Please scroll down for today's Heads Or Tails.
I posted last weekend about how we began using a prong collar for our rambunctious puppy. I got this advice from an e-book I'd downloaded online. It has helped immensely. I mentioned that it did not hurt the dog.. it just lets the dog know his behavior is unacceptable the same way its mother would.There is a lot of other advice I picked up from the e-book. All involve letting the dog know it is not the Alpha Dog. That in fact YOU are.
I was able to see right away how we've not been enforcing this. How I've been sending her conflicting messages. I have always asked her things. "Do you want to go outside?" "Do you want to eat?" "Are you a good girl?" What's up with that! I've taught her to sit and lay down, but I let her get up whenever she chooses. I tell her to come, but don't make her do it. Yeah.. that'll help when she's running out into a road. NOT!
One of the things I noticed in the e-book is to be in control of when the dog is fed. To make them wait until you give them the food. How do you think it's working so far?
I did correct this right after I ran to get my camera. Don't tell the people from the e-book, ok?
8 comments:
Your secret's safe with me.
Annie's quite difficult, too. Just this morning she told me she wanted to go outside (does this weird standing near the door with her head lowered thing), but when I went to let her out, she just stood there staring @ me! I thought this might be one of those moments that she needs permission to go outside, so when I went to touch her head (the trigger, it seems), she took off & started bounding around the house barking @ me. Confused, it took me a moment to realize she'd decided she just wanted to play tag with me. I sat back down & ignored her. Little bleep.
I think you should provide the pictures for the e-book ;-)
1. Where did you get the ebook, I want to show it to my mom for her Shepard...who's a bit on the wild side.
2. My black lab once jumped up on the table and ate chicken soup that my brother and sister left in their bowls when they left to go play. It was hilarious!
chihuahua's can't reach anything hehehehehe
lol! Keep up the hard work ;-)
I think you will find it to be a lot easier when your puppy isn't a "puppy" anymore.
You are dead right when you say teach the dog that you are the Alpha female about the place. He will know you are female, because you smell like one, and if not nuetered will challenge you again. Years ago I was into dog training a bit and have trained a few dogs I was going to write a book called 'How to be the perfect bitch' but it never got very far but I really liked the title. I don't know if you do this but letting a dog onto your bed sends a message of equality and he might challenge your authority because he thinks he is equal to you. What humans don't understand is that they have to learn dog, not the other way round, in order to communicate.
Just realized it is a bitch but she still will challenge. It is no different than having a two year old human around the place really.
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