Dog Health Questions: I need some advice for my cocker spaniel please?

I just bought my cocker spainiel a couple of days ago. She is pure bred, or at least thats what I was told, she looks pure bred.
She snaps a lot, and it is my knoweledge that cocker spaniels have a very sweet demeanor. She doesnt bite and she doesnt growl, I have never heard her even bark, but SOMETIMES when you try to pick her uo she gets aggressive and will try to bite. I took her to the groomer today and I almost had to take her hime, it was very hard for her to work with my dog.

Does anyone now any effective tricks to break the biting habit, or some good dog training websites.

Thanks

Basic Dog Training - Where To Buy Your Dog From

Recommended Answer:
Cockers become fear biters when they are even 'gently' abused, or not socialized when young.
The very best ( and fun!) method of training a cocker, and building her confidence is clicker training. Everything you need to know is on this site and its links in sidebars: http://www.clickerlessons.com/
And it is all free!

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

• Im not sure if this will be of any help, but Ill say it anyway,
  
  Everytime she bites you, tell her sternly 'Bad Dog' or something like that and hopefully after a while she'll get the idea?
  
  Goodluck =]]


• HI,
  
  As with the other answers I would go to some training classes with her. But it does sound classicaly like fear may be making her do this.
  Try looking at the situations where she is biting, is it when you are picking her up in a rush ?
  Try taking your time, talking to her gently etc as you do pick her up and then really praise her when she has been good. It really is early days if you've only had her a couple of days....try not to introduce too many changes (eg going to the groomers so soon) She is probably fearful of what is going to happen next.
  
  Good Luck


• You didn't mention her age,... a puppy or adult?
  Some cocker spaniels are tempermental because of over-breeding.
  When I worked for the vet, the Dr. would always caution us that the cockers may snap and be prepared to muzzle during examination.
  Long ago they were the breed known for being the best family dog,.. friendly, good-natured, but due to unscrupulous
  breeders that trait isn't necessarily so anymore.
  
  Be patient, gentle yet firm with her.


• My personal experience is the Cocker Spaniels are often fear-biters. They are also not the brightest dogs around.
  
  you can try to train her, but it doesn't always work. The best way to train a biter is to scold them gently and deny/withhold attention. And, tho trainers won't tell you this, I have had some success with, when a dog bites me, I bite them right back, and snarl. I will certainly get a thumbs down on that, but who cares? Sometimes you have to establish dominance using a language a dog understands.
  
  Also, if she bites your hand, shove that hand AT her, in effect, try to stick your hand down her throat. This does 2 things---1, it hurts less, because of the way a dog's teeth are curved, but more importantly, (2) It shows her that you have no fear of her.
  
  Hope you find links and websites and correct dog-training advice, this is the only dogopolitically incorrect advice you'll get, but it is good stuff.


• I've trained dogs for years. Just look under dog training and you should be able to find some dog trainers near you.


• It seems like she is tender or sore where she is being touched. Has she been checked for wounds?
  Fear can cause a dog to lash out like that too...
  You may try taking her to a vet for a routine check up.


• Hello, It is very possible she has been abused. Patience is the best avenue to to take with her. I would take a slow pace with her and gain her trust, then work with her in a soft and gentle voice. Try not to pick her up until you and her have bonded. I am a Professional Trainer and mainly work with abused dogs.


• My collie used to bite me a bit too hard when she was about 8 months old, so I reprimanded her the way her mother would.
  I bit her straight back! (on the ear) Boy did she look surprised.
  
  After a few times she stopped doing it and never nipped hard again.
  
  (Now I just need to find out how to get rid of my fur-balls, hack hack)
  
  Danny.
  
  .


• Yeah, sounds like she was abused, babe. Or just down right bad genetics and unchecked breeding.
  You could try telling her no and all that but...sometimes, that still doesn't work. The groomer may have to use a muzzle next time.
  That's what my aunt has to do with her Pom/Shih Tzu mix.


