dog training tips and questions

[MossRoad]

It's only 3 risers. If I put him in the middle, it's a crap shoot whether he goes down or back up. If we're at the top and I put his front paws on the middle, he goes back up. If we're at the bottom and I put his front paws on the first riser, he goes all the way up.

So far, the toys and treats don't work.

If we can EVER get him to do the 3-riser stairs, THEN we'll start working on the 5-riser stairs to get into our hi-boy bed. I am seriously considering installing ramps....

My father was considering putting my late mother's border collie down because she had a bad knee and was 90 pounds. I took the dog to my house (wife was 6 months pregnant, so no help from her). We had 3 steps from kitchen to back door. Dog could not go up or down. I built a ramp that could fold up to the side and the dog could manage. We could not afford knee surgery at the time, but we managed to diet her down to 45 pounds in several months and her knee was no longer a problem. She could do steps and lived another 3 years to ripe old age of 14.

 

[Rockbadchild]

All my 3 dogs have one vice, well maybe my lab has two, she barks at ATV or sled for them to go faster, we are working on it it’s very annoying and she eats too fast.

my other one (border collie/golden retriever mix) wont let kids touch him or hyper adult that don’t know how to pet correctly … he worn them without biting he has never bite anyone… not sure what to do with that i just tell kids to not pet him then it’s fine but the darn dog goes to see them all happy tail wagging then they go to pet him and he show his teeth, go figure …

my GSD is focusing and taunting my lab

 

[CalG]

Ours is a great big teddy bear She will get miffed and howl and stomp her front paws at you if she doesn't get greeted in a timely fashion.

She doesn't like delivery drivers though. She can recognize a UPS or FedEx truck from a 1/4 mile away (tonight) and gets her hackles up

Never been able to figure out why she doesn't like them. But it's been this way since she was a pup.

You are your dogs ..........

Assume the Alpha male role, and put thing right.

 

[MossRoad]

I don't think you can train a 1-2 year old from the pound. I get pound dogs, and have a degree in behavioral science. Not bragging, about the behavioral science stuff.. just say'en. I would work with these dogs and they would get the commands and behave in a controlled situation. Out side of that, everything is out the window. They revert to earlier and native behaviors.

When I was 8 my parents wanted to get me a dog. A 2 year old collie put his paw out of the cage and grabbed my mom. So much for ME getting a dog! The report said the dog was turned in because it was untrainable.

We taught that dog to come, sit, stay, shake hands, shake the other hand, lie down, roll over, roll the other way, sit up, wave, speak, count to 1, 2, or 3 depending on how many fingers you held up. If you held up all 5 he'd just keep barking until you put your hand down. He'd climb a ladder, jump through a hoop, run out to the end of the driveway to get the paper when the paperboy whistled, then bring it back to you. If you asked for it, he'd give it to you. If you told him to take it to daddy or take it to mommy, he'd take it to the appropriate person. He'd play fetch. If it was raining out, and he came in the house, we'd say "wet feet!" and he'd flop over on his back with all 4 paws up. We'd grab a rag from a basket by the back door, wipe his feet, tell him OK, he'd get up, you'd hand him the dirty rag and tell him to put it away. He'd run to the laundry room and drop it on the floor in front of the washing machine, then bolt to the kitchen for his milk bone. Totally food driven.

If you pointed at someone and snapped your fingers and said "WARN EM SKIPPY!" he'd raise his hackles, bare his teeth and start growling at them.

I was riding in a VW van with my mom one night, windows down. We stopped at a light and a man ran up and reached in the window and tried to grab my mom. The dog jumped up from the back seat and bit the living **** out of the guy's arm and wouldn't let go. I had to jump in the back and grab him off the guy.

The only problem we ever had with that "untrainable" dog was he would raid the garbage can under the sink. Anytime he went near it, my mom would slap a yard stick on the sink. He'd run away. So eventually she just leaned the yard stick up against the cabinet, and that was that.

Without a doubt, other than TV dogs, that was the smartest dog I've ever known.

