainer's help or
  2) YOU are causing this issue!**
  
  **Okay so for me to try and explain: Dogs can become very protective of their owners. From what you're saying she thinks she's "the boss". That type of dominant behavior is expressed most likely because you are unconsciously letting her get away with it. When both dogs are together, and your amstaff gets fed up, do you pick up your puppy or push her away? When she's on your lap and your amstaff comes up to you and she gets aggressive, do you push her off and tell her no or do you let her stay on your lap? This is a very touchy topic, but depending on how you react in each situation can actually make her behavior worse. When you feed your dogs, do you feed them together or in separate rooms? And who do you feed first? Remember, dogs in the wild live in packs, so you need to establish yourself as the pack leader. You amstaff should always be treated as the second dog and your puppy the third. When you feed them, feed your amstaff then the puppy. Whenever she exibits bad or aggressive behavior, do NOT let her be around you. You need to show her that aggressive behavior is not acceptable and that you will not allow it near you.
  
  I hope that helps you a little bit until you get her into the training facility. I worked a lot with dogs at the shelter for training and issues like this usually have to do with the owner.

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Dog Health Questions: Dog Whisperer or Victoria Stillwell?

Ok, sorry. Not sure why I had Blackwell in my head when I asked the previous question......so here goes the right question..

Who do you prefer, Cesar or Victoria (from It's Me or the Dog) when it comes to dog training methods. Why do you like them better and/or why have you found their training methods more effective than the other?

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Recommended Answer:
Victoia Stillwell without a question. For several reasons.

1. Cesar has a "do not try this at home" warning at the start of his show. Victoria /encourages/ people to try her methods at home.

2. Cesar's methods are based on punishment. Victoria's are based on positive reinforcement. I'd much rather praise my dog for doing things right than punish him for doing them wrong.

3. Victoria sets dogs up for success (and praises them for getting it right). Cesar sets dogs up for failure (and punishes them for getting it wrong). Would you rather feel constantly right or constantly wrong?

4. Victoria's methods change the dog's feelings/emotions towards a trigger and consequently change the dog's reactions. Cesar's methods suppress (change) the reactions but do nothing to change the underlying emotions that cause that reaction. The dog still feels the same way but just doesn't have a way communicate those feelings.

5. Training with aggression causes aggression.

6. Cesar's methods and theory are based on a flawed study into a fake wolf pack done decades ago. Victoria keeps up to date on new methods and new theories. Her way of training has changed since her first series.

Read the links below for more information. Please.

Dog Training Ideas

• Stillwell, definitely. Millan has so many strikes against him, in my opinion, it's not funny. The majority of his training does not work for most dog owners. Kids see his show and think they are experts, and as a result get hurt. They also think it extends to other species.
  
  A while ago someone asked what they should do about the parakeet biting, and a kid who apparently had watched his show got the idea the bird was trying to be dominant, so they told the questioner to put the cage on the floor. Which is the absolute worse thing you can do.
  
  Some people honestly believe that saying "Shss" is all it takes to get a dog to walk without pulling.
  
  He forces into dogs into situations that are very traumatic, and they shut down (does anyone remember the Sheltie who was afraid of the toaster program?).
  
  He gives the mistaken impression that if you flip a dog over on his back, the dog is submitting. True submission is totally voluntarily, without anyone lifting so much as a finger.
  
  He lost a client's dog in one of the episodes I did watch. The dog was in their home and it jumped off the balcony. My first question would be what was he doing to the dog to cause it to run away?
  
  The absolute straw for me was when he had a client who wanted to overcome his fear of dogs so his kids could have a pet. He gave them his Chinese Crested dog that he rescued around two years prior. The idea of seeing if the dog liked the family never occurred to him . Something clicked in my mind, and I haven't watched a program of his since.
  
  Sorry for the length.


• I don't really pay much attention to either one. Neither is a real dog trainer, and both of their shows are edited for content, which gives the perception that they know what they are doing, and that can be dangerous to the general public.
  
  If I want training advice, I go to a few trainers I know personally, or to my favorite accredited trainers books that I have in the bookcase. It would never even occur to me to ask or watch a TV entertainer how to train my dog.
  
  Victoria is pretty harmless, but Millan has some pretty dangerous incorrect theories about dogs and pack behavior that can damage a dog.


• They are both actors playing to a TV audience for ratings so that they can continue to earn a paycheck.
  
  Can I suggest that you go to a dog trainer instead of an actor when you want valid information about training a dog.
  
  There are only two ways that any living creature learns anything. Operant conditioning and Classical conditioning.
  If you want to learn how to train a dog you will be well served by studying both, otherwise you will be "just doing" with no understanding of why or how.


• I like Cesar in that he is all about showing "Dominance" over your dog. Letting them know who's boss. (it really seems to work) I don't like how he does this creepy "claw" looking thing with his hand and corrects the dog right at the neck.
  
  I like Victoria in that she is all about praise. Although, some of her "tricks" don't work with all dogs in every case.
  
  So, I like them both for different reasons!


• They are quite different, and i've also noticed they work on different issues.
  
  I've never really seen Cesar help anyone teach their dog to come to them, but on the other hand, i've seen Victoria do this.
  
  Cesar has never helped anyone i know of help to maintain a dog's calmness in a car -- i saw him help with this issue once, and he was sitting in the back seat with the dog. I'm sure that, the next time the owners took the dog out ,it reverted to its barking or whining because Cesar wasn't in the back seat. On the other hand, Victoria has dealt with this on her show a few times.
  
  These two issues pop into my mind because they are two i've had issues with myself. So, i'm definitely not saying one trainer's method is better.
  
