Dog Training Advice

[LilBastage]

I know we've got a lot of dog owners around here so I thought there might be some good suggestions for training.

We're picking up an 8 week old Golden Retriever next weekend and I'm looking to train him for the Canine Good Citizenship program offered by the AKC. We have a Basset Hound and a Shih Tzu that know the basic sit, down, and stay commands, but we haven't gone any further with them and really don't plan to. (They're old and lazy. Getting them to lie down and stay is no longer a challenge! )

I'm looking for a good method for training the new member of the family and I was hoping to get some suggestions from some of you who may be more experienced with more extensive training. We haven't ruled out obedience class, but I'd really rather give it a try myself. I have lots of time, we have lots of room (10 acres, 5 of it fenced), and I have a good deal of patience (stay at home dad with a 3 1/2 year old).

Any suggestions as far as systems you've used or methods to try?

 

[Swissy]

my advice would be to go to the obiedence classes. I have taken both of mine to 7 classes each. I find it is not really to train the dogs, but to train YOU to train the dogs. Plus it is a great and effective way to socialize the dogs to other people and dogs. And with the skills you learn there, you can train them from then on, wherever you go. And everytime we were in class, there were other people there with family members- one family came as a whole- mom, dad, and three kids to train one pup! But that got everyone involoved, and the kids had a blast. I even let one of them run my dog thru one of the classes one day. Mine have the their CGC, Pet Partners (Therapy Dog for old folks homes and such), have been thru agility, packing, herding, tracking and carting classes as well.

Happiness is a well trained dog - especially when they're both over 100#!

 

[marcsheldon]

the best advice i can render to you in a nut shell is to obtain your dominant pack leadeer status from the beginning. after that, let him know your 3 1/2 year old demands the same respect you do. some little things would be like not letting him eat his food after you set it in front of him until you tell him its ok; opening the front door/gate to the yard and making him follow you through it instead of him leading you through it. these are all things a pack leader does. once you have established that leadership, the training will come easy, especially with a lab.

good luck.

 

[ggiese]

I don't know if you have a PetsMart near you - but they have an awesome pet obedience class. Took all of my hounds there - I can't say enough about how well it worked for basic obedience training...

 

[Mrepp]

Eh I guess I’m different then anyone else but I never liked those obedience classes, most of em basically have you kick the crap out of the dog to show dominance and I never liked that. I got a pointer/Dalmatian mix which = one hyper dog and basically I taught her by reward and patience. First thing id do is play what I call hand n mouth. Basically you wrestle around with them and play with your bear hands. They nip to hard or bit you yell and maybe give them a small wack on the nose, that teaches them not to bite or be rough with peoples hands. They play nice you give them a milk bone. Again I never used the choke chain or smacked her like that do at those places and she’s a damn fine dog now but that’s just me.

 

[bfreebern]

Eh I guess I’m different then anyone else but I never liked those obedience classes, most of em basically have you kick the crap out of the dog to show dominance and I never liked that. I got a pointer/Dalmatian mix which = one hyper dog and basically I taught her by reward and patience. First thing id do is play what I call hand n mouth. Basically you wrestle around with them and play with your bear hands. They nip to hard or bit you yell and maybe give them a small wack on the nose, that teaches them not to bite or be rough with peoples hands. They play nice you give them a milk bone. Again I never used the choke chain or smacked her like that do at those places and she’s a damn fine dog now but that’s just me.

Hmmmm, I've never been to an obedience class where they smacked the dogs. You sure you're not confusing your masochist class w/ obedience? :laugh:

 

[Devil Doc]

If you can live with a Basset Hound, a Golden should be easy. :whistling:

Doc.
Formerly owned by a Basset. :blush:

 

[LilBastage]

my advice would be to go to the obiedence classes. I have taken both of mine to 7 classes each. I find it is not really to train the dogs, but to train YOU to train the dogs. Plus it is a great and effective way to socialize the dogs to other people and dogs. And with the skills you learn there, you can train them from then on, wherever you go. And everytime we were in class, there were other people there with family members- one family came as a whole- mom, dad, and three kids to train one pup! But that got everyone involoved, and the kids had a blast. I even let one of them run my dog thru one of the classes one day. Mine have the their CGC, Pet Partners (Therapy Dog for old folks homes and such), have been thru agility, packing, herding, tracking and carting classes as well.

