Help, if you feel like your dog just doesn't 'get it'

[clipandcoach]

This post is for any puppy or dog owner or trainer who has felt like they must be doing something wrong because there dog just isn't 'getting it'.

I have recently been Youtubing a lot of training videos and reading a lot of articles on dog training as I like to see what other people are doing and what is working at the moment for others. I have felt like a lot of the information I am finding on dog training is really misleading to other people trying this at home. It even lead me to believe my training must not be up to scratch in some areas.

Why?

Quite simply this information makes dog training seem a whole lot easier than it is. It is simplifying everything so much that it would quite easily make people believe that most people should be able to train their Jack Russell to do a perfect retrieve in a day or even a week. Now I'm not saying that isn't possible, but for the majority of dogs that probably isn't going to happen. A novice dog (one that isn't accustomed to training rituals or one that hasn't branched out to this kind of training) will more likely take months to do the kind of reliable trained retrieves these people are showing (I'm not talking go and get your teddy, kill it and bring it back to me because you want me to throw it again).

What happens to you?

You try what you see, don't get anywhere near the kind of progress that you see and either think you are doing it all wrong, or your dog just isn't smart enough to do it.

I'm writing this post to put a firecracker up the bums of your INNER TRAINER because I'm sure a lot of you have given up on so many awesome things you can teach your dog! Be very careful about misleading videos and articles that make things seem too easy. By all means keep researching and use the information you get to set stepping stones for your dog's progress. Make sure you fill in the gaps between these stepping stones to make your progress realistic. And come on here and ask people how long it has taken them to train their dog to do what you want your dog to do. Also, make sure you take in to account how much other training your dog has done (especially similar sorts of tasks).

So the motto here is:
Realise that free information on the internet is usually going to be summarised and dramatised
If you want detailed training advice seek a professional to work one on one with or go to a highly regarded training class and tell them if it's just not happening for you
DON'T blame your dog or yourself when it doesn't work straight away. Instead, recognise the progress you have made, always have a plan of steps to follow to your ultimate goal and work at the dog's pace.

And don't forget to give POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT to yourself for every step along the way!!! Share a cheese platter with your dog, pat yourself on the back, write yourself a mantra and say outloud: WOW I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF!! THAT IS SUPER AWESOME IF I DON'T SAY SO MYSELF!!!

Now go out there and get training!!

[tjullicnmerc]

Fabulous post and so true! I dont have near the training experience of clip and coach but from the bit I have seen and done I want to echo the encouragement to keep trying and celebrate the little victories.

Also remember every dog is different- I used to feel a failure because it was so hard for me to teach my Dobie to fetch but then I got my golden mix and he learned fetch almost instantly and I realized that maybe I wasnt as terrible at this as I thought and it reinspired me to teach my Dobie (minimal success at this point, I will keep you all posted ).

Thanks again for the encouragment Clip and Coach!

[kian]

C&C you stated that very well! I have had friends comment on my dogs that they would get a dog if they could find one that behaved as well as mine. I always comment back "They didn't come that way!". It took years of behavior modification and training to achieve that level of obedience.

What I have found is that owners want a quick fix and want me to do all the work. That isn't how I operate, the owner must learn the correct principles, I do the ground work but they must be able to apply the principles. It can get very frustrating with owners that are looking for simple quick fixes to the perfect pooch. Yes they must find their inner trainer and learn the principles and get off their bum and do it!

They MUST quit blaming the dog! The dog is only as smart as the owner wants it to be.

Many who come on here have seen some fun and wonderful things on TV, Videos and books and they want to teach thier dog that. What they don't realize is that not every method works for every dog, one must think out of the box. A good example of that is my two, I have one impulse control method that worked perfect for Allie, not so much for Ice. I am having to think out of the box.

It even lead me to believe my training must not be up to scratch in some areas

Be careful of that, what you do is great and your right, the clips are short and to the point. We don't see the steps it took to get there or the time. For instance, dog training shows in a hour...mmmm....how long really did it take to get the dog to lie perfectly still while the army of children ran through the house??

