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I desperately need help training my puppy. We spent over $1,000 on a training course that came complete with a shock collar with a remote, have done group classes, tried reinforcement with treats, tried a clicker, etc. I try and train him at least 10 minutes every day. Nothing works!
He destroys things while we're not there, is incredibly clingy all the time, jumps on us and guests, and barks at the cat. I truly need help - what are some good resources that people have tested with difficult puppies and know work? He's about 1 year old for context.
Edit: More context. He can sit, lay down, roll over, fetch, and is pretty good at coming when he's called. What he really needs help on is 'heel' and 'off' - the latter being similar to 'down' or 'drop it.'
You have your work cut out for you. I saw you mentioned he is a plot hound mix, hounds are notoriously stubborn and can be difficult to train. And if he’s already one year old, some of that behavior will be more difficult to get rid of than if he were, say, 4 months old.
I’d recommend getting a crate and practicing crate games with him. I know a lot of people are anti-crate, but I’ve had a lot of success using a crate with multiple dogs. It allows you to lock them up when you leave the house giving you peace of mind that they won’t destroy anything. And it doesn’t have to be permanent, just something you keep until you can trust leaving them home alone.
I also second the other commenters suggestion to revisit the dogs exercise regiment. Running around the backyard is great, but your dog wants explore. Hikes are best, but walks are good too. I’d recommend at least an hour a day walking, hiking, or running with your dog. Dog parks can also be your friend, but can be dicey. People have strong opinions on dog parks. Personally, I think they can be great if you can find a dog park with responsible owners and if you have a dog who is well socialized.
I’m also not a big fan of shock collars, particularly for non-aggressive behavior. They can turn a dog more aggressive without a lot of benefit. Positive reinforcement is best, but there’s also nothing wrong with smacking a dog (lightly) if he’s deliberately acting up.
There’s a lot you can do to train a dog, but they are stubborn and challenging. Doing the same thing every day is key to a well trained dog. This is much easier said than done.
Link to my favorite dog behaviorist/trainer, Patricia McConnells blog. Lots of gems on this site:
https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/
Ty!!! I really want to read more about it. We do have a crate but it’s too small for him and we need to get a new one. I’ll prioritize that.
I also don’t like the shock collar, we have a huge sunk cost but it does seem to make him more aggressive for instance when we shock him as he’s jumping on guests. Thank you for your feedback.
One thing about those collars is that they are best used as kind of an extension of your zone of influence, not a punishment. So they can replace a long lead for training dogs who will come when called, but only when you are close enough that they think you might make them -- but zapping the dog everytime it barks/jumps up will probably have undesired side effects.
If you want to use the collar for that, I'd train the dog to sit (or something) using the collar, and then ask him to sit when it looks like he's getting ready to jump on somebody. You should be able to get him to do this based on the beep/rumble alone pretty fast, and eventually just the voice command will be solid.
I've got a new dog too, and have had interesting results using the clicker + treats to encourage desired behaviour, which is not something I'd thought of in the past. (I think this comes from Karen Pryor, who has some really interesting books on clicker training in general, although the one I have is light on step-by-step instructions)
So when the dog is minding it's own business, not jumping up or chewing anyone's ankles -- click and treat. As he gets ready to do something bad, distract him by asking for something he might do instead (sit, or chew on a toy or something) -- click and treat. It's not like, magic fast results, but it seems to be working a lot better than I'd have thought so far.
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Hmm I'm allergic to internet videos for the most part. Know any written stuff?
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Light pinch and tss helps a ton. The audio-physical relationship the dog makes is quite pronounced, and it's how I got my puppy to stop jumping up so much. Typically, bad behavior for dogs who "seem trained" is them just acting out because they are bored or pent up. My dog does it, so along with a number of unique toys and treats we tend to go outside a lot and run around.
I've found that wooden chew toys (I have a hardened maple stick she really likes to naw on) really help keep her from chewing on wooden furniture. Some minor association training and our chairs, tables and drywall are mostly untouched now (thank God). Also puzzle toys are good, little treat holders help a lot, and just wrestling with the dog and being physically active are very good for the puppy. A lot of it is just making time for the animal so you can bond and play, because otherwise there isn't a point in having her (or him).
Also, don't acknowledge bad behavior, especially in rewarding or tangentially rewarding ways. You, the master, are unconcerned with the moment-to-moment experience of the dog, so stop acting like you are. Always provide good feedback for the dog, and never send mixed or subtle signals. Begging? Don't even acknowledge. Jumping? "Tss" with a pinch "bad dog". Excess energy? Physical toys, encourage good play, immediately stop with bad play. And so on.
