Dog Training

[CorvusCorax]

their owner is ignorable white noise which is the bread and butter of those kind of books and TV shows.

In that cynical vein, never actually finding a definite solution to certain problems means that the money keeps rolling in.
Some behaviours can be reversed in one session without too much fuss. Sometimes there is a deep rooted psychological issue going on which requires careful handling, sometimes the dog has never been taught to just quit it, as it's not in their best interests.
No need for an initial home consultation for a three figure sum, training plan, repeat follow up visits, etc etc.

 

[Clodagh]

I always think best not to keep shouting the dogs name, then people might not realise it is yours. . When the Smalls played rugby there used to be a sign' Be a proud parent, not a loud parent'.
I'm pretty sure mine understand FFS?
I say (shout) no if necessary but am more likely to shout 'stop', or if I'm organised enough and haven't stuck the end of the lead in my mouth by mistake I blow the stop whistle. From a young age mine knows that means 'no matter what you are doing slap that bum down and give me eye contact'. I think all dogs should have a 'stop' although I admit to never trying with my lurcher.

 

[blackcob]

Did somebody say something?

 

[skinnydipper]

See I do expect mine to bark for a ball/food but it's contextual and they also know the word to stop it again lol. Horses for courses

Is this because of your chosen sport? Do they bark at mealtimes at home? Genuine questions.

TBH when I had 8 dogs if they had barked at me in the kitchen demanding their food, and again when they were waiting to get their leads on, I wouldn't have liked it (and I don't believe the neighbours would have been overjoyed).

Each dog that played ball had their own and waited till I called their name and threw their ball. That way the small ones and slow ones were able to enjoy the game too.

Once dogs know what I expect them to do it becomes automatic, I don't need to nag (obviously I teach them what I want initially), I also don't change the rules and allow something one day and not the next - it isn't fair to the dog.

Old habits die hard and though current dog is an only dog she knows to sit quietly and wait for her meal.

Also I never feed from the table.

 

[skinnydipper]

When you have a dog you control their life. When and what they eat, where they sleep, when they go out. It's not hard to incorporate training into everyday life.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Is this because of your chosen sport? Do they bark at mealtimes at home? Genuine questions.

TBH when I had 8 dogs if they had barked at me in the kitchen demanding their food, and again when they were waiting to get their leads on, I wouldn't have liked it (and I don't believe the neighbours would have been overjoyed).

Each dog that played ball had their own and waited till I called their name and threw their ball. That way the small ones and slow ones were able to enjoy the game too.

Once dogs know what I expect them to do it becomes automatic I don't need to nag (obviously I teach them what I want initially), I also don't change the rules and allow something one day and not the next - it isn't fair to the dog.

Old habits die hard and though current dog is an only dog she knows to sit quietly and wait for her meal.

Also I never feed from the table.

It's how most people teach a barking command, bark out of frustration until the thing that is being witheld becomes accessible to them. That just means holding a ball behind my back or throwing food in a bowl just out of reach and holding them by collar or harness, not starving them lol. I train my dogs in prey, not defence.
It's much easier to teach a 'quiet' command when they have a 'barking' command IME, as they know there is a clear difference and the barking is for a reason, not just white noise. Sometimes I mark and let them get the item (food/ball) for barking, sometimes for being quiet.
Socially, the oldies do make a bit of noise at mealtimes and before walks, but I don't actually mind that.
In youth they very rarely got 'free' food or had set mealtimes, so it wasn't really an issue, they always had to be doing 'something'.

 

[skinnydipper]

It's how most people teach a barking command, bark out of frustration until the thing that is being witheld becomes accessible to them. It's much easier to teach a 'quiet' command when they have a 'barking' command IME, as they know there is a clear difference and the barking is for a reason, not just white noise. Sometimes I mark and let them get the item (food/ball) for barking, sometimes for being quiet.
Socially, the oldies do make a bit of noise at mealtimes and before walks, but I don't actually mind that.
In youth they never got 'free' food or had set mealtimes, so it wasn't really an issue.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I taught my last dog to "speak" and "quiet". I started to teach this dog but she liked the sound of her own voice too much and training speak was quickly abandoned.

 

[Karran]

Barking! Mrs Spaniel prior to the arrival of her idiot housemate was very clear that barking was only allowed at flyball. Only a "who's at the door," wuff and a "theres a cat/fox at the aviary, I'll get it for you!" Single Bark is allowed indoors and
Prolonged barking or attention seeking outside was Not Acceptable.
Feral Collie arrived and we use a ball heavily to redirect her from chasing unsuspecting park users. Somewhere along the line Mrs Spaniel made the connection that a wuff makes a ball appear and now she shrieks and dances whenever a hand goes towards the ball pocket. It's very tiresome and now i'm trying to undo that by getting her to do another quieter action instead. Easier now I have the daylight to walk them separately!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I taught my last dog to "speak" and "quiet". I started to teach this dog but she liked the sound of her own voice too much and training speak was quickly abandoned.

No worries, made a couple of edits since lol.

 

[Clodagh]

As mine, in their work must never make a sound, when they are young I make a point of never pushing their arousal/frustration levels to a whimper, let alone, God forbid a bark! I just think it is interesting how differently we teach and how much they can do for us.
Ffee is a very vocal dog and screams/yodels/yips when she's pleased to see me and actually when waiting at the 'meet' in the pick up, which can be embarassing. As she is still young when working I don't expect her to sit still for a whole drive and if she is getting a bit wound up and trembly we walk a few circles. If they start whining at work it is pretty impossible to stop it.

