Ok HELP PLEASE!!

luckyloo · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:19 pm Post subject: Ok HELP PLEASE!!

Ok I love my baby I will start off with that!! However I need some serious help. Ok Lucky is only 15 months old and he is a good dog but has some bad behaviors. He has gone through alot the last few months as have I. I broke up with my boyfriend a few months ago and Me and my ex got Lucky when he was 10 weeks old. As much as I don't like to admit it lucky really really like my ex. Since we broke up I moved into my own apartment and it has just been me and Lucky and my 2 cats. Lucky is becoming a handful and I don't know where to start. I don't have a ton of money to go to classes so i am hoping maybe someone can help me. I used to Kennel lucky but he hated it I started leaving him out and right now we are to the point he can stay out at home for about 12 hours( I work 3 12 hour shifts a week) as long as me or my mom goes and lets him out in the middle of the day. He gets anxious and I am sure bored and then he will chew up stuff nothing horrible and sometimes he can go all day with out a problem. My major issues however with him are..... He gets so excited when you get home or anyone comes over that he jumps up on people and runs and grabs anything he can find to play keep away with. I hate the jumping and I am sure its my fault because I did not do enough training him earlier but it is proving to be difficult on my own. I swear he thinks he does not have to listen to me. I have been working on making sure he know I am the alpha which is getting better but still. Also he bites not hard but he will mouth you if you are not hurrying its like he is on drugs! Oh and don't get me started on the leash. I can't use a choke chain he will pull til his tongue is blue and I have to literally hold him down!! Ugh. Where should I start and I want to really make him better I love him. Do you think its because I work 12 hours shifts? I try to take him to the dog park after work every time I work and I try to do that on my days off too. Did I mention I live in an apt? I am just worried am I a bad parent or not well equipped. All my friends think I have a crazy beast and he acts that way so its not far fetched. PLEASE HELP ME

weimdawgs · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:28 pm Post subject:

Lucky is an adolescent and pushing the boundaries with you. DO NOT let him jump on you or people. Put him in his crate when people come over. Ignore him until he behaves the way you want him to.

Get a prong collar to control him on the leash, for now. Once he begins to walk nicely with the prong, put the leash on his regular collar. If he pulls, back to the prong.

Look up Nilif training (Nothing in life is free) and practice it. Don't get frustrated. He feels that. He loves you, you know that. If your ex cared about him, he be with him.

Good luck.

We are here for you.

jerseymom · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:34 pm Post subject: Some ideas...

1. HOME ALONE TIME
Ok I am DEFINITELY not an expert but it definitely sounds like he might be bored like you said (I totally sympathize with working long hours, I am sure a lot of people here might not like my hours either...8am-6pm with 1 hour dog walker...) I also live in an apt. One idea I had which is expensive but might save you money from things that are destroyed in the long run and eliminate boredom is:
http://www.kongtime.com/
It would have to be pretty high up where he couldn't jump to get it/destroy it but i'm sure you could figure something out!
Do you leave the TV on? We leave on the classical music station for Jersey (my weim puppy) and I swear it works...

2. JUMPING
For the jumping I once saw Oprah's dog trainer do a lesson/training session on it. She would turn her back when the dogs jumped. They did not get ANY attention until they stopped jumping and calmed down. Then, I think? they got a treat. You might want to try to google the episode, it seemed to work incredibly well!

3. ALPHA
We make Jersey go sit in her crate and wait for her food. She waits while I "make it" (pour it in the dish) and until I tell her she can come eat she may NOT eat. Having dogs wait to eat I have heard is really important since food is something only YOU can give/a 'power' you have

4. LEASH
Have you tried a prong collar? It looks goth but saved our lives, literally. Jersey the first say we got her was darting around Manhattan like a nightmare. She was COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE. Once the prong collar was on (I'm talking under 1 minute) and she was a different dog. She just choked on a regular choke and a harness...FORGET IT!

http://leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm

Also, can you fit in a run or long walk in the morning? Tiring dogs out (I have heard) is the best way to help them spend longer periods of time alone.