• I am a granny whose children and grandchildren have brought home many dogs that had no where else to go. Usually, they were thrilled to have a place to eat, sleep and get loved. Occasionally, one will be scared for one reason or another. Some have been mis-treated, some have been left alone in a back yard all their lives, etc. The point is, let them take their time coming to you. Sit in the floor at their level and talk to them, love them, but don't pick them up right away. Just like us, they have to build a trust in us and sometimes it takes awhile. Good luck and have patience. Give them a little time before you scold them, love them first.


• call a dog trainer, you'll want to get the right info, so the problem doesn't get worst. It's a good guess that she's doing it out of fear( new people, house, noises, dogs don't come to a home knowing English. she needs time)


• my dog bites, idk get a trainer


• Your dog is telling you that she doesn't want to be picked up and she doesn't respect you at all. She is the dominant one and she doesn't respect you as the authority. You need to get a handle on this quickly and show her you are the boss and will not accept the poor behaviour. Grab her by the back of the neck (like her canine mother would) and put her lightly down to the floor while saying "no". Hold her there until she calms down. This will tell her that you are dominant and don't like this behaviour. She may struggle by try to hold her down until she calms down...if you let go early, you are showing her she has won. Don't let her get away with this behaviour or it will get WORSE and you'll have to get rid of her. You must discipline her for this bad behaviour. It's all about showing dogs that you are the dominant one......discipline first and then love always- it truly works!

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Dog Health Questions: What is the secret behind dog whispering?

i know dog whispering is like dog training but they r not the same but i dont know the differnces. can some 1 help me?

Secrets to Dog Training Review - A Review of the Best Dog Obedience Training Program

Recommended Answer:
http://www.keeping-families-together.com…
http://www.seishindo.org/newsletter/01_d…

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• I don't know, never heard of it. Talk to someone who works with dogs.


• 5 lbs. of sirloin and some cheese...


• You guess is as good as mine. It must be like horse whispering only with dogs. It's like not yelling at your animal or hitting him. Just being kind and sweet feng shui like or something like that.


• it's all a hoax. they use snausages...


• If your talking about the dog psychic who can "whisper" to dogs, then I can't help you.
  
  If your talking about Cesar Milan, the dog whisperer, then I know a few of his secrets. "talking" to your dog like Cesar Milan does is about learning dog psychology and applying it when training. You have to learn how a dog pack works and how you can assume the role of alpha and enforce this role with your dog. It's actually pretty easy... I'm a dog whisperer


• Dog whispering is the ability to effectively communicate with an animal, in this instance a dog. Training is done by the eventual association of a specified trigger and a wanted response. whispering is the ability to not only relay messages to the dog but also knowing enough about the dog and his personality and instinctive actions to know what he is trying to relate.


• The secret is being dumb enough to believe that people can "talk" to dogs. Dogs require repetition and rewards to be well trained as well as alot of time and patience. I sugest going to dog school with your dog because you have to train the human as well as the dog. Good Luck!


• I assume you mean - like - a "horse whisperer" or "animal whisperer", in general.
  
  No, I don't believe a whisperer is like a trainer. A whisperer can get "in tune" with an animal, to calm it when it is raging, scared, or charging. (It often has to be done in seconds, if it's a "charging" situation.) Of course, there are also the calm times, as well, when there is "psychic" activity between the whisperer & animal -- that's communication (and in this case, the whisperer is also a "pet psychic"). Animals are extremely sensitive to "vibes" - a whisperer can "control" them, in a sense, by communicating with the animal at that level.
  
  A trainer teaches an animal to behave, take commands, do tricks. He may have a small amount of "whisperer" in him... I have not seen it in trainers, but it may exist.
  
  A "pet psychic" (at best) knows animals well enough to "read" them (know what's they are thinking); sometimes enough to "converse". It unlikely that a "pet psychic" could control a raging animal -- if he could, he'd be called a "whisperer".
  
  That's the best I can explain the differences.
  
  :)


• Discipline, rules, & boundries. Establishing a dominant or leadership poisition.

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Dog Health Questions: How to train my dog????!!!!!!!?