  I do love both Cesar and Victoria. Both have great training methods, and i believe that, if we are going to train our dogs based on one or the other's methods, we need to take a look at each and see which suits us best.
  
  take care.


• In a nutshell, I prefer Victoria because her methods are more realistic for every day pet owners.
  Cesar Milan has excellent methods, but a lot of them are just too difficult for your average dog owner to use.

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Dog Health Questions: What Science project can I do with my dog?

I have to a science fair project (in 8th grade) and i can't think of any ideas, i asked my teacher and he said try dog training so i said hey thats a great idea. but we have to use the scientific method, and i don't know what my question or problem would be. Please help my and maybe some websites on training dogs. Or maybe even other suggestions for my project. thanks:)

Secrets to Dog Training Reviewed

Recommended Answer:
Intelligence test? Dr. Stanley Coren developed a good one.

http://www.abc.net.au/animals/dog_test/d…

The Right Way to Use Electronic Dog Training Collars

• If you have the equipment (A good microscope) You can do a project on the difference between cat and dog saliva, and the difference in bacteria. I did that for my 9th grade science fair and won. But, it's pretty challenging. So I'll help you with your idea, ask a question about it for example "Can dog training change my dogs behavior) It'd be really good if you have an older, dog, maybe reword the "Can't teach an old dog new tricks" phrase. Then for a hypothesis just go with your gut, that should be the easiest part.


• You could look at different training methods (look online for maybe 3 different methods) each method you teach your dog a different command so that they don't interfere with each other. One can be clicker training (treats and positive reinforcement), one just food motivation (also treats and positive reinforcement) no clicker, one can be without treats (some people that using treats is bribery) . Try teaching your dog sit with a clicker and treats, then teach your dog lay down with just treats, and try teaching your dog shake without treats. Test out which method your dog learns better and faster with. Typically you train your dog for small amounts of time, so you can work with that (about 5 minutes of training) and try increasing the time a bit to see if your dog looses interest quickly. You can also replace treats with toys, you can see if your dog is motivated more by food or by toys. There are a lot of things you can try, I'm sure you could come up with a hypothesis from some of these ideas.


• do that thing where every-time you feed your dog or give them a treat you play a noise.. like a clicker, or bell, or ring and make him sit or something... then after a few times he will learn that the noise means he is going to gt fed and to do so needs to sit.. sounds complicated but some scientist did it to prove developed responses. google it x


• Maybe you can research different training methods try them on your dog to see which one works best and which one helps him to remember the longest.


• Red rocket

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Dog Health Questions: Does my dog listen to me because im his friend and feed him, or is that im assertive and a good handler?

Im 14, and for our first dog, we bought a border collie from a rescue centre. (not the best decision when we've never had a dog before.)

Sammy is roughly 4 years old, and we think he may have been abused or neglected in his 3 previous homes, as he is scared or children and some dogs, a trainer told us he isn't an evil dog, but uses nervous aggression in order to protect himself against strangers.

He is very attached to my mum, he follows her everywhere, and usually only wants us when we give him food or when my mum isnt available.

I used to be terrified of dogs, but taking on horse riding 5 years ago, i had to deal with 4 german shepherds around us at the stables. This helped me, but when we had sammy, i totally overcame my fear, and i want to have many dogs when i am older, I dont find any dog scary now, not even rottwielers or pitbulls, they just get a bad reputation, its not the dog, its the handler .

Heres the question. Me and sammy are best buds now, im the one that has the time for him. So i train him, teach him tricks and so on. Now I am older and alot stronger, my mum allows me to take sammy on walks alone, if he is wearing the halti. He walks with me perfect, sitting at every road and ignores most activity on the streets.

He gets plenty of exercise. Because I love running, i take him for a run more than a walk. Theres only the occasional dog he has a confrontation with (usually white retrievers, that look like sheep. Or mabye younger males. He transforms, you can tell he hates them, but its not all his fault, other dogs have triggered off the fight too). But even when in a fight, i can control him and tell him whos boss.

My mum tells me that she is nervous at holding his lead in one hand and doesnt feel incontrol, like I do, im more confident. she says i definately handle him better.

I say its because i have the time. Because mum, dad and my sis are usually at work or doing things around the house. I pay attention to dog training, i love kate and gin, ive met them and talked to kate about sammy because he can do some doggy dancing. I also find that cesar milan, the dog whisperer, program very helpful, and i do everything he says.

I just wonder if sammy listens to me because he sees me as pack leader, fun but assertive. or is it because im the one with the treats. Id like to think it was because he sees me as leader, but he is so attached to my mum i dont know.

Can anyone give me a good opinion?

Thanks. Amy x

Dog Training With a Halti or General Leader Collar

Recommended Answer:
I think he listens to you because of his last homes he wasn't treated properly. You've taken care of him in a friendly way that he deserves for the first time and he appreciates it. You've earned his trust. I don't think he just does it for the treats. I think he loves your whole family because of this fresh new start you've given him. If you really want to know then don't give him treats anymore. Well actually do this:
What you usually give him treats for like for an example maybe sit, if he has learned it well then stop giving him treats for it. Continue giving treats to him for the new stuff but for the stuff he has learned and done well just stop. And be extra friendly during this time period because after his experience of dog abuse or treated unfairly he might take this as a sign that you don't care for him and that later on you'll repeat what his former owners have done (treating him unfairly). So if you don't give him a treat just pet him on the head or say good boy and just give nice confortable rubs. Also, when you are teaching him new stuff you should give him a half a treat like break the treat in half (unless if you've done the old stuff and you didn't give him a treat and he's okay with it then you can choose to just not give him a treat at all and see how he reacts! remember to be friendly! giv erubs and pats and "good dog"'s occasionally even if he didn't do anything.)

