So I got that book and have been trying to follow the advice in it. One thing she suggests is to block with your body instead of using your hands to move my dog away from me. That seemed like a really good idea. Meka did think my hand was a toy when I tried to move her away from me. So I have started to lean closer to her with my shoulder, trying to block her, but it's not working!! She just moves in that much closer. I assume this is because she doesn't see me as leader of the pack, or is it just a factor of her crazy lab energy?
I am working with them, making them lay down and stay whenever I can. I don't pet them whenever they ask for it anymore, and they have to work for it first sometimes. I give them a "time out" when they do the snarling thing, they both have to sit quietly until they calm down. Before we leave the house they have to sit and stay until I give them the okay. I am doing everything I can think of and yet even Nikki, my rottie, doesn't seem to listen as well as she did before we lost Kuj.
Any more advice?
MamaBear, I need some advice!
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mamabear
- Formerly mamaof4soon
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:39 pm
- Location: The Garden State
Re: MamaBear, I need some advice!
I would have to say work with ONLY one dog at a time. So you can judge for yourself where they are in training.
Make yourself a spreadsheet with their:
Name
date
List each command separately
Water intake
Food intake
Any abnormal stool
training is ONLY ONE command until that command is an absolute. So lets say you start with SIT. THen work with that till every time you ask for it it happens. If you see it is happening almost every time then start a new one like stay. DO NOT train both dogs at the same time OR feed at the same time. It should be separate places for both of them. The one that was there the longest is USUALLY the one that gets done first.
Always remember that IF the dog does not sit or does not do a command you say instead of getting angry(which will happen) just ask dog to do something you know for sure she will do and then praise and STOP the training. Go back later when you have a few minutes and are less likely to be angry. Dogs are aware of your aggrivation and will use this against you.
Example...We'll use my dog..
Mamabdear trying to call Max:HEEEEEEEEERE (GERMAN IS STRESSING THE E IN HERE
)
Max: Um I dont feel like going
Mamabear: Max are you HUNGRY
Max : jeez mamabear taught me that HUNGRY means I get food well I better get going or I miss out!
Mamabear: Ah i got him "here" now I praise and say ok and let it go.
Dog is praised for coming to the LAST command I gave(which was hungry) and I dont have to keep yelling the other command.
When it comes to teaching you cant just ignor it when the dog ignors you BUT you can ask another question and have the dog respond to that one. YOu OBSOULETLY do not repeat the commands, a command is said ONLY once , once hte dog responds to it and he is praised THEN he can be asked agian for it. But if he doesnt respond do not keep repeating it. LIKE a child they will think that you get a few tries before mama gets mad.
As far as the pushing. I need to know what you are doing and why? Are you sitting on the couch and dog is coming up to you and you dont want dog there and that is when you are pushing with your shoulder?
I ask this because it works best when you are standing up and higher thant hte dog. My girlfriend Nan has 5 dogs and they are all untrained and well lets just say a mess. I walk in and just walk right through then and wack the dogs away with my hands as they try to jump up on me. I will not tolerate jumping at all. She knows this and knows that I would never hurt them and its just a swat like a mama would do her pack of puppies. She laughs because they will listen to me and not her.
It is the way you hold yourself. It is the way you feel that you want the dogs to trust you and look at you. Its ok to get mad and it's ok to be agrivated that it isnt wokring but it will not work over night and it will not work unless you take it one step at a time and so does everyone else in the house. If you are at the couch and just pushing dog with yourshoulder , to your dog that is a game. Figure out why you want dog to be away from you, is it just because you want to instill alpha over her? If so then stop trying to use that as a way for now. If is it becaue you want her off of your couch then stand up(so you are bigger) and take her off the couch and then walk through her(walking gently) and sit back down. IF she continues to get on the couch then again get up and tell her no(ONLY say NO once per each problem)and take her off again. If she continues then crate her or put her in another room for 2 minutes.
If you let me know the reason for the shouldering I will give better advice.
Make yourself a spreadsheet with their:
Name
date
List each command separately
Water intake
Food intake
Any abnormal stool
training is ONLY ONE command until that command is an absolute. So lets say you start with SIT. THen work with that till every time you ask for it it happens. If you see it is happening almost every time then start a new one like stay. DO NOT train both dogs at the same time OR feed at the same time. It should be separate places for both of them. The one that was there the longest is USUALLY the one that gets done first.
Always remember that IF the dog does not sit or does not do a command you say instead of getting angry(which will happen) just ask dog to do something you know for sure she will do and then praise and STOP the training. Go back later when you have a few minutes and are less likely to be angry. Dogs are aware of your aggrivation and will use this against you.