Happiness is a well trained dog - especially when they're both over 100#!

The classes haven't been entirely ruled out, but the only choices we have here are PetCo and a former police dog trainer. Everybody else wants to take the dog, train it, then give it back. I want nothing to do with that. I've heard some things about the PetCo that I don't like. The K9 guy trains mostly guard dogs and the like and that's not what we're looking for.

We're still thinking about it, though. Thanks for your advice!

Eh I guess I’m different then anyone else but I never liked those obedience classes, most of em basically have you kick the crap out of the dog to show dominance and I never liked that. I got a pointer/Dalmatian mix which = one hyper dog and basically I taught her by reward and patience. First thing id do is play what I call hand n mouth. Basically you wrestle around with them and play with your bear hands. They nip to hard or bit you yell and maybe give them a small wack on the nose, that teaches them not to bite or be rough with peoples hands. They play nice you give them a milk bone. Again I never used the choke chain or smacked her like that do at those places and she’s a damn fine dog now but that’s just me.

I've never heard of a professional trainer hitting a dog, but I guess they're out there somewhere. I can gaurantee that if anyone strikes one of my dogs, even a visiting family member, they will have a VERY big problem. I will not tolerate anyone striking my dogs in any way.

Hands on training is fine, but anyone who hits a dog is obviously incompetent. It is not needed, nor acceptable.

If you can live with a Basset Hound, a Golden should be easy. :whistling:

Doc.
Formerly owned by a Basset. :blush:

My Basset is the sweetest dog I've ever known. We've had her since she was 6 weeks old and she's really our first child.

She isn't too spoiled and she definitely knows whose boss, but she does get away with sleeping on the couch from time to time.

I'd love another Basset, but my wife doesn't want another hound unless it's a Bloodhound. Those are good dogs, but I'd rather not have another scent hound out here. I'm afraid it would head out into the woods and never come back!

 

[Mrepp]

Well from my experience they don’t actually hit your dog, basically they tell you to control your dog va any means possible and I’ve seen a lot people haul off and smack em good. The trainer watched and didn’t say boo about it. After seeing that I’m not interested in trainers. Perhaps it was one of the few bad obedience schools…

 

[Seavita]

DVR every edition possible of Cesar Millans "Dog Whisperer" on TV or just go to his site. He is by far the foremost authority on dogs. As he says " I rehabilitate dogs,and train people"

 

[PetersCreek]

Well, our chocolate lab Kroger is up to about 26-or-so commands and behaviors and we did it all at home. Of course he's not flawless and being a "teenager" he goes downright deaf on occasion but he's a damn good dog. You should see him hit the water for his Dead Fowl retrieving dummies.

However, if you've never trained a pup beyond sit, stay, etc, Swissy's suggestion of enrolling in obedience classes is spot on. They'll benefit the both of ya and will give you ample opportunity for socialization.

One suggestion I do have is to acclimatizing pup early to having his/her feet and teeth messed with. Most vets charge entirely too much to clip claws and clean teeth and both can be done at home if you get pup used to it.

 

[jstrat]

DVR every edition possible of Cesar Millans "Dog Whisperer" on TV or just go to his site. He is by far the foremost authority on dogs. As he says " I rehabilitate dogs,and train people"

What he said ... it really works.

 

[ggiese]

Well from my experience they don’t actually hit your dog, basically they tell you to control your dog va any means possible and I’ve seen a lot people haul off and smack em good. The trainer watched and didn’t say boo about it. After seeing that I’m not interested in trainers. Perhaps it was one of the few bad obedience schools…

the PetsMart classes I went to stressed showing the dog affection - they really are starved for affection and will show it to you by obeying you. Of course that means you have to show affection in return - such as taking them out for a walk on a regular basis...

