Ways Of Correcting Your Dog

[Andoria1]

Maybe this topic has been posted all the time. But what are some of the best ways to correct a dog other than saying "No" or "yes" or good boy ?

When my boyfriend corrects our dog he pulls the leash on the dog really hard, hits the dog in the back of the head and bum. Or Pushes the dog as in if hes on the bed bitting something my boyfrined will push the dog of the bed in one push.

My boyfriend also likes to use the technique of "scare the dog to death" to train him. I think this is too much for a 5 month old puppy.

When i try to train him i say no and give a smack on the bum till the dog lets go of my clothes, or if he barks i pull the leash as a warning and say no. I dont try to scare the dog shitless. Also if the dog is bitting something i dont want him to bite i tell the dog no , and then give the dog something else that the dog is allowed to chew.

But for some reason i have all the bites and scars on my arms from the dog and my boyfriend dosent get bitten by this dog at all ;/

help please.

[Staff'n'Toller]

Get a new boyfriend who doesn't abuse dogs.

Then find yourself a nice positive trainer, you shouldn't need to punish a 5 month old puppy.

Mel.

[jaybeece]

Then find yourself a nice positive trainer, you shouldn't need to punish a 5 month old puppy.

I agree Right now you guys should be demonstrating strong, positive leadership to make sure the pup grows up to be trusting and confident. I don't think a dog should ever be smacked, especially not when he's so young and probably doesn't understand why he's being smacked.

I doubt that the dog looks up you your boyfriend in a positive way at all, he's probably just too scared to step out of line. There's ways of making a dog listen that don't involve intimidation and violence.

For a start check out the Triangle of Temptation: http://forums.dogzonline.com.au/index.php?showtopic=64101

and also Nothing In Life Is Free: http://www.k9deb.com/nilif.htm

So if, for example, the dog is doing something he shouldn't be while he's on the bed then don't allow him up there for now until he understands that being allowed on the bed is a privilege and he must behave up there.

Also, it does sound a bit like the dog won't listen to you? I'd be finding a good obedience school where they can teach you how to use tone and consistent training methods to really make him understand what you want from him.

As for the question: "But what are some of the best ways to correct a dog other than saying "No" or "yes" or good boy ?".....one of the most effective punishments I've ever found is just to walk away and ignore the dog. At 5 months everything is a game, so the more attention you pay to him the more he thinks that the behaviour is acceptable.

[saladtossa]

report your dumbass boyfriend to an animal welfare agency and then join a local dog training club

[archie]

l agree with saladtossa

[Dogs4Fun]

Maybe this topic has been posted all the time. But what are some of the best ways to correct a dog other than saying "No" or "yes" or good boy ?

When my boyfriend corrects our dog he pulls the leash on the dog really hard, hits the dog in the back of the head and bum. Or Pushes the dog as in if hes on the bed bitting something my boyfrined will push the dog of the bed in one push.

My boyfriend also likes to use the technique of "scare the dog to death" to train him. I think this is too much for a 5 month old puppy.

When i try to train him i say no and give a smack on the bum till the dog lets go of my clothes, or if he barks i pull the leash as a warning and say no. I dont try to scare the dog shitless. Also if the dog is bitting something i dont want him to bite i tell the dog no , and then give the dog something else that the dog is allowed to chew.

But for some reason i have all the bites and scars on my arms from the dog and my boyfriend dosent get bitten by this dog at all ;/

help please.

Seriously have a look at what is happening in your house.

Hitting, yanking around with a lead or shoving off the bed onto the floor would all be unacceptable with an adult dog, let alone a young puppy with growing body and mind. Would you find this behaviour OK if your pup was a toddler?

You and your boyfriend need to sit down together, preferably with a good dog trainer, and decide on some rules for you and your pup.

Is this the same pup that is being tied up all day?

Please look hard at what you are doing with this pup, and for your pup's safety, your sake and your boyfriends sake, please get some profession help NOW before the problem escalates any further.

[zacpud]

I agree wholeheartedly with saladtossa. Dogs should not be hit when you are training them. It is all positive re-inforcement. You really only need to use words and it is all in the way you say them. I have an 11 week old border collie. At times I would like to give him a tap on the bottom but he is learning without this. Occassionally when he is really naughty and not listening I give him the "dreaded water spray". Your boyfriend has no scars because the poor dog is frightened of him. Get a good TRAINER!!!!!

[cavNrott]

.

Edited May 9, 2009 by cavNrott

[Nekhbet]

NO puppy should be his or yanked or shoved. Do you know what kind of internal injuries you two could cause, not to mention mental?

Would you push around a toddler like that? Would you belt an 18 month old kid on the head for not understanding?