Example...We'll use my dog..
Mamabdear trying to call Max:HEEEEEEEEERE (GERMAN IS STRESSING THE E IN HERE
) Max: Um I dont feel like going
Mamabear: Max are you HUNGRY
Max : jeez mamabear taught me that HUNGRY means I get food well I better get going or I miss out!
Mamabear: Ah i got him "here" now I praise and say ok and let it go.
Dog is praised for coming to the LAST command I gave(which was hungry) and I dont have to keep yelling the other command.
When it comes to teaching you cant just ignor it when the dog ignors you BUT you can ask another question and have the dog respond to that one. YOu OBSOULETLY do not repeat the commands, a command is said ONLY once , once hte dog responds to it and he is praised THEN he can be asked agian for it. But if he doesnt respond do not keep repeating it. LIKE a child they will think that you get a few tries before mama gets mad.
As far as the pushing. I need to know what you are doing and why? Are you sitting on the couch and dog is coming up to you and you dont want dog there and that is when you are pushing with your shoulder?
I ask this because it works best when you are standing up and higher thant hte dog. My girlfriend Nan has 5 dogs and they are all untrained and well lets just say a mess. I walk in and just walk right through then and wack the dogs away with my hands as they try to jump up on me. I will not tolerate jumping at all. She knows this and knows that I would never hurt them and its just a swat like a mama would do her pack of puppies. She laughs because they will listen to me and not her.
It is the way you hold yourself. It is the way you feel that you want the dogs to trust you and look at you. Its ok to get mad and it's ok to be agrivated that it isnt wokring but it will not work over night and it will not work unless you take it one step at a time and so does everyone else in the house. If you are at the couch and just pushing dog with yourshoulder , to your dog that is a game. Figure out why you want dog to be away from you, is it just because you want to instill alpha over her? If so then stop trying to use that as a way for now. If is it becaue you want her off of your couch then stand up(so you are bigger) and take her off the couch and then walk through her(walking gently) and sit back down. IF she continues to get on the couch then again get up and tell her no(ONLY say NO once per each problem)and take her off again. If she continues then crate her or put her in another room for 2 minutes.
If you let me know the reason for the shouldering I will give better advice.
Almost 7 years in remission from Graves disease and no meds!
Re: MamaBear, I need some advice!
The reason I am trying to move my dog away from me is that I can't bend down to do anything without her getting in my face. Never repeat a command!! That will be a challenge.
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mamabear
- Formerly mamaof4soon
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:39 pm
- Location: The Garden State
Re: MamaBear, I need some advice!
Do you have a back problem? If so then you should not be bending at all...Um but you already know that cuz your dr's told you that . lol
What do you mean she gets in your face? Like licking you or snapping at you? Or just nudges at you?
Give me an example of what you did the last time(give details, they always help) Like where you were, where was she, what she did to make you want her to get away from you. I know it seems silly but details are best and what you were feeling will help me know why she didnt respond.
Yes saying it once is a challange that is why i tell people one step at a time. You must act the part of alpha and teach one command at a time or else hte dog will be confused and you will be frustrated and cranky.
. lol What do you mean she gets in your face? Like licking you or snapping at you? Or just nudges at you?
Give me an example of what you did the last time(give details, they always help) Like where you were, where was she, what she did to make you want her to get away from you. I know it seems silly but details are best and what you were feeling will help me know why she didnt respond.
Yes saying it once is a challange that is why i tell people one step at a time. You must act the part of alpha and teach one command at a time or else hte dog will be confused and you will be frustrated and cranky.
Almost 7 years in remission from Graves disease and no meds!
Re: MamaBear, I need some advice!
No back problems for me! The last time she did it I was reaching down to pick something off of the garage floor. I was relaxed, not really thinking anything except that the thing needed to be in the garbage. Basically as soon as my face gets down to her level she feels the need to make sure it's clean and doesn't smell! She is very affectionate, but there is a time and a place to have her face in mine and it's not every time I bend over.
Re: MamaBear, I need some advice!
When I have 6 or 7 dogs in the house, they will sometimes get too close when I move, bend over, etc. I have had no problem with waving my hand back and forth. They get out of my way. Sometimes i say git or watch out or lets go. But really no problem, and they are all knee high type sizes.
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mamabear
- Formerly mamaof4soon
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:39 pm
- Location: The Garden State
Re: MamaBear, I need some advice!
OHHHHHH I get it now! (mamabear <---------- laughing so hard I am not sure what to do)! LOL
Ok sorry had to get that out!
Ok now that i know what she is doing(snicker snicker snicker) I can help.