 

[deb_l222]

Phrases Willow knows off by heart:

No (obviously)
What are you doing now?
Give that here
Don't you dare

Love her really

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Was I wrong to tell Daisy ‘no’ last night (3.00am) when she started growling at the foxes outside? Or should I have used a diversion tactic???

You could have thrown a pillow at her! That would have diverted her attention.

 

[CorvusCorax]

As mine, in their work must never make a sound, when they are young I make a point of never pushing their arousal/frustration levels to a whimper, let alone, God forbid a bark! I just think it is interesting how differently we teach and how much they can do for us.
Ffee is a very vocal dog and screams/yodels/yips when she's pleased to see me and actually when waiting at the 'meet' in the pick up, which can be embarassing. As she is still young when working I don't expect her to sit still for a whole drive and if she is getting a bit wound up and trembly we walk a few circles. If they start whining at work it is pretty impossible to stop it.

Whereas we get points for the quality of the bark

 

[CorvusCorax]

Phrases Willow knows off by heart:

No (obviously)
What are you doing now?
Give that here
Don't you dare

Love her really

I do a very accusatory disembodied 'what are you doing?' from another room.

 

[AmyMay]

You could have thrown a pillow at her! That would have diverted her attention.

That would have been my next step! ??

 

[[139672]]

I use yes when Teddy does the right thing. I also occasionally use no, he knows exactly what I mean from the tone of my voice! I also praise him when he finally comes back if he’s gone deaf briefly, whilst muttering under my breath ‘You little s**t’ ??

 

[Clodagh]

Whereas we get points for the quality of the bark

How do you judge bark quality!?

 

[CorvusCorax]

How do you judge bark quality!?

Confident, active, dominant.
There are big differences between a dog saying 'I dare you to move, lolz'/'gimme the toy'/'I don't like this and I'm scared and I want you to go away'.
You can hear all sorts of things in a bark when you listen to enough of them lol.

 

[DiNozzo]

My parents Yorkie was trained (accidentally) not to bark. He now growls at you in various different tones depending on what he wants. He's old now and squeaks at doors to be opened for him if he wants in/out.

 

[Moobli]

I love Steve Mann's book. It is well written, very easy to understand/implement and is actually very funny and an enjoyable read too. I recommend it to lots of owners who have no experience of owning a puppy before. As much because I know many will read it all the way through (because it IS funny and easy to read) than some of the more laborious dog training manuals that are dull as dishwater and feel a chore to plough through. It is a great starter manual imo. I do feel some of the positive only trainers are doing dogs and their owners a disservice though by saying it is wrong and cruel to say no to a dog and that all worldly dog problems can be fixed with just rewarding the good and ignoring the bad. I think the current wave of badly behaved dogs and children are, in part, a testament to the fact that the softly softly approach doesn't work with every dog (or child).

 

[Moobli]

My GSDs are taught a speak (first) and quiet (later) command. Not for competition but just for fun and also I have taught my male to bark at someone else (just through use of frustration and ball reward) as oppose to at me, which may one day come in handy if I come across a murderer/thief/robber in the out of the way remote places I walk and want them to know not to approach me lol. He started off quite high pitched but through withholding his reward for longer each time I now get a wonderful deep, rich bark that really sounds like he means business. My bitch, meantime, emits very loud whiny, screeching, annoying type noises.

 

[DiNozzo]

My GSDs are taught a speak (first) and quiet (later) command. Not for competition but just for fun and also I have taught my male to bark at someone else (just through use of frustration and ball reward) as oppose to at me, which may one day come in handy if I come across a murderer/thief/robber in the out of the way remote places I walk and want them to know not to approach me lol. He started off quite high pitched but through withholding his reward for longer each time I now get a wonderful deep, rich bark that really sounds like he means business. My bitch, meantime, emits very loud whiny, screeching, annoying type noises.

I suspect this was the intention with the yorkie...

I love my parents, and they've always managed to get nice dogs (that go along with life, regardless), but they are hopeless at the actual training of animals.

 

[paisley]

He says we should guide the puppy not say no to them.

Possibly ties in with the ideal of "don't set them up to fail"?
My "no" to the whippet is very quiet, low toned but apparently carries all sorts of deadly implied threat because he never ignores it ?
The fishwife roaring of "Oi!! Don't You Dare!!" for those special moments out on walks, can fall on very deaf, rapidly disappearing ears ?

 

[Clodagh]

My GSDs are taught a speak (first) and quiet (later) command. Not for competition but just for fun and also I have taught my male to bark at someone else (just through use of frustration and ball reward) as oppose to at me, which may one day come in handy if I come across a murderer/thief/robber in the out of the way remote places I walk and want them to know not to approach me lol. He started off quite high pitched but through withholding his reward for longer each time I now get a wonderful deep, rich bark that really sounds like he means business. My bitch, meantime, emits very loud whiny, screeching, annoying type noises.

Ffee has got an awful bark, she sounds like a teenage boy going through the change. Pen the midget is terrifying! Maybe Pen means it and Ffee is actually squeaking 'please go away'.

 

[Clodagh]

I must say I was an awful parent but the kids rarely let me down now. Maybe indifference to their needs is a training tool?