The worst treatment I've seen is tugging on the leash to get 'em to get them to pay attention to you...

 

[LilBastage]

DVR every edition possible of Cesar Millans "Dog Whisperer" on TV or just go to his site. He is by far the foremost authority on dogs. As he says " I rehabilitate dogs,and train people"

I've been looking into his methods for a couple of days now. He seems to really get results on his show, but I wonder how much of that is good editing and how much is legit. I'm not accusing him of anything, my radar just goes up when something that should be difficult is made to look way too easy.

However, if you've never trained a pup beyond sit, stay, etc, Swissy's suggestion of enrolling in obedience classes is spot on. They'll benefit the both of ya and will give you ample opportunity for socialization.

I wish we had better choices here. I'll look into it more, but I've spoken with at least 7-8 local trainers and breeders and it is slim pickin's here unless you're looking for protection training or complete domination over a fearful dog. I'm looking for neither, but I am looking for results. That seems to be the one area the PetCo classes lack in.

One suggestion I do have is to acclimatizing pup early to having his/her feet and teeth messed with. Most vets charge entirely too much to clip claws and clean teeth and both can be done at home if you get pup used to it.

We did this with our Basset and it has been a blessing. She will let us do whatever we need to with zero reaction. The hardest was getting her used to the ear cleanings, but she eventually let us do that with no problems.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[hojadepuro]

Well I have a black lab that just turned 2 yrs old. It was a rough start with him, but he really came around after I started spending enough time with him. To help me get going I bought a book called "Water Dog". It mainly deals with training dogs to retrieve birds, but it has some great advice for the average dog as well. It seems to be a little old, but I have heard they are really good books even today. The same author has put out another book called Family Dog. This might be along the lines of what you want. I will be happy to send you my copy and see if it offers any help. Good luck with your new friend! :thumbs:

Brandon

 

[Barnz]

DVR every edition possible of Cesar Millans "Dog Whisperer" on TV or just go to his site. He is by far the foremost authority on dogs. As he says " I rehabilitate dogs,and train people"

I took 1 of our dogs to the PetSmart training and they did a decent job of teaching us how to train for the basic commands. The coupons that we got for free food/treats were worth more then the cost of the course. The most benefit was having our dog get socialized with other people/dogs. I watch Cesar Millan's Dog Whisperer on The Discovery Channel all the time to get advice on how to keep training MYSELF so that I can keep our 2 dogs under control.

 

[cigardawg]

my advice would be to go to the obiedence classes. I have taken both of mine to 7 classes each. I find it is not really to train the dogs, but to train YOU to train the dogs. Plus it is a great and effective way to socialize the dogs to other people and dogs. And with the skills you learn there, you can train them from then on, wherever you go. And everytime we were in class, there were other people there with family members- one family came as a whole- mom, dad, and three kids to train one pup! But that got everyone involoved, and the kids had a blast. I even let one of them run my dog thru one of the classes one day. Mine have the their CGC, Pet Partners (Therapy Dog for old folks homes and such), have been thru agility, packing, herding, tracking and carting classes as well.

Happiness is a well trained dog - especially when they're both over 100#!

What Swissy said. :thumbs: Find an obedience instructor somewhere near you. If you are having trouble finding one, ask various vets, etc. There are canine obedience instructors all over the place.

the best advice i can render to you in a nut shell is to obtain your dominant pack leadeer status from the beginning. after that, let him know your 3 1/2 year old demands the same respect you do. some little things would be like not letting him eat his food after you set it in front of him until you tell him its ok; opening the front door/gate to the yard and making him follow you through it instead of him leading you through it. these are all things a pack leader does. once you have established that leadership, the training will come easy, especially with a lab.

good luck.

