My dog won't obey me now? What should I do?

M

I have a one-year-old male pomeranian dog. He is generally well-behaved, but unfortunately my parents keep spoiling him (i.e.: They are constantly giving him treats for no reason at all). When I first got him I took him to dog obedience lessons. For the first few weeks he obeyed all instructions and commands but after being exposed to my parents' treatment he soon began ignoring commands and instructions. Whilst staying with my parents over the holidays, he appears to have developed the habit of barking at anything (or anyone) who moves outside the house. Taking him for walks is a nightmare as he is constantly barking at other dogs who pass by him. I believe that my parents didnt take him for his obedience lessons during my absence. Is there anyway to regain control or will I just have to admit defeat and live with my beloved (although very spoilt) dog?

Answer
Dog obedience is more for the human than for the dog; the trainer is really teaching you how to work with your dog. That being said, you may need a short review course to get your dog back on track.

Did you learn to use a "hush" or "quiet" command? If not, that is where you should start for the indoor barking. My dog got it right away, but when we added a second dog to our home, she started to ignore the command. As soon as she would bark and then ignore the command, she got 5 minutes of time-out in her crate. Now she is back to obeying.

For outdoor on the leash, try what Victoria Stillwell of It's ME or the Dog (on Animal Planet) suggests. As soon as your dog starts barking, turn around and walk the other way. Another suggestion she gives is this: when you see another dog coming the other way, cross the street and have the dog focus on youâlook you in the eye. Use a treat to get his attention if you have to. She uses the look at me command while she holds the treat up next to her eyes. After the dog has passed by, give the treat. It will take lots of repetition and gradually getting closer the the other passers-by.

potty training my dog?

>KiNG_0F_K

ok so i have a lhasa apso born jan29. im in seventh grade.
so i need to get my dog on a schedule but i dont know how,
what should i do....
PROBLEMS:
she wakes up at 6 and i take her out...
i have to get ready at 7
i come home at 3:05
and i go to bed at 8.
my father is home when im at school though
pleaes give me a good schedule
your help is appreciated â¥

Answer
Attached is a PDF that has 6 different potty training schedules in conjuction with crate-training. Review them and see what might fit your family best.

Remember that your pup is only 7 months old and so is only now starting to be able to "hold it' for longer periods of time.

Good Luck!!!

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

How to stop my dog from eating the window?

dog crates best reviews image

AmandaB

We have a shelter dog that was never crate trained. The people who were fostering the dog warned us that we might not be able to do it because dog to won't associate the crate with a safe place. If he is in the crate, he either causes damage to himself or breaks the crate to get out.

In the past two weeks, the dog has started eating one of our windows when we leave. The curtains and screen are shredded, the curtain rod is broken, the sill has splintered in two, the left window trim was torn off the wall, and the handle is barely hanging on. He could get splinters in his stomach or something!

We've tried sedating him, but he throws the pill up. It doesn't matter how we feed it to him. He'll swallow the pill about 30 minutes before we leave, and when we come home the window has new damage and the pill is floating in a puddle of bile on the floor.

What can I do?
He's about four years old, and is fixed. He is a very lazy dog, and barely bats an eyelash when we leave. When we come home, he just wanders up to us, wags his tail, and turns around. And sometimes he doesn't even bother greeting us. I'm not sure if this is separation anxiety or not.
He has a kong; it doesn't interest him, even if food is in it. He isn't alone during the day; we have another dog (that can't even reach the window, so I know which one is causing the damage). Out of that list of ways to tell if your dog has separation anxiety, the only item that fits is that the behavior only happens when we're gone.

Answer
Everyone is giving you advice for chewing problems. This is Separation Anxiety....NOT a simple chewing problem.

I've been there...it's not fun having your house destroyed! This is a panic response to your leaving. S.A. is very difficult to treat and takes a LOT of patience and time. Rather than sedation, I would ask your vet for an anti-anxiety pill...doesn't sedate, but helps controls the anxiety - that panic feeling.

You may also want to try a DAP collar or scent emitter. This releases calming phermones into the air for him to smell and is supposed to calm him down. They're spendy, but some say they're worth it. Others say it's a waste of money. I suppose it depends on the dog. The fosters in our group use it with mixed reviews.

Then, I would find a temporary solution...have grandma stay with him while you're gone, bring him with you if you can, doggie daycare, etc... You can use this to help keep your house and dog safe while you're starting your treatment training program with him. (SEE LINKS below for the specifics on the treatment methods)

Ideally, he would get a bunch of exercise before you leave for the day to get out some pent-up energy...like a long, brisk walk. That will increase your chances of success, though I know realistically, I don't even have time for breakfast before I zip-out the door in the mornings, and you may not be a morning person either.

I'm putting some links to the exercises/treatment methods used to put a stop to the insanity of separation anxiety. The methods are too long to type here, but these sites should give you a good idea of what to do and give step-by-step instructions. We actually had a dog behaviorist come out, which, if you can afford it, I highly recommend (not a trainer - a behaviorist).

Though it's true that many dogs need some time to get used to a crate, I've never fostered a dog with S.A. that didn't totally destroy the kennel and exhaust him/herself when put in it, so it's more than him not associating it with a "safe place". I would work on the S.A., and then try the crate training.

