Dog Training?

[Pea-n-Me]

My suggestion would be to pick up a copy of a book called Good Owners, Great Dogs, by Brian Kilcommons.

I think it's not only about "training" persay, but about the relationship between the two of you. Training gives you a foundation - a "language" if you will - that you can both understand. Once you get the language, you can communicate. Once you communicate, your relationship grows, and thrives. This is when you get the type of dog you want to have, IME.

Can you get this with a trainer who comes in and trains your dog for you? Sure, to a degree. The problem is that unless both of you fully grasp it, it'll be like "kind of" communicating, but in a broken manner. Sort of like speaking a few words of a language as opposed to the whole language. Yes, you'll be able to communicate a bit, but it could certainly be better. Without speaking the whole language, you don't get to experience the full joys of complete communication. This is the best I can compare it to.

Good luck. I hope you find something that works for you. Don't be mad at the previous posters. They understand how good it can be, and want that for you and your dog too. Give it some thought, please. It's not really that hard to do. I also have many years of training experience under my belt, and when I'm training, the lesson's over once the dog does what I want. It's that simple. I also don't use food in training, just lots of verbal praise and pats, then a few ball tosses when we're done. As TMM said, it then just becomes constant that the communication kicks in. You say something, the dog listens. And because you have this rich thing between you, the dog wants to listen. That's the difference.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

So you are struggling with housebreaking. The key with housebreaking is you are training your dogs to tell you when they have to go out to potty.

That is the goal.

I use a bell on my door. It is easy and the dogs are quick to pick it up.

This is something I'd love to do. Our greyhound will go and stand by the door when she needs to go but unless we are in the same room though, we don't always notice. She's really good though and never has an accident.

We have just got a new dog, also from the pound. He is nearly 7months old. We've only had him a week and since the first few days, he's doing really well with the housetraining. Its just a matter of being consitent. I'd love to try the bell thing but I'm not sure where to start. We are starting obedience training with him next Sunday at a local club.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

This is something I'd love to do. Our greyhound will go and stand by the door when she needs to go but unless we are in the same room though, we don't always notice. She's really good though and never has an accident.

We have just got a new dog, also from the pound. He is nearly 7months old. We've only had him a week and since the first few days, he's doing really well with the housetraining. Its just a matter of being consitent. I'd love to try the bell thing but I'm not sure where to start. We are starting obedience training with him next Sunday at a local club.

Easy to do. Just hang a bell or now we have a collection.We started with a bird bell hanging from the doornob.

You take the dog's muzzle and ring the bell, go outside. Repeat. We used the words, ring the bell and outside to connect the two.

They pick it up real quick. You just do "bell training" until they get it.

If they are not getting it, we put a dab of peanut butter on the bell and then they lick it so they ring it and then go outside.

Just train until they get it. My dogs picked it up after one training session. Not sure how easy it would be for your dog.

Of course then you are taking your dog out alot at first. Eventually it calms down.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

I will definitely give this a go with the new dog. He seems really bright and is picking things up quickly. We've had him a week but already he's learnt so much. Not sure how the greyhound will go. She's my princess but its more of an effort for her to even get up off the couch. She is too busy sleeping.

 

[MushyMushy]

Nevermind, should have known better than to ask.

I'm not looking for a critique of my doggie mommie skills. I know they aren't great but I love my dogs and do what is necessary for them. I've never given up a dog for any reason and have had instances where most people would have. I'd like information on the success of having a professional dog trainer work with my dog anyone have that?

Try not to look at it as criticism, but as advice for someone who is a novice at dog training. You're getting some really god advice from people who know what they're doing -- even though it's on a message board, you're still getting good free advice that you could be paying for through a stranger!

Have you read Cesar Milan's books or watched his shows? I thought I knew a LOT about dogs, having been raised with tons of them and my grandfather being a dog catcher (a very humane one). But some of the things I picked up from his show and books gave me ideas that worked *immediately* with the dogs! He doesn't help with training or anything like that, but his ideas help with behavior aspects, which in turn helps you do some training.