Basic Dog Training Commands

• I believe it is because of all of it. You feed him, which makes him like you, and you play with him, exercise him, train him, etc. So that makes him love you. Overall, your dog trusts you since you are always around making his life great. I believe you are a good handler as well.


• Actually, it's both! Being his pack leader gives him confidence in you & your decisions. Also dogs love to please, and you're recognized as the one who challenges and exercises him, which is what they need. Keep up the good work!

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Dog Health Questions: My dog has a peeing problem...help!!?

ok i hav a a pug/chihuahua and everytime i leave the house and come home she gets overly excited to see me. she wangs her tail and is happy to see me and pees on me. shes is 7 months so i have learned to pick her up and run to take her outside before she pees inside the house. i got dog training pads and she uses them. so we have another pug/chihuahua and he doesnt do what she does. what is the problem? how do i fix it?

Abused Dog Training - How to Train an Abused Dog

Recommended Answer:
hi there, i understand what your going through, i have the same problem with my 5 year old pug. i have took her to the vet when she was a puupy and hey told me that she should grow out of it, but she never did so i took her back and said that its just something im going to have to live with cause theres nothing you can do about it, i suggest ignoring her as soon as you get home so that she doesnt get to excited

hope i helped =)

x

Electronic Dog Training Collar

• Not all but most small breeds are like that. Its something that you are just going to have to live with and hope maybe she does grow out of it. I wouldn't ignore her, thats sending the message that your not excited to see her. Dogs want to plz there masters. If it bothers you that bad crate her while you are away so your able to pick her out of the crate and carry her outside. Be proud that she gets that excited to see you means she loves you. My female boston does but my male has never had that problem, he just does doggie tatrums:)


• It's usually a puppy thing they grow out of...they're just so excited to see you they can't hold it in!
  You can try just not making any fuss of the dog when you first walk in, completely ignore it for 30 seconds or so and give her time to calm down before you make a fuss of her.
  Someone once told me spaying them can help stop the habit, but I've never seen that work with anyone else's dog, and I don't see why it would particularly, although in general spaying is a good idea.


• It's called submissive peeing and most puppies outgrow it. If not, take her to the vet, there's meds available to increase urethral tone.
  
  This is a puppy you need to not make eye contact with, be very, very low-key in your greetings, ignoring her for a couple of minutes would be best. Kee your voice low and quiet and she might get better just with you working with her.


• It will go away, my dog used to do the same thing. We tried to sneak into the house so she wouldn't get excited.
  I'm don't quite remember when she stopped but we were glad.
  Also glad we have hardwood floors.


• She is young and very excitable. In time she will outgrow this. Until then continue to rush her outside.She will soon learn that this is the correct behavior, peeing outside.

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Dog Health Questions: Suggest a nice and easy book about dogs Training?

Suggest a nice and easy book about dogs Training. show any video training tutorial site

Shock Collar Dog Training the Quick and Easy Way

Recommended Answer:
I highly recommend "Mother knows best" Its a great book
It teaches you to be the alpha or mother dog

Top Dog Training Tips

• I KNOW "THE DOG WHISPERER", CESAR MILAN, HAS JUST PUT OUT A NEW BOOK ABOUT TRAINING DOGS. LOOK AT THAT.


• can search through google will get the best one


• Oshoo's Yoga book.That's what I call good training=)

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Dog Health Questions: Has anyone ever used a spray bottle for dog training?

Has anyone tried this method and found that it worked ?I think I just had a breakthrough with my unruly JRT puppy!!! He bites his leash and chases and bites(way too hard) at people hands and legs excessivley, and barks at me if I say "No" or "Ahhh" so I needed another option. I just tried the water spray in the face along with the "Ahh!!" sound during one of our obedience sessions and he has completley stopped that particular behavior, now just saying the word he stops in his tracks.

Dog Training Tools and Advice

Recommended Answer:
I honestly don't like that method, I don't want to be sprayed in the face when i do something bad, so I don't do it to my dog. I use, removal technique with the "ahh ahh". If my dog goes for a person to try to jump up he is immediately removed from the room with a ahh ahh and doesn't come out till his comes, he does it again he is removed again. I don't like to scare my dog, I like to punish when bad behavior an reward when good behavior.

P.S not to mention Saber would just lick the water and bottle LOL! He also does this with the hose.

But every dog has his methods. =]

The Basic Commands of Dog Training

• There is no difference between the spray bottle, giving their lead a "pop", using a rattle can, or just saying the word "NO". All are a correction through the use of Positive Punishment, and they all work.
  
  edit:
  LMAO, just mention the words positive punishment and the TDs come a knockin'.
  Some day people will figure out that it is them, and only them, that decides if positive punishment is a bad thing or not. All the term means is that an unwanted behavior was reduced or prevented by adding something (in this case a squirt from a spray bottle, could just as easily have been by saying "NO")
  
  "If he bites you or your guests squeal like a puppy and refuse to give him attention."
  
  And that my dear is using both positive & negative punishment. Squealing is positive (something was added), and not giving attention is negative (something was subtracted), but you are still training through the use of punishment.


• Although I have not tried this technique myself (nor am I in favor of it) I know of people who have and instead of working for them, it worked against them. The dogs grew a tolerance to the spray and it meant nothing to them after a few squirts. Your spray seemed to work for you and you shouldn't have to try more than twice or else discontinue it.