Absolutely. Goldens are typically pretty biddable, so establishing yourself as the "big dog" should not be difficult. But, it is important. The training comes much easier down the road. Everything that Marc just suggested (food, doors, etc.) are things that we do on a regular basis with our Aussies.

Eh I guess I’m different then anyone else but I never liked those obedience classes, most of em basically have you kick the crap out of the dog to show dominance and I never liked that. I got a pointer/Dalmatian mix which = one hyper dog and basically I taught her by reward and patience. First thing id do is play what I call hand n mouth. Basically you wrestle around with them and play with your bear hands. They nip to hard or bit you yell and maybe give them a small wack on the nose, that teaches them not to bite or be rough with peoples hands. They play nice you give them a milk bone. Again I never used the choke chain or smacked her like that do at those places and she’s a damn fine dog now but that’s just me.

You're going to the wrong instructors. :angry: Most obedience classes (but certainly not all) us positive reinforcement to train dogs. Treat training, clicker-training...all positive reinforcement. It makes the dog want to do what you ask.

 

[jgohlke]

We adopted a 2-year-old Golden male with behavioral problems. When we realized how bad he was, we tried to give him back to the local GR rescue organization (where we got him). They convinced us to take him to obedience school...they even paid 1/2.

I agree that "dog school" is mostly training the owner...setting expectations and giving some tips on how to work with your dog. We went to about 10 classes and our dog wasn't the worst behaved, but he was close. The best thing we learned was to use a "gentle leader" on him. He's a big boy and liked to push/pull his weight around. The gentle leader is kind of like a horse bridle (although there is no bit)...Instead of clipping the leash to the collar, the leash clips to the GL just under the dog's chin. When the dog pulls on the leash, it torgues their head sideways. They don't like it and won't pull very hard. It doesn't hurt them in anyway and it changed walking him completely....I could hold the leash with one finger after that. That one thing was easily worth the price of the whole class.

He had a bunch of other nasty habits (including stealing food off your dinner plate). They helped us work out a strategy to deal with them all. Over time (about 6 weeks to change his behavior, about 6 months to change his personality) we worked out all the bad behavior and eventually, his natural GR disposition took over. He's a great dog. He's still a knucklehead, but we love him.

Without obidience class, he'd be dead and I would be divorced.

Good luck!

Also, we crate trained both of our Goldens...and they were crated whenever nobody was home. They both had "separation anxiety" something fierce and would just tear up stuff when left alone...They are older now and we stopped crating them when they were 7 or 8. Crate training (something they recommended in obedience school) ensures you always come home to "good dog".

 

[LilBastage]

Also, we crate trained both of our Goldens...and they were crated whenever nobody was home. They both had "separation anxiety" something fierce and would just tear up stuff when left alone...They are older now and we stopped crating them when they were 7 or 8. Crate training (something they recommended in obedience school) ensures you always come home to "good dog".

Our Basset is crate trained (though we no longer use it, she's 9 yrs old now) and we will be doing the same with our new puppy.

I guess PetCo has a new instructor, so that is looking to be our best bet right now. I just don't want to take a "family dog" to a trainer who normally trains protection animals.


Thanks for all of the advice, everyone! We're very excited. Looks like Saturday is the big day!

Name contest (w/pics) coming soon!

 

[Swissy]

Holy Crap! :0 An instructor stood by while people whacked their dogs? I would have walked up and whacked the instructor, then asked him how it felt. NEVER hit your dog... there are more effective ways to get discipline. Hitting them just instills fear, as well as other undesireable attributes, and can lead to more problems down the road. My big guy Porter was terribly shy when we first got him... so much so he would not go to anyone, even for a treat. But with some hard work, and the obiedience classes, no one believes me when I tell that that now. He's the friendliest mutt you'll ever meet! He just sounds intimidating... just ask Blue Dragon! :laugh:

one thing I won't stand for is people abusing their pets... takes a real tough guy to beat a poor trusting and loving animal.