Having issues getting my dog to learn the basic obedience

the noobie

the noobie

New member
Ive got a Gordon Setter that im not trying to train to be a bird hunter but im still trying to train to do the basic sit, lay down, stay, and come.

Lets start at sit. He will sit if a treat is involved but he wont stay sitting while you are handing him the treat, he gets all antsy and attacks your hand. Doesnt bite hard but he trys to force it out of your hand. I know where this bad habbit is coming from, its my mom. We also have 3 weiner dogs and my mom will take snacks and make them sit as well as the Gordon. But she doesnt deliver them to each dog she just kind of tosses them and lets the dogs get their own. This has turned Ike (the gordon) into a little food machine because he is now used to racing to get the food first. I have told her OVER AND OVER. "hold the food in your palm and deliver it with the back of your hand facing him, food inside of your fist " Then he might nudge your hand but he wont bite then he will eat it calmy out of your palm. Works for me every time. She still wont do it.

So if any of that made sense im trying to break his bad habbits my mom has given him and get him to calmy sit while his treat is delivered as well as after he gets the treat. then we can work on no treats. But where do i begin?

Hes only 8 or so months old (maybe 9 or 10) but hes just so hyper and im afraid that if i dont work with him before i leave for college hes going to walk all over my mom and not listen to my dad or brother. If someone can help be get started there well move on to "come"
 
You already know that the problem is with your mom. Unless everyone is on the same page, I'm not optimistic there will be a good result. Even if you get the basics down, when you leave it doesn't sound like there will be consistency.
Frustrating but I unless you train your mom, you won't have much luck with the dog
 
Then you have no choice but to use the ear pinch on her. Just kidding. Dogs use their teeth because they don't have hands. You just need to be consistant(Mom To) dogs are never to be allowed allowed to touch with their teeth, before you try training, take the dog for a walk,it's easier to train them,after they get rid of the excess energy. and remember praise goos a long way and usually gets better responces than food rewards.

Good Luck wish I was closer I'd be happy to help you.

Jim
 
Noobie, I have an idea. While working with your dog, have him on 6ft leash. As you have him sit, let the slack in the leash fall below his chin and step on it. This will not allow him room to lunge at your hand and you will have effectively nailed him to the floor.

If your mom isn't willing to get with the program, you will have to teach your dog that what there is Mom behavior and there is Noobie behavior. Dogs understand who is a push-over and who is a boss. The difficult part is that you will have to be extra consistent and on-the-ball at all times. If you relax for a minute, he will try to get away with something he knows you don't allow in order to climb the social ladder.

The up side is that if you are successful, your dog will listen to you like noone else in the world. The down side is that he may walk all over your mom until she decides to be a boss too. Also, you are kind of throwing your mom to a wolf and that just isn't considered nice.

Let me explain how bad unexpected teaching can get:
Our first hunting dog was a black lab and a great dog. As 12 and 13 year old kids on the farm, the dog had the run of the place when we were at school and he would often cross the road to my grandmothers farmyard. She kept chickens, ducks, geese etc ... His first hunting season he found, flushed and re-found pheasants like a champ! Re-found because he would not fetch a bird. He would pin them to the ground with his big ole foot until we showed up to get them. The dog had tried to please my grandmother by fetching the farmyard birds for her. She was not going to allow a dog to carry one of her ducks or chickens around in it's mouth! She did allow him to hold them in place while she shuffled on arthritic legs to inspect them and tell him he was a good boy. Grandma called this a "funny little game". For the next 14 years, that dog never held a bird in his mouth again.
 
He very rarely will use his teeth on me (unless were playing and hes playfully chewing on me) Sometimes he gets so wound up that he will bite my feet when im walking around the house with no shoes but for the most part he figures out that i dont like that.

Ive tried taking him for walks but he runs so much that he over heats himself before he even makes it a 1/4 mile up the trail. Then by the half mile mark hes looking for water. When he finds it he sits in it and drinks non stop. Ive tried taking him for walks with leashes but he either will just sit down or he will choke himself, at home he does ok with the leash but still not the greatest..
 
The point is he does use his teeth, that's a no no. when you take his outside does he go first? If so then he's in charge and your below him in rank. You go in and out first, make him sit and wait to be invited to go out or in. I have used a standard loop leash, but with one trick ,I go around his neck (big loop) the tale the bottom of the loop an twist it( forms a fogure 8) and place over the dog's muzzle then snug it up. It's a form of the gentle leader. he wont like it but be patient he will get used to it and you have better control of the dog. you will be able to walk him and control him and he will learn to follow not lead. using the leash this way will prevent him from chocking himself .PM me with your email address and i'll send you a picture of the leash and how it looks on the dog

Jim
 


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