A trainer said...

[Guest Anonymous]

Okay, mom brought this up with me at breakfast this morning, which may have been the cause for me to jump on the defensive, considering I still don't understand why people still atempt to talk to me in the mornings! Do these people have a death wish??? :lol: :wink: Anyway, I guess my aunt has been bringing her pooch to a trainer, which I wish I could do with Coal, but there aren't any around here :( My aunts dog was having the same problems as Coal is. He was like that with her son, really pushy and snappy, just how Coal is with me. I'm going to start crate training Coal, I think that may be what started it :oops: :oops: When he was a puppy, trying to crate train him was next to impossible. He cried and cried all night and I had school the next day, so eventually, he wound up sleeping right on my bed! :oops: I know, BAD SHARA! Go ahead, slap me on the nose :( Anyway, I've never mastered the crate with him since, so now I'm going to try again, bring the crate downstairs, or maybe out on the deck, not sure where. I know he'll cry, and i know it'll drive everyone nuts, so mom wants me to do it outside. Maybe on the deck, then once he gets better move it to inside?
Anywho! I'm a bit off topic again, although still on the same lines... This trainer seems to be really into food training. I've never met him, remember, this is all along the grate Crawford phone line :lol: He told my aunt that her son is the one to feed the dog, and that in the mornings when he feeds the dog, fill the bowl up, but put it on the counter then eat his breakfast, THEN feed the dog. I figure that seems a bit like, if you were hungry, to set a cup cake down and say "no, you have to wait until I eat mine first before you eat yours!" Coal still eats after me, but I leave his dish at it's place. But I've also been thinking that maybe he doesn't really realize he eats last? Because I never mention food to him, I just eat mine, and then feed him... I duno, still trying to figure this out.
Another thing he told my aunt was this... because her dog was destroying her house when she left (although we don't have this problem too much with Coal, as long as he has toys to chew on he's good). So he told her to bring a box of dog cookies in the car with her, that way when she gets home to give him one. His outlook on this is that to the dog, you are going out to hunt, and so he's good and stays home waiting for you to bring back the food. Makes sense...
These two methods have both worked on my aunts dog.
I'm wondering whether I should try the dish thing in the morning with Coal... maybe it will help? Of course you guys can't tell the future! :lol: But I'd like your say in this, it sounds a bit odd to me, but could be beacuse I've never heard of this before. What do you guys think?

[ellieangel]

Mei-Mei is right :)
I have done this with my 2 since they were pups.

[courtnek]

yes Shara, it is a valid training method. And sleeping on the bed is a no-no.....LOL

Perhaps you could put his crate in your room...then he's with you, but crated. You might have to listen to him cry a few nights, but he'll settle in eventually...


[quote]I didn't have to do this with my dogs because my personality is so overbearing that they immediately knew who was in charge.[/quote]

you and me BOTH

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[rufus]

Rufus would love to be to be in charge if I let him but I make sure that we get fed before he does, he does not go out for walks until I'm ready - no matter how much pestering he does (he has full use of the back garden at any time though), I walk through a doorway before him and upstairs is a big 'no - no'.

He's learning but still has his moments :angel:

[Guest Anonymous]

Thanks guys! I want to try anything, Coal is very pushy and snappy with me, I've been trying forever to teach him I'm boss. I wanted the Dogo seal of aproval first though :lol: :wink:

[quote]Perhaps you could put his crate in your room...then he's with you, but crated. You might have to listen to him cry a few nights, but he'll settle in eventually... [/quote]

Sleepin in my room in the crate crying is not something that is going to happen! :lol: I NEED sleep, seriously, I'm on meds that knock me out (although no one else has these so by morning they'll all kick my butt lol) If I don't get the right amount of sleep, my mental abilities get bunged up REALLY bad and I get physcotic :o I figure we'll start just a bit in the crate outside, then eventually move it into my room, but we need to get the crying over with before he's inside. And not over night, he sleeps downstairs on his own bed. I'd like to eventually get him to sleep in the crate in my room... That is if I could find room for it, the crate is HUGE! takes up half the space left in my room (I have two big shelves and stuff in there), I want to get a new one, but this one cost lots, so I duno... I'll figure that out. So I'll work with him on the crate outside during the day for a bit each day first! :D

I will try the dish thing tonight at his and mine's super time.