So...we got our dog from our grandma about 2 years ago and she was supposedly trained. She did fine for awhile.....occasionally chewing up things while ignoring her own toys...but in all she's done pretty well so far. But NOWW shes for some reason...well...going to the bathroom all over our floors. Everywhere. I don't know what to do with her since she HATES the rain and REFUSES to go outside when its even wet AFTER raining. Oh, and she hates snow. And it's mid-fall. It's almost winter! My mom is about ready to give her away and I REALLY don't want her to. SO.

1. any tips on what the heck I should do with her?! How do I "re-train" her; since I think we let the training lapse a little.

2. any good websites that can give me specifics?? I can't afford to buy a book, and I can never get to the library...so websites are good(: Thankkss

OH.

and it's not age. she's about 3 years old.

AND.

I'm super busy so I don't have hours to follow her around and watch and note everything she does...habits, etc. Plus it's hard because this is all on me. It's my dog. So I have to do everything with her, and I don't have infinite amounts of time to spend on super-dog-training her. haha so immediate ideas...please(:

THANK YOUUU!

Dogs - Training

Recommended Answer:
You seem to think training is a one time only thing and the dog is ok for life? No such luck. You need to be reinforcing all the training regularly.

Get the poor dog a rain coat, they make them. The thing wraps around the body of the dog and many have hoods, it helps calm a dog in bad weather.

If you can't afford to buy a book--why haven't you checked your local libraries? They have a pet section with dog training books. You can google 'housetraining a dog' very easily online yourself.

Super busy or not, you took on a dog, the dog is your responibility. MAKE time to play with her and be part of her life. She's not a stuffed toy.

Time To Find Out More About Appropriate And Efficient Dog Training

• A good way to learn about training your dog is to watch the dog whisperer he has good insight on animals and knows what hes doing. i learned how to train my puppy through him.
  
  show her the difference between the good and bad items to chew whenever you see something she has chewed pick it up lightly tap her nose with it while saying NO. then follow up by giving her one of her own toys and walking away. continue to do this until the dog stops chewing your items. it worked well with my 95 lb dog. and when she uses the restroom in the house put her nose in it tap it lightly say NO then follow up by walking her outside so she sees where she is supposed to be doing it. and if you have a kennel put her in that when you leave.


• You can take the dog outside and stay out there with it and say "Go potty" every so often and don't let it in until either A.) it actually does go potty or B.) after about, eh, 10 minutes, and the dog doesn't go potty and take it inside. If the dog continues use the house as it's toilet, spank it, tell it no, rub it's nose in it, say "bad dog" and "outside" and keep the dog outside until you either cleaned it up or you feel like the dog has been punished enough. Whether it's wet outside or not. the dog HAS to be put outside for punishment (or if it enjoys being outside, put the dog in it's crate), the dog HAS to know inside is BAD to relieve itself and outside is good to relieve itself.

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Dog Health Questions: Dog training?

i have taught my dog how to sit, laydown, rollover, and to give a paw. now going to try to teach her to speak, any suggestions?

Top Dog Training Tips

Recommended Answer:
Amazing website.. things to teach buried all throughout it... read Stitch's blog too!

http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20DOGS/%2…

Time To Find Out More About Appropriate And Efficient Dog Training

• Rent the Cesar Milan (The Dog Whisperer) DVDs or Videos you will learn a lot!!! And you will laugh too! I'm glad you like your dog!


• Come and stay.. Drop it. Bring..


• I taught my dog to "speak" on command. When he barked, I said "yes, speak" and gave him a treat. Then tell your dog to "speak" again. It may take him a minute or two, but as soon as he barks again, say "yes, speak" and give him a treat again. Do that over and over until he gets it and pretty soon he'll be "speaking" on command. Good luck and have fun!

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Dog Health Questions: Which type of dog would be easier to train.?

a Rottweiler,a Doberman or a Pitbull...and im just talking about house training and also training like protection/guard dog training as well.i want one thats easy to train and can protect me from the "thugs" when i go out on walks at night,im sick of being parinoid of someone running up behind me an stabbing me,so which one would be eaiser to train,and which one would be the one to kinda make people feel unsure about approching me(im sick of getting beat up all the time and i want one that can watch the house good to,cuss iv been house robbed 4 times in the past year and i need a good dog.

