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Reddit mentions of How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves

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We found 16 Reddit mentions of How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves. Here are the top ones.

How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves
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Found 16 comments on How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves:

u/ASleepandAForgetting · 16 pointsr/dogs

>and he told me that our dog was an alpha at the shelter

This is also extremely concerning to me. Alpha/dominance doesn't exist in this way. The dog doesn't think "he can do whatever he wants" because he's "the boss". He's a scared and abused dog who doesn't respond to commands he doesn't know. That's not him being a boss. That's the people around him being idiots when it comes to dealing with a dog like this.

>so it makes me hesitant to say that we are necessarily at fault for (maybe naively) thinking he was just going to be a happy go lucky dog who wasn't going to give us any "issues."

I don't know why you'd think this, knowing his back story. He has been abused. Abused dogs have issues, ESPECIALLY with people who repeatedly ignore their warnings and push them past their comfort zone. Which you've done, over and over, with this dog.

>I think I'd like to maybe keep him for at least another week and see if the situation ends if we try to coax him to move without physically moving him, by using treats or other means.

I think that's... Well, I don't know what to think about that. I think you and your boyfriend have significant gaps in your knowledge of "problem" dogs, which makes another bite incident more likely. But if you're really going to give it an honest effort, then here's what I can tell you:

  1. Don't pick this dog up, or physically coerce him to move (including trying to drag him on a leash) in any way. Your efforts to get him to go where you want or move off of a piece of furniture should be ENTIRELY positive, and you should use treats to lure him where you want him. If you can, don't let him up on your bed in the first place, until you've worked on building a bond with him. This may require baby gating him out of your room so that he can't jump up on your bed.
  2. Read up about alpha/dominance theory. It's not useful, and operating under its premise is going to cause you to misdiagnose your dog's behaviors. Here's an article that explains the origins and evolution of the alpha myth that may help you understand where we are now as far as dog training methodology. Here is a very in depth look into dominance (and why you shouldn't be using it to train your dog) by Dr. Sophia Yin. I'd also suggest that you order the book How To Behave So Your Dog Behaves by Dr. Sophia Yin.
  3. It's a little late, but you should do a two week shutdown with this dog starting now. The two week shutdown can be flexible - you don't have to follow ALL of the rules. But you should definitely follow bullets 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9. Caveat with 7 is that you don't need to CRATE the dog after exercise, but you should give him time to decompress without forcing him to interact with you.
  4. It would be smart to treat this dog like he will have a negative reaction to all common fear triggers. These include reaching towards his head/collar grabbing, resource guarding, etc. Please note that everything I suggest here should be done after the two week shutdown. Here's a quick exercise you can do to work on collar grabs. Here's a guide about dealing with resource guarding and exercises you can do to combat it.
  5. Speaking of resource guarding - a big part of building trust between this dog and you has to do with resources. If he's eating, do not touch his food, or him, in any manner. In fact, give him a five foot space that you do not enter when he's eating. If you give him a bone or toy (which I wouldn't advise, but just in case), give him space when he has that bone or toy, and do not touch it unless he brings it to you. If you want to remove the bone or toy from him, lure him into another area with a high value treat while your partner picks up the object to avoid a confrontation.
  6. As it says in the shut down, do not do ANY training with this dog right now. No commands at all. Instead of training, what you can do is passively reinforce good behavior. If he's laying calmly in a room with you, tell him "good" and toss him a treat (without approaching him). When you walk into a room he's in, throw him a treat (without approaching him). Basically, teach him that when he's calm around you, or when you walk into a room he's in, good things happen.
  7. Speaking of space - make sure you give him his space. If he's laying calmly somewhere, leave him be (besides throwing treats). If he approaches you for pets, then pet him. You want to teach him that you respect his space, which means that you don't walk over and randomly pet him every five minutes when he's resting.
  8. Make sure he's leashed BEFORE he leaves the house. Always.
  9. Have high value treats in your pockets or within your reach at all times so that you can use them to reinforce good behaviors and lure him when you need to.
  10. He needs to be muzzled at the vet's office for everyone safety. You can start conditioning him to wearing a muzzle after the two week shutdown.