• I did try this method once with my Labrador Retriever puppy she loved the water and would try to bite or eat the water sprays, and then once on my Basset Hound, he just stared at me while I pelted him. He probably would have stayed that way until he was soaking wet! lol. So, no it didn't work for me but then again the breeds that I have don't typically respond well to this I think.
  
  If this method has worked for you, well then that's great! I just hope that he doesn't get used to the water and then reverts back to his old ways.


• No, I haven't used it and I don't plan to. Different Methods work for Different Owners & Dogs, but I won't use it for mine.
  
  My dogs get a firm "No" or a pop on the lead if they do something wrong, if it's too un-.. "proper".. then I will take the dog and practically slam it to the ground. No, this isn't abuse, it is correction that WORKS for me and my dogs, exactly how the Spray Bottle works for yours.
  
  Personally, my dogs love any water they can get on them. From the hose, sink dripplets when I'm doing dishes, rain, whatever. They actually enjoy going UNDER water and getting water sprayed at their face so they can "catch" it.


• I used the spray bottle for excessive barking, but I sprayed my dog on his body, rather than his face. Water in his ears or nose could be harmful. For the leash, you can use positive reinforcement when he is walking properly (treat & praise). If he bites you or your guests squeal like a puppy and refuse to give him attention.


• No, and only because I use a spray bottle to mist my dogs with a vinegar and water solution to keep fleas off them when they go outside. The last thing I want is for them to be afraid of the misting bottle. That and I don't administer discipline to the dogs' faces. It makes them head shy.


• While it is not the worst thing you could be doing, how would you like it if every time you stuffed up you got sprayed in the face? But it did work ... and it doesn't hurt so I'm not completely condeming it but I only engage in positive reinforcement training.


• If you got the response you wanted with your "squirt bottle" method then the correction was successful for him.
  
  Whether it stays a successful way to correct him is what remains to be seen in the long run.
  .
  .
  .
  .


• Yes I have used it.
  
  I have also used the super soaker or a hose pipe on extreme situations. One being my male trying to jump a 7 foot fence to the neighbours. He can't get over it, but that is a big drop back down on his back legs.


• No, I haven't and don't plan to. One of my dog's are scared of water, especially spraying from a hose. If you have problems with your puppy biting leashes why not just get a chain link one? They can't bite them.


• Yea, people i know have, when the dog barks they spray him with a water bottle and he is silent.


• Tried it but it didn't work. She just started biting the stream.


• yeah it works but dont use it too much cause then youre just going to get a stinky wet dog doing whatever it wants haha


• No, it is just another crutch in training. I use my voice, something I always have with me where crutches can get left at home when you need them

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Dog Health Questions: How do I prevent a dog training disaster that is none of my business?

My sister has had a track record of aggressive dogs. She has 3 shiatsu mixes at home and one of them is very aggressive. He nips and bits the family members and the kids who get anywhere near him. At one time they owned a lab/pit bull mix. Who tragically attacked almost everyone including her husband and mine just for entering her space. She was put down after she attacked a friend who came into the house. My concern grows where now they have adopted a full bread Pit Bull who is only 3 months old and is attacking growling and biting threw the skin. He attacked my 5yr old just for standing by. All three of these dogs I mentioned my sister considers hers. I noticed she babies them more than the others even after they act out encouraging bad behavior. She truly believes she is correcting it. I am scarred this pup doesn't have a chance. What can be done? My kids are 4 & 3 and don't like the puppy already. He's attacked my 5yr old to the point she started kicking him out of way and drew blood from my 3 yr old.

Dog Training Tip - Leash-Collar Training

Recommended Answer:
A properly bred Pit Bull should have zero human aggression. They do, however, have a strong bite so if the puppy is doing a standard play bite then bite inhibition is required there and at 3 months, that would be my guess. If it's anything other than that, well, there is some bad breeding going on there and quite honestly, the dog needs to be in the hands of a professional or put down. In either case, do your friend a HUGE favor and pool your monies together and buy her a gift certificate to get her into a GOOD dog training class. The owner is more likely to listen to a professional than a friend. not the kind you find at petsmart or petco but you need to find a trainer that is savvy to the breed and how to work with them. If you want, ping me offline and I will locate a good trainer in your area.

Why One Size Does Not Fit All In Dog Training

• I would contact animal control. The dogs are a liability for your sister and anyone that comes to the house. I would recommend that you not take your children anywhere around the dogs. You are responsible for their safety and if they get seriously injured by the dogs it will be your fault as well.
  
  Your sister may get mad but I don't see where you have much choice for the safety of your children.


• Talk to your sister and voice your concerns. If she does nothing to correct the problem then keep your kids away.


• At this point I would get animal control involved, if the dog is going after children.


• For one her homeowners insurance will not cover this if it was reported! I wouldn't take the chance of going over there with my kids. You unfortunately will have no control on what happens since your sister is in denial. If she doesn't know the background breeding of this dog its a disaster waiting to happen! Someone will get seriously hurt or killed and your sister could get jail time etc!
  
  I have a neighbor with a pit mix that has come through the second story window of her home! If its loose when she's gone it bangs and barks on the kitchen window on our side of the house the entire time. No one is outside even and its only 4 feet from my driveway! I have video taped this dog doing this since talking to her is like talking to a wall and the cops have already talked to her. She says her dog will never hurt anyone....that is the last thing ANY dog owner should say to anyone about their dog. All I say is she better hope its not a member of my family or one of my dogs that gets harmed or killed for the same attitude.