There was actually a really funny south park episode about it that I found somewhat useful when Cartman's mom brought in a dog trainer to help her with Eric. https://youtube.com/watch?v=r8eqTFi5eYY (if you're curious. I think it's funny, at least).
The light pinch and tss has been surprisingly effective. I'm impressed. I'll try to report back later after I work with him more.
We already do ignore him, but lord he has the most pitiful cries. It's hard to resist laughing/breaking sometimes!
Happy to hear it! I was surprised at how effective it was myself, so I'm happy to share the power of verbal-physical training. Also, if the dog grabs stuff and doesn't let go, the trick to opening their mouth is pressing your thumb on the front of their lower jaw, right behind the front teeth. For whatever reason, dogs can't hold the mouth closed when you press that bottom palette, and it's saved me a number of socks, lol. Don't attempt if the dog is violent, obviously. Also a firm grip around the snout is worth twenty collars.
Perfection is the enemy of good or great, I personally spoil my dog in a number of ways, lol. It's about managing the creature, not controlling it outright (unless you intend for a show dog, which I'm assuming isn't the case). Dogs get better and more well behaved with age, and I think someone else mentioned more dogs lead to some amount of self training. In the same way, your behaviors directly effect the dog's behavior; it's why many dogs seem to be a microcosm of the owner. Just give him/her a number of ways to burn energy in a sanctioned way, like through toys, fetch, walks, etc. Hopefully the behavior becomes more manageable with these strategies and tricks.
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I could never train my dogs to not beg, and to be honest I can't bring myself to, they're just too fucking cute when they do it.
At least I've mostly conditioned them to sit expectantly till I'm done eating, because they know I'll save the bones for them.
Or rather, they retain enough of their wolf instincts to target softer prey, like my girlfriend or grandpa, who might melt and sneak them snacks off the dinner table.
At that point I'm scolding and training them more than the dogs haha.
You know, some people don't mind it. I let our dog jump on our couches and beds, and I have a number of blankets strewn around the house she has essentially claimed as her own. I train the begging out because I just don't like being hounded by an animal for food when I already feed her generously. I suppose dogs are a "get what you deserve" sort of deal, lol, and who am I to say your training style is wrong?
Nothing soothes my heart like a big warm dog lying by my feet while I'm relaxing in bed.
I really don't see why more people don't let them on beds and sofas, it doesn't really make all that much of a mess.
When it comes to begging, I don't like when they paw at me and I scold them when they do, but if it's just sitting quietly and looking at me with their big limpid eyes, I see no harm in if. The nudging with their cold hard nose is something I can do without when I'm eating haha.
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Have you tried a light pinch and a tss on them?
In India we don't have the consternation as you Westerners at the idea of giving them a moderately hard smack on the head if they're misbehaving. Well, I might, but I'm exceptionally softhearted when it comes my dogs and even then I can still do if they're being egregiously naughty. I don't think begging is bad enough to warrant it!
(I do think modern stigma around corporal punishment is overblown, be it for dogs or humans)
I was talking about the relatives.
I likely did so when I was a kid, but in this case they trained me out of it and not vice versa.
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From this description, it sounds more like a problem of excess energy than lack of training. How much exercise does he get beyond the "train him 10 minutes every day"?
One of the biggest perks of having more than one dog is that the younger ones often train themselves simply by observing the older, and they can also burn up the excess energy by chasing each other around the house. You can kickback with a drink and watch the (adorable) show.
Of course, I wouldn't recommend it when you already have one dog you're struggling to train, that's swallowing a spider to catch the fly levels of fraught.
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He has a backyard that he runs around in for at least an hour every day. And I mean he full on sprints, no lead or anything since the yard is fenced in. Maybe we should let him out more.
That'd probably be a good thing to try. May also need more hands on play time to stave off boredom.
Makes sense. More cardio would be good for me too hah.
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What breed is he? One of those that are particularly smart and intent on learning (to the extent he trains himself?)?
He's a beagle/plott hound mix, so highly energetic! He's pretty smart but idk how to judge if he's intent on learning... he picked up roll over pretty quickly.
He's basically a hunting dog, then.
Well, take him hunting.
Get him started with scent/tracking, work on fetch/retrieval, off-lead commands, all that good stuff. You may have a 'backyard', but depending where you're living, said backyard may be too small to accommodate the work you'll need to do.
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