Dog Training With a Halti or General Leader Collar

Recommended Answer:
Personally, it is extremely had to properly train any of the types of dogs you have suggested.How about a German Sheppard, the police use them because the have a protective instinct NOT an aggressive one. Also they are extremely Intelligent and were bread for the distinct purpose to protect. They are the same size a doberman but are bulkier and devoted to their owner.

Effective Dog Training For Obedience

• The thing about pit bulls is that they are great watch dogs but once they latch on they dont know when to stop. They have to be trained. Honestly if you are wanting a good watch dog i would suggest a german shepherd or the rott or doberman. Any of these breeds will be great watch dogs, if they are trained for security. I know people that do attack training/police type training, in which the dog is commanded to attack, the dog is also trained when to back off.


• PIT BULLS ARE NOT illegal LMFAO seriously? I own pits there the best dogs I have a female that is dominant and make sure they have rabies and all that but the female is well trained and some people broke into our house at night when we were sleeping and she didnt bite him but the guy took off cause of her growl and bark I dont encourage my dogs to be mean but pits are my fav and protect me to the fullest.


• Pitbulls aren't illegal in all states or cities, so that all depends on where you live. But any of those dogs will be protective naturally without you doing anything. As far as house training that all depends on you the owner. Those dogs will all house train easily with the proper training.


• To all the people who think Pit bulls are illegal everywhere, they are not! people are working hard to stop the aggressive trait of the pit bull.
  
  Anyway, I think you should get a Doberman. My uncle has 5 Dobermans and they are smart. Rottweilers are smart too but you don't want a dog that has super strong bite. Dobermans bite is not to hard or not too soft.
  
  Pit bulls are great dogs but they arn't really a good guard dog by the way.


• If you're afraid of getting beat up, robbed and your house broken into, take self defense courses, buy a gun and an alarm. If anything, your "guard" dog is going to get stolen while they knock you down and run off with it. Learn to protect yourself..


• Can you get any police protection. Dogs are great to have but what you want to use them for is not a great idea. You both will probally get hurt. I know your scared but please try to find another way of protecting yourself.


• I own Rott they make great protecors They are highly intelligent and loyal and very easy to train. there are 2 different breeds the German and the Chech. the german the larger of the two.


• Pit Bulls are illegal. Unless you want your dogs to be taken away I suggest you get one of the other 2. Rottweilers are HUGE dogs so make sure you have lots of space if you go for one of them.


• A gun and a security system. Dogs aren't alarm systems, they are living, breathing animals that need lots of love and exercise.


• NOT the dog....the human.
  You can't.


• I wouldn't get a pit... they already have a bad name, and if your dog is a pit and bites some1 then u will probs have 2 end up giving it away :(


• Sorry this is awfully long for you and you probably dnt wanna read this but plz read this; for ur own safety (;
  Not Pitbull !!!!!!! my cousin has a Red Nose Pitty and a Blue Nose Pitty and it's ugly and looks very mean... (still a pup and he's gonna sell it soon). THOSE DOGS ARE DANGEROUS.. If you get any pitbulls, consider yourself to either put it down or giving it away. I've heard ALOT of things bout pitbulls turning on their owners so mate, take mine and every one else's advice; DNT BUY IT !
  Rottweilers are dangerous, too but if you train it VERY gud and i mean VERY gud, you'll be fine. My cousins uncle used to have a male rottweiler and it grew up to his hips (note the owner was built and tall) and was VERY big !! So if you have the money to buy it's food and collars, i prefer rottweiler, otherwise, doberman.
  Dobermans are alright; when doberman comes into my head i dnt think of it as mean and dangerous as the other 2, but like i sed you can train any dog but at some age the dog wud turn its back onto you and you dnt want that....
  Well, thats MY opinion and plz dnt get frustrated at me ppr and asker, just tryna help, and if this didnt help, sorry ):


• Is this your first dog?
  Do you need a dog for security outside, inside or both?
  If you need an “insider/outsider “ – Black Russian Terrier is the best.
  Rottweiler, Doberman, Pitbull all of them are aggressive and offensive they won't let a strangers inside, they bark a lot and loud, and might bite or even worse.
  BRT will let the strangers inside, but won't let them outside without harm until the owner comes back. BRT won't bark a lot, and great nanny for kids. BRT are very smart, strong and lovely.