• Why don't you just tell her to TRY to make a good dog out of it before it's too late. E-mail the dog whisperer. Animals control equals death to the dog, I don't ever think that a dog is so far gone as to be killed, and I've met some angry dogs. I believe in them.
  
  I met a mentally ill, and angry dog. She attacked my old cavalier to KILL her. Pulled her neck, and swung her around. I was mortified and scared for my dog. It didn't stop me however from trying to help the dog, rather than kill her - easy way out.
  
  Your sister is the one who needs help. You need to get a tough-as$ dog trainer to tell HER how it is and make sure he's tough toward her, so she really understands the serious and danger she's causing if she's not an expert on these kind of breeds.


• Your sister obviously lacks the skills needed to nurture a dog through with good manners, and it looks as if the new one will be no different if she is not correcting this normal puppy behavior which will result in very bad behavior if not corrected.
  
  I think you should do as suggested and absolutely not visit your sister while she has the dogs there.
  
  I do hope you don't mean that you are all living in the same place.
  
  If you mean by that last sentence that your kids visited her and her dogs, and your kids kicked the pup then that is not right, and your sister should of been controlling the situation with the pup.


• I do not know about the other dogs but the pit puppy needs to be taught that this is not exceptable. He needs to be socialized alot too. If she has never had a pit she needs to learn before something bad does happen. A pit puppy can hurt you without realizing it but if he is aggressive to kids without being provoked than he is probably a bad bloodline. Pit puppies get carried away when they are playing and get real rough real fast. I have had them for over 20 years and if your sister doesn't do something like obedience trainin and alot of socializing she needs to get rid of the pup. Most are great dogs but everybody should not own one. They do everything 100%.That are not allowed to attack humans...you don't take them to the dog park and let them play with the other dogs...you don't let them run loose and when he grows up if her other dogs do not bow down and let him be boss he will probably hurt them They do not play well with other animals. But they should be put down if she can't stop that behavior. If she gives it away or sells it and they don't know what they are doing he will hurt someone someday. If he is truely people mean do not breed him..or keep him..put him down.


• Well, I suppose if you call your sister an idiot it would make for hard feelings. You need to protect your children and yourself. Refuse to visit your sister in her home unless every one of her dogs has passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation. Then plan on not seeing the inside of your sister's home ever again because there's no way any of her dogs will pass.
  Unfortunately, being an idiot and making decent dogs into terrors is not punishable by law.


• How is it none of your business if your kids are being bitten?
  
  Lots of drama here (and nearly illiterate in parts), but what YOU do is keep your kids away from your sister's dogs - end problem. The rest is family nutsiness and I can't even begin to fathom what you are on about --- but you need to keep your kids AWAY from these dogs, common sense would tell you that's the part that's your business.
  
  Don't know who "he" and "she" is in your last sentence, but nobody should be kicking a dog out of the way when he "drew blood" from your 3 year old --- are you people all dimwitted? The 3 year old shouldn't be any where near any of your sister's dogs - that's where YOU come in, you're the mother.
  Lord, I hope your kids live to adulthood, doesn't sound as if they stand much of a chance in your family surroundings.

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Dog Health Questions: Dog training help please?

i have a 6 year old boreder collie.. I was wanting to know can she still be trained? i live in bossier city but i am willing to go to shreveport louisiana. do you have any places that maybe you think i should take her to get her trained? if so do they have a website?

4 Tips To Be Succesful In Dog Training Biting

Recommended Answer:
A dog is never to old to learn new things. I rescued a 4 year old dog and she is doing great in Agility and Obedience.

Passive and Active Dog Training Techniques

• she can still be trained. I have a 8 yr old border collie and i just taught her to tunnel through a agility tunnel. you can teach an old dog new tricks

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Dog Health Questions: Hand signal for stay and high five are the same - dog training?

i'm training my 7 month old puppy. shes doing really well except gets confused when i tell her to stay or give me a high five because the hand signal looks the same.
how do i change this to make them look different? i don't want to confuse her any more.

p.s.- i dont want to put my hand up close to her face when i tell her to stay because that wouldn't be realistic if i'm out somewhere or need to tell her to stay in a hurry, without running up to her to put my hand in her face. i want to be able to tell her to stay from across the room. and she's picked up well with the stop sign hand signal, its just that i use that also when i ask her for a high five.

Dog Training Advice - What Or Who Do I Believe?

Recommended Answer:
This is understandable and even I stumbled upon this conflict while training my dog.

The "stay" command is fine. Putting your hand up and shouting stay is great.

Now for "high-five" - I have a solution. I called my "high-five" - "Paw". I put my hand lower than the dog's head with my palm facing up wards and said "paw". Training the dog into responding to paw is just as effective. Paw and high five are basically the same thing. Once the dog has adapted to "paw" with your hand below the head and palm upwards - when you say paw in the future, your dog would be able to touch your hand no matter what position it is in.

There shouldn't be problems with paw and stay being a like at this time because not only are the words different and the hand jester different but, you have to be closer for a paw or as you like to call it "high-five".

I hope I helped, good luck!

Aggressive Dog Training: 6 Tips to Civilize Your Dog

• Ok hi-5, keep you hand up high, keep it normal
  
  For stay, I lower my arm and palm so it is diagonal or you could even flatten it out completely.


• Heh, for my dog we use a different hand symbol. We put the hand sideways so we don't confuse him.


• for 'stay' my boyfriend and I point and say stay. It worked well with her.