Hit yourselves first. HARD and see how it feels. Poor puppy.

Get into an obedience club NOW and train the dog. Which area are you in we could reccomend something. That or send this dog to a new home because CavNrott is right its getting abusive if its teathered all doy and then beaten for behaving like EVERY OTHER BABY DOG should.

[bikle]

you posted a question in the puppy forum as well and haven't been back to respond...

i wonder if you are reading our replies at all??

i am very worried about your puppy.

please start some training with him and do some research into positive training methods. he is just a baby still.

[Rom]

I prefer to try and set up a training session so that the dog is guided to the correct behaviour, improves the likely hood of reward for correct behaviour and therefore reduces or negates the need for correction. One of the rules of correction that I like is: If you have the dogs focus but are not getting the behaviour you want, then do not correct, instead work on helping the dog to understand what you want. If you don't have the dogs focus, then you need to develop this first before you attempt training. A dog that is not focused is not learning from you and this will increase the likelyhood that you will need correction.

[Australdi]

If you don't have the dogs focus, then you need to develop this first before you attempt training. A dog that is not focused is not learning from you and this will increase the likelyhood that you will need correction.[/b]

wise words Rom.....focus is definately the key to training! And it can be quite a challenge to keep a young pup's attention for more than a couple of minutes, so begin by keeping training short & sweet....and as the pup becomes more focused & responsive, increase the time of training & positive behaviours expected.

The key to any animal training is patience, patience, patience, lots of reward for positive behaviour, a quick sharp "No" at the time of misbehaviour (you've got to catch them at it) and most of all....time building trust and a positive bond

Because you say you're copping quite a few bites...I'm guessing your pup doesn't consider you "Alpha" pack member....this is quite easy to establish....when you feed him...make him sit & stay until you give him the command to eat. Have the food bowl in front of him, and if he breaks the stay before your command, pick him up before he gets to the food, give a low growl & say "NO" sharply & put him back in the "sit" "stay" keep the stay short to start with...say 30 seconds to a minute, then when he does the right thing praise him! gradually increase the time of the sit stay or even include a drop once he learns the command. an ALPHA should be able to hold the dog off practically indefinately (not that you would ever do that) (unless it's your food!) grrrr"no"

It really is that simple...and it pays dividends in other areas of training, because then the pup will LISTEN to you. I'm currently training a rescued (untrained) Dobermann of 15 months old (15 months worth of chaos!!)....within a week I had him up to a 3 minute drop stay for food. Dogs learn very quickly when there's a food reward :D

don't be upset by peoples reaction to your post, but do take their advice....get yourself & your boyfriend into some dog training classes ASAP, & if you really don't have the time to put into this puppy, consider finding a home for him that can.

Good luck

Aus

[Rom]

...when you feed him...make him sit & stay until you give him the command to eat. Have the food bowl in front of him, and if he breaks the stay before your command, pick him up before he gets to the food, give a low growl & say "NO" sharply & put him back in the "sit" "stay" keep the stay short to start with...say 30 seconds to a minute, then when he does the right thing praise him! gradually increase the time of the sit stay or even include a drop once he learns the command. an ALPHA should be able to hold the dog off practically indefinately (not that you would ever do that) (unless it's your food!) grrrr"no"

I don't mean any disrespect, Aus, but in the senario above, I wouldn't even use verbal corrections. But I can still show that I control the resources and get the dog to leave the food until I give the release by setting up the circumstances for the dog to win. All I do is ask for a sit while I'm still holding the bowl of food. Then I start to move as though I'm going to put the bowl down. If the dog looks as though he's even gonna move a whisker towards that bowl, I command 'leave' and at the same time stand up with the bowl again. The longer he holds position the closer the bowl gets to being put on the ground, but as soon as he looks like he's going to make a move towards the bowl I stand up with it again. The picture I'm giving is that if you move towards the bowl before I give the release, it moves out of your reach. Even with a numskull 8mo highly food motivated hoover hound I get what I want inside 10 reps without even a verbal correction.

[Australdi]

Rom...hate to be pedantic...but the command "leave" could be considered "verbal" hehehe

but I do agree with you, I train my dogs simulataneously with verbal, non verbal , visual & dog language (I've got a real good growl ) I actually had my 15mth rescue trained by the 2nd feed to visual cues...and that was with the food sitting in front of him !