• Just to respond to one of the above posts: Pit Bulls are NOT illegal everywhere. But they are in some places, check legislation in your area.
  
  Next, I have no experience in dog training for those breeds, but it's all dependent on your ability in the end. I've heard good things about dobermans.
  
  Pits can be illegal and Rottweilers have a terrible bites. You don't want your animal to be an attack dog, but a deterrence dog. That being said, don't adopt a dog you don't love cause they are not meant to be hired bodyguards, they are meant to be loving and loyal pets.
  
  I don't think anyone would attack/rob you with one of those breeds around, but make sure you get a good headstart on training. Don't let the dog control you. I'd suggest a puppy so you can build a good dog-trainer relationship, but certainly don't count out shelters.

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Dog Health Questions: Dog training help? Plz?

ok i have an australian shepherd she is very smart she knows basic stuff and some advanced tricks but i cant seem to get her to heal or not chase things when were in public like birds.

Positive Reinforcement In Your Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
When you are in public, she should be on a lead, for her own safety. Teaching her heal requires a quick tug of the lead, and then holding it firmly. You need to have a word for releasing her (I use "okay,") before letting her walk again. I taught my dog to heal on the word "halt," because it is a sharper word.

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• Enroll in a basic obedience class. Even if your dog is great on the basics, its good to have another perspective on how to achieve the harder commands. Recall, heel and a reliable STAY are probably the hardest commands. I would say that after two pretty intensive classes, we are still working on those to some extent.
  
  For me, enrolling in those classes were not only totally fun, but taught me how to encourage the behavior I wanted in my dog. Sometimes it just takes another vantage point to unlock the behavior you are looking for.
  
  Aussies are smart dogs. They LOVE training classes, and typically show up the other breeds...except labbies of course ( ok i made that last part up!)


• perhaps this could help you:
  
  How To Train Your Dog Not To Chase Things


• its not mean but you should try a chock chain and shmakoz they go crazy for them!!!

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Dog Health Questions: DS: The Koehler Method of Dog Training?

What's your opinion? Know any dogs trained with Koehler? How did they turn out?

I'm asking because I'm probably gonna buy the book for my dog, and I'm just wondering how others did using this method. Thanks!

Rescue Dog Training

Recommended Answer:
Yes - I've known more than a few and they turned out very well.

As with everything -- use what works for you and your dog and discard the rest.

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

• I am sure that there are methods in the book that you can incorporate into your own training routine. Just don't take everything as the gospel truth, as with any training method. It depends on the dog and how it responds to which method of training.
  
  BTW can someone tell me WTF a "qualified" trainer is. I have seen this mentioned on many post today by a level 1 newcomer and have no idea what it means?
  
  feeling a little bltchy tonight LOL


• I'm just looking into these training methods. I use to know some people with the most well behaved Dobermans ever and they only trained using the Koehler method.
  
  About a month ago I purchased a 1962 hard-copy edition in great shape of "The Koehler Method of Dog Training" from half.com for $2.98 (under $7 with shipping).
  
  I have not read it yet, but you will find some great book scores off of half.com. It's owned by eBay but it's NOT an auction. The sellers are rated like eBay sellers, but you are purchasing outright. I would never purchase from someone with less then a 98% rating.
  
  Just an FYI.
  .


• My opinion? Nothing is brilliant about Koehler. Many people think his method is ingenious, but it's anything but! Koehler is old and outdated. Yes, it's been around for decades, but decades have come and gone since then! What was a brilliant training method back then isn't now. This is the 21st century for heaven's sake! Things have changed. People have found more effective ways to train dogs without fear or force.
  
  William Koehler's training methods are outdated and barbaric! There will ALWAYS be everlasting fans of his unfortunately, but hopefully they will get outnumbered by people who are finding a BALANCE or a MIDDLE GROUND between two very opposite methods aka positive reinforcement and the dominance/alpha/pack leader method.
  