• out the high five lower and turn your hand like a handshake.
  
  thats what i do with my dog(:
  
  BEST ANSWER(:


• Just change one of the commands. Start by using the new hand sign in conjunction with the verbal command. She'll realize on her own that this sign means to do that command. For the command that stays the same, only reward her if she does the action you want. It's pretty easy to recondition puppies to new commands provided you're upbeat about the training and offer incentive (treat, praise, play, etc...). For future commands, try to make sure the hand sign isn't too similar before you start training it. There's no set hand sign for any command. There are commonly used ones but you don't have to use those. My dogs all respond to hand signs and none are the traditional ones. I chose my own because that was easier for me. As long as they are being trained, it really doesn't matter what the sign/command is. All that matters is that your dog understands what you want and does it.

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Dog Health Questions: Help with dog training?

OK so i have this dog who is english springer spaniel and everyone in the family loves him but the only problem is that every time someone has food in their hand he always take it from them and if we leave food out for 2 seconds he will get it then when we try and take it from him he bites us and eats it, he has bit over 5 family members all under the age of 10, i was just wondering what i should do about this or if there is any trainers for this in like the Philadelphia district. THANK YOU SO SO MUCH

Dog Training Tips For Hard-To-Train Dogs

Recommended Answer:
why don't you just give it a treat every time it does something good

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

• Make sure he is punished for his bad behavior and make sure that food is not within reach of him or put him in a kennel when it is time to eat. After a while he might figure it out.

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Dog Health Questions: Does Petco sell Dog Training Clickers at the store? Or only online.?

If sold at stores is it the same 2$ as online?

Dog Training - How NOT To Train Your Dog

Recommended Answer:
Yes, they sell them in the store. There are 2 of them in my area, both of them have them clickers in a little bucket at the checkout. I'm pretty sure they were $1.99 each.

Easy Dog Obedience Training Can Be Done at Home With a Do it Yourself Dog Training Program

• Yes they have them in stores. Though I don't know why people actually use clickers.
  Can you make a click with your tongue? If you just make the click noise yourself, you don't have to carry a stupid clicker around. I have even used letters, such as "T" as a reward sound. Makes life a million times easier when you're already carrying a leash, treats, and god knows what else.


• I use this one because I can put it on my key chain or attach it to my jean loops. They work really well!
  
  http://www.petco.com/product/9698/PETCO-…


• you can buy them at pet stores but be prepared to pay up to 10 dollars for them..
  
  i buy mine on ebay for around 2 dollars, in our pet shops they go for around 20 dollars sometimes.


• You can get them at the pet store. Most of them have them for about the same price or less.


• yes i got mine at petco for $2.

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Dog Health Questions: Good Dog Training Books?

My wife and I will be getting a German Shepard puppy soon, and was wondering if anyone had read any good training books for this breed, or just in dogs general?

We've both had numerous dogs, but never really tried to train them beyond the basics.

Secrets to Dog Training to Stop Your Dog's Behavior Problems

Recommended Answer:
I have found Cesar Millan's "Cesar's Way" and Tamar Geller's "The Loved Dog" to be great resources that balance one another. Although I do not have a GSD (though everyone thinks my pup is a GSD mix (even though he doesn't have the coat, paws, or size)), I've also found Ed Frawley's website VERY helpful: http://leerburg.com/

Nothing, however, has made more difference than finding a good local trainer. Our trainer has done a great deal for our dog... primarily by training ME...

As with anything, what works best for you, your family, and your dog will likely be a matter of "copy & paste" from a number of diverse sources. Be careful not to take any single trainer's or dog expert's two-cents as gospel. You (and your dog) would likely be unbalanced... and an unbalanced person (or dog) is not really a happy person (or dog).

Things to Consider Before You Go For a Dog Training Career

• Cesar Milan's books and videos are great for training:
  http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/


• Cesar's Way by Cesar Milan!
  I'm reading it right now, but it's been really helpful
  It tells you the most effective ways to get dogs to respond to you
  WITHOUT abusing them
  (:


• I like "Good Owners, Great Dogs", by Kilcommon and Wilson.


• Not nessacarily about dog training, but definitely a good dog behavior book. Explains many situations from the dogs point of view. Bones would Rain From The Sky: Deepening Our Relationship With Dogs by suzanne Clothier.
  www.flyingdogpress.com (read the free articles, although the site now required signing up for free account)


• Try to enroll in a puppy socialization class, and then dog obedience its a great way for you and your dog to be active. Most groups have doggy day outs. Training my GSD was the best thing I have ever did, it was a great time for myself and my dog, they are quick to learn, and make great family pets.


• hope you find what you're looking for.
  Try this link...great title


• 21 Days to a Trained Dog, by Dick Maller, Simon & Schuster, October 1979, Paperback, ISBN: 0671251937
  
  25 Stupid Mistakes Dog Owners Make, by Janine Adams, McGraw Hill - NTC, November 2000, Paperback, ISBN: 0737304901
  
  101 Essential Tips: Training Your Dog, by Bruce Fogle, Dorling- Kindersley, May 1997, Paperback ISBN: 0789414600
  
  101 Training Tips for Your Dog, by Kate Delano-Condax Decker, Dell Books, November 1994, Paperback, ISBN: 0440505682
  
  All Dogs Need Some Training, by Liz Palika, MacMillan General Reference, August 1997, Paperback, ISBN: 0876054076
  
  American Kennel Club Dog Care and Training, by American Kennel Club, Howell Book House, August 1991, Paperback, ISBN: 087605405X A Classic! The Art of Raising a Puppy, by the Monks of New Skete, Little Brown & Company, March 1991, Hardcover, ISBN: 0316578398
  
  ASPCA Complete Dog Training Manual, by Bruce Fogle, Dorling- Kindersley, April 1,1994, Hardcover ISBN: 1564584879
  
