Hi Laurie, hope I can help you with some quick tips from the iPad (pls dont hold bad spelling and teen speak against me for this post).

I think you can ease your problems, but only with patience and work. For instance, every single time you allow your dog to pass thru a door towards the outside, require calm. You need a routine that is simple enough for a dog to learn. They can't think, so make it super simple. Repeat the same word or phrase at each door, and don't allow him to move thru unless he is compliant. I like OK as a general release. Doorways are a great spot to practice several times a day to pay attention to you.

Another angle I use with my dog is the nip. This is hard to describe properly but is similar to the Cesar Milan poke. I don't go nits with it, but I have a pretty submissive dog so this is useful for me. I basically give him a chance to respond to my command, then if he doesn't I use a poke type gesture. I don't hurt my dog, but for doggy reasons the swift aggressive action seems to have a big affect. Note that I have practiced many times Important commands for rewards, so when I say leave it, it,s automatic for my dog to drop what's in his mouth and look at me for a reward.

The best move I have is always associating my commands, as often as I can, with good things from dog's point of view. That Way, his first response is to follow the command. Whenever he does thT, I make it worth his while. Trust me, you will have a loving and obedient dog if you do these things.

This post looks quite goofy, I see. It's the iPad thing, sorry hehe!

Thanks, Claudette, that was actually not all that goofy!! :-) Beautiful pup picture too! I do the poke type thing with him too, though it doesn't work at all when he's focused on something other than me...he gets real intense with his focus sometimes! We've had some diet issues with him...different subject entirely, but it's getting all worked out now, finally! But I stopped giving him his favorite treats because he would immediately go back to diarrhea, so I gave the official training thing a break, too. Knowing what I do now about his diet needs, I'm going to have to use chicken or something similar as a treat, and I think he'll love it, and I think we'll pretty much pick up right where we left off. But the focus thing just kind of hit rock bottom when I had to stop using the favorite treats. :-( Poor puppy...at the time, I didn't even think of just using chicken for treats...I have NO idea why that one didn't pop into my mind till now. Duh! :-D Good post though, thank you very much! :-)
Laurie

Yw, and good luck. I am so on the strict diet path with my dog, he can basically only tolerate lamb of the meats available in the grocery store. I work this by only baking lamb that is part of his meal, but grilling nice rare steaks to cut up for treats (I grill for myself often so this isn't extra work). It's different enough to make it special for the dog, so it works well for us.

Also wanted to mention that puppies don't listen as well as dogs, so usually it's better to have a lot of patience with them and lean more on rewards than any punishment.

Good luck, you need it with a puppy hehe.

" I'm not so sure I want to risk my safety, and that of my daughter to go to a harness ... "

Safety and prongs aside, harnesses have good specific uses, IMO, such as saving the neck of a sport dog for later leash pressure.

Replacing a flat collar for this companion dog is not one of them.

JMO!

Jack...holding the pup back with the choke collar IS a form of correction. By holding the pup with a slip/choke collar (even moreso of a sever correction,if you are in any way lifting the pup's front feet off the ground)you are basically starting to take the air from the dog. This IS a form of correction & one that I certainly would never give a pup. JMO of course.

There are better ways to handle this.....ie....when the pup startes to move too fast or to far forward....turn to the right(if he is on your left side) & keep walking. He will learn after a few times that he'd better pay attention to you & where you are walking or he will be left behind. Changing direction keeps dogs paying attention...do it often when walking with pups to teach them to 'keep an eye' on you.

OP...If a pup or older dog, startes to jump up &/or tries to mouth you...turn your back & ignore him. He is after your attention because your attention is elsewhere & not on him. Nipping, jumping up etc gets ZERO attention from you & will stop, as they are not getting the attention they are working to get. Excitement is not rewarded either & treated in the same way. I am not talking here about a 8-12 week old pup here,that is playing or a teething pup. I am talking about an older pup.

 Quote: Laurie Hill

But I stopped giving him his favorite treats because he would immediately go back to diarrhea, so I gave the official training thing a break, too. I think we'll pretty much pick up right where we left off.

If it could only be so easy.

Laurie, I think here in lies your biggest problem. You can not stop working with a puppy on a regular basis, expect that he will retain what has been taught and then correct him when he doesn't.

