I have a 10 mo. old female American Bulldog that has got me stumped..she is a very obedient dog..she is well mannered in the home she does not jump on anyone and is just all around pleasant in the house. She walks well on lead. She knows all basic commands and responds well. UNTIL she is being brought in from outside at night. I have to walk out to the gate which is chainlink 6ft high. I put her on a sit (she does this perfect) the minute I go to open the gate she gets up bust thru the gate and proceeds to jump shoving off of me and will come back and shove off of my back so hard that at times it will bruise and scratch me. Keep in mind I am out training during the day and cleaning up there are NO issues she will sit politely while I clean she will sit and wait for her lead during training...this is only happening in the evening when coming in at night. I thought that it was because she was getting excited about dinner..so I started feeding her outside and then trying to bring her in no go there same deal...I have tried putting her on a sit in the yard and putting a lead on her she will proceed to flip on her back and try and jump. I feel like everytime we are coming in its a constant correction. I have tried to hold her front paws when she jumps until she is fustrated and telling her a firm no..I have tried putting my knee up to block the bank shot jump..no luck just got smacked by the gate...she is a very strong American Bull. I have three females and this one I am stumped with..she is one that I show..so she is not a crazy a$$. She knows what is expected. However she does not know how to come into the house at night without being a freak and forgetting all of her training..

Thank You for any advice. I am considering a shock collar so I can correct her before the behavior begins...

e

E Collar can fix a lot of stupid stuff. I'd try making her wait in a sit until she settles, the millisecond she trys to bolt close the gate until she settles back down, might want to train to this after a good exercise. My "Erika" wanted to bolt out of the van when we went to her favorite places, I used an E collar and treats. What I also have done was put the minivan in the Bh routine. I'd do the down in motion or sit in motion while going thru the van, she and Roxie got the idea to stay until recalled.

Thank U Dennis for your time...I was thinking E-Collar as a last resort, I have never used one...she is the only one I have had this issue with out of six...they all wait very patiently until collard and on lead..I have all dogs sit before I put leads on...this girl is just past hard headed..

e

Hardheaded isn't the truth Erica, or at least it's a disservice to the truth.
This is like many other things the dog knows, is a learned behavior.
The sooner you get over the idea that the dog is just hardheaded, the sooner you can start teaching a more acceptable behavior.

As soon as the dog breaks or even thinks about breaking the sit, that gate gets slammed back into place.......NAY, sit.
She'll get the idea in no time.

M & M Enterprises

Hello Randy..I already know its a learned behavior..I aquired the dog from a breeder on the West Coast..she learned this prior to me owning...hence the reason my other dogs do not behave like this..

The gate as been slammed back into her face for months now..good luck with that method..she is a BULLDOG she slams her own face into the gate..when I say hardheaded it not because she doesnt listen..

Thank You for your time replying..

e

If I have this right, she's only doing this in the evening when you are ready to bring her inside?

Have you tried shifting the time to bring her into the house, and desensitizing her to moving through the gate many times in one day? Many quick trips from kennel(or yard...whatever your setup is) to house, then back outside to kennel, repeated at random times?

Do you incorporate marker training into your training routine? If you do, I would mark and reward her every time she approaches you near the gate without jumping and every time she passes through the gate without jumping.

I read about the corrections but nothing about training the wanted behavior.

Not criticizing .... this is the part I would address: She knows what is expected. However she does not know how to come into the house at night without being a freak and forgetting all of her training ..


Right. She doesn't have that down.

How have you taught that? (Not how have you corrected the unwanted behavior -- how have you taught the wanted behavior?)

Oh well, if she's a bull dog, that explains everything.


If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
M & M Enterprises

Hello Lynne..Good Morning..thank you for your time.

Yes, I have done the desensitizing with her. She does AWSOME all day (she will stay focused on and off lead)..come late evening..time to come in she goes bonkers. She will sit at the gate the minute U go to open the gate BAM its on..she will not do this any other time during the day..she will not do this entering or exiting the house or yard during the day. Almost like she feels like its free dog time late evening..

e

Hello Connie U are not criticizing at all I am open..

I have been working her on basic OB work, I also show her. She is great with her BASICs on lead and off indoors and outdoors. This gate deal is strange. Like I stated above I have worked her on mulitiple routines through out the day. She does great and is rewarded. I have tried changing the routine of bringing the dogs in, a different order her being first..then last..then random..no luck..during the day she will sit with the gate wide open until she is called.

..by the way..meet Vira..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/obxchic/DSC04201.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/obxchic/DSC04201.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/obxchic/DSC04183.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/obxchic/DSC04183.jpg

Edited by Connie Sutherland (03/24/2010 11:51 AM)
Edit reason: change embedded pics to links