  Basic Dog Training, by Miller Watson, Tfh Pubns, November 1,1990, 2nd Edition, School & Library Binding, ISBN: 0866227857
  
  Becoming Your Dog's Best Friend : How to Earn Your Dog's Love, by Martin J. Becker, Published by Tfh Pubns, October 1,1994, Paperback
  ISBN: 0793800870
  
  Beyond Basic Dog Training, by Diane L. Bauman, Howell Book House, October 1,1991, Hardcover, 257 pages, ISBN: 0876054106
  
  Canine Good Citizen : Every Dog Can Be One, by Joachim Volhard, Wendy Volhard, Melissa Bartlett (Illustrator), Hungry Minds, Inc., July 1997
  ISBN: 0876054521
  
  Civilizing Your Puppy, by Barbara J. Wrede, Published by Barrons Educational Series, February 1, 1997 2nd Edition, Paperback, 120 pages
  ISBN: 0812097874
  
  Complete Handbook of Dog Training, by Thomas A. Knott, Dolores Oden Cooper, Howell Book House, February 1994, Hardcover,
  ISBN: 0876055552
  
  Crazy Dogs & Crazy People : Looking at Behavior in Our Society, By C.W. Meisterfeld, Ernest Pecci, Mrk Pub, October 1992, Hardcover, ISBN: 0960129278
  
  The Dog Listener: A Noted Expert Tells You How to Communicate with Your Dog for Willing Cooperation, by Jan Fennell, Harper Resource, July 2001, ISBN: 0060199539
  
  Dog Logic : Companion Obedience : Rapport-Based Training
  by Joel M. McMains, Published by Howell Book House, October 1992, Hardcover, ISBN: 0876055102
  
  Dogperfect: The User Friendly Guide to a Well Behaved Dog,
  by Sarah Hodgson, Hungry Minds, Inc., December 1995, ISBN: 087605534X


• Cesars Way by Cesar Millan is a great training book for getting the right behaviors out of your dogs and making sure you start your dog off right. 101 dog tricks is a great tricks training book.


• How dogs learn - by Burch and Baily
  Don't shoot the dog - by Karen Pryor
  Clicker training for dogs - by Karen Pryor
  Excel-erated learning - by Pamela Reid


• I've got a number of resources for you.
  1. Look at Patricia McConnell. She used to have a pet show on Wisconsin public radio, her website is at: http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/
  She has a number of outstanding books including: The Other Side of the Leash, and Family Friendly Dog Training. She has a PhD, a lot of practical experience and emphasizes positive training methods. The Other Side of the Leash is regarded as a classic in terms of explaining how so many people go wrong with their dogs, how dogs perceive things, what works and doesn't work with them.
  
  2. Look at Karen Pryor. Done tremendous research into operant conditioning (application of BF Skinner's work to animals). Her best book (which explains a lot of the concepts of operant conditioning to humans and animals but is short on technical training stuff) is "Don't Shoot the Dog!". Her website is www.clickertraining.com and is a wealth of information on operant conditioning and all animals (but especially dogs). Stuff like: using a clicker to deal with nuisance bargaining, teaching your dog not to jump up on people, and clicker technique and timing. You'll find "Don't Shoot the Dog" to be useful just for dealing with co-workers and your spouse, let alone your dog!
  
  3. Look at Jean Donaldson. Her website is: www.jeandonaldson.com and she's got a couple of books that are highly regarded: Culture Clash and Oh Behave are probably the two with the most application to your situation.
  
  There are also some terrific websites available. I'd start by looking at Shirley Chong's (www.shirleychong.com) and do her six lessons for training a dog, her section on recalls and also behavior shaping. Do those things and you'll have a phenomenally trained and responsive puppy (and it's all free too!). The bit about behavior shaping is how skilled trainers get dogs to do amazing things. Go to www.silvia.trkman.net and watch her tricks videos and be amazed. That's what behavior shaping allows you to do--just mind blowing stuff. And the dog enjoys all of it as well. Silvia Trkman, btw, is a world-class agility competitor.
  
  Now, let me react to a couple of suggestions your'e likely to get a lot of support for:
  1. Monks of New Skete. On it's face, it's a great recommendation. The book (and videos) have been around for decades and they breed GSDs. But they use more old-school approaches with physical corrections, alpha rolls (which they've now publicly repudiated) and their assumption is that what we know about wolves (and packs) applies equally as well to dogs. And research the past 2 decades shows that many of our assumptions about alpha status based on wolf packs is just wrong when it comes to dogs.
  
  2. Cesar Millan. He's got a lot of fans and he sells a lot of books. Some elements of his message I completely agree with: give your dog a workout, your dog isn't a human, every dog needs a job. But Millan is wrong--dead wrong--on a lot of things. He uses alpha rolls and that's a terrible idea for probably 95% of all dogs. His assumptions about packs and alpha status have been disproven by research and study of wild dogs as well as domesticated dogs. Finally, he's guilty of doing exactly what he says we shouldn't do--treating dogs like people. His assumption that the vast majority of problems with dogs comes down to alpha status is to regard the dog as a human (if a child or teen or adult defied you, it would be a test of your authority). But that's not it with a dog. Unlike most other creatures (including humans, wolves and cats), dogs are happiest when they submit and when they have our approval. Millan's belief that most dog issues are due to alpha status problems is dead wrong. That's in my experience, that of all the other trainers and experienced handlers I know. It's dead wrong in the experience and research of people like Pryor and McConnell and Nicholas Dodman--all have PhDs , have written extensively. To put it another way, Millan is using a basically old style approach to training dogs that relies on physical correction. That approach ignores all of the work done in operant conditioning over the past 60 years and the advances in animal training (the US Navy training dolphins to spot mines, tricks trainers in Hollywood, Seaworld trainers working with killer whales, every topnotch canine agility trainer I know of). A "positive" approach with dogs (ie: operant conditioning) is faster and more effective way of producing results.