By all means keep researching and use the information you get to set stepping stones for your dog's progress. Make sure you fill in the gaps between these stepping stones to make your progress realistic. And come on here and ask people how long it has taken them to train their dog to do what you want your dog to do

Yup those baby steps! We have had people come on here...Wow it took me only 5 minutes to get my dog to sit, wow I must be a great trainer...uh??? Then others, how long did it take you get your dog to roll over on command. There is no length, a dog is a living breathing thinking creature and will outsmart you in a minute if you start comparing yourself to others well trained dogs.

Good post and discussion!!

Kian

[AnnaCS]

Another great post, thank you! At times I do find myself feeling a failure because at 6 months we don't have Abby perfectly trained. I have to remind myself that she is still young and she will get there. And I have to remind myself of all that she has learned so far. I am not so stressed about tricks, I figure those she will either learn or not and we'll be happy with the ones she does get and not stress those she doesn't. I do worry about the basics, the biggest being her come recall and jumping. But, we are working on it everyday and continuing with classes, so all in due time, right?

[clipandcoach]

Thanks for joining in everyone and thanks for the kind words again.

And don't forget it's not all about the goal, it's about having fun along the way!!!! yay for target and cheese for the next few weeks Mickey

[princelover]

I have found that many of the people who come to the forum for advice want a quick fix for any problem they are facing with their dog. There are, as Kian said so well, no quick fixes. It takes much time, patience and consistency, weeks, months and often years to obtain the perfectly trained dog. It is a lifetime of training or maybe better said, a training lifestyle. It has to be practiced and reinforced on a daily basis.

Dogs like humans respond differently to different stimuli and different training methods. You just have to find what works for you with your particular dog. I think all too often people watch a 30 minute TV segment that shows a badly behaved dog turned into a well behaved dog in a short span of time and don't realize that the trainer is merely showing methods that have to be practiced over and over for a period of time to even begin to see results. It is not the dog who doesn't "get it" but the one behind the leash.

It takes time, patience and consistancy as well as making the training time a fun and happy experience for the puppy or dog.

Just my two cents.

[chickadee]

C&C, this post is so motivating!

I know I felt so frustrated and and down when I felt like my babies were regressing with the pee pads(before I knew it wasn't a good Idea). Posting and reading in these forums have actually lit a fire under my a$$ and made the training process more fun for me and my pups. This is a great post, I feel the fire even more

Whenever I feel like I'm not getting through or my training technique is not working I usually google my butt off and just find the same thing...That's why this site is so great because I can find answers from the most experienced pet owners without even asking, it's all here! I'm also very lucky with crate training because my boys just get it. They are so good, quiet, and calm in their crates, I keep them in my room(i used to feel like a big jerk for using crates)!!! The puppy pads are surely being eliminated from my home.... although it is still difficult to get them to "go" outside. They don't associate outside with going "tee tee" quite yet, but my patience is never-ending.
Another good thing about the post is that prospective resposible owners can come across it and actually realize the work and effort it takes to have a puppy or dog in your home. A lot of people can give up and say they just don't have the time and give a precious animal up.....and most don't realize or care that bouncing from home to home does in fact affect a baby The idea of a puppy..."oh so cute, so fluffy, let's take him home!".....until he starts peeing eveywhere!

This is the Best statement! Every step you see your pup make is AWESOME and something to be way proud of, especially for them!

"And don't forget to give POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT to yourself for every step along the way!!! Share a cheese platter with your dog, pat yourself on the back, write yourself a mantra and say outloud: WOW I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF!! THAT IS SUPER AWESOME IF I DON'T SAY SO MYSELF!!!"

Thanks C&C, From the time I joined this place you and a few others have offered so much geat advice

[kian]

Wonderful!!

Well said by everyone

It is not the dog who doesn't "get it" but the one behind the leash.

Perfectly stated Sher!

I always say don't count the steps back, count the steps forward and move into that direction. Chickadee you are doing very well I must say. You have the tools and are putting it to use.

Anna remember at 6 months Abby's brain is still maturing. Many trainers actually don't start the serious stuff until a year, especially with hunting dogs.

