Dogs and bitches
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Walk the arse off it.
Most behavourial problems I see in friends' & neighbours' dogs is down to lack of exercise.
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We have an IG, who is pretty good, and we used a clicker and treats when we first got her, because we live in an apartment, so toilet training, noise, etc were pretty important. I think the key thing to remember is that dogs don't know good or bad (they understand safe versus dangerous), and (especially for puppies) really only associate a punishment with the current action, so if they did something wrong, it's too late - both the positive and negative reinforcement needs to happen during or as the action finishes.
So, don't treat it for being it, treat it for doing things that you want repeated. I have a friend who thought that giving their dog a treat when it whined would calm it down. Now of course the fucking thing whines like a bitch because it was trained to do so.
One things we buggered up was allowing her to climb all over us. She was tiny (still is at 4kgs) but will literally walk all over you, and we set the precedent early, so it's now almost impossible to get her to associate it with danger. SHe's slowly getting better, of course, but I think we should have been clearer from day 1 and we'd be set.
Our other problem is related to her breed - they aren't super social anyway, but we never took her out enough to get socialized well, so she is still terrible with other dogs. Just frightens here even though she is totally intrigued.
Also - make sure it sleeps a lot more than you think necessary. Puppies are just like kids.
Some links:
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Depends on what you want from your dog. If it's a working dog then you need work hard to encourage their play drive and direct it to positive behaviour. That is they love to work because it's a natural extension of play, rewarded by tug of war, treats, fetch etc. Then it's simple reinforcement.
A house dog that you want to behave a certain way requires a fair amount of patience, not giving them attention (positive or negative) for behaviour you don't want replicated and rewards for behaviour you do. You've also got to be on point with your partner and children so that there is consistency of application. The dog also has to know it's place in the pecking order and that's established by having everyone else command it.
TBH it just takes patience. It took me an entire weekend to train a beagle that it couldn't eat until I gave it the command. That way I could fill up the bowl, put everything away and then let them eat. I once forgot and only remembered 30mins later. Dog was still staring at the food.
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@antipodean Not a working dog but if I could get her to bring in some cash it would be handy...modeling might be her thing, I'm not really tough enough to be a pimp but her puppies are worth a fortune.
The behaviour you mention with the beagle is what I am looking for - not quite that extreme but I can't stand yappy little out of control bitches. Fortunately she isn't one and I want to keep her that way (and the wife obviously, but that is a little trickier).
So far so good. Goes and whines at the door if she needs a pee. Quite good at recall, bounds up when I call her. Leave and stay are a bit of a trial but I think I am winning. Yes, patience is definitely key. That was all puppy - not wife.
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@Snowy something to work towards
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@taniwharugby That is remarkably similar to our puppy but she is trying to dig a hole in the rug not wipe her feet.
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@snowy said in Dogs and bitches:
@siam I think that I am already there.
Wife walks and feeds dog most of the time. Dog want s to be with me because I ignore it. Weird.
Are you sure you haven't got a cat.
Patience and calmness will take you a long way in training. If you're having to shout it's time for the lesson to end.
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@Snowy world of possibilities
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@taniwharugby I like it.
Auckland Council are "dogist" bastards (at least half of that is true) they are also being sexist.However I don't have to follow the rules as my pet is a bitch and identifies as a parrot.
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@snowy you could identify with being a Church or Marae and be exempt from rates!
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@taniwharugby Now you have fucking done it...
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Training is starting to work.
Sit, lie, roll, stay, all happening.
Can see the thought process in her face- "really? Now? Do I respond or should I disobey?" Pretty much me as a teenager.
Reward technique isn't working on the wife I must say. Patience, or better rewards? Hmmm, that is up to me I suppose.
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@hooroo said in Dogs and bitches:
@snowy said in Dogs and bitches:
Reward technique isn't working on the wife I must say. Patience, or better rewards? Hmmm, that is up to me I suppose.
That depends what the actions you were wanting. Were they Sit, lie, roll, stay?
No.
Well, yes, sort of. The bitch does lick intuitively.
Training is difficult!
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@snowy said in Dogs and bitches:
@taniwharugby I like it.
Auckland Council are "dogist" bastards (at least half of that is true) they are also being sexist.However I don't have to follow the rules as my pet is a bitch and identifies as a parrot.
Has this been posted? I thought of you.
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Fuck registration fees. NZ (and many owners) just needs better attitudes to dogs.
No rego fees where I am in the UK. No dog problems either.
On top of that I can hop on the bus with the dogs and take them to the pub where they socialise with other dogs (and people) of all shapes and sizes, go for mass walks in the countryside etc.The wife and I have been looking at how we can tap into that when we get home. There has to be ways around licensing/food bylaws that allows responsible dog owners a way to go out and be able to take the whole family.
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@gt12 about a dozen posts above your one....;)
sadly I think there are plenty of very irresponsible dog (Pet) owners out there, while in the minority of most owners, thier actions always influence responsible owners.
Go walking in parts of the parks where you are allowed dogs while on a lead, and plenty just let thiers run free - dont worry, he/she is friendly.
Some people feel a pet is thier right to own, not a privilege to have one.
My old neighbours were so typical in that respect; 2 dogs, one pregnant half the time, cats, which one of thier dogs would kill, dso they get a new cat. They go away for 5 days, leave thier dog roaming the property, no one comes to feed it, barks all night...it escapes, intimidates pedestrians, gets picked up by pound, they choose not to pay to get it back...get a new dog.
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