[atghylin]

Felix never had a problem figuring out that me and my husband are the ones in charge. BUT... when comes to Kristopher thats a different story. Felix would bark and snarl at Kristopher all the time so I found a trainer. The trainer I talked to told me to have Kristopher feed Felix too. The idea worked for a while but then Kristopher started to bully Felix. :evil: So I had him stop with the feeding and just leave my poor dog alone. Felix does know when Kristopher has crossed the line from freindly to bully now though and cowers in my lap as I reprimand the kid. Kristopher is as hard-headed and stubburn as ever and still hasn't learned. :niewiem:

[Peng1zrule]

I see the logic behind filling the bowl and leaving it on the counter. If the dog has a dominance problem, sleeping on the bed is off limits. As for the crate...I usually put mine in it only when I'm in the room with them, that way, I can verbally calm them, or use a spritz from a water bottle to tell 'em to hush up. The only other way they're in the crate is if I'm leaving. I put them in with a cookie or two, say a firm but loving goodbye, and leave immediately. There's never any whining to be heard--they know I'm gone and it's doing NO good! I tiptoe in when I can, and listen to the silence. As soon as I speak out loud they go nuts because then they know for sure I'm home. As long as they don't realize I am not home, they are silent.

[Guest Anonymous]

[quote name='Peng1zrule']I see the logic behind filling the bowl and leaving it on the counter. If the dog has a dominance problem, sleeping on the bed is off limits. As for the crate...I usually put mine in it only when I'm in the room with them, that way, I can verbally calm them, or use a spritz from a water bottle to tell 'em to hush up. The only other way they're in the crate is if I'm leaving. I put them in with a cookie or two, say a firm but loving goodbye, and leave immediately. There's never any whining to be heard--they know I'm gone and it's doing NO good! I tiptoe in when I can, and listen to the silence. As soon as I speak out loud they go nuts because then they know for sure I'm home. As long as they don't realize I am not home, they are silent.[/quote]

This is just what I've heard, and what I used to crate train Hazel, and it worked well... To leave the dog in the crate but stay near, as soon as the dog hushes the run over and praise and let them out and play ect. ect. So the dog learns that it gets the attention it's seaking only when it's quiet.

[mouseatthebusstop]

anything is worth a try--what had you got to lose

[imported_Cassie]

It is a very good idea to have Coal see you prepare his meal, and have him sit before you give the meal to him. You can also practice your training method of leave it (until I say its OK to eat). I have always controlled my dogs resources and rewarding for appropriate behavior...I have 5 dogs; I feed all my dogs in the kitchen (although I don't really feel its that important for my dogs to watch me eat before I feed them, thats the last thing I want is for 4 slobbery Newfoundland dogs and 1 anxious Rottweiler drooling all over the place while I eat my dinner!!! :o )
For the crate perhaps if you have it in an area which Coal has "chosen" as his favorite sleeping area...leave the crate in that area with the door open during the day...Coal will probably start going into the crate during the day for his naps...make if comfy with perhaps a couple of good treats in there for incenative.

[quote]I didn't have to do this with my dogs because my personality is so overbearing that they immediately knew who was in charge.[/quote]
[b]Quote by Mei-Mei[/b]
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I think I have the same personality trait as yourself and Courtnek...

[JudyHoffman]

Sounds like Coal needs the NILF program. This establishes a firm leadership role with only positive methods.

Hand feeding all his meals is also good.

NILF is Nothing In Life is Free. He gets nothing unless he does something for it.

No pets, no sleeping on the bed, no food no nothing unless he sits or does what you ask him to do.

He will learn that quickly and it teaches manners. It sounds as if Coal has no manners whatsoever and takes advantage of you.

As far as crating goes, you need to crate him, bedside is good if he is more comfortable there and keep him there. But you already know that ... after all you did crate train Hazel.