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Can You Really Teach An Old Dog New Tricks... Also, Dog Owner Invents Training Methods

By Harris Nabors


Adam,

I received a surprise Christmas present final year inside the form of a four year old female shepherd mix that my wife and daughter decided I needed to replace my long time pet who had to become place down final summer. She actually can be a gorgeous dog, however the shelter fibbed to us when they stated she was very good with other dogs and cats. She has been rather aggressive with them. We're 6 months into this relationship now and she is much better. I guess she is more safe now.

The a single issue I've not solved is her need to run out the door and ignore our "come" commands. All this really is to ask you: Will the techniques in your book and video series function on an older dog? I'd rather not invest the money in a lost trigger. We live within the Arizona desert and she won't final long this summer time if she gets out and runs off once more. I've looked by way of many of one's newsletters, but didn't discover any mention of age.

Thanks for your support. Larry

Dear Larry:

Thank you for the e-mail.

Yes, the dog instruction strategies work on all dogs, provided that they may be healthy and do not have any mobility problems.

In many cases, instruction an older dog is simpler than training a younger dog, in spite of the saying that "You cannot teach an old dog new tricks," there's certainly one thing to become stated about maturity.

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Dear Adam:

Please aid! I'm able to give away my 6mo. old Maltese. I grew up with one of these dogs- essentially the most gentle and affectionate dog I'd ever met so I purchased a single for my household at fantastic expense. I tried to seek out a good breeder and had the dog shipped.

The issue is this - He growls and snaps at my four year old anytime he tries to pet him or choose him up, or if I'm watching saying, "Good dog, no growl, it's OK.. " he is not going to growl but struggle to get away and growl as soon as he's down. He has bitten when I was not watching.

I tried the suggestions in your book and that offered by other folks around the discussion group. For any lengthy whilst my son was the only one to feed the dog, I kept him off the furniture and also the kids owned the toys. Absolutely nothing seemed to assist, so recently I've been grabbing him firmly by the scruff and growling "No" at him, then putting him within a tiny room by himself for numerous minutes. Right now when I went to appropriate him he snapped and growled at me! He's now frightened of me and I am angry at him.

Essentially the most upsetting point for me is that I wanted this dog to be a pal for my son like mine was for me when I was young. My son is actually a gentle, quiet boy who loves animals and is saddened my this. Is there any hope?

Signed, Stewart

Dear Stewart:

I never know how to say this with no sounding like a total jerk, but... Pay Focus AND Follow DIRECTIONS!

The one thing you apparently Haven't Carried out would be to Right THE DOG'S Undesirable BEHAVIOR!!! The 'pulling on the scruff in the neck' is only for young puppies, eight to 10 weeks old. It's ineffective for older dogs.

For correcting older dogs, I commit considerably in the book explaining the positive aspects from the pinch collar. Remember the idea of motivation? Don't forget the notion of associating a negative/correction with all the dogs undesirable behavior? Don't forget how I teach you to look at the corrections you are giving and make a decision if they're motivational or not? Bear in mind web page 23, page 38, web page 59, web page 62, page 155, page 173, web page 174, web page 181, web page 226, page 241, and page 260 ?

I will quote from the book, "After you right the dog, quickly tempt him to do the behavior again. Supply him the option: If he does the behavior once more then probably your initial correction wasn't motivational... If he refuses to perform the behavior, then praise him - as he's just created the right Decision." [Page 156.]

Now, in the event you have a specific question about how to implement any of those strategies... then that is another issue. But telling me that you're confining the dog within a bedroom as some kind of "Time Out" strategy is not some thing you have discovered in my book. And neither is, ""Good dog, NO growl, it really is OK..."

Once more, I'll repeat: Praise the dog only when he makes the right selection (staying calm). Don't tell him, "No growl," if he's already becoming quiet. That is SOOOO CONFUSING To the DOG.

It is very straightforward:

The dog does one thing excellent = You say, "Good dog," and praise. The dog does anything bad = You say, "No!" and administer a correction with the leash and collar.

I can only speculate why your query isn't more along the lines of, "This is what occurred when I corrected my dog utilizing the pinch collar and tab for this obnoxious behavior."

The only reason I am becoming so blunt about this problem is the fact that it really is a central theme throughout the book. I tension over and more than once more the components of timing, consistency and motivation. Actually, several readers have commented that my repetition of this notion is often tedious.

When you can clarify to me how especially you have used timing, consistency and motivation and applied these elements for your dilemma, you'll (maybe surprisingly) discover oneself within the position of explaining to ME how you'll have fixed your dog's obnoxious behavior.

That is all for now, people! Adam




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