 

[MossRoad]

just a note:

I had a very biddable Brittney Spaniel learn to BALANCE on a "bongo-board" in just three sessions using a "clicker". Of course, this was a couple of years after beginning treat/clicker training.

I had set the board on the floor, and got the dog animated around it. whenever his foot would touch the board, I would give a click. It took two sessions until the dog was standing four legs on the board placed on the floor.

On the third session the roller beneath the board was introduced. The results didn't take long! ;-)

Have you seen that internet video of the Pug riding the skate board? ;-)

I clicker train my cats, but my clicker is a finger snap. Works just as well.

 

[JasperFrank]

Had a wonderful dog for 11 years.... another pound pup. Very sweet around everyone, children, and other dogs, but if it saw someone with a baseball cap, this dog would completely freak out and attack them. I started wearing baseball caps to mitigate this, but it didn't matter. Any one else in a cap set this dog off.

 

[Runner]

Is the floor slippery? Like tile? Is there a scary appliance in there?

My mother in-law's Schnauzer would not eat on the tile kitchen floor. She'd regularly not come on to tile floors. MIL put down a small rug with a rubber backing so it wouldn't slip and put the food and water by that. Solved the problem.

Floor is vinyl. He also doesn't like the wood floor in the entryway. Seems to be getting better with time, but he's still skittish about it.

Not sure what appliance might be scary to a dog. Refrigerator hums a little. For a while, he would walk in, start looking around like he was in a trance or having hallucinations or something. Then run out.

 

[MossRoad]

Strange indeed. Our cats are leery of the running dishwasher at startup, but that's about it.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Many have been mentioned, here are 10 training method, I my forgetting anything?, my GSD has teach me to adapt and try different approach to get a result and to not get stuck on one approach.

1. Positive Reinforcement
This is used for house training, teaching tricks, or any behavior you want to reinforce.

2. Classical Conditioning (positive associations)
Used for things like creating positive associations with certain situations (e.g., the sound of keys could signal a walk).

3. Behavioral Adjustment Training
Focusing on giving the dog more control over their environment by rewarding them for making the right choices to cope with fear, aggression, anxiety.
Exemple: If a dog is fearful of other dogs, expose the dog to a calm, controlled situation where they can observe other dogs from a distance and reward them for calm behavior.

4. Desensitization/Exposure
Gradually exposing a dog to a trigger that causes fear or aggression at a low intensity and pairing it with something positive to change the emotional response.

5. Operant Conditioning (Positive & Negative Reinforcement, Positive & Negative Punishment)
Learning happens based on consequences—either reinforcing behaviors you want or discouraging unwanted behaviors. This includes both positive reinforcement and using punishments or corrections.

• Positive Reinforcement: Rewarding a dog for sitting politely (giving a treat).
• Negative Reinforcement: Releasing pressure from the leash when the dog stops pulling.
• Positive Punishment: Using a firm "no" or an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., a quick leash correction) to stop unwanted behavior.
• Negative Punishment: Removing attention (e.g., ignoring a dog that is jumping up) until the behavior stops.

6. Model-Rival Training
A form of observational learning where the dog watches another dog or person perform a task, and then tries to do the same to earn a reward.

7. Clicker Training
Uses a click sound to mark the exact moment the dog performs the desired behavior, followed by a reward.

8. Alpha (Dominance) Theory
The trainer may use techniques like making the dog wait for permission to eat or sit before they’re allowed to go out, believing that this reinforces human authority.

9. Incremental steps
Break the task into smaller steps and reinforce each one to build toward the final goal.

10. Redirection
The goal is to interrupt a behavior, redirect the dog’s focus, and guide them to a behavior that is more desirable.
Unlike corrections that focus on stopping undesirable behavior, redirection teaches alternative, positive behaviors.

 

[BackRoad]

For a no slip "stay", only release the dog with your contact. No calling "OK"! That is the three step command to failure.

Mr. CalG, can you explain this with a bit more detail? What do you mean by contact? Why is saying "OK" not a good release tactic?

Not challenging the statement - interested only in understanding...