Powered by Click2.com Dogs Cats Horses Birds Fish Other pets


Click here to make Auspet.com your default home page



  Auspet - Message Boards
  Dogs - all types
  Need guidance on training

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! next newest topic | next oldest topic
Posted by Topic subject:   Need guidance on training
BulldogMomma
New Member

Posts: 7
From:Iowa
Registered: May 2003

posted 05-25-2003 03:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for BulldogMomma   Click Here to Email BulldogMomma     Edit/Delete Message
Hello,
I just recently purchased a Bulldog puppy and want to teach her to stay in the yard without the use of invisible fencing. I may be successful, but our neighbor's dog is always over and she interferes with any training that I attempt, and also distracts my own puppy. I spoke to the owners, but they do not care in the least what their dog does, sad to say.
I even thought of locking the neighbor's dog in my garage until we are finished, but that would probably not be a good idea.
I just dont want my dog chasing cars or children on their bicycles, as she gets excited already, at the age of 9 weeks when people walk by the house. She just darts after them with no regard to me commanding her to stay. I could use a leash whenever we are outside, but I really want her to stay in the yard without one. Fencing in the yard is not an option, either...as our homeowners contract states that we cannot fence the front yards and our back yard is too huge to fence in. My husband doesn't want to do that anyway. I would very much appreciate any suggestions that you have. Thank you

IP: Logged

goob
Member

Posts: 186
From:
Registered: Mar 2003

posted 05-25-2003 07:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for goob     Edit/Delete Message
Trying to log in from another computer, hope it works...

It would be a lot safer for her if you would hold off on the off-leash work until she at least knows the basic commands on-leash OR in a controlled environment. Most important are "come" (good for when they're wandering out towards the road), "wait" (good for stopping them long enough to give another command), "sit"/"down" (if trained properly, good for the time's you're not sure they'll obey when you call them), and "STOP" (good for any emergency but you don't want to overuse it or it won't be as effective). By just taking her out to the yard with all those different sights and smells, you're overwhelming her and setting her up to fail. You need to start inside, with no distractions, then move outside, with little-no distractions, then you can slowly start adding in more distractions. Keep her on-leash until you're 99.99% that she WILL listen when you tell her to do something. ANYTIME! It doesn't matter if someone walks down the street with 8 dogs, 7 cats, 9 kids, and a dozen packages of sausages dragging behind them, I expect my dogs to listen to me, and if they don't (or if I even have the slightest doubt that they wouldn't), they do NOT get to be offleash. All it takes is for a cat or a bunny or another dog or a kid to run past and them to run out in the road, so until I KNOW that they will listen to me, they aren't allowed that amount of freedom.

With our dogs, I started them all off on a regular 6 ft leash and flat collar. Then we moved on to a 20 ft leash, then a 50 ft piece of rope that they just dragged along behind them in case I needed to grab them for something. When we worked on the long leash, I would let them run around anywhere in their leash range, and if I saw they were going to hit the end of the lead, I'd say "wait"... they either stopped, or they corrected themselves when they hit the end of the leash. It usually only takes a couple times before they learn that it's a lot easier to just stop when told to. I would also call them every couple minutes, and give praise/toy when they'd come back quickly. If not, I'd reel them in and praise when they were there anyway. Once they were stopping everytime I told them to "wait", and were consistent on the recall, I put the rope on them and let them drag it along. This was a whole new game, because they could run out further than they could before, and thought they were "free". We went through the same deal with the "wait" and "come", but since they had already learned it, it went much faster, since they only needed to be shown that it applied at ALL times. We used the rope for a LONG time, while they learned that "the rules" applied in all situations, no matter what. I'd take them to the local school when the kids were getting out, and I had friends bring their dogs down to "test" mine. I'd "set them up" with things I expected we might find out in the "real world", dead animals, live animals (the ones that are great to chase and nearly impossible to call a dog off of), running/biking people, screaming kids, anything. Because of the lessons they had learned while doing the initial training (in low distraction areas), they already knew what to do, and very few corrections were issued during the time we worked in "high distraction" areas. It was more a time to work on getting faster responses and make sure that they knew "the rules" applied ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. After that, I started working with them off-leash, but always kept them within range that I could grab them if I saw something that would be a problem. As time went on and they becamse more trustworthy, they were allowed more freedom, but I'm still careful about when and where I let them off-leash.

As of right now, One dog can be trusted off-leash pretty much anywhere (I don't like to tempt fate though, so I'm very careful in deciding where she's allowed to be off-leash at, and don't take many risks); two others can be trusted in a lot of situations; another is very dog aggressive, and is NEVER allowed off leash (she'd probably be fine as long as another dog didn't come around, but that's not a chance I'm about to take); and another is in training, but progressing pretty well (this one is also dog aggressive, but not nearly to the extent of the other. Even so, she'll never be allowed completely off-leash, unless in a securely enclosed area.

Even if you do get her to the point where she can be in your yard off-leash, you'll have to be out there supervising her at all times, since you can't expect her to make the right choices by herself. It would be much easier to just fence in a small part of your backyard, it probably wouldn't even have to be a very high fence, since most bulldogs aren't particularly athletic.

[This message has been edited by goob (edited 05-25-2003).]

IP: Logged

BulldogMomma
New Member

Posts: 7
From:Iowa
Registered: May 2003

posted 05-25-2003 09:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for BulldogMomma   Click Here to Email BulldogMomma     Edit/Delete Message
Excellent advice, goob. Thank you very much. I wouldn't have thought of the leash/longer leash test. I appreciate it very much!

IP: Logged

HCL113083
Member

Posts: 15
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 05-26-2003 12:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for HCL113083     Edit/Delete Message
Check out this website it may help, www.greatpets.com You may have to register, but it's free! Also, Brian wrote a book called Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson. It a great book and website. I live by it for my puppy.

IP: Logged

Jas

Moderator

Posts: 163
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 05-26-2003 01:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jas     Edit/Delete Message
i like and had great success with the long rope. just curious why you are opposed to invisible fencing? dogs usually pick up on it quickly and those i've talked to about their I.F. say after a while they no longer need the collars as they know the boundaries. granted still wont keep the neighbors dog out.

could always fence off a smaller area in your back yard for the dog. what is that inexpensive wiring? its thicker than the chicken wire sorta a step up and basically all you need are some posts and nails and wire. we did this for a puppy area and was reasonable $ and sturdy. will keep the other dog out. still distractions are good for training.

IP: Logged

BulldogMomma
New Member

Posts: 7
From:Iowa
Registered: May 2003

posted 05-26-2003 01:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for BulldogMomma   Click Here to Email BulldogMomma     Edit/Delete Message
Thanks for the website HCL, I will definitely check it out!
And Jas, I really want an invisible fence, but husband insists on other means first. So we will definitely give the leash/long leash method a try. I had forgotten how much patience is required with a puppy. Now if I can only get her to stop chomping on the furniture and electrical cords, all will be well!! I will check out some past postings and see what advise is out there on that subject. I suspect I will be visiting this site frequently. Gotta love the pups!!
Thanks all.

IP: Logged

All times are ET (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | Auspet.com


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.45c