  I despise this website! http://www.koehlerdogtraining.com/ The two people who wrote that lecture clearly think quite highly of themselves.
  
  Usually, it's the older generation that swears by Koehler because they're always set in their ways. They don't have the decency to hold their heads up, swallow their pride and realize that there are BETTER training methods!
  
  I really hope you don't choose this training method for your dog. It's sad to see someone as young as you choose a method that has been scrapped (by anyone who has common sense) for quite a while now.
  
  ADD: You mentioned in one of your previous questions that you were a teenager.


• I used this method with an airedale terrier, with disastrous consequences. Note that I did not do it on my own, but attended obedience classes with a trainer who practiced Koehler's methods. My dog turned out aggressive, yet fearful, took 2 1/2 years to housebreak and was completely untrustworthy with other dogs and cats.


• Not a fan at all....
  
  It is a must read if you're a serious trainer no doubt but it's beyond dated. Those books HURT more dogs than they help.
  
  Koehler trained military dogs, if they didn't "survive" his training oh well, junk, get me some new ones they failed. Unless you have the same philosophy with pet dogs, his methods simply don't overlap. The other argument is his work with Disney which is the same concept...if the dog wasn't to his liking aka not hard enough to take the extreme amounts of pressure he put on them, he'd get another dog and write that one off.
  
  It's also based on a timeline. You can have a loose timeline that's fine, but you're an idiot if you think you can make some "schedule". You bring dogs around when they're ready, you don't follow some schedule. HUMAN error, the dog, his temperament, different things can result in a dog who's slower to catch onto things (or faster). You have to work around the dog unless...like I said before, you trash dogs that don't fit your routine. You can't MAKE a dog be what you want them to be and if the dog is slower there's nothing you can do but be patient.
  
  If you've taught him everything with reward, and he's blowing off your commands? Feel free to go Bill Koehler on him. He deserves a correction. BUT if his lack of performance is due to you NOT rewarding his good behavior with high value food/toys/play or because you're boring him to death, that's a handler error. You're working with an animal with an attention span of .02 seconds. You have to remain animated, up beat, know when to give treats for his focus etc. I move around, when I get eye contact or good focus I reward etc etc. When the dog has definitely learned what I want, and has learned that training can be fun, then I add corrections if he so chooses not to obey. It's a clear choice. DO it and be rewarded. Don't do it, be corrected, and be forced to do it, and NOT be rewarded. That's plain common sense that even an animal with a 4 ounce brain can understand.
  
  Like I said, it's an interesting read, but even my mom back in the 70's had surpassed this crap and used food rewards with her dogs (and did very well vs the "never give a dog food or they'll only work for food" crowd).
  
  Look at the top AKC OB dogs, the top 5 Sch dogs, the top 5 FR dogs, and the top 5 Agility and Mondio Ring dogs and I bet you they all have owners who believe in reward, markers, and motivation before they ever correct a dog. Results speak LOUDLY. The best dog trainers on this planet bar none are French...Germans, Slovaks, Czechs, all make fun of them for being "soft" trainers...but they give corrections when needed and at the end of the day they take WEAKER dogs than the Germans/Czech/Slovaks train, and train them to do MORE. They can bring a weaker dog to competition and win simply because their training is more solid. To me that makes it pretty clear that a bond, and reward based teaching systems + Corrections = well trained dog.
  
  PS: I know somebody is going to say something stupid such as: "Not everybody trains protection sports"...granted, but in case you haven't noticed 95% of protection sports is obedience, heeling, positions, control under EXTREME drive...if you can control a dog in the situations in protection sports, life around the house/dog park isn't ****. That's why when I talk about training and trainers I talk about these dog sports, that's why some of the best trainers come from these disciplines.


• I have used some of the methods on Rock. I think that training a dog should be with more than one training method, and it's more of a figuring out what will work best in the current situation. I've never met a dog that's been trained only on the Koehler method, though.


