Corrections... - Page 1

Looking for a list of corrections that you all think are appropriate, I will give some scenerios:

You are feeding the dog and it growls at you for reaching for it's bowl..
Dog refuses a command...
Dog won't come when called...
Dog hangs back on leash...
Dog shows agression when being walked and is approached by a human or dog...
Dog pee's or poops in the house...
Dog doesn't pee or poop in its designated bathroom area in the yard...
Pup cries when crated...
Dog growls at vet tech when being handled...

One question, how old is this dog?

I, personally, think many of these things are not correction issues, but training issues. For example:

If you reach your hand near his food dish to drop in a piece of hot dog several times per meal he won't see a person's hand as a threat to his food.

Dog won't come when called. Give him a treat while saying "come". Do it a lot. Then when the dog is one step away say come and reach out with the treat. etc. etc.

Do hangs back on leash. Don't feed him for a meal then before next meal time take him for a walk. Hold pieces of his kibble in front of him where you want him to be. Feed him his entire meal this way.  If it doesn't work stand in the same spot until he eventually goes on step forward, even by chance. Praise him like he saved the world. Then wait for it again. Plan on not going further than 10ft if that's what it takes. 

If the dog refuses the command, chances are it hasn't been taught it thoroughly enough or there's not really anything in it for him. Dog growls at vet tech.  Owner should handle the dog extensively. A friend should handle the dog while the owner is feeding it treats or using the tug with it.  Pups DO cry when they are crated. Don't give in but make sure it's not for a reason. And make it positive to be there. Keep the crate in sight of you if possible and throw in a kong with peanut butter or something.

This is all assuming a dog has normal temperament. All of these seem, to me, to be normal stages for a pup and if they weren't learned  properly as a pup I think they should be trained from square one as if it were a pup. I'm learning with my own new one how much of the things I get frustrated with are ME not HIM.  And I'm seeing everything I want him to do and he isn't doing as an immediate critique of my training. And I need to figure a positive way to correct my inadequate communication and reinforcement of what I've taught him.

And definately figure in the age and past of the dog. Not to give him a pass but to unteach if necessary before teaching. These are things I am learning myself. You may very likely already know them and I don't present myself as being a "trainer" by any means. Just my experiences.

Regards,

Dawgs

This is what I do - I am in no way an expert - only raised GSDs, Chows, Rottis, Dobies, ShihTzus and a few mutts over 30+ years.

I never tolerate a dog growling at me when I reach for it's bowl.  Firstly, I am a bit zealous of a dog trying to dominate me and I will go toe-to-toe to make sure they know I am the boss...period...  At first I will remove their food for a moment and do a few obedience commands.  Then I let them smell the food, and will hand them a few pieces out of the bowl.  I then remove most of the food from the bowl and I give the bowl back to them almost empty.  After they eat what is there, I start adding small handfuls to the bowl at a time until he realizes he's getting his food from me not the bowl.  Then I remove the empty bowl for a few minutes and then put it back in front of him empty - usually get a dumbfounded look.  Then I make him eat some nibbles from my hand, then put a few in the bowl, back & forth a few times.  By the end of the exercise  I take the bowl away with a little food left in it and feed it to him one piece at a time.

Out of all the dogs I've raised the only one that gave me the most trouble was the ShihTzu .

Also, I find that feeding them in their crate adds a sense of security and I will many times keep the door open and sit on the floor petting them while they eat, removing food from the bowl and adding pieces back in.  It takes time with the serious eater, but usually works.

MKMina - this would be one messed up dog, wouldn't it? 
No particular dog, just a set of hypothetical situations.

Dawgs - Some trainers treat food intiatives as "evil" viewing it as a way to spoil a dog to a treat as opposed to training to obey a command. Do you think there is any danger of this occuring? I myself have never used "treat training"... and BTW thank you for that great reply.

Clewsk9s - Likewise thank you. And I totally believe you about the shih tzu, most little dogs have horrible temperaments.

Have any of you ever had a dog growl at you when you attempted to give it a command or up the stakes when you attempted to correct it - as if it my be up for a fight? Now this question does relate to a dog (not my own) who was eventually put down for aggression issues. Ive always contended that the dog was just dominant and could have been saved if placed in the right hands.

Golden-I, in my nonprofessional opinion, haven't found this to be true. It has been a matter, for me, of them learning the command and reaction with a motivational factor (treat) and eventually giving a treat every other time and praise the other.  A lot of people actually think this increases speed of doing the command to reward alternately. And eventually I spread it out with mostly praise and pettings instead of the treats. You know, just alternating the ratios between them. And then sometimes I'll give a treat just because I want to. If you read my post from the other day about his OB next to the train I didn't use any treats at all for all of that.  I just want my relationship to be a partnership with my dog more than a battle of wills. My ultimate goal is for me to take no shit. My dog to take no shit. But we're on the same side taking no shit from anyone else. My new one is NOT a soft dog (not really really hard though) and there are times when he is not of a "partnership" frame of mind LOL. At those times, yeah, I hold the trump card. But, overall I like that he trusts me when he's eating and that is the reason he isn't food aggressive with me. I have my kids and their friends drop food in his dish while he's eating too. He usually stops eating long enough to lick their hand. I don't want to reinforce the battle of the wills mentality in him either.

All of this keeping in mind I raise my dogs from pups. I like them to grow up my way. If I had a hard dog I had gotten as an adult I think I would have to use more of a mix of hardass and partnership (along with a really good trainer :) ). Once again JMHO and experience. Also have used these things with horses. Some of them were major dominate and defiant. But, I didn't take it personally and tried to change the dynamic to a partnership orientation.

Thanks for asking for my opinion. That's really cool.

Dawgs

dawgs- I'm no expert either but I agree with your methods. I believe you have to be the leader but postive learning is the way to go. I have a new pup that started to growl (at 9wks) when I went near her bowl. Did exactly what you did and she's fine now (15 wks). Still a little tense when I approach but I make sure I'm touching her, the food, bowl etc at every feeding. She eats in her crate as I have 3 others much bigger than her that would gladly help themselves if not supervised. Never had that problem with the others they are fine with me and each other.

Like your input

Dog doesn't pee or poop in its designated bathroom area in the yard...

I'm really interested in some comments on this one. 

I built a 5x5 sandbox and buried it back in the huge lilac bushes in the back of the yard just for pooping.  If one of us are in the back yard, he uses it.  If not, he doesn't.  We haven't insisted that he pee there.  Maybe that's the big mistake.  We both work and he has free run of the yard while we're at work.

Any help would be appreciated.

can someone go a little furture with the vet , as i have a 2 yr old gsd and was fine as a puppy put after toe nail cutting she gets aggressive with all males not females at 3 different vets . I now have vets that wont handle her , put she has never bitten anyone, just agressive in a stay away way, and all have listened. Im concerned if she need care.