The people that fostered him should have disclosed this problem to you because it is severe and one of the most difficult behavior problems to treat. If you're willing to work through it, or can change some things to make your lifestyle fit, then great!
Your three best options are:
1 -work through it...it could take months of long daily training sessions that may or may not be successful,
2 - change your lifestyle so that someone is always home with him or send him to doggie daycare during the day,
3 - return him to the rescue group where you adopted him.

In response: That's what our foster dog did....he was totally cool all the time....didn't seem upset when we left or anything...that's why I was totally shocked when I came home one day and he had tried to eat his way through the front door!

SEE THE LINKS BELOW FOR THE SPECIFIC METHODS

What are the reviews on different dog boxes for a truck?

ruphalfa

I have a regular cab truck and train dogs. I was looking at dog kennels and covering it with a tarp vs these dog boxes. What are the pros and cons of these dog boxes?

Answer
If you are not going to get a real vehicle to transport dogs safely in-such as a van, I suggest that you purchase a camper shell for your truck AND install a sliding rear window in your cab (if you do not have one-but who doesn't) so that the animals can get heat and air.

Crates in the back and a tarp? No responsible dog owner would let you transport their dogs like that.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What are some good tips for first time dog owners?

dog crates best reviews image

<3 musicme

im soon going to own a dog... a small dog. what are some good tips on taking care of a dog?

Answer
Make sure you have the money to properly care for a dog.
Vet expenses are $500. - $1200. the first year.
Pups should remain it the litter until 12 weeks old to learn social skills such as bite inhibition.
Patience and lots of love.
Praise and reward.
Google positive reinforcement training
House train. Crate train.
Do not hit. Do not rub the dog's nose in it.
Do not let the pup do anything you do not want it to do as an adult.
Pups have lots of energy. Pups must be walked and exercised every day.
Feed raw or home cooked.
If feeding kibble go to http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
Select a premium 5 or 6 star food.
Enroll in an obedience class.
Love your pup with all your heart.

how to introducing a energetic dog to two old cats?

we are getting a jack russel but she is very bouncy and energetic , she goes at other dogs and the two old cats i already have hate other cats ,whats the best way to introduce them without tearing each other apart and make them learn to get along?

Answer
The first step in the process of acclimating a dog to your cat is to provide controlled safe exposure. The dog must either be in a dog crate or on a leash in the house 100% for a long long time. At the least this period will be weeks but many times it can be months. There is no hurry. Those who rush the process are those owners who end up with problems.

I recommend the use of a dog crates. The use of a dog crate is the safest way to make sure you can control the environment. It allows you to focus on the cats while the dog is in the room.

In the beginning cats are put in a separate room before the dog is brought into the house. I always put my new dogs on leash when I bring them into the house. This shows them that coming into the house is a controlled experience and not someplace where the dog can charge around and act crazy.

In other words I ALWAYS control the animals and the environment I allow the animals to be in. That's how accidents are avoided. I don't leave things to chance. By having the dog on leash I have control of him if the cat runs and he tries to chase.

People often ask "When can the dog be off leash?" The answer is simple - when you can control the dog under distraction. If you can't call your dog to you when it is highly distracted by your cat - then the dog is not under your control and it should either be on leash, in a dog crate or wearing a remote collar.

This test can be made by made by putting the cat in the dog crate before the dog is brought into the house. The dog should be on leash. The owner can drop the leash and let the dog drags it. If the dog then gets out of control and won't mind the handler can simply grab the leash and take the dog back outside outside.



A family Kitty investigating the new smells of the new pack member

The decision to correct or not correct the dog or how hard to correct the dog depends on if you are training the dog or just testing the dog. I wrote a free ebook titled "THE THEORY OF CORRECTIONS IN DOG TRAINING" You may want to review that material.



In The Crate

Once in the crate the dog is expected to be calm and quiet. If the dog barks at the cats they are verbally scolded. If they will not stop barking we either cover the crate with a sheet, spray lemon water in the dogs face or make them wear a No-Bark collar. We normally don't use bark collars on puppies until they are 16 weeks old.

The dog is never allowed to be in the house and out of the crate unless it's on leash. It's never taken out of the crate (on leash) when the cat is in the room until it has gone ONE WEEK without barking at the cats.

This does not mean the dogs are locked in dog crates for weeks at a time. They can have free (on leash) time in the house but in the beginning the cats are always put in a different room when the dog is out.

When I get a new adult dog my first priority is to establish pack structure. I normally wait several weeks before I allow the dog to have on leash house time. This program is covered in detail in my dvd ESTABLISHING PACK STRUCTURE WITH THE FAMILY DOG If you are a new dog owner I highly recommend that you get this dvd and run your dog through this program.

Cat owners who acquire dogs have two processes going on at the same time. They should be establishing pack structure with the new dog at the same time they are teaching the dog that their cats are now part of the dogs family pack. When owners take their time there are seldom problems.
During the period of time that an adult dog spends in the crate, he can be acclimated to a muzzle. I like the wire basket muzzles we sell because they are less restrictive to the dog. Dogs accept these muzzles quicker than the plastic muzzles we sell. The down side is they are a little more expensive.