Like I said, I am NOT AN EXPERT BY ANY MEANS!!! I'm surely messing my dog up royally while I'm trying to be SUCH a good dog owner!!! Best of luck to you Smile

luckyloo · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:39 pm Post subject:

I love this website!! Thank you guys for your ideas so far!! I will definitely buy the prong collar and start the other ideas. I will let you know how it all works. How long do you think til he will actually get it. I mean should I hope for a month for 6 months?

weimdawgs · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:48 pm Post subject:

luckyloo · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:52 pm Post subject:

I think he knows he is loved but maybe I am wrong? Do you think he does not know that? He is the most spoiled dog ever. He goes with me for car rides and its kind of weird but now that I am dating he seems to get jealous or something like he will jump on the couch and get between me and my date etc.

singsmom · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:37 pm Post subject:

Definitely the trick is more brain and physical entertainment as well as discipline. I have used the Gentle Leader head halter and the harness and both work very well, but I like the harness the best. They can't pull forward it turns them to you. I had a collie/retriever that didn't even mind the prong collar and kept pulling. My 14 month old weim we walked morning and evening for the "discipline" even if only a short walk and let him play in the house and yard for fun. Check out the Monks of New Skete book (library) for ideas of entertainment and training and the kong is great. Working on obedience is also a good way to entertain the brain and you must be the dominant one. Make sure you eat first and always enter the house ahead of the dog and make him sit before going in or out or before eating.

weimdawgs · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject:

CheechakoWeim · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:53 am Post subject:

Hang in there!! I am definitely NOT an expert but it sounds like you have gotten a lot of good advice here. I know that a couple of times I was about to give up on Leshiy getting something but if you are just doggedly persistent (forgive the pun!) they will surprise you and show you that they did get it, after all! Takes a lot of work and kudos to you for being willing to do what it takes to get him through this!!

Underdonk · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:02 am Post subject:

Enzo was a big time jumper and we were able to break the habit at about a year old with some advice from a trainer. Once we implemented the advice given, with consistency, it only took a couple of weeks to actually see results. What we did was leave a leash attached to his collar at all times. When he was getting ready to jump up on someone, and it's pretty easy to tell when it's going to happen, we simply stepped on the leash preventing such behavior. It was the only thing that worked - the whole ignoring and turning your back thing did not work for us. Good luck!

kamfam · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:04 am Post subject:

2. JUMPING
For the jumping I once saw Oprah's dog trainer do a lesson/training session on it. She would turn her back when the dogs jumped. They did not get ANY attention until they stopped jumping and calmed down. Then, I think? they got a treat. You might want to try to google the episode, it seemed to work incredibly well!

This worked INCREDIBLY well for us with Kam. We would literally walk in the house backwards and turn in circles when necessary to avoid eye contact with him. No eye contact until they sit!!! Then when they sit, praise praise praise! It took a few weeks for him to catch on, but it did work. The leash thing only worked to keep him from jumping on others, not on ourselves. And he was so big and strong that he'd yank the leash from right under my feet!!!

and I'm a huge fan of the prong collars!!!

lrained7 · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 11:14 am Post subject:

The web site dogstardaily.com is really a good web site with loads of training tips. They have videos and everything.

Lorraine

joelsilverman · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject: Jumping

I have some great free dog training clips on my site that deal with jumping. When you go to my site just click in ONLINE DOG TRAINING. When you are there, you will see the Jumping page.

Good Luck

Lhalper · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:58 pm Post subject:

Hi there! I can totally relate. I work about 10 hours a day Mon - Fri and Ally likes to jump and grab the nearest toy she can when I come home from work. She is two and we have done a couple of things to stop this:
1) obedience training which I know you can't afford right now but I'll tell you what I learned for free b/c this trainer was awesome.
2) my trainers method was completely based on positive reinforcement so no prong or choke collars were allowed. We used LOTS of treats and Ally was receptive to ALL soft treats. There are many different kinds at Petsmart.
3) I personally bend down and pet her when I get home so she has no reason to jump up. They learn this jumping when they are puppies b/c they are so small than that we let them jump, so bend down to pet puppies. Smile

4) Also, when it comes to bad behavior, like jumping you or anyone else needs to turn around like others have said but also keep walking and ignore them. That will get them to get back on all fours, THEN you will want your weim to do something that YOU want them to do, like sit, THEN treat them for that good behavior. You have to keep doing this until they learn.

We went through A LOT of treats!!!!

For walking, I will try to explain: we loose leash walk not heal. So when we started and our trainer recommended "5 foot leash" was tight, I was taught to walk backwards until Ally turned to look at me or backed up, THEN TREAT. You do this continually throughout the walk. They will learn quickly but this too will take a lot of treats to know that YOU are the ALPHA and want them to do as YOU say.

Our routine right now is to walk a mile everynight. If we walk in the morning, the day goes even better. She loves dog park and doggie daycare even better when I have the money.

I hope this helps!

joelsilverman · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:20 am Post subject: Jumping Problem

Hi there.. for that jumping problem, I have a great set of free clips on my site that will help you with that. Go to my site and click on ONLINE DOG TRAINING AREA. It is all free, and then click on JUMPING.

I hope this helps. If not, I would be happy to give you a few suggestions.