Like C & C, it has to be fun! Once the fun is gone, it's time to step back and rethink your training methods. Just so everyone knows, we as trainers go through the same frustration, the same problems as our own dogs don't come perfectly obedient. On a freezing winters morning, the last thing I want to do is take the dogs for a run and work with them. C&C has the opposite problem where she lives, I'm sure the heat isn't fun either. We do what we have to do, after all, if I peach it, I'd better do it! I don't tell anyone to do anything I wouldn't do myself. Have fun and get out there and enjoy!

[AnnaCS]

Kian, yup, I do have to remind myself of that! Today I had a very frustrating walk with her and afterwards thought of this post (wish I had remembered during!). Tomorrow will be a new day and we'll just try again. She really is very good for 6 months and I know she will end up just fine.

[chickadee]

Anna,
I felt the same way today. I took my pups out at least 5 times within 1hr. Every time they walked to where the pads used to be I scooped them up, said "tee tee", and went outside. I could literally see the poo poking out of their butts but they refused to go outside(I was out there between 12-15mins). My Grizz also scooped up a toad!! which my boyfriend has recruited as our new pet, he will be going to the pet store in the AM after all his research to properly care for the American toad. gah. Him and his reptile/amphibians!!
Also, After taking the dogs out without him I am wondering what is a good-effective way to begin leash training. They are crazy on them and running anywhere they can. Since i've been house training i use the short leashes rather than a extendable one, however, they still pull and get twisted. Our schedules are so different and most of the time it is me with my babies and it is quite difficult for me to control and teach both with the minimal training that they do have. It's so hard and i'm pissed at myself for the puppy pad usage to begin with. I'm dead set on getting them to go. When they wake up-outside, after food-outside, after play- outside. Pretty much everything results in going outside, I'm fine with that, but they just don't go. I can stay out there 20 mins at a time, take them back in, they try to go in the house right after i come in, then I run back out for another 20 mins and they don't go. I love a challenge so these pups have so serious work ahead of them and me too, cause these stairs are no joke!!!

Also- A food update

I switched to Chicken soup brand(before pedigree puppy, yikes!) and contacted my vet for fish oil dosage. My 4 month old mixed breeds are only 3 and 6 lbs. My vet wants me to wait until the food transition is complete before dosing and putting them on the fish oil. I'm thinking I might wait to give fish oil until after I get then nuetered because I've read up on it and it supposedly thins blood, which is usually tolerable as long as the babies aren't on blood thinners such as Heparin.....

I swear when I realized they were 4months I almost died!! It was so shocking to me, the time just flew by. We ended up taking our first trip to the dog park(age limit is 4 months). I was so hesitant to take them because of the whole "dog pack" leadership kind of thing. I was scared that my babies would get hurt. Well.... this particular dog park had two separate sections for large/med dogs and a section for small babes. Our pups had a BLAST. on top of that they were so good with the other dogs and found a new bff named tickles, he is a pom, showing off his summer lion cut (we are located in Georgia and it is already 75-80 degrees). On top of it, the the dog park was VERY clean, everyone picked up after the dogs. The only Aggression I witnessed was on the large dog side and they were duking it out for an un-fixed female and because the owners thought they could just leave their animal there and piss off not paying attention, He(as in the owner) ended up getting put in line.

I pretty much stalk my pup there and wouldn't expect someone else to keep my babies in line, I also wouldn't trust it for other owners.. I was so nervous about it all but it turned out to be a great experience, but I will continue being cautious and to make sure my little loves are being good and aren't being threatened. But they really were AMAZING with other dogs!


Like I stated before, Great, motivating post oh & any input or advice is ALWAYS apreciated! even the hardcore non sugar coated opinions

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Chickadee, you absolutely have the right idea.

Advice, whether sugar coated or not, is worth having. It gives us a broad range of ideas, and helps improve our own instincts.

[AnnaCS]

Chickadee, I hear you! Pups are a lot of work, but they are so darn cute it is okay! On the puppy pads, have you tried placing one outside for them to see if they would go on it outside? Then I would maybe start cutting the pads into smaller and smaller pieces until you can totally get away from them. This is just a thought that came to me, so it may not work, but it could?

The leash training for walks is one of the more difficult things I think I've had to do with Abby. Somedays she does *really* well and others she is horrible. Usually the bad days come in spurts of 2-3 days and then she is back to being good again, so I just take her everyday and remain consistent on my end. Eventually it will all fall into place.