    There's probably more, but that's a good starting point. You need to make sure that you're 100% committed to making this work, and believe me, it's going to take a lot of work. One thing you definitely need to understand - this dog now has a bite history, and will have a bite history for the rest of his life. You could go three years down the road without another sign of aggression, and you should STILL never physically pick him up or move him, because he IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE a bite risk. You can absolutely work through, manage, and improve these behaviors. But you always need to remember that these triggers won't ever completely go away, and they need to be respected always.

    Edited to be a little kinder in my wording.
u/caffeinatedlackey · 8 pointsr/Dogtraining

Dominance/alpha/pack leader training has been thoroughly debunked. Anyone claiming that you need to dominate your dog (including that scam artist Cesar Millan) is practicing outdated and potentially harmful methods. You can read this article for more information on that.

I would recommend reading books by Sophia Yin and Patricia McConnell. They are force-free and reputable dog trainers.

u/DreamingOfFlying · 8 pointsr/Dogtraining

Without seeing her, it's hard to say if it's just nipping due to wanting to play, or actual aggression. If it's actual aggression--this is extremely concerning. It's far from normal for a 4 month puppy to be biting due to aggression and it would be best for you to get professional help ASAP. It's the type of thing that needs to get nipped in the bud now. A puppy this young showing aggression usually means the puppy is going to grow up with extreme aggression issues, and no one wants a dog that is going to attack people or other dogs.

If it's nipping due to play, you just need better management and you need to find a trainer that can show you what to do. Dogs will learn what they are allowed to do. If you let her jump on you, she will learn to jump on you. If you let her chew on the furniture, she will learn to chew on the furniture. You have to stop her before she even starts. Usually that means crate training, never leaving her unsupervised, or using tethers and baby gates to keep her confined.

Do not use the kennel as a punishment for bad behavior--it's not meant to be a place for time out. That's why shes running from it. Feed her her meals and throw cookies in it instead to get her to go in.

Have you taken her to any training classes? What breed is she? She sounds like she could be bored too. Dogs will also start biting and becoming destructive if they are bored.

go to /r/puppy101

You want the first book here AND at least one of the ones below it.

Find a professional trainer.

read these books

https://www.amazon.com/Other-End-Leash-What-Around/dp/034544678X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493118755&sr=8-1&keywords=the+other+end+of+the+leash

https://www.amazon.com/Puppy-Primer-Patricia-B-McConnell/dp/1891767135/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1891767135&pd_rd_r=7N0P07Z9RS4ZMC1V66HN&pd_rd_w=xNvL7&pd_rd_wg=SBke8&psc=1&refRID=7N0P07Z9RS4ZMC1V66HN

https://www.amazon.com/How-Behave-Your-Dog-Behaves/dp/0793806445/ref=pd_sim_14_17?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0793806445&pd_rd_r=3KP15JN1XZES6G1V3P2X&pd_rd_w=Q4t6t&pd_rd_wg=l6l7o&psc=1&refRID=3KP15JN1XZES6G1V3P2X

https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Puppy-Days-Start-Right/dp/0964151871/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493118982&sr=1-1&keywords=perfect+puppy

u/dagger_guacamole · 6 pointsr/puppy101

> I've tried putting him in front of his mess and giving him a stern "no."

This means absolutely nothing to him. You got some great replies here, and I'd also recommend picking up a couple books on puppy/dog behavior - "Perfect Puppy in 7 Days" and "How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves" or checking out some Kikopup or Zak George videos on YouTube or reading the wiki linked in the sidebar from start to finish (depending on how you prefer to learn). There's a lot of basic knowledge you need to gain to understand how to best work with him.

u/jammerzee · 6 pointsr/Dogtraining

I suggest the main thing you need to do is to train your dog to sit as a way to say please. You want to reach the stage where she will automatically sit when she wants something you've got.