For those people who do not want to spend the money on a wire muzzle the plastic Jafco muzzles are inexpensive and work just fine. It is important to learn to put them on properly. When done incorrectly the dog could possibly get them off. We always us marker training to put muzzles on (refer to my ebook on marker training if you have questions on this)


Getting the dog used to the muzzle during these first weeks gives the dog something else to think about other than the cats in the house. After weeks of wearing it in the crate it becomes second nature for the dog to have it on. When the day comes to allow the dog to be loose in the rooms with the cats it is important to do this while the dog is on leash. If that goes well then have the dog in a muzzle.

Should the adult dog shows the slightest sign of aggression towards the cats it needs to get a correction. The severity of the correction will vary by the temperament of the dog. Some dogs simply need to be told NO !! - while other dogs require a level 10 prong collar correction.

The correction needs to be strong enough that the dog will remember it the next time it thinks about being aggressive to

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

How to stop my dog from eating the window?

dog crates best reviews image

AmandaB

We have a shelter dog that was never crate trained. The people who were fostering the dog warned us that we might not be able to do it because dog to won't associate the crate with a safe place. If he is in the crate, he either causes damage to himself or breaks the crate to get out.

In the past two weeks, the dog has started eating one of our windows when we leave. The curtains and screen are shredded, the curtain rod is broken, the sill has splintered in two, the left window trim was torn off the wall, and the handle is barely hanging on. He could get splinters in his stomach or something!

We've tried sedating him, but he throws the pill up. It doesn't matter how we feed it to him. He'll swallow the pill about 30 minutes before we leave, and when we come home the window has new damage and the pill is floating in a puddle of bile on the floor.

What can I do?
He's about four years old, and is fixed. He is a very lazy dog, and barely bats an eyelash when we leave. When we come home, he just wanders up to us, wags his tail, and turns around. And sometimes he doesn't even bother greeting us. I'm not sure if this is separation anxiety or not.
He has a kong; it doesn't interest him, even if food is in it. He isn't alone during the day; we have another dog (that can't even reach the window, so I know which one is causing the damage). Out of that list of ways to tell if your dog has separation anxiety, the only item that fits is that the behavior only happens when we're gone.

Answer
Everyone is giving you advice for chewing problems. This is Separation Anxiety....NOT a simple chewing problem.

I've been there...it's not fun having your house destroyed! This is a panic response to your leaving. S.A. is very difficult to treat and takes a LOT of patience and time. Rather than sedation, I would ask your vet for an anti-anxiety pill...doesn't sedate, but helps controls the anxiety - that panic feeling.

You may also want to try a DAP collar or scent emitter. This releases calming phermones into the air for him to smell and is supposed to calm him down. They're spendy, but some say they're worth it. Others say it's a waste of money. I suppose it depends on the dog. The fosters in our group use it with mixed reviews.

Then, I would find a temporary solution...have grandma stay with him while you're gone, bring him with you if you can, doggie daycare, etc... You can use this to help keep your house and dog safe while you're starting your treatment training program with him. (SEE LINKS below for the specifics on the treatment methods)

Ideally, he would get a bunch of exercise before you leave for the day to get out some pent-up energy...like a long, brisk walk. That will increase your chances of success, though I know realistically, I don't even have time for breakfast before I zip-out the door in the mornings, and you may not be a morning person either.

I'm putting some links to the exercises/treatment methods used to put a stop to the insanity of separation anxiety. The methods are too long to type here, but these sites should give you a good idea of what to do and give step-by-step instructions. We actually had a dog behaviorist come out, which, if you can afford it, I highly recommend (not a trainer - a behaviorist).

Though it's true that many dogs need some time to get used to a crate, I've never fostered a dog with S.A. that didn't totally destroy the kennel and exhaust him/herself when put in it, so it's more than him not associating it with a "safe place". I would work on the S.A., and then try the crate training.

The people that fostered him should have disclosed this problem to you because it is severe and one of the most difficult behavior problems to treat. If you're willing to work through it, or can change some things to make your lifestyle fit, then great!
Your three best options are:
1 -work through it...it could take months of long daily training sessions that may or may not be successful,
2 - change your lifestyle so that someone is always home with him or send him to doggie daycare during the day,
3 - return him to the rescue group where you adopted him.

In response: That's what our foster dog did....he was totally cool all the time....didn't seem upset when we left or anything...that's why I was totally shocked when I came home one day and he had tried to eat his way through the front door!

SEE THE LINKS BELOW FOR THE SPECIFIC METHODS

What are the reviews on different dog boxes for a truck?

ruphalfa

I have a regular cab truck and train dogs. I was looking at dog kennels and covering it with a tarp vs these dog boxes. What are the pros and cons of these dog boxes?

Answer
If you are not going to get a real vehicle to transport dogs safely in-such as a van, I suggest that you purchase a camper shell for your truck AND install a sliding rear window in your cab (if you do not have one-but who doesn't) so that the animals can get heat and air.

Crates in the back and a tarp? No responsible dog owner would let you transport their dogs like that.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers