Help with an older dog

john30563 · Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:05 pm Post subject: Help with an older dog

We have two Weimaraners. One, Daisy, was purchased as a 5 month old puppy. She was sort of the runt of the litter and I guess the breeder had a hard time getting her sold. But this post is about the other dog.

Harley is our second addition in the Weimeraner breed. I rescued Harley from a family that said they could just simply not afford to keep her any longer. They turned over papers and everything, sort of sad, but I hated to see her in the shape she was in too. She looked rough as she was a "tied-out" dog when we got her. Now, my dogs don't "live" in our house, but they are allowed in sometimes. Instead, they live in a huge pen (20x20) with almost a house attached. They have a 8x8 dog house complete with windows, etc. attached. Anyway, Harley is an older dog, a little over 5 years old. And Harley does what Harley wants to do. Every evening when the dogs are let out she just runs and runs, same as Daisy. But the exception is that if I call Daisy and give her a command, she usually (note I say usually, not always, she is a Weimaraner ya know) complies. Not so with Harley, she does whatever she wants to do. She will not come to me, she will not sit, she will not lay down, she will not return on call, she won't do anything. She is leash broken, very well I might add. She does 100% better than Daisy on a leash. Daisy is a nightmare on a lease. Now, we live in a rural area on large acreage, so I have no fear of allowing my dogs to run loose when I too am outside, which I am often. But I want Harley to sit and stay when I tell her too. I don't necessarily need her to have show dog obedience, I just want a little entry level obedience. She is so big, 90+lbs, that I cannot even convince her to sit while on a lease standing at my side. She is strong as an ox! Almost the only times I can get her to come to me when called is when she sees me headed back towards her pen while calling her name. Any ideas on how to work with this large, 5+ YO dog to get just some obedience? Thanks!!

anne · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:10 pm Post subject:

You will have to train her like a puppy since she doesn't know the basics. Might need to keep her on a long line so she cannot ignore recall commands.

josie · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:38 am Post subject:

I would enroll her in a beginners obedience class which uses treats and preferably clicker training. Spend some time with her, develop a relationship with her, play with her or teach her to play if she doesn't know how, make her work for her meals by practising what you are shown in class and so on. If she has been tied out all her life and neglected and now she has arrived with you and is living outside separately to you, why should she see you (or any human) as relevant to anything to do with her? You need to give her a reason to comply with your requests, and strength shouldn't come into it if you use treats and reward-based methods. (NB I am not a 100% clicker enthusiast and reward based trainer but I do like it for basic obedience.)