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Dog Health Questions: DS: Have any of you seen this method of dog training?

How long and how difficult do you think it was to train this dog? LMAO!http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?…

LMAO!

Secrets to Dog Training Review - Is it Really the Best Dog Training Program?

Recommended Answer:
I have seen that before it is adorable I don't have any idea how long it would take.

My guys watch me exercise but the only thing that moves is their eyes up and down.

Proven Dog Training Methods

• Nope I surely say that I have never seen that. I don't even know what you wall call that, other than mimicking. It probably took a while, as that really doesn't seem too comfortable.


• i have read up on this, and actually the dog started doing it itself while he was working out. only thing he taught was to do it in sync when he was doing it.


• they have things like that and its called 'dog dancing' and they have competitions and stuff.
  
  and border collies are really really really smart...so i doubt it took him that long to train him.


• LOL...they should market that as a work-out companion...!!!


• nope
  didn't open
  last time i opened a facebook i got a guy's penis

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Dog Health Questions: Anyone used "The Perfect Dog" training kit?

The lady who has the retriever only stated her opinion (who cares) the question was ....has anyone used this training kit...soooooo has anyone ...I'd like to know also, if they were satisfied???

Guard Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
my friend who had a Labrador tried it. she said she was not satisfied in the least. she was expecting better results.

Therapy Dog Training - What Are the Various Methods of Obedience Training For Dogs?

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Dog Health Questions: Positive reinforcement as I start crate training an adult dog, training tips and ideas needed?

Back story-
We rescued an Alaskan Malamute from an animal hoarder- she was in real bad shape when we got her.. Emaciated and easily 40lbs underweight, bacterial and fungal infection in both ears, Staph infection on her skin, etc. We fixed her up nicely! About 3 months ago we had our first "real issue" with her--- she ate a baseball hat, a tube sock and a cat toy. Tube sock and baseball hat came up, but cat toy got stuck in her stomach and we spent the $2,300 on life saving surgery..
We changed food, started free feeding and really cleaned up our home after this, determined that it wouldnt happen again.... . but last week she did it again! She's extremely tall and very large (39inches at the top of the head and 140lbs) and she can reach counters and tabletops with ease!
Went to the vet, did a barium X ray ($300) and found it was a "sock or some type of material in her instestines"..... We just can't afford a 2nd surgery for $2300! We've already spent over $4,000 on this dog in the last 8 months with all her medical problems! She seems to have passed this sock on her own after a touch and go few nights of lethargy, she seems to be back to her old self, eating and drinking (and not vomiting), thank God!
We just spent $200 on an XXL dog crate, since she's proven herself to us and the vet to have "canine pica"... a small price to pay to ensure this doesnt happen again while we are at work! We've never crate trained before and certainly havent with an adult dog--- so I implore you, Dog Section, please provide me with some tips and training ideas to make this new crate a positive experience and a safe, private place for our troublesome Mal!

Thanks a lot!

Dog Training - Beyond Conditioning

Recommended Answer:
Sounds like she is quite the challenge!

The goal should be to make the crate the funnest place for her to be. Place random treats in the crate and walk away, leaving her time to find them. Do the same thing with toys. Put a nice Kong in there with something frozen in it, like yogurt or apple sauce. Reward her with something nice every time she goes in the crate without having to be coaxed. Do some crate training when you are home, so she doesn't get anxious.

Place the crate in an area where she can monitor your location, but not in a thoroughfare where she doesn't feel safe.

Play soft music when you are not home, or leave the TV on for her, so she can relax. I have also found it helpful to cover the crate with a blanket, so it resembles a den. I don't recommend a crate pad, though, if she is eating that much stuff.

Good luck!

Dog Training Advice - What Or Who Do I Believe?

• Could she be doing this because in her previous home, she wasn't fed, so she ate anything she could?
  
  She needs more exercise, first of all. But she also needs appropriate things to direct her attention to - LIke a giant Kong stuffed with peanut butter or treats.
  
  Start crating her when you are HOME, with the door OPEN. Put things in there to draw her inside of the crate. Give her a "stay" command, and treat and praise while she is IN the crate.


• Haveing an obedient dog benifits you and the dog.I found this article that tought me alot about dog training. Obedience training helps establish the owner in the role of "pack leader". This will teach your dog that you are the pack leader and he must follow your rules. Obedience will lay down clear behavior guidelines that your dog can follow Repetition and consistency are the keys to training. For more tips on how to best train your dog go to these articles below.
  Here is some great advice I found in this dog training manuel.Not everybody agrees with training dogs with treats, they become dependent on the treats , its better to have a dog listen to you because he wants to not because you have food in your hand.best tip I can give is really bond with your dog. When your dog loves you more than anything else in the world, you'll never need another treat again. Be consistent with rules, expectations and praise. Walking your dog is a great treat for both you and the dog. Provide lots of mental stimulation, exersice and love. For more tips on dog training get this training manuel.


• Make training sessions fun! Dogs are born to play, so if the session is fun he will be more likely to learn and remember.
  
  It may take weeks of patience over many training sessions until he gets it right every time. Don't expect too much of him too soon - he's not designed to respond to the spoken word, so if you don't think he's quite understood, keep trying.

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