When you are bending down or on the couch or what ever you are doing and she comes up to you and licks you tell her Phoey! Move her face away if you have to with your hand.(in the wild the alpha would push her with their face BUT your hand is a better tool) It is not a sharp push or a smack, it is a more like a nudge. I say to use Phoey because that means that that means you are displeased or yuk or icky. You can use the word NO! as well in the same manner.
Example:(of course i use max and myself lol)
Mamabear: Bending down to pick up one of the 100's of toys scattered throughout my house (LOL)
Max: OHHHHH mamabear is there lick lick lick
Mamabear: Phoey! I push his face away and walk away from him not looking at him but ignoring him completely.
That is what an alpha does. Yes they ignor but after a correction is done. So you can correct dog and just ignor her. IF she does it again, be stern and again say Phoey/No and if you are sitting then get up and take her away. If you are standing then walk away from her. Since it does not happen often I have to stress that you should teach her to kiss you.
Once you teach her to kiss you, you can teach her when its ok and when it is not.
I have taught max this.. I say kissy kissy or give me a kiss and he does yet he no longer goes to lick my face anymore because he knows mamabear will get mad and say something and moosh his face away. LOL
Once command at a time. Dont forget.
I did not forget that I saw you post that she thinks your hands are toys. Simple solution is when she grabs at your hands you tell her Phoey/no and grab her face with your hand (if you have to use two hands then do so, some dogs mouths are big) and you look her in the eyes and do not look away until she looks away first. THE SECOND she looks away praise her (not too much) and release her. The reason for this is that you dont want her thinking your hands are toys and she is expressing dominance or even playfulness. Either way in the wild the alpha would actually put the whole mouth over the other dogs but since we are human we use our hands. If she wriggles away then grab her and again hold her mouth with your hands and wait for her to look away. Do not over praise, always release immediately after she does what you want.
Example:
Mamabear has toilet paper(max loves tp)
Max sees tp and goes after it and in the process grabs mama's hand.
Mamabear lets go over tp and grabs max's mouth and says phoey and waits till he looks away from her.
Max knows this and looks away fast and licks his mouth since that is a sign of being submissive and means mama is the queen. LOL
You dont want to be so alpha that you have a stressed dog either. That is why i overstress one thing at a time.
You will do just fine.
Ok sorry had to get that out!
Ok now that i know what she is doing(snicker snicker snicker) I can help.
When you are bending down or on the couch or what ever you are doing and she comes up to you and licks you tell her Phoey! Move her face away if you have to with your hand.(in the wild the alpha would push her with their face BUT your hand is a better tool) It is not a sharp push or a smack, it is a more like a nudge. I say to use Phoey because that means that that means you are displeased or yuk or icky. You can use the word NO! as well in the same manner.
Example:(of course i use max and myself lol)
Mamabear: Bending down to pick up one of the 100's of toys scattered throughout my house (LOL)
Max: OHHHHH mamabear is there lick lick lick
Mamabear: Phoey! I push his face away and walk away from him not looking at him but ignoring him completely.
That is what an alpha does. Yes they ignor but after a correction is done. So you can correct dog and just ignor her. IF she does it again, be stern and again say Phoey/No and if you are sitting then get up and take her away. If you are standing then walk away from her. Since it does not happen often I have to stress that you should teach her to kiss you.
Once you teach her to kiss you, you can teach her when its ok and when it is not.
I have taught max this.. I say kissy kissy or give me a kiss and he does yet he no longer goes to lick my face anymore because he knows mamabear will get mad and say something and moosh his face away. LOL
Once command at a time. Dont forget.
I did not forget that I saw you post that she thinks your hands are toys. Simple solution is when she grabs at your hands you tell her Phoey/no and grab her face with your hand (if you have to use two hands then do so, some dogs mouths are big) and you look her in the eyes and do not look away until she looks away first. THE SECOND she looks away praise her (not too much) and release her. The reason for this is that you dont want her thinking your hands are toys and she is expressing dominance or even playfulness. Either way in the wild the alpha would actually put the whole mouth over the other dogs but since we are human we use our hands. If she wriggles away then grab her and again hold her mouth with your hands and wait for her to look away. Do not over praise, always release immediately after she does what you want.
Example:
Mamabear has toilet paper(max loves tp)
Max sees tp and goes after it and in the process grabs mama's hand.
Mamabear lets go over tp and grabs max's mouth and says phoey and waits till he looks away from her.
Max knows this and looks away fast and licks his mouth since that is a sign of being submissive and means mama is the queen. LOL
You dont want to be so alpha that you have a stressed dog either. That is why i overstress one thing at a time.
You will do just fine.
Almost 7 years in remission from Graves disease and no meds!