[chickadee]

Anna,
I haven't tried bringing the pads out yet, but I will definitely do it! thanks. And yes, they are so darn cute! I noticed my Grizzly's adult fur starting to come in on his back and I wanted to cry lol! I want them to be little balls of fluff forever! Every time my Bf's kids come her on the weekend they are like "woooah, they look so different!" lol.

But I will definitely try the pads outside and I'm gonna go out and buy different collars cause they are starting to pull and I don't want any neck injuries.

thanks!

[AnnaCS]

It is crazy how fast they grow! We had a friend watch Abby while we went skiing last week and she looked SO big to me when we picked her up. Some of our dog park friends noticed she looked much bigger too.

[clipandcoach]

Wow!!! I'm just overwhelmed with the feedback from my post. Thanks for your input everyone!!!!

Chikadee, I can tell you have grown post by post in to a very open-minded an intelligent dog-owner, master of ones pups!!

Anna, thanks for the support and nothing makes me happier to know that a post I have made can bring a smile back on your face and have you out there training again even after a less than satisfactory walk (I totally know the feeling trust me). I also want to remind you of something that a lot of dog owners don't know.... You will find that the most energetic and motivated dogs (give me ball, aggh yes give me dog, no i want to run, no i want to bowl that kid over) are the best dogs to train, in that they pick things up more quickly than a slower moving, more easy going dog. Everybody dreams of the easy going dog that just slots in to their life and doesn't annoy anybody, but then we also dream of the dog that picks up our training and understands us with ease. Unfortunately, those two dream dogs are at opposite ends of the spectrum. This is because highly energetic dogs will have tried 10 different ways to get that treat from your hand before an easy going dog has even noticed you're holding it. In 10mins your highly motivated dog really wants that treat so has tried 150 different things to get that treat from your hand and has been given 30 treats. The easy going slow mover has tried 20 things and been given 5 treats. It's obvious which one of these dogs is going to move through the training stages more quickly.

So, What's my point?
These highly motivated dogs can be some of the hardest dogs to walk as everything is so overpowering and exciting to them. They are also the ones that naturally walk more quickly. When these dogs are young they may never really heel that well (for long periods) and will probably always pull on the lead when they see something exciting. So, while your lead training with one of these pups will work a lot of the time there will always be moments where everything will fall apart. I don't want you to feel helpless when Abby has a bad day. Even the best of dogs do and a highly motivated excitable pup will definitely be having lots of them. I'll let you in on a little secret....when you are out on a walk or training and Abby is just driving you crazy, you are feeling upset because she is just not behaving the way you would like, pulling or just not getting commands like she did yesterday. Grab abby's lead, turn around and walk ten steps. Ask her to sit (use a hand lure if need be) then sit down on the grass with her and give her a cuddle. Let her lick your face, tickle her tummy and remember why you wanted her in the first place. I promise all your frustration will go out the window and you can try again later or tomorrow if you don't think today is working for you both. Life with your dog shouldn't be so serious. You can also just start running around like crazy with her. If I'm getting a bit frustrated at my dog on the beach I start running like mad and chasing him around. After 2 mins we're both pooped and laughing and he has the biggest grin on his face

Oh and Anna it's time to take this picture of the perfect pet out of your head or you will never be happy with what you have got. I can tell you my dog isn't perfect and will always be a work in progress. I am still rehabilitating issues he has brought with him from the rescue and then retraining issues out of him that picks up from other dogs he lives with. He was attacked a few weeks ago and became fear aggressive (pretty embarrassing for a trainer haha). I always have to stay on top of his socialising and rewarding him for being friendly as he was probably never well socialised as a puppy and he easily reverts. Rescue or not, it's the same for any dog. It's a life's work.

Kian, it's nice to have a great group of trainers to help motivate me. After working with dogs all day as I look at my dog just laying there asleep it is so tempting to just cuddle on the floor with him and have a nap instead of training him I incorporate my training with relaxing things that I like to give both of us a break from everything. I take him to the beach and we play games and stroll in the sand as I throw a few commands at him here and there. Thanks for the great input.