Calling all C2bC Puppy People...

[CorgiMum]

How is your at home & or class training coming along?

Danny and I aren't in a class at the moment but are hard at work on his loose leash walking here at home. And today, I think that my little man 'gets it'!+CHEER+

He is very good at "OUT". But obviously I'm not fast enough with my command of "Leave it", or we wouldn't be needing the "OUT" so much.

His sit is still too often slow, unless there is cheese in the air.

But Boy can Danny flatten out! When I say "Down" (and when he does it) it's very quick, and he is flat as can be!

His "Come" has all of a sudden become an action that he seems to need to contemplate. :ROLLEYES He is still less than 5 months old, and at that stage.

But we are having fun! And I love it when he watches Dylan to see what to do. When Gary and I sit down to eat, Montrose is on her 'place' by the fire, Dylan joins her, and then Danny sees them and lays down quietly too. +LUB+

What are you and your puppy working on? How's it going?

[MissGambler's+Mojo'sMommy]

When we had a trainer try and help us with Mojo awhile back, here is something we picked up, it's simple and it works: (don't let them be starving when trying this) leash them, give them a treat and let them know that you have more, but turn your back on them. If the leash is long enough they may get distracted and walk around, but what you want is for them to eventually come around to look at you and try and get your attention. When they do this, give another treat, then turn around again. This makes them come around to you and face you and you hopefully end up teaching them to watch you. A good by-product of this is that they also may teach themself sit/stay, and both of these training techniques are used without saying a single word. (This worked beautifully for Miss Gambler, but she is naturally good at watching me anyway, she stays tuned into my face and my emotions, but this did not work at all with Mojo, but we know why now, we were trying to train her to do something that required vision.) This may be nothing to the more experienced on here, just thought I would share something quick and easy, and is pretty fool-proof. Miss Gambler is getting ready for some in-depth therapy and training, along with me, so I'll post anything I learn.

[Kassie]

Poor little Aine never got her "PKG" due to Joni's accident and my lack of a scooter (which I got last week) so we weren't able to do the last few classes, but we've still been working at home. She is great with sit and down is very cute...she twists her head around to watch and see if I have a treat! She's mostly good with leave it (I've never used out) and off is pretty good also. She never misses a take it! We're going to start lessons with the certified pet trainer in town the end of this month. She's been to a couple of "puppy play days" at her place and i have some cute video when the computer cooperates. I really do want to pursue agility with her, she is very athletic! She can hop into our SUV herself (Maeve can't) and the other day, I turned around and she had hopped up onto the kitchen chair next to me!

We've still had a few potty problems, mostly when the weather is bad and she just won't go when she is outside. She gets rough and bites a hand occasionally when playing and the "no bite" (yes, it's still Ainenobite ) works pretty well, especially if we follow it with a puppy like yelp and wimper, she immediately switches to licking the spot and looking at us. Oh, and come...depends a little on mood...usually pretty good, especially when we're working on things, but is real life situations, if she's involved in something.....well.....not always!

[mtoy]

I decided not to put Link in the Intro to Agility class (at least for now). I had concerns about him not behaving during class. So instead now I'm working on the basics again (I got lazy for a while) and also got the book "Control Unleashed". I want to work through that with him to lay a good foundation for whatever we end up doing. The goal is for him to be well behaved and calm even when off leash, where ever we may be.

[CorgiMum]

Miss Gambler is getting ready for some in-depth therapy and training, along with me, so I'll post anything I learn.


That's a great method of getting a dog's attention that you posted Delta. Very important, if we don't have their attention, then it's pretty hard to teach them anything isn't it?

Looking forward to hearing about your's and Miss G's therapy & training adventures!

[CorgiMum]

Poor little Aine never got her "PKG" due to Joni's accident and my lack of a scooter (which I got last week) so we weren't able to do the last few classes, but we've still been working at home.
Well the classes are for the most part for the trainers to teach us how to train our dogs, and 99% of that happens at home so it sounds like your team is doing great.


She is great with sit and down is very cute...she twists her head around to watch and see if I have a treat! She's mostly good with leave it (I've never used out) and off is pretty good also.
For us, I like to teach the "Out" in case one of the dogs gets something dangerous in their mouth. To me, it's a safety command. Just MO.


She never misses a take it!
Do they ever?:LAUGH:


We're going to start lessons with the certified pet trainer in town the end of this month. She's been to a couple of "puppy play days" at her place and i have some cute video when the computer cooperates. I really do want to pursue agility with her, she is very athletic! She can hop into our SUV herself (Maeve can't) and the other day, I turned around and she had hopped up onto the kitchen chair next to me!
For years we let Monty & Dylan jump in and out of our van, and then realized that the jumping up was one thing. But jumping down can be a great shock to their joints, especially before they are 18 mo or so. Obviously after Dylan's knee surgery we never let him jump up or down again.


