Quote: Eric Sacks

Do I just take her paws off the counter again and again without telling her no?

Here is a challenging-and-fun thing: (1) Work out what you do want the dog to do and mark/reward that, and (2) Control the dog's environment so that the things that drive you nuts are not accessible to the dog.

I'm afraid that my own experience is adult-dog-oriented. So puppy experts will be of more help.

I'm always stumped when someone says they have nothing better to do than get annoyed with a puppy antics.

There's:

-Food obedience (for which you can dispense entire meals)
-Structured play
-Taking him everywhere you can think of for environmental
socialization (novel sights, sounds, surfaces...)
-Calculated crate time for house breaking purposes
-Crate time for forced rest (I never caught mine sleeping til he was a year old)

I speak for one puppy only, but between all those things, I would have been hard pressed to find a tremendous amount of idle time in which he'd be given the chance to counter-surf, or wreck things.

*Emphasis on the environmental socializing. It burns a lot of time if nothing else, and there's no chance for getting annoyed because there's no expectation other than exposure, and wherever "it" is, it aint your house!

Eric,
IMHO, Alyssa's GENERAL rule of thumb of 6 months is okay if you decide you need corrections and you're sure he knows what you're demanding. And if you need to just stop things for awhile and regain some sanity, the crate is a good option. Otherwise.....Welcome to the world of puppy hood! Ain't it grand??!!!
Redirection, redirection, redirection. Good boy! play tug or give treat.
Look, look, look at me. Good boy! play tug (or whatever) or give treat.
On and on and on and on. Don't worry he'll pick it up. You can shape alot of behavior with that simple formula.

In the end though it's entirely up to you when it's time to start stepping on him.


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

randy

Eric, I know you're worried about your soon-to-be horse-sized dog, with a puppy-sized attention span and self-control.

Don't worry so much.

If she jumps up on the counter, just toss a ball down the hallway. She'll get down to chase the ball, and hopefully forget all about standing on the counter.

Danke will sometimes put her feet on the counter, but I've found that it has nothing to do with the counter. She's trying to visit with me. She wants to see what I'm doing. (This is the same dog that has been found carrying her own poo to the compost heap, because she sees us do it. Yet she will ignore a plate of chicken left on the counter to defrost.)

I just find her something else to do. We are getting very big into "environmental enrichment", which basically means giving her very strange things to play with.

Today it was the empty Coke "fridge pack" box, with some Sojos treats tucked inside. She demolished the box, long before she even realized there were treats inside. The joy was in pouncing, biting and tearing the box.

To other posters, I wonder...
How is a dog supposed to know you are alpha if you allow him to do whatever he wants and bit and nip you or your clothing? Are you letting a dog have no rules as a puppy, then one day when he's 2 years old (or whatever age) he suddenly HAS rules and his "total freedom" has ended? Dogs who do PP have to have good control from their owner, and work with the owner, not just independently. Just something to think about.

I think you are doing the right thing when you're setting the dog up for success by having her in a puppy-proofed environment. If they get something off the floor, like a shoe or whatever, I won't take it from them or pry anything from their mouth, I will entice them to a trade-off for one of their own objects. When a dog is meant for competition in the future, my rules are different than a pet, but they are still told "pfui" or "no" when they do certain things like attack my hands or jump up on counters, accompanied by a pinch on the scruff. The dog is also taught not to grab my skin or clothes during tug work.

I do not throw treats from my mouth. I believe this is done to help teach a heel where the dog is watching your face and looks good, but I don't think they'd be watching for the right reasons. I will use raw meat in my hand, or a certain shaped treat, to teach obedience. Have you seen the videos "Obedience without conflict" and "The Game" with Ivan Balabanov? He shows a good use of treats for his training.

If I subscribe to your logic, then it follows that I should have punished my son when he was an infant.

Maturity and understanding are the main factors in when to correct.

 Quote: Jennifer N. Hack

I do not throw treats from my mouth. I believe this is done to help teach a heel where the dog is watching your face and looks good, but I don't think they'd be watching for the right reasons.

It sounds like you're still stuck in the 20th century, with your attitudes about training with food.

 Quote: alyssa myracle

 Quote: jennifer n. hack

I do not throw treats from my mouth. I believe this is done to help teach a heel where the dog is watching your face and looks good, but I don't think they'd be watching for the right reasons.

It sounds like you're still stuck in the 20th century, with your attitudes about training with food.

Is that it? JK. I was thinking "It's been a while since I read a post saying they wouldn't spit training food (except for possible grossness)."

Why not? What are the right reasons? (Real question.)

...as far as neccesarily considering food a "bribe", that's retarded.

A bribe is how a reinforcer is presented, not what the reinforcer is.

Heck, let's look at it another way. I could posit that the dog doesn't respect the handler, he only respects the prong collar. That's like an articially fabricated anti-bribe. It's only fair and legitimate if you correct with your voice and bare hands. That way he fears and respects who you are, not what equipment you have available.

Of course, that sounds stupid, because... it is.