That said, my dogs aren't perfect either. We have tried and tried, but canNOT get our 2 year old housebroken. She'll go in the basement, which is okay because we can bleach the floor and hose it down. But she misses and goes upstairs once in a while too. We love her but she's certainly stubborn about this. I've housetrained a few dogs in my life, so it's not like I don't know how.

Anyway, hang in there. Try not to feel like you're being put down. You are getting good advice!

 

[tevagirl]

We have a new puppy and since it's was 14 yrs since we've trained one, I was a little rusty. I've watched every episode of 'It's Me Or the Dog' since getting him and I've gotten many great tips from it.

Good luck with the training!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I just wanted to add that one of my dogs will ring the bell, without a bell now. He will "ring" a shoe on the floor. He nudges the doornob and then whines and barks. He is pretty vocal when it comes to going outside.

The other dog is more stubborn with ringing the bell, border collie mix, however she knows what to do. Right now since we are on the leash, she just comes and gets me. Too smart for her own good.

We have to take them out on leash, over a yr. now. And we are finally putting in a fence! However no deck, so we will still have to use the leash to take them to the backyard.

I can say that using your leash is the best way to train them. It is your best tool. I know many people here stress the use of the leash indoors and outside. Get a nice leather leash, something that is comfortable in your hands. Use no flexie leashes when training.

 

[KandD]

When we got our Husky we went to an obedience class with him, I believe it was 12 weeks long. The trainer of the class was available to come to our house to work with us and the dog if the dog needed more training. We didn't need this but I know some people who did it and they absolutely raved about it (I don't know how much it cost though ).

I think the biggest part of the training was consistency and I know if you are working, or have kids, or are just busy! it is probably hard to always be consistent and I think that was the hardest part for me but once I committed myself to the training I started seeing results.

Good luck!! I know how frustrating it can be. Sorry I don't have any input on the doggie day camps, I don't think we have any around us.

Oh and there is a sour apple spray that you can get to deter the puppy from chewing on things. We got it from the trainer.

 

[janette]

Here is the trainer's name and links to her websites. Carla Collins. She is absolutely amazing. I have worked with many trainers over a 25 year period, but Carla's methods are the most amazing I have ever seen/used. I wish you the best of luck getting your dog trained!!

http://www.sitmeanssit.com/dog-training-locations/dog-training-dallas-texas/

and her personal school

http://www.absoluteobedience.com/

Thanks for this, I'm going to give them a call. I think this will work well since this is a personal trainer that will come to the house.

I appreciate the real advice you gave instead of just letting me know what I'm doing wrong.

I do know I'm not doing everything right, I also know that a traditional obedience class wasn't going to help that much so I wanted alternatives. From the sounds of it the doggie camps don't work that well but hopefully a personal trainer will since that will all be done with us and we'll learn with puppy. I think we'll have one of our other dogs participate, he really doesn't need it but he trains really quickly and hopefully it will help the puppy with an example.

 

[livie1205]

I create trained our dogs and it worked GREAT..My youngest dog is a 5 month old westie.I got him at 9 weeks and he was trained by3 months old by using a create.I also have taught him to sit ,stay,come and in (for the create).This is how...I keep him in the create at night and while we are gone and in the morning I take him out to potty he goes right away,i feed him then he goes right into his create,after 20 minutes I take him back out and he poops after that he is free to run around the house and play.I had to keep on a schedule to get him to do this but it worked.He hardly ever has accidents inside (if he does it is our fault for not taking him out whe he needs to go)and has never pooped or peed in his create even when he was real little.I used treats to train him also.
I know you can do it...it just takes A LOT of work.I am a SAHM so I have all day to teach him.We also have a 5 yr old wheaton that is 100% trained and will listen to anything you tell her to do...I was not a dog person before I got my baby westie (spike lol) but I love him to pieces and learned how to train him myself, I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT good luck. I would try the create if you havent yet, it really works and the dogs love having their own space.