How to get 'stop' accross?

sweetheartjess

I have heard many things.

I know from experience that 'bopping' (or whatever you want to call it) on the nose WORKS. My youngest sister adopted a Cocker Spaniel about a month ago. I was living at home for three weeks and I have a very flexible job (work remotely often) so I was with her more than anyone else. Anyway, she is CRAZY. Super hyper, will eat ANYTHING (the bugger LOVES rolly polies / pill bugs), and thinks everything is her playtoy. So, I had to teach her that mommy's hands, feet, shoes, pant legs, laptop chargers, USB cables, etc etc are NOT toys. I would tap / bop / knock her on the nose and firmly say NO. Now, all any of the family members have to do is say no in a firm tone and she will stop. She knows what 'no' means bc of this.

That being said, I know that dogs respond immensley well to positive reinforcement. But, how are you supposed to get the dog to drop it w/o having SOME sort of negative consequence? I do NOT want to sound like I'm abusive, rough, cruel or anything, but I feel that if there is never punishment, then how do you learn? Potty training I get w/the positive reinforcement, but chewing on shoes??

My puppy's name is Rogue. This sounds similar to 'no' (greeeeeeat), so I have been trying to wean myself off the no command, lol. I've been trying to use 'stop.'

What other ways have you found that will basically make the dog stop doing what they're doing?

Thanks

briteday

We use "leave it" at our house. This can refer to anything like food on the coffee table, a cat, another dog while we're walking, or something forbidden on the floor that they are displaying interest in. In the beginning, I would walk over to the dog (we got them both as pups at different times), bend down to their level, say "leave it", and distract them with a toy or treat when they were no longer focused on the forbidden object, but instead on me.

If you must use the "bopping" method, never use your hand. Try one sheet of newspaper rolled up if you must.

A cocker spaniel can be very stubborn and difficult. We had one a few years ago. First we tried leaving her in the house, confined to the kitchen, while we were gone to work. But she was very destructive. Then we left her in the dog run with our slightly larger dog. But she dug under the fence almost every day and escaped. Unfortunately we hadn't learned about crate training at that point.

I would try giving her a lot more structured exercise in addition to training. Most dogs that size need at least 30 minutes each day of hard exercise, the back yard doesn't count unless the dog will play frisbee or fetch. Otherwise and in addition, she needs to go on a long walk, hike, jog, run in a protected area, etc. Not only will it improve her physical well-being but her mental health as well. Dogs need the stimulation of seeing, smelling, hearing, and experiencing new places on a regular basis. It prevents much of the boredom that turns into destructive behavior. A tired spaniel is a happy spaniel!

Curbside Prophet

Video: Teaching Leave It: Dog Behavior Training: Free Online Video Lesson from ExpertVillage

Yes, and then bop yourself in the head with the rolled up newspaper for not training your dog. This is a joke btw, but o' so true...I've never found a need to strike any dog, but I do question my emotions, and sometimes I need to be bopped.

sweetheartjess

I'm sorry. I used my sister's puppy as an example as to how I got the 'no' accross... I would never strike a dog out of emotion (same if I ever choose to reproduce.. eek).

MY Rogue is a nine/ten week old MinPin-Lab mix (don't ask.. I don't know how it worked out either lol) I adopted from a shelter. I've had Rogue five days. She has a lot of MinPin characteristics, but not the stubbornness or the barking. I got the good ones

I like the 'leave it' suggestion as well as the treat suggestion. However, would that not seem to the dog like 'hey, I'm chewing on this throw rug, and now I get a treat! I'll do it more often..' Sorry; I think stuff wayyyyy too thoroughly through and literally sometimes.

poodleholic

It's been my experience that all dogs do well with positive training methods. Puppy-proof the rooms the dog is in, ignore unwanted behavior and redirect, following up with positive reinforcement (for compliance). A puppy is a baby, and it's our job to teach them manners and the house rules. Some parents slap their infant's hand for touching objects in their reach, rather than baby-proofing the house, and are constantly screaming "NO!" all through their childhood (and then these same parents wonder why their children don't listen to them!). Bad parenting, and very ineffective.

I have two very well-behaved dogs who have never heard me raise my voice, and I wouldn't dream of striking them. All it takes is a raised eyebrow, or an "Eh!" to stop them in their tracks. Using positive training methods only, they have been taught to bring me my purse, my keys, the phone, their leashes. They wait at the door quietly and calmly until released to go outside. They help bring in the groceries from the car, place junk mail in the trash, pull the garbage down to the back gate for me, put their toys away, and go to their mats, or take a nap when asked. They do not beg at the dinner table, greet guests politely, never bark at the postal carrier or meter reader, and help with chores around the house (including the laundry), and they do it with a bounce in their step, and a twinkle in their eye! It's just not necessary to use physical force.

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Dorygirl

Can you come over to my house to train my kids to help with the laundry and bring in groceries?! If your dogs can do all that, you should be on TV somewhere...isn't there a show about animals that can do great stuff like that?

opokki

Drop it can be easily taught with positive reinforcement. The short version - get your pup used to taking things (starting with low value items) and dropping them in exchange for something else of higher value. Add the cue "drop it" as the pup opens his mouth to take the exchange object. Once this is successful, ask him to "drop it" without having a visible item to exchange with - reward him heavily when he responds correctly. Practice with a variety of items, including forbidden ones such as tissues.

Punishment doesn't teach a dog what you DO want. For something like chewing shoes, I would start with management - keeping the shoes out of the pups reach. If by chance the pup did get a hold of a shoe you could interrupt and redirect him to something more appropriate.
Set the pup up to succeed by providing a variety of appropriate chew toys. Make these toys more exciting by giving them a little added flavor (smearing a dab of peanut butter on them ). Rotate these toys so that the pup does not become bored with them. You can further reward and encourage the pup by playing games with him using these toys.

You don't necessarily have to use punishment because you are building good habits (chewing on chew toys) while preventing bad ones from forming (chewing on shoes) in the first place.

Interrupt and redirect. To interrupt I simply make a noise, usually with my voice (ah! ah!). Other times I've clapped, stopped a foot or even dropped a book on the floor.

poodleholic

ROFL!! Actually, it was really easy to train my dogs to do these things, and I did so because they are very smart, and easily bored (and a bored Standard Poodle is trouble)! Also, my thumb joints are bad, the left joint destroyed, so will be having joint replacement surgery. They help me out a lot.

Laundry is simple: I put 3 baskets out, and empty the hampers onto the floor. The dogs pick up an item and I point to the basket it goes in. Simply taught them to retrieve first, then "bring it," and "drop it." I can point to anything and tell them to go get it, and then bring it. They know many items by name (like my slippers). Once in a while they bring me one shoe and one slipper, but not because they don't understand, they're pranksters! LOL Nothing like a Standard Poodle's sense of humor!

Don't know what I'd do w/out them! When I broke my leg and ankle out in my back yard, none of my neighbors heard me calling out. I would have been out there all night (until my neighbor next door left for work the next morning), and if I had, would have lost my leg, according to the orthopedic surgeon. Bo, my male, pulled me into the house, and Maddy brought me the phone so I could call for help. They're my heroes, for real!

Amaya-Mazie-Marley

I use leave it. The only way I trained mine was when they were about to get into something I didn't want them to I said "EHH Leave it!" and it got their attention. I would never strike a dog, newspaper or whatever, but if you are going to strike a dog, don't ever use your hand. They will associate hands with being hit, and will probably start biting when people try and touch them.

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