Jump to content

Obedience Training?


grrlpunk
 Share

Recommended Posts

hi everyone...

my american staffordshire terrier is now about months old and is naughtier than ever. she is a little bit out of control actually. today i enquired about obedience training with my local kennel club and am going to take her in this week. i was just curious to know what to expect out of it?? i mean does it work? even on a puppy that is totally disobedient at the moment? this may sound so stupid but i have just never had a puppy before so i dont really know what to expect...

any information would be appreciated :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, obedience training works :thumbsup: However some clubs only focus on the 'trialling' exercises like heeling, drop, sit etc. You also need to incorporate limits and rules into your daily life, and make her work for what she wants - eg she must sit before she gets to go outside, and so on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It sure does work, but you're the one that does the work, along with the dog. The club I go to starts off teaching basic obedience for "good manners"....walk on a loose leash, sit on command, drop, stay etc......which are very easy to incorporate into homelife. Once you start, just be consistent and you'll see some nicer behaviour soon enough.

Aside from making good little doggies out of naughty ones, it also gives their brain a workout which is very important for young, intelligent and active dogs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As long as you are expecting to be taught how to teach your pup, then go home and put it into practice, several times a day, thats great and it works brilliantly! If you expect them to teach your pup, and it be perfect, you are in for a let-down. Have a look at the top thread of the forum - puppy calender. It tells you what stages they go thru and around what age. Helps to understand the disobedient loveable little blighters. :laugh:

Go for it, practice, and have a long lovely life with your family friend!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 5 month old puppy is really good when it comes to obedience, but it doesn't mean that's she's still not a typical puppy! She can sit, drop, stand, stay etc on command and is totally focussed when I have my bum bag with treats, but she still digs massive holes in the mud, rips up her blankets, tips the plants out of their pots, chews through slippers - u get the picture!

So unfortunately it didn't work in that sense for me!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

She can sit, drop, stand, stay etc on command and is totally focussed when I have my bum bag with treats, but she still digs massive holes in the mud, rips up her blankets, tips the plants out of their pots, chews through slippers - u get the picture!

Learning to be obedient doesn't mean they don't do typical puppy stuff, that's a different story altogether!

But a good grounding in manners means they can learn to sit before they come in and not rush you off your feet. Sit and wait while you serve their dinner so they're not jumping all over you in anticipation of getting it quicker. Sit at each kerb before crossing the road when out for a walk.

Stand for grooming, bathing etc. Drop or sit and stay when you want them to stay in one place for an extended period of time. Even if they can't do a long stay, a short one is great for when you want to take their photo! I use the drop stay command when I'm getting out of the car and I don't want my dog to try and follow me until I've clipped on a lead and unclipped his harness.....otherwise he ends up in a tangle half in and half out of the car.

They can learn the commands "leave" and "give".....leave that alone, or give that back.

Phase out the treats as they learn the command and give different commands often so they just get used to doing what they're told when they're told to do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Learning to be obedient doesn't mean they don't do typical puppy stuff, that's a different story altogether!

Yes that's exactly what I was trying to say.. She already has to sit & stay before I open the door, give her food, put on her leash and all that kind of stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thank you so much everyone for all your replies....i guess i just feel a little out of control with her now. just being able to learn commands and have her learn to obey them will make her and i both feel alot better. im sure she is getting mixed messages from me at the moment. she sits and stay's before she is given her food but thats about the extent of my knowledge in regards to training. anyway i have taken on board all the things you have said and will try to put into practice all the advice.

thank you for the compliment. she is adorable and i love her unconditionally.

thanks again.

charlene

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Obedience is about teaching the owners how to handle there dog BUT the obedience class is only as good as the effort people put in during the week.

It was amazing how many people presume one lesson each week will teach the dog.

You go to your class then you have a week to do the homework.

The reason your pup is being a monster at present is most likley due to you not kowing what to do & this is were the classes come in especially given you have a breed that can become extremely powerful.

The younger you start the easier it is

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ggypsy and I had our intro class on Wednesday (just gone) and next week we start basic obedience. She is already pretty good, but all the training just goes out the window when she's excited so the classes will be really go for her (i.e learning to pay attention to me when there are plently of distractions).

Oh and just a tip, when you go for your first lession try to get someone to come with you. I went by myself with Gyps and she was making a huge fuss tyring to play with the other dogs, pulling and barking etc... and I couldn't fill out all the paperwork, luckily one of the trainers saw I was having trouble and held her while I went to sort out the paperwork.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can do Triangle of Temptation (TOT) with your dog now: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=64101

Print it out and do it EXACTLY per instructions.

Is great for getting your pup to watch and listen to you- essential for training.

Obedience training is really about training YOU :laugh: . You then train the dog.

Also practice NILIF (nothing in life is free) with your pup. TOT is an example, as is something simple like asking pup to sit before pats.

Set your dog up to do the right things and praise so they some to enjoy training. Keep it very short for youngsters.

An out of control dog is no fun to live with- for you OR the dog! Dog's sense you're unhappy with them.

Training, TOT and NILIF make your relationship with your dog so much better.

You want to spend time with a dog that listens to you --> you end up in a positive, happy cycle.

Not a cycle that ends with dog banished to the backyard 100% of the time because they're so difficult to live with :thumbsup: .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its the best, I cant recommend it highly enough. It gives the dog a chance to socialise too, and the tips and tricks are invaluable. Made a big difference to our puppy!

I also like the interaction it gives you with your dog, outside of playing. Like you're working towards something together :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Orbs has just started school and I can't recommend it enough. Not only does it teach you how to inform the basics, but it teaches them to listen to you in a situation with a lot of distractions too.

Our club also holds interclub comps and does basic agility too so its great fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Second class today....one tip that really helped....take a variety of treats...and use them in the everyday taining too...for really important skills like recall and heel....use Sirloin steak....I not only had my dog's attention...I had ALL the dogs attention :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...