We've still had a few potty problems, mostly when the weather is bad and she just won't go when she is outside.
Sounds like my Miss M. She hates the rain. Dylan blinks when a raindrop falls on him as if rocks were hitting him.:ROLLEYESI told Danny from day one that rain is fun! And I must be a good liar because he loves the rain!:LAUGH:


She gets rough and bites a hand occasionally when playing and the "no bite" (yes, it's still Ainenobite ) works pretty well, especially if we follow it with a puppy like yelp and wimper, she immediately switches to licking the spot and looking at us.
When Danny did that, after I yelled OW! I would turn my back on him. Corgis do hate to be ignored.:WINK:


Oh, and come...depends a little on mood...usually pretty good, especially when we're working on things, but is real life situations, if she's involved in something.....well.....not always!
It sounds like a reliable "Come" is going to take some time with each of our pups, but that's normal.:SMILE:

[MVons]

Back sliders here. Erec has him sit, shake, down, and working on roll over and that is treat directed with a wide circle.

We do need to have a command for being on his back so I could check him out and the roll over, he goes over.

Barbara, you know my lack of success of leave it and drop it. We can't use Out because that means get out of where you are (kitchen). The various snow storms has helped the most. Drop it works excellently with a treat. I'm thrilled when he is fixated that it stops immediately upon sight or sound of a treat, and he doesn't mind me taking the ball away.

I know MY problem, not Chester's is when it is 27F, I have my down mittens on and am too lazy to take the mittens off and get a treat out. I am wondering if there is a M&M dispenser that his kibble would fit into. It wouldn't fit the mini M&M's.

Chester is getting good at poo on command. I request a poo before our morning walk to school and 90% it happens. He can also sense in me my lack of patience on him finding the perfect spot in the evening and realizes this as we head to the front door, he will quick do his business. So really the best news is no accidents this new year in the house!!!

The plywood outside is gone as hubby realizes sometimes it is better to remove the temptation when it is hazardous to their health. Chester is doing better with two walks a day or a 2 mile walk in the morning.

Glad you asked Barbara, because my post makes me realize how far Chester has come, instead of dwelling on the back sliding of leash pulling because of no treats. I will start with your method Delta before our walk tomorrow. Maybe I should have gotten those mittens which you can flap back and expose your finger tips. Oh well. Meanwhile I'll find the old fashion clips for the mitten and that way I won't drop them in my endevour to get the treat.

Come is the area we really need to start working on outside. If we run away, he follows. Wasn't a problem until there was squirrel remains across the street.:REALLYMAD: When he plays with the jack russell, she herds him to us when done playing. I guess we forgot about come because Chester follows us everywhere inside. I just use a high pitch "I've got cheese" voice and he will come running with just his name. Hmm I forgot to use that voice outside!

[mtoy]

I guess we forgot about come because Chester follows us everywhere inside. I just use a high pitch "I've got cheese" voice and he will come running with just his name. Hmm I forgot to use that voice outside!

:LAUGH:That sounds like us! There are a few things that are guaranteed to get Link to come (from anywhere):

shake the treat jar
say "Millie want a treat?"
clang the food dishes

My favorite is "Millie want a treat?" probably because it makes both of them SO happy.

[Kassie]

That's funnyl one of the surest ways to get Aine to come is to call both of them. She sure would't want Maeve to get something she doesn't!

[manymuddypaws]

mtoy:
how are you finding the book "Control Unleashed?"
I thought it was great!

Although Vito is a year old now I often think of him as a puppy. He is doing great and is learning more and more every day. He is very smart but is also quite cheeky. We have been working on teaching some rally exercises, and he is particularily fond of the finishes. It is very cute. We are also still working on real life experiences- Vito still turns to mush if he is scared by a person. He's a work in progress :o)

[mtoy]

mtoy:
how are you finding the book "Control Unleashed?"
I thought it was great!

Although Vito is a year old now I often think of him as a puppy. He is doing great and is learning more and more every day. He is very smart but is also quite cheeky. We have been working on teaching some rally exercises, and he is particularily fond of the finishes. It is very cute. We are also still working on real life experiences- Vito still turns to mush if he is scared by a person. He's a work in progress :o)

I'm only about 1/4th of the way into it so far, but it's already a great book. I'm very glad I bought it. I absolutely MUST discipline MYSELF to follow through and work the program with Link. I wish I had this when Millie was young (yes, you can teach and old dog but we just deal with her issues now. Plus she's older and calmer now). Link is so reactive to anything happening outside, animals, delivery people, etc., plus he gets nutty when people come over. We'd love to see him get over that. Plus, it will be a good prep for any activities we get into.

