Quote: Duane Hull

 Quote: James Childress

She doesn't know any commands at all, even though I was told otherwise. Or she may just be testing me.

She may have had some lessons, but her behavior was not generalized. If she was only trained in one specific location, or under a set of given circumstances, but her training was not proofed, it all went out the window when she ended up in a strange new place.

So true. Not just dogs in a new home .... even dogs who have had all their ob work done either in a pattern or in one location (or both).

But it's really OK, because you will want to start over anyway with markers. If some of it starts to seem familiar to her, fine. If not, also fine!

Marker training is such an enormous confidence- and bond-enhancer that I personally always start at square one with any dog new to my house (or to my training).

Here's my confusion at this point. I've been told by everything I've read on the breed that it's best to wait 2-3 weeks for a bonding period before starting any actual training. Now I'm taking that as actual commands. But establishing myself as pack leader is becoming quite a task for me. I've yet to read pack ground work for puppies, perhaps I should be approaching her from a puppy standpoint?

" But establishing myself as pack leader is becoming quite a task for me. "



In what way(s)?

Hey welcome to the board. I don't have anything useful to say but want to share this. My great grandfather always had "Cur dogs" as they were called and several Feists. My grandmother told me that as a child, when she threw a temper tantrum, one of the Curs would bite her every time.

 Quote: James Childress

Here's my confusion at this point. I've been told by everything I've read on the breed that it's best to wait 2-3 weeks for a bonding period before starting any actual training. Now I'm taking that as actual commands. But establishing myself as pack leader is becoming quite a task for me. I've yet to read pack ground work for puppies, perhaps I should be approaching her from a puppy standpoint?

Reward based obedience along with a structured routine that fits your schedule will establish you and create the bond with her, whatever the breed.

IMHO, bonding and establishing pack leadership are two different criteria. Once my dog realized that I was the source of food and protection, our bond was established. I gave her a little while, then started establishing some rules, and that's when she realized I was the pack leader.
Any expert you study will tell you that there are "periods", but I think (again, MY opinion and experience), esp with an adult dog (I didn't say mature), some things can be established at the beginning. When My adopted adult dog came home with me for the very first time, she walked into the house, walked over to the couch, and climbed on. Well, I don't do pets on the furniture, and I wasn't waiting for any 2-3 weeks to tell her "Uh-uh-uh, I don't think so". She got down off the sofa and found a mat to lay on. She was not offended, no relationships were damaged, etc,etc.

All that to say...
it is a little soon for extensive formal training, but (IMO) you should be able to load a mark, do a little luring, and set-up the basis for your reward system, and, as Steve said, this will help with the bonding. It will also start to show her that all good things come from you, and this will be the basis for establishing your role as leader. From that point forward, reading your dog will tell you how to progress.

@connie My main problem is training myself lol! I catch myself petting her she comes up to me and nudges me. I think Ziva will be fine if I can retrain myself to be a good dog owner and not one that let's the dog be in charge. I grew up with dogs that when they did something wrong, they were hit. I refuse to do that with Ziva, so when she misbehaves, I don't know how to react. I think Ziva is very sensitive as it is. I want her to respect me, not fear me.

@tresa. I certainly don't want Ziva biting anyone. She does nip at me when we are playing, at me heels and wrists. I'm trying to get her to stop that.

Duane, thanks for the info. I will definitely start trying some little stuff. Ziva has never tried getting on furniture, except for my bed at night. Overall, I'm really happy with her so far, there are just some things to work out. I'm more worried about my own actions and reactions than hers!

Something I haven't asked about that I've wondered is..

My 18 yr old son will be home from his summer with his mother. Ziva is and always will be my dog. Do I need to restrict my son's access to Ziva? Should I not let him teach her things? Play with her while I'm not there? This is his last year of high school and he'll be going off to college. But he will get home from school way before I get off work.

John, please keep in mind that I am speaking from my own experience. Others may offer differing opinions, and they are all worth considering.
Furniture is at your discretion. I was posing an example; not suggesting what you should do in your home.

As far as your son goes, that will depend on you evaluating where you are in your relationship with Ziva. If you have a very strong bond with her at that point, interacting with other humans should not affect it. Other people can handle my dog, but she turns to me when I come on the scene.

James, the story about my grandmother was just for a laugh, sorry. Ziva's nipping is just playing...what exactly are you doing when she nips? One way to stop this is to use structured games like fetch or tug. When she nips you, the game stops, at least momentarily, redirect her to a sit or appropriate behavior, then back to the game.