Does anyone know the best books / websites to learn how to train a dog? Never done this before but I'd love to give it ago. My girlfriend has an aggressive little ****zu that needs putting in it's place! It refuses to interact with other dogs and is only just coming round to me.
Dog training...
- Thread starter riddler
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Soldato
"Be moar alpha"
That's only a semi-joking comment, most dog behavioural issues can be addressed by maintaining a pack hierarchy with the dog at the bottom. Whilst you may have other challenges with an individual dog, most issues will resolve themselves as long as they know their place.
That's only a semi-joking comment, most dog behavioural issues can be addressed by maintaining a pack hierarchy with the dog at the bottom. Whilst you may have other challenges with an individual dog, most issues will resolve themselves as long as they know their place.
Get yourself and the mutt to a proper dog training class. You'll get the exact advice you need for your dog and your needs, not a generic set of instructions that tries to cover general patterns of behaviour.
Believe me, I've been there and it's a lot more complex than sit, stay and roll over.
Believe me, I've been there and it's a lot more complex than sit, stay and roll over.
Soldato
There are a few things you can do to show the dog who is boss;
Like making sure you and your GF go through the door before the dog when returning with it from walks.
When you have guests come to the home ask them not to fuss your dog, no eye contact and no talking to it until it's calm.
Eat before the dog and then feed it after yourselves, NEVER feed it from your plate/meal.
When coming home to the dog, never fuss it until you are ready. Change out of your work clothes, make a cup of tea, whatever it is you do when coming home first - do that and THEN say hello to the dog.
The dog needs little signs like that to put it in it's place. Your GFs dog sounds like it doesn't know whos boss and is confused therefore thinks it needs to take the role of pack leader. It's not that it's nasty or disobedient, it's that you're not doing enough to make it confident in you or your GF being the pack leader.
Like making sure you and your GF go through the door before the dog when returning with it from walks.
When you have guests come to the home ask them not to fuss your dog, no eye contact and no talking to it until it's calm.
Eat before the dog and then feed it after yourselves, NEVER feed it from your plate/meal.
When coming home to the dog, never fuss it until you are ready. Change out of your work clothes, make a cup of tea, whatever it is you do when coming home first - do that and THEN say hello to the dog.
The dog needs little signs like that to put it in it's place. Your GFs dog sounds like it doesn't know whos boss and is confused therefore thinks it needs to take the role of pack leader. It's not that it's nasty or disobedient, it's that you're not doing enough to make it confident in you or your GF being the pack leader.
Soldato
Cesar Millan 
Soldato
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I take it its a Shih Tzu you have then. If its a puppy then they tend to bite, we have a 3month old Shih Tzu and she bites occationally when she gets excited but apart from that she's not bother at all.
We train her by rewarding her with treats for doing good things and try to ignore her if she does something not to good to try and reinforce good = treat and praise, bad = nothing at all. She responds very well to this we find.
We train her by rewarding her with treats for doing good things and try to ignore her if she does something not to good to try and reinforce good = treat and praise, bad = nothing at all. She responds very well to this we find.
Soldato
This isn't something you can train out of a dog, it's not like making it sit or stay.
It's unbalanced. What exercise does it get?
If you follow the Caesar Milan method you'd probably have to exercise it, tire it out, then introduce it to other dogs. Exercise, discipline, reward. And yes, food is a reward, as is stroking/hugs etc.
It's a lot easier to give advice, or for someone else to correct the behaviour than it is to put it into action with your own dogs. However, most of the issues with dogs come down to problems with the owners, the dogs are usually pretty easy to sort
It's unbalanced. What exercise does it get?
If you follow the Caesar Milan method you'd probably have to exercise it, tire it out, then introduce it to other dogs. Exercise, discipline, reward. And yes, food is a reward, as is stroking/hugs etc.
It's a lot easier to give advice, or for someone else to correct the behaviour than it is to put it into action with your own dogs. However, most of the issues with dogs come down to problems with the owners, the dogs are usually pretty easy to sort
Caporegime
Doesn't the Dog Whisperer say not to try his techniques yourself without consulting a professional?
Soldato
That's just to protect himself, and anyone dumb enough to try pinning down an angry Rotty
Caporegime
sometimes your local vet can put you in touch with good dog trainers around your area.
If the dog is still a pup, they also sometimes hold free puppy parties..
Training a dog however does take some time, it almost becomes a hobby as the more time you put in, then hopefully the more you get out of it.
I think all dogs should be trained to at least a basic level, it really irks me when I see dogs that jump all over you, or when you're in the house they jump all over the sofa, beds etc..... My gf used to allow this, and we had many an arguement about it, and I won... The dogs dare not jump over sofas and beds once i'd got them trained, and she now agrees - its so much better, and more quiet..
We took them out more, and was firm and we did get a good book, for the life of me can't remember the name. We got it from the local vet..!!
If the dog is still a pup, they also sometimes hold free puppy parties..
Training a dog however does take some time, it almost becomes a hobby as the more time you put in, then hopefully the more you get out of it.
I think all dogs should be trained to at least a basic level, it really irks me when I see dogs that jump all over you, or when you're in the house they jump all over the sofa, beds etc..... My gf used to allow this, and we had many an arguement about it, and I won... The dogs dare not jump over sofas and beds once i'd got them trained, and she now agrees - its so much better, and more quiet..
We took them out more, and was firm and we did get a good book, for the life of me can't remember the name. We got it from the local vet..!!
Haha!
I've got an older terrier who never learned when he was younger and he just barges through your legs or whatever.
Also have a younger collie cross, she refuses to go through any door in front of me unless I directly say, "go on, its ok!"
I find it funny sometimes, she'll sit down and wait for me to go through the door.
Oh, and OP, some decent classes with a good trainer are a must.