dog training

[nicksonic]

where are you leaving him? inside the house? outside at the shops?

 

[zenie]

so, he's v slowly getting better on the pulling front, but he's recently started barking and going mental if i leave him for a bit, anything i can do to stop this?

Separation anxiety....you've taken this dog on from being in a right state/stray haven't you? Now he doesn't want you to leave and is saying in dog speak 'come back and find me, I'm all alone' Dogs are social creatures and would much rather they weren't left on their own, but life's not like that sometimes.

Is he chewing/being destructive as well? Does he pick up on when you're about to leave the house and start panting/licking his lips/whining, or not?

It is quite a common problem, I'd first of all make sure he was happy to settle down by himself and away from you. Does he lie on a bed while you get on with stuff around the house, or is he a constant follower? If he's following you all the time teach him to lie on a bed in another room while you get on with things. (teaching a settle http://dogtime.com/dog-training-settle-down-dunbar.html here )

There's a couple of ways you can approach it from here on....

Build up the time in very small increments, so he doesn't have to be fearful when you go out (giving him something to chew or 'do' like a stuffed kong will help as chewing releases a happy chemical in the brain and calms dogs down). Go for 10 seconds, come back before any barking has started, then 20 seconds, then 30 seconds then 45, then a minute, then 2 minutes and so on, the key is to not let him get in that state where he's crying, whining etc.

The link below should be useful Dogstardaily is a great site and was set up by Ian Dunbar who's really, really knows his shit. Legend

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/separation-anxiety

 

[dwenfish]

the barking is just when i leave him outside the shops for a couple of minutes, along with him going mental and try to jump out of his collar...

i just took him out for a walk and he was being really good, even occasionally bringing the ball back, but then he saw another dog and went batshit, ran away and ended up falling in a pond he pretty much comes whenever i call him in the house, but outside with all the distractions he just doesn't want to know!

here's a better pic

 

[dwenfish]

well, as we don't seem to be getting anywhere fast i've decided to splash out and get a dog training book, any suggestions??

 

[zenie]

OMG look at those ears

I'd say this mate http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Ways-Train-Perfect-Dog/dp/0715329413 really good book.

 

[dwenfish]

cool cheers, will check it out!

ok, next question, is there any way to feed him well and cheaply? coz i just got persuaded to part with 20 quid for 3kg of food in the vet! whereas he seemed ok on the 4 euro stuff from the supermarket before (though it gave him terrible breath hence me getting him diff stuff)

i want him to eat well but am pretty skint, especially with all his vet bills etc..

 

[nicksonic]

if you're going to change his food don't suddenly switch or else there'll more than likely be 'problems'. gradually introduce the new stuff over the course of a couple of days or so.

 

[zenie]

cool cheers, will check it out!

ok, next question, is there any way to feed him well and cheaply? coz i just got persuaded to part with 20 quid for 3kg of food in the vet! whereas he seemed ok on the 4 euro stuff from the supermarket before (though it gave him terrible breath hence me getting him diff stuff)

i want him to eat well but am pretty skint, especially with all his vet bills etc..

What was the brand the Vet made you buy?

Have a look at the ingredients on the bag, you ideally want the first (highest proportion) ingredient to be protein. Post up the ingredients if you like and I'll take a look at what's in it. (If it's in Englsih )

Burns do good food http://www.burnsrealfoodspain.com/ and shouldn't cost too much (it doesn't here but may be a bit pricier in Spain)

 

[dwenfish]

advance i think zenie!

so now he's decided that he a) wants to destroy everything in sight when left alone (and even when not) and b) wants to eat all manner of shite (including human shite!!) off the floor and then run away from me when i try to get him to drop it.....

any suggestions??

gah it seems like he's just getting worse and worse rather than better!

 

[dwenfish]

ok so the poo eating seems to have reached some sort of mania to the point where i can't let him off the lead as he just eats poo after poo (human and canine- why is there so much poo on the floor everywhere??) and can't be trusted to come when i call him...

halp?!

someone suggested that i pour salty water in his mouth when i catch him eating anything off the floor so he throws up and doesn't do it again, but a) that seems very cruel! and b) i can never catch him when he has something in his mouth as he know's he's not supposed to and runs away from me!

 

[kabbes]

I got nothin' of substance on poo-eating. Sorry, man. Just the usual advice -- reward positive behaviour. But it's a bit impractical when you're actually out and about and he makes a beeline for the treeline. So I feel for you.

 

[two sheds]

this any use dwen?

http://www.dogeatingpoop.com/

 

[Pingu]

most grow out of it tbh. i would have a look at the dogs diet though and make sure that its getting a balanced diet that contains everything they need.

 

[dwenfish]

most grow out of it tbh. i would have a look at the dogs diet though and make sure that its getting a balanced diet that contains everything they need.

i'm feeding him the most expensive food! i can't even afford to keep on feeding it really but it seems to have mainly stopped his stomach probs..

 

[kabbes]

It's worth noting that "most expensive" doesn't necessarily translate to "best for this specific dog". Collies, for instance, need a lower protein diet than other breeds, but Arden Grange (for example) is very high protein. Good food, but not breed-appropriate.

 

[zenie]

You can get tablets, but I've no experience as to whether they work or not. They're called Deter if you have a pet shop near you.

Why not try training a leave?

This one's pretty simple

http://www.loveyourdog.com/touch.html

I'd also say to try and train it with all kinds of different tempting things, so that your dog truly understands what leave means. If he's sniffing at something say leave, and give him a treat, keep on working at it and you'll be able to say leave when he's near the poo and he'll look back to you for a treat.