My wife and I recently married and moved together. I had a 4 yr old female boxer and she has a 4yr old male Westie. I'd say my dog was very easy to train but this westie has basically done whatever he's liked to do most of his life. I'm having a few issues that'd I need help on how to solve.

1. Recently prevented the Westie from laying on furniture. When I correct him, he'll run away and pee somewhere in the house (he used to do this every time we left the home with out taking him until I bought him a crate)

2. He often tries to bite me especially if I chastise him for going in the house. How do I prevent this?

3. Recently both dogs have been horrible w/ manners @ the door when visitors arrive. I'd like to have both or @least one dog out when we entertain guests. Any suggestions? I tried telling them to stay until released but that's not working for me.

Thanks

Hi Dorian, Welcome to the forum!

If the dog has been allowed to lay on the furniture in the past and you are now changing that - he probably is a bit miffed... LOL!

I would train something positive for this instead of making it negative. Get him his own great, comfy bed and train "place" or "bed" and make it fun, fun, fun. Have you heard about or read anything on marker training? It is easy, non-confrontational and teaches the dog to THINK and to enjoy training.

How exactly are you chastising him for eliminting in the house?

There are going to be more experienced folks who will step in on the peeing issue - that I don't have any experience with (thankfully). However, if you begin POSITIVE training (marker training) and giving him lots of yummy rewards for doing the RIGHT thing instead of the little king getting ticked off, the running off and peeing behavior should be able to be avoided.

I'm interested in hearing what folks say about that... I don't know if dogs really think in a "punitive" manner - ie: you did this to me so I'm going to go pee on the carpet... honestly don't know but am curious.

PS I hope you and your new wife are on the same page in regard to her "baby"....

Also... bad manners at the door are simply a lack of training the RIGHT thing. Get both dogs their own "place", train them to go there on command, then introduce training them to go there on command when the door bell is rung, then TRAIN them to stay on their place when someone comes in, and then train them to come greet the guests when YOU release them. It is a process but if you work on it a few times a day a few minutes at a time, you will have two very well trained dogs who know how to greet guests. In the mean time, crate 'em!

1. Think more along the lines of training him to not lay on the furniture. He has done it for 4 years and is all of a sudden corrected for doing so. Probably a little confused.

2. Don't chastise you dog. Get him outside before he pees in the house.

3. This one is tougher.

It will require your guest to participate in not encouraging the dog's to act crazy.

If they already know a "stay" command, it could just be a matter of working on the command with gradually increasing distractions.

Right now, guest are TOO distracting for them.

Dorian, I think your best starting point is to purchase the video "How to establish your pack," watch it together, and jointly determine what your goals are. You and your wife have to be on the same page if you want to have consistency - and your animals will exploit any inconsistency they find.

Establish pack rank first. Train second.

My 2 cents.

 Quote: rob abel

Dorian, I think your best starting point is to purchase the video "How to establish your pack," watch it together, and jointly determine what your goals are. You and your wife have to be on the same page if you want to have consistency - and your animals will exploit any inconsistency they find.

Establish pack rank first. Train second.

My 2 cents.

Very good point! I believe you can begin marker training at any point, but the reminder of making sure you both are on the same page and both acting as leaders is excellent.

Ok I will check out the video getting my wife on board is probably the most important of all issues.

 Quote: Dorian Bohler

Ok I will check out the video getting my wife on board is probably the most important of all issues.

Clothes, shoes, and purses.

And sometimes sunglasses.

No personalized blankets.

 Quote: Michael_Wise

Clothes, shoes, and purses.

That is a bad bad precedent to set.