Puppy gets too excited durring training

[MyMango]

Hello there!

My Mango also gets too excited when training outside. She's great with tricks indoors but gets too distracted outdoors. She isn't very good in loose-leash walking. She would lunge forward then i would call her back and when she is back at my side she gets treats then lunges forward again. She is like a yo-yo. Sometimes she wouldn't even eat the treats... the outside is way too distracting.

I'm against the use of choke collars, shock collars, or anything that would cause any discomfort to my pup. I use a harness.

Ooh yah! I found out that when she's tired, she concentrates on training better. But she's not tired during walks; she's tired after walks...

[BraveTyphlosion]

Teddy is exhausted after puppy class. A combination of all that stimulation and car rides is enough to wipe him out. It's nice to get a chance to take a nice long nap. It's unfortunate how car sick he gets however.

I can't even imagine trying to train him outside right now. He is much too easily distracted even indoors(He LOVES to sniff, so much that I'm considering taking scenting classes when he is older). In order to get maximum success I mostly do his training when no one else is home and the cats have gone outside. This is usually after he has had his last meal of the day. He is exceptionally smart and I am positive he can learn anything, he just needs to focus.

What's the difference between a "Halti" and a "Gentle Leader"?

[kian]

You want to start him "scenting" as a puppy, if it is available sign up!

A Halti Head Collar is easier to use than a Gentle Leader. It is more padded and has a snap that attaches to the collar for more stability. It is easier to adjust and is a little less than a GL! I like them a lot better.

[BraveTyphlosion]

Unfortunately Teddy isn't old enough for the scenting classes. All dogs are required to be at least 8 month of age at the place we would like him to get trained(That and I haven't found anywhere within the city that teaches scenting).

Well fortunately I don't think I need to use a halti yet. I'm happy to say Teddy is walking much better. He still pulls a lot on the way home from the dog park and he still whines a lot in general but I get some nice loose leash walking on the way to the park instead of what he used to do which was sit down and refused to move forward. Ever since I took him to an off leash park and let him just follow me around without the leash he has been much more willing to walk with me on the leash. I might not need to get a no pull harness if he keeps up with the improvement(although we did try it out and he walked quite nicely on it so I know it is an option).

Got any tips on getting my puppy to focus durring puppy class? The trainer says to wave the treats infront of his nose but that doesn't seem to phase him at all. Once I do get his attention he is pretty good but trying to get it puzzles me. All the other puppies are quite happy to look up at their owners and await their commands(if my puppy isn't distracting them).

[kian]

That is too bad they require 8 months, my club started them as young puppies. They really are missing some prime teaching time.

Some puppies are easily distractable, more breaks seem to help. His attention span isn't very long at this point. Find one treat he craves and use it for class, bringing him a little hungry helps to. Don't stress over it, remember if you stress he will tune into that and be more distracted. Stay calm, focused and smile at him....yes smile! A serious face is boring to look at, try keeping his attention with your facial expressions. Be interesting to look at!

[BraveTyphlosion]

Yeah, although honestly I suppose I should focus more on the basics first.

I'm beginning to get his attention back by switching up his treats. Sometimes he gets little pieces of cheese, sometimes it's little rolled up balls of mashed chicken, sometimes his dog food, etc. I'm reluctant because he has a sensitive tummy and giving him all these strange foods gives him loose stool but it seems to be the only way to get him to truly focus for 3 minutes. I'm kind of miffed about a comment the trainer made and I'm going to show her that I do work hard with my dog.

[Nileska]

Gabi,don't feel like the Lone Ranger if the trainer is a bit tough on you and the class...One of my best instructors was like a German drill sergeant,we fondly called her "der fuehrer " ..I actually learned more from her than any of the others...
She would tell us "you WILL train every day and we were questioned how often we had trained each week.

[BraveTyphlosion]

Ah, Der Fuehrer hahah that made my day.

Well I don't feel as bad now, we just saw the vet on monday to get him chipped and his final set of shots and they told me that it's perfectly okay if I need to take the puppy class a second time with Teddy. I guess it's just frustrating because the class is so short and I don't feel like I'm able to really get anything out of it other than socializing(which is great too but you know what I mean). I'm never sure if I'm doing it right and it's as if everyone understands what to do except me. It's not like highschool where the teacher was more than happy to answer your questions and help you get it just right. I understand that it's a puppy class and she can only spend so much time with each person and the puppies can only focus for so long.

In all honesty I think a private trainer would be best at some point. I could get one on one and hopefully be able to bring out my dogs true potential. Enough with my rant though, I just need to get through this and keep plugging away eventually it will pay off.



Also just wanted to say I have Teddy on an easy walk harness and it has stopped his pulling all together. I strongly suggest this type of tool for anyone who might be looking into one.

[zeeshan]

We treat train her and praise of course, but she gets WAY too excited about the treats. Me and my boyfriend will sit on different sides of the room calling her back and forth, and she gets to one of us, sits, (attempts to) shake and drops to the ground laying in a matter of 3 seconds without us even saying the commands. She runs around jumping and yipping and all. That. JAZZ. Teehee, but this is an issue trying to teach her to "stay" and "come" because she won't stay, just come, even when I don't ask.

We've tried the right after she eats trick, but she still goes crazy and won't listen to the commands. This dog is a bottomless pit, she's gotten over the baby gate we have for the cat food and she ate all 2 cups of it...And was still begging for food 10 minutes later!.

[Nileska]

zeeshan,...You need to find a good local obedience training club.They are not very expensive and class is usually only about one hour each week for about 8 or 9 weeks.You will be required to train at home each day useing what you have learned in class. If you are not satisfied it is possible (and a good idea) to take the class over.This will give YOU the experience to keep your dog trained..As Kian has pointed out,training is never done.

I don't know where you live but in the US or Canada you can usually find one or more OB training clubs in the local phone book
My old OB club requires that you have completed two classes before you are invited to join......I have competed in Canada in both OB and Confirmation and the Canadians have great OB clubs ....Join the club and have some fun