Have you done the mat training? Are the mats anything special or just rugs/beds/crates? Are multiple mats supposed to be the same? I haven't read far enough to get to the training yet, just planning ahead. Before the book came I was working with Link to go to his (kitchen) bed instead of barking at the front door. We have beds and rugs all over the place here.

I love hearing about Vito, it seems like he will grow into a fine dog. I think at 1 they are still puppies - I still think of Link as a pup and he'll be 1 very soon.

[CorgiMum]

That's funnyl one of the surest ways to get Aine to come is to call both of them. She sure would't want Maeve to get something she doesn't!

Sibling rivalry is a very powerful training tool!:LAUGH:

[CorgiMum]

plus he gets nutty when people come over. We'd love to see him get over that.


Have you done the mat training?


I have not had success in teaching any of my corgis to settle and be quiet when someone comes in the door. I have bee a 100% failure at that.

My dogs were taught 'place', and go there readily in front of the fireplace.

But when it comes to the barking-announcements because we are being invaded through the front door, they will most times still bark.

Anyone have any tips on how to cure that? How to make thier 'place' or 'mat' a bark free zone?

[Akatihsa]

I'm not sure if it's mostly just Ein's personality, but she never barks at anyone. We discouraged it from day one because of living in an apartment complex (don't want to irritate the neighbors), but even when she's really excited she won't generally say anything. The first time or two was followed by a stern "NO" and now she just toddles up to the person for some attention.

I don't know if this helps much. It seems to me that the hardest things to teach are the conditional ones (you can do this now, but not later or you can do this here but not there). I think it may be difficult, but not impossible to teach them that they aren't allowed to "greet" people at the door. Like with potty training, pooping on the carpet isn't allowed but outside is just fine - barking at the door is not allowed, but play is just fine.

[CorgiMum]

+DOH+

You've just reminded me, I should be teaching Danny the 'on' & 'off' commands re barking.

I guess a big part of having tried to teach Dylan not to bark was in a large part hampered because Monty is so very reactive and in her younger days was very much a barker. Then later on she settled a bit, but now that she is in her more senior years she is very barky once more.

Again, thanks for the reminder about conditional barking and it's great that Ein is such a good girl and minding you so well.+CHEER+

[MVons]

We are sure different here because I don't have visitors! I guess because I was home alone at night so long (hubby on graveyard) we encouraged barking when someone came to the door. Sort of hearing impaired helping. But with Chester he isn't a barker like Pepper was. When hubby comes home and I see his shadow, if Chester hasn't noticed I'll say "who's that" and Chester will do an alarm bark when he sees/hears him. My little protector dog, heck my hearing will only decline with age. When someone has come in, Chester is so excited, he doesn't bark, just wiggle and try to jump up on them. That is our problem - the jumping. Son encourages it, I squat down and he rarely jumps on me. I squat and hold him when we are approached by toddlers to prevent the startle of his jumping.

[manymuddypaws]

I'm only about 1/4th of the way into it so far, but it's already a great book. I'm very glad I bought it. I absolutely MUST discipline MYSELF to follow through and work the program with Link. I wish I had this when Millie was young (yes, you can teach and old dog but we just deal with her issues now. Plus she's older and calmer now). Link is so reactive to anything happening outside, animals, delivery people, etc., plus he gets nutty when people come over. We'd love to see him get over that. Plus, it will be a good prep for any activities we get into.

Have you done the mat training? Are the mats anything special or just rugs/beds/crates? Are multiple mats supposed to be the same? I haven't read far enough to get to the training yet, just planning ahead. Before the book came I was working with Link to go to his (kitchen) bed instead of barking at the front door. We have beds and rugs all over the place here.



I have done it- Vito is pretty good as I started young- when I first started I used a simple crate pad- and bought two. So that he learned specifically where I wanted him to go. I have beds all over too so didn't want to confuse him. He knows mat is that specific bed. But I will one day fade the ugly mat away. For now we keep it just while he is still learning.

the other dogs aren't so good. they will stay and not run to the door- but only if I catch the little buggers before they get there :EEK:

-Amanda

[CorgiMum]

the other dogs aren't so good. they will stay and not run to the door- but only if I catch the little buggers before they get there :EEK:

-Amanda

:LAUGH:
When we first brought Danny home I taped a piece of paper over our front door doorbell, it said, "Please do not ring doorbell, Puppy is sleeping."

It's still there, friends know to knock gently, and solicitors etc have stayed away!

We have floor to door top glass panels on either side of the door and one ay I noticed someone just standing there. When I opened the door, she said, I saw the sign and didn't know what to do. Guess I should have added "Please knock"?