December 03, 2013
My dog whines when we're out. Should I be correcting this? If so, how to I make sure she understands that the correction is for whining?
Full Question:
My four year old American bull dog/pit bull mix when out will whine, cry or whimper at a low level; however you want to describe it, in certain situations. She wears an electric collar and a prong collar where ever we go. She requires a lower level of correction (usually under a level of 5) for she tends to regress or shut down if correction is too high. My trainer said that she may outgrow this since she is new to being brought a lot of places and has to gain more confidence. Should I be correcting this? If so, how do I make sure she understands that the correction is for the whining? I listen to podcasts by Ed on a weekly basis. I cannot speak highly enough of your site and methods/techniques.
Thank you very much for your time.
Ed's Answer:
You really need a new trainer. This person may be a nice person but they seriously lack experience and are giving you very BAD advice.
Correcting a dog for being nervous is only going to make the dog neurotic and crazy. That I can guarantee you.
I wrote an article on How to Socialize Your Puppy. You need to follow that protocol even though your dog is 4 years old. Do what it says with your dog.
I would also lose the prong collar. Train your dog with high-value food rewards and marker training.
Do the work that we have in our DVD that we did with Michael Ellis: The Power of Training Dogs with Food. Turn your walks into food games and reward events.
Tell your trainer they should consider going out to Michael Ellis’ school.
Regards,
Ed Frawley
Correcting a dog for being nervous is only going to make the dog neurotic and crazy. That I can guarantee you.
I wrote an article on How to Socialize Your Puppy. You need to follow that protocol even though your dog is 4 years old. Do what it says with your dog.
I would also lose the prong collar. Train your dog with high-value food rewards and marker training.
Do the work that we have in our DVD that we did with Michael Ellis: The Power of Training Dogs with Food. Turn your walks into food games and reward events.
Tell your trainer they should consider going out to Michael Ellis’ school.
Regards,
Ed Frawley
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