new doggie - training advice

[blue_stealth]

I am looking for some advice in a few different areas. We adopted a 9 month old chocolate lab/irish wolfhound cross 3 weeks ago. She doesn't seem to have been trained at all, besides minor crate training and kind of house breaking.

Comments

[fate_steps_in]

Rather than the Gentle Leader you might want to try the Easy Walk harness instead. It's a no-pull body harness

[blue_stealth]

I just saw the Easy Walk harness tonight for the first time. I'm going to see if I can find it locally tomorrow or order online if not. It looks a lot nicer than the Gentle Leader which she HATES so severely.

For the jumping, that looks like a great idea for us. Thankfully she doesn't jump up on my daughter (only 1.5 year old)!

Great idea with the 'stay' command during feeding!

Thanks for your advice on all this!

[rozae]

1. You could try putting a spray deterrent like "bitter apple spray" on the leash. You could also bring something more appropriate to chew on with you, like a rope toy, so she can chew on that while leashed. Or, you can accept the chewing, invest in a leash like the Lupine leash, which has a lifetime guarantee, even against chewing

Continued

[rozae]

5. If you need a break from her during mealtimes, you could crate her or confine her to a puppy proof room (say, with a baby gate). It can be hard to supervise a puppy while eating dinner, after all. Ultimately she will need to learn some good table manners. You could choose to work on those now by rewarding her (with some of her own food, or some treats, or even safe table scraps--do not feed table scraps if you don't want her to come to expect them though!) for NOT being rude while you eat. It really shouldn't take long for her to realize that keeping her butt on the floor (for example) earns her yummies while you eat. The only downside to this method is that you may find you take longer to eat your dinner, because you're taking the time to dole out rewards for good behavior. :] Whatever route you choose, make sure she isn't rewarded for putting her paws on the table by stealing your food or rude dinner behavior is just the beginning of your concerns. (This can escalate to full out counter-surfing, ruined Thanksgivings, etc.)

[blue_stealth]

Thank you for all your great advice! =D

[rozae]

You're welcome! I hope it helps.

Keep in mind that however crazy it is right now, it DOES get better. :] Even if it seems like you're not making progress right now, don't give up. My dog was a complete nut as a pup. He was such a handful. Now he's 1.5 and gets compliments for his behavior. The journey wasn't always easy but it has been rewarding.

[miss_teacher]

Wonderful advice already given!!

1. I third the Easy Walk. Most pet stores carry them. Dogs do not fight them like they do with the Gentle Leader and you don't need to worry about spinal injures like you do with a head halter.

a) bitter apple or even dish soap on the leash. Or put a small section of chain leash, like 1 foot, between her harness and the leash. So when she turns to mouth it all she gets is chain and not fun nylon to bite on. I also just heard this suggestion: put two leashes on her harness. When she bites and tugs one you drop it and the fun ends of the dog (but they are still leashed and safe with the other one).

2. Here are my nipping tips3. Yes, I like the stepping on the leash technique. This is good for times when you cannot ignore the jumping, like the person is too small and will be knocked over, or you have nice clothes on. But sure to highly reward her when she gets tired and stops trying to jump. Use toys or cookies right in her face to grab her focus and get her to control herself a little bit

[blue_stealth]

dish soap on the leash! HAAAA! Yes, I'm sure that will work. nasty. ;)

Those are all excellent ideas - thank you very much! :)

[remcat]

First of all, good on you for taking on a project dog. 9 months really is a tough age in any dog, so you may find improvements come with time! Not that this means you can lay back on the training, of course

[blue_stealth]

Yes, thank you very much!!!