4 weeks on, I only have to call him to the "feed station" & he immediately drops & stays...and waits & drools heehee...but I won't torture him longer than a minute now, because I know he's got the hang of it. lesson learnt! In my experience though...he's an exception to the rule... this is a dog that learns VERY fast!!! (blows me away!) probably due to lack of interaction & direction in his previous 15mths..he's so eager to learn! (& he gets sooo much lovin when he gets it right now!)

cheers

Aus (Di)

[Rom]

Ok Aus, you got me, but I did say command, rather than correction (Now I'm being pedantic!)

Edited to clarify: I was refering to the growl as the verbal correction....but perhaps I've misunderstood?

Edited September 4, 2006 by Rom

[Australdi]

Rom

I t

"talk" to my dogs more in their languge rather than ours ;)

(I was taught by a very disiplinarian bitch..vail tisha;))

so I do tend to to train my dogs foemost in "dog language", but I also reinforce it with a verbal command + a visual command.

because I am now absolutley besotted with dobermanns...they are a breed which responds readily to this type of training, and have the intelligence to make the connections between the different modes of commands. (hey! I've got it easy!!!..except for their exhuberance & ...and their propensity to test you to the limits..as every adolecent does;)

trust me...without a convincing "growl".....you don't have a hope in hell!

BTW...I only have to "show my teeth in a snarl "now & zillah leaves my food alone! (& that is only after 4 weeks!)

Daim's my "old boy"..(sadly recently passed) could be left in a room with a steak on the floor & wouldn't touch it, as long as I didn't leave the house itself....Zillah's well on the way to learning that ;)...mind you..the "stand down" command is taking a bit longer...the new pup next door is just too interesting! rofl!

Aus

[lab and poodle]

Daim's my "old boy"..(sadly recently passed) could be left in a room with a steak on the floor & wouldn't touch it, as long as I didn't leave the house itself....Zillah's well on the way to learning that ...mind you..the "stand down" command is taking a bit longer...the new pup next door is just too interesting! rofl!

Aus

My still living Lab can be left in the car with the groceries next to him, and he won't touch a thing whether we are in the car or out of it. He gets excited when we get to the end though becuase he might get a treat. I have no problems dropping food on the floor and he certainly wont go for it. I also leave my treat pouch in the car next to him when we go to the dog club. He never bothers it.

I don't growl at him, and it would be several years since I did.( I am not suggesting that a reasonable growl might be a useful tool sometimes) He is no softie at all (He was quite a "leadership challenging" dog in his younger days). He sees his roll as guarding the resources for his Alpha dogs. Guarding is often the role of subordinate dogs. He knows that trying to get resources directly is very often a waste of time too.Thats my theory and I am sticking to it!!

[Australdi]

My still living Lab can be left in the car with the groceries next to him, and he won't touch a thing whether we are in the car or out of it. He gets excited when we get to the end though becuase he might get a treat. I have no problems dropping food on the floor and he certainly wont go for it. I also leave my treat pouch in the car next to him when we go to the dog club. He never bothers it.

I don't growl at him, and it would be several years since I did.( I am not suggesting that a reasonable growl might be a useful tool sometimes) He is no softie at all (He was quite a "leadership challenging" dog in his younger days). He sees his roll as guarding the resources for his Alpha dogs. Guarding is often the role of subordinate dogs. He knows that trying to get resources directly is very often a waste of time too.Thats my theory and I am sticking to it!!

Daim's was the same...I could have an open bag of dog food in the car..meat, anything, and he wouldn't touch it...just like having food on the floor..I could leave the room, even for 10 mins & he wouldn't go near it, and didn't require any command to know that he couldn't touch it...but that wasn't the case when he was a pup! lots of growls until they "get" it...the training that is then the visual cue...then when they finally don't bother...you're home & hosed! I think Daim's was about 2 by the time I could fully trust him (he almost made it to 11)

Zillah hasn't had the same training from an early age, so we're going through the basic training now....but he's picking it up really quick...in the past day, all I've had to do now to get him to keep away from human food(always more enticing than dog food! ) in the past 2 days is look him in the eyes...he pleads..but he's working out that that don't work! ..thank goodness he picks it up so quick...my throat was getting sore from the low growls! ;)

I went through the big dominance challenge with Daims when he was about 10mths old (2hr challenge) he was a real tough cookie! after that..it all became so easy! As I got Zillah at 15mths...we went through the dominance fight in the 2nd week I had him....didn't take as long as daims...but I'm quite a bit older now...so the effort seemed alot more taxing! ...but again, after that, I haven't had to do more than growl a couple of times & he comes into line. (except for the recall, stand down when he's barking at that new pup next door! grrr!...still working on that one! ;) ) ...he's starting to call off..but has discovered a new game...I stop barking...run to mum...then run back & bark again & do this a couple of times until I actually follow the command to come inside! typical dobe...always has to have the last word!

cheers

Aus