• I train based upon the Koehler Method. The dogs do great. We get happy, willing workers who live for the praise and think the best place to be in any crisis is at the Heel position with their owner. Bomb-proof dogs. Just tear out the back half of the book. He gets too rough for my taste.


• I'm currently reading one of his books, but i don't think I've met a straight Koheler trained dog.
  
  Obviously his methods work, some of them are still good today.
  
  Personally, I find it harsh at times.


• I bought the book, joined the group and I found it interesting.
  
  I agree with some of the basic concepts.....I think its helpful to allow a dog to learn from natural consequences and make the dog pay attention to the handler, since he doesnt know what the handler will do next.
  
  All my dogs know too much to hit the end of the leash, but I tried doing 90 and 180 degree turns with six of my dogs. Some of them responded very well, and some didnt.
  
  My sensitive Westie mix shut down. One foster dog, who did not respond to my usual approach to forging, started watching me carefully, and seemed to actually enjoy the training. My big, insensitive Lab mix was unimpressed (but it takes LOT to impress him). The other three dogs started paying better attention.
  
  Parts of the approach are rougher than I am comfortable with, but I think its definitely worth reading.


• I grew up with the method, and that was long before Koehler ever wrote a book. I still use the concepts (if not the methods) yet today.
  So to answer your second question; yes, literally hundreds.
  As to how did they turn out? Well I have 122 of these in this notebook covering several different disciplines. http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp43/…
  And it only took me 70 years to do that ;-)
  However, even more important than the method you choose to use is the training program that you apply that method to.
  First decide what you want for a finished dog, then plot out a flow chart of how you intend to get there.
  Here is a flow chart used for training Retrievers that is used by many trainers, including me.
  http://www.totalretriever.com/rj/totalre…
  Each section of the chart represents about 6 months, resulting in a dog that is ready for open all age competition at 2 years of age.
  
  Oh and Emily, there is no such thing as "positive reinforcement training". Even just ignoring a behavior is a correction, thus training through the use of punishment. If you are using Operant Conditioning, you are using all of it or you are not using any of it.
  "add: i dont just ignore a bad behavior, if its happening, i make a noise, and correct him"
  And that my dear is training through the use of Positive Punishment -- NOT -- Positive Reinforcement
  
  edit:
  "Usually, it's the older generation that swears by Koehler because they're always set in their ways. They don't have the decency to hold their heads up, swallow their pride and realize that there are BETTER training methods!"
  
  Now the hair on my neck is bristling!
  Being as I am one of those from the "older generation" (I'm 70), and I can assure you that there isn't a method of training out there that I haven't studied (and observed the results), your premise is WRONG!
  What you are failing to understand is that as time has progressed, so have the methods that pressure is applied during training. Thus my statement above "I still use the concepts (if not the methods) yet today." The harshness of a correction is up to the trainer, not the training method.
  The base concepts of Koehler are the application of Operant Conditioning, pure and simple. The concepts of Koehler are about WHEN a correction is appropriate, NOT how it is applied or how harsh it is. The individual dog will determine the "how and how harsh", not the training method.
  
  AND, I hold my head up quite high, I have earned the right to do so!
  So what you need to do is try to explain away why it is that those of us from the "older generation" are the ones that just seem to keep right on WINNING in every dog sport there is. Maybe we have learned, through experience, a lot more than you think!


• you love me??? what???? lol
  
  but i prefer positive reinforcement, but i know how to use it so its affective.
  its whatever works for you.
  if you have no idea how to rightfully use training methods, dont even try ANYTHING but positive.
  
  thats my opinion though :)
  my dog, using positive reinforcement, is very obediant and even though he is getting real old, he is still quick to his feet in training.
  
  what kind of method do you use now?
  
  add: oh, lol well i wish you both have a happy life together! XD
  but it makes sense dogs are different, i have a lab/pit mix, great dog. just make sure to study up on any method you use(i know you are), dont want to hurt the dogs:) good luck to you!
  
  add: i dont just ignore a bad behavior, if its happening, i make a noise, and correct him. it makes abosolutly NO sense to the dog if they are getting yelled at for something they did hours ago though,.

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