Puppy Training

[Cat]

Hi :D

A month or so ago someone mentioned that they had taught their dogs "leave it!" or similar when they want to chase after the cats. I think this would be very useful as Im concerned about my pup chasing after the cats when he has grown (he isn't too bad at the moment and just bounces around trying to get them to play). Would someone please be able to explain the best way to go about teaching him? I yell at him when he goes after them, but didnt know if there may be a better way?

Also, is it possible to train an 11 week old pup to drop something it has in its mouth? If so, how would I do this? I'm afraid I'm going to lose a finger trying to get things out of my puppy's mouth :rolleyes:

Thanks in advance.

[Dee_al]

our dogs are always taught to 'leave it' when they see soemthing they want to chase and to 'give' when they have someting in there mouth. to teach 'give' we always gave a treat once we had what the dog had. dog see's treat drops what hes got coz treats better then a ball.lol. to teach leave, we always distracted the dog and said leave and when the dog turned away, we gave it a treat. i hope this helps :rolleyes:

[Kahn]

We taught our dogs "Leave it" at only 9 weeks. It took them a few weeks to get 100% obedient to the command though. This is what worked for us.

- Hold a treat in your hand, let the dog know you have a treat (let them see it or smell it).

- Close your hand and place it about 10cm away from their mouth. Say "Leave it" in your command voice

- Open your hand, but keep saying "Leave it"

- The dog will undoubtedly go for the treat. Quickly close your hand so they can't get it and say "Leave it"

- As soon as your dog either pulls its head back, looks away or looks at you for a few (2-3) seconds, say "Yes" and let them eat the treat.

- Praise them

Eventually you can get to the point where you can leave the treat on the floor, rather than in your hand. You progress it to use the command so that dont eat "dodgy things" around the garden (e.g. possum poo etc). You can use the command when you are playing with a toy, as Dee-al said. You use the same command when they see the cat (as soon as their ears prick up and their body language changes to show they are interested in something). "Leave it" means I cannot have it until my owner says "Yes"

With the cat I think it would be best to say "Leave it" and then get them to come to you and distract them. Either play a game, or make them drop or something.

[The Spotted Devil]

Specifically with the cats, especially now that Zig is a bit older, although just as playful :rolleyes: I try to be aware of triggers - one of the worst is about half an hour before dinner time when the cats are pacing like lions and teasing Zig and he responds by getting sillier. I will sometimes simply split them up - take Zig out into the garden for half an hour or crate him in the lounge room etc....sometimes prevention is easier

Now that Zig does know what "leave" is, if he doesn't leave the cats when asked he is very calmly and quietly place in his crate for a few minutes. Removing him from his social world is the worst punishment :D I tend to give my "leave" command in a very deep, drawn out tone - yelling is completely pointless because it hypes Zig up...plus it's not nice to have to yell :D If Zig so much as loses eye contact with the cats after I've asked him to "leave" he gets an enthusiastic "good boy" so he understands what is going on. If I have a clicker handy I will reward the behaviour with a click/treat. It's a slow process but we're getting there...

Good luck and be patient....I find the cats are just as responsible for the conflict but the pup is easier to train :D

[Gayle.]

to teach 'give' we always gave a treat once we had what the dog had. dog see's treat drops what hes got coz treats better then a ball.

I was teaching Benson to give, the same way.....til I realised he'd cottoned on to the free and easy treats and was bringing me "contraband" (shoes, thongs, socks etc) and standing just out of my reach til I gave him his treat, then he'd release the object. When he brought me everything that wasn't nailed down in the house one night, I stopped that method of training.

Now I give a treat to our other dog, who is very old and doesn't have to do anything much for a reward and make sure he knows she's getting something. He invariably comes to investigate and drops the item along the way, in anticipation of getting a treat too. He does, but only after he's worked for it. Sit, drop, stand, drop, roll over, stand, sit, shake......then he can have his treat too.

[Cat]

The cats still aren't that sure of the pup yet so they tend to run away when he gets too boistrous and he just thinks they are playing :rolleyes:

Thanks for all the suggestions. It was helpful and I will stock up on more treats and try them out.

[Bonmedia]

Hi :D

A month or so ago someone mentioned that they had taught their dogs "leave it!" or similar when they want to chase after the cats. I think this would be very useful as Im concerned about my pup chasing after the cats when he has grown (he isn't too bad at the moment and just bounces around trying to get them to play). Would someone please be able to explain the best way to go about teaching him? I yell at him when he goes after them, but didnt know if there may be a better way?

Also, is it possible to train an 11 week old pup to drop something it has in its mouth? If so, how would I do this? I'm afraid I'm going to lose a finger trying to get things out of my puppy's mouth

Thanks in advance.

Would suggest you get hold of the book Who's the Boss"? This will assist you greatly.

[Bonmedia]

The book "Who's the Boss?" is great for new dog/puppy owners. Suggest you get yourself a copy.