IMO Since you have an untrained dog, you need to stop all corrections, and go back to square one. Do you know how to generalize a behavior from one location to another? I think this might be what you missed the first time around. Sit in the kitchen is not Sit in the yard or Sit on a leash or from a foot away or when your daughter is there etc. Each different scenario needs to be taught. It is a lot of repetition, but as training proceeds you will see an improvement in your pup's ability to generalize and things will move along quickly.

As far as the situation with the little boy; was that mouthing? That was more you not paying attention :wink: And I say that with all the kindness and understanding of one who has been there and done that; no criticism intended.

I believe management is key going forward and has been mentioned in previous responses. Plan your time with your dog so that he is the priority. No need to be rude but if you keep walking when people engage you and give a little smile; your pup won't be put in a situation where he fails to live up to what is expected. Learn to immediately disengage from someone as you would with an infant who begins to cry in order to make sure he doesn't have the chance to continue to practice unwanted behaviors. For instance, neighbor talking through the fence and you want to have a conversation move the dog inside so you can.

Puppies are tough but adorable to look at....any pictures?

That was a great post, Sheila. Dealing with puppies seems so obvious once you've learned how, but it is so scary before that.

You can do it, Laurie.

My experience with a harness and my pup was great. You can control their whole body. I used it from 3-6 months. Also look into head harnesses that help you control your dog with out pulling a lot at all. He has to go where his head goes. Much better than a prong or choke collar IMHO.

In my area, they are illegal in dog parks...not that I go to them. I think they show the use of a head harness in the DVD also. I have seen it used in "Me or the Dog" TV show and it worked great for the exact situation as yours. (over powering pup vs. small owner). You only use it walking.

I followed Eds 6-8 Beginning video to the letter and like he states, the results were absolute.

My pup is still on a leash in the house with me at 7 months, especially when he starts being puppy stupid every now and then.
The pup settles down quick and lays down next to me with no problem. I have also been using very short time outs to his room. A couple minutes away from me and he settles down and then I bring him back out. I may have to do it three times, but he catches on fast.

I have trained GSDs before, but, not to this extent for a service dog. Today I had a big break through in the dog coming to my command in the house every time. Then I have him sit, down, stay, and back. I will just do 5 minutes, but multiple times during the day. It drives my wife a little nuts, but she has never had a well trained dog until after we got married. She does not have the patience for redundant repetition needed to train a working a dog.

That's great that the harness is suitable for your needs, Ken.

Good work!


I want to say again, though, that IMO a harness (or a Haltie) does not replace a flat collar (or any training collar) for a companion dog in the O.P.'s situation.




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What a good post!

 Quote: sheila buckley

.... IMO Since you have an untrained dog, you need to stop all corrections, and go back to square one. Do you know how to generalize a behavior from one location to another? I think this might be what you missed the first time around. Sit in the kitchen is not Sit in the yard or Sit on a leash or from a foot away or when your daughter is there etc. Each different scenario needs to be taught. It is a lot of repetition, but as training proceeds you will see an improvement in your pup's ability to generalize and things will move along quickly.

As far as the situation with the little boy; was that mouthing? That was more you not paying attention :wink: . And I say that with all the kindness and understanding of one who has been there and done that; no criticism intended.

I believe management is key going forward and has been mentioned in previous responses. Plan your time with your dog so that he is the priority. No need to be rude but if you keep walking when people engage you and give a little smile; your pup won't be put in a situation where he fails to live up to what is expected. Learn to immediately disengage from someone as you would with an infant who begins to cry in order to make sure he doesn't have the chance to continue to practice unwanted behaviors. For instance, neighbor talking through the fence and you want to have a conversation move the dog inside so you can.

Puppies are tough but adorable to look at....any pictures?

"... Sit in the kitchen is not Sit in the yard or Sit on a leash or from a foot away or when your daughter is there etc. Each different scenario needs to be taught."

"... if you keep walking when people engage you and give a little smile; your pup won't be put in a situation where he fails to live up to what is expected."

"... neighbor talking through the fence and you want to have a conversation: move the dog inside so you can."

"... Plan your time with your dog so that he is the priority. ... immediately disengage from someone .... to make sure he doesn't have the chance to continue to practice unwanted behaviors."