To train her, start by using tasty treats: microwaved chicken breast cut up into tiny pieces is cheap and easy, you can also keep something like cat kibble in your pocket. Learn how to use a treat as a lure: hold the treat tightly under your thumb, against the tips of your fingers, then put the treat at the dog's nose and move the treat very slightly away from her encouraging her to follow a couple of steps, and then release the treat. Next, train her to sit using a treat as a lure: the hand motion becomes the SIT hand signal (I use a signal that looks like doing up a zipper) and add the verbal cue 'sit'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksBLKi6lj1s

Practice in lots of short sessions throughout the day, and reward her well if she ever decides to sit spontaneously. This should only take a day or two for your dog to be able to sit without a lure, with just the hand gesture and the word SIT. From this point on, keep the treats hidden until she is sitting, and then reward her well - she should soon get the idea that sitting is a great idea, and will probably start to do it happily when there is nothing else exciting going on. Over time you can transition from treats to 'life rewards': ask her to sit before you give her anything she wants: a toy, throw of the ball, attention and pats, a walk, food, water, etc.

I recommend you get a couple of baby gates for the house: put one at the door to the kitchen, or wherever you prepare her food. This will protect you and will be a really useful training tool. Once the baby gate is installed, before you get out her food, use a treat to lure her to the other side of the gate. Shut the gate. Ask for a sit. Whenever she starts to bark, stop what you are doing, and ask for a sit. The first few times, you can reward the sit with a treat. After a few session she should get the idea that barking stops you from preparing her food! Ask for a sit, when she does say say GOOD and keep preparing the food. When the food is ready, put it down on the floor, ask for a sit (if she has trouble focusing on anything but the food bowl in front of her, you might need to be patient.... or even use a piece of chicken as a lure, just for the first time in this extra difficult situation), and then open the baby gate, at the same time as you release her with a word such as OK or FREE. After a few weeks of doing this you should find that she will automatically sit when she sees food being put down for her.

Another good time to practice this is when you come home and she's keen to say hi. If she is not crated while you are out, set up a baby gate so she can see you come in the door but can't reach you. When you are inside and have shut the door, ask her for a sit before you go and say hi.

If you keep practicing this in a range of different places (not just where there are baby gates!) you will probably be able to do away with the baby gates after a few months. You will also find that if you consistently ask her to sit before she gets something she wants you won't need to use the treats to reward the sit for very long!

Additional tips:

  • Get a copy of Sophia Yin's book How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves https://www.amazon.com/How-Behave-Your-Dog-Behaves/dp/0793806445
  • Make sure you have a dog toy (something like a rope toy or other toy she can sink her teeth into) in every room of the house. If she puts teeth on you or your clothes, give her the toy and then 'be a tree':
  • Telling her No / Stop and putting her in time out all give her the interaction she craves so they encourage the barking and biting.
  • Train her to 'leave it', and to to 'drop' an item she has in her mouth https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/calm
  • Train the Protocol for Relaxation - item 5b on this page: https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/calm
  • Make sure she is getting plenty of physical and mental exercise throughout the day. Long sniffy walks, playing fetch or chasey games, short training sessions (start with the building block behaviours and then see those Kikopup videos for inspiration), and provide lots of enrichment and interaction proactively so she doesn't have to ask for it!
  • Switch to giving food in something she can chew on - biting and chewing is super important for puppies. Put kibble in empty plastic bottles, or cardboard tubes with the ends folded over. Invest in some Kong feeders to put her food in (start with just a couple of pieces of chicken and gradually make it harder - eventually you can soak the kibble and stuff it in with a couple of bits of chicken).

    Good luck to you and the family!
u/carry_on_phenomenon · 4 pointsr/dogs

Whew, ok, lots to unpack here.

First question: does your dad know you're about to give him a GSD puppy? You're signing him up for a pretty big 2 year commitment here (and that's just the puppy phase), so please make sure he's 100% on board with the idea of raising a landshark demon spawn before bringing it home.

Secondly, breed standard puts an adult GSD somewhere in the neighborhood of 24" tall and 60-80lb. This can vary widlly based on sex, line, and breeding quality. My poorly-bred GSD male is 29" tall and a scrawny 85lb. I've also seen some pretty petite females come through my rescue.
On the subject of lines, do you know what kind of GSD you're getting? There are various working and show lines, and the personality and structure of your GSD can come out all over the map. If you don't know the answer from talking to your breeder, run away, because you're not getting a well-bred dog. Poorly-bred GSDs are health and temperament nightmares.

Thirdly, the breed standard calls for a confident but aloof personality, but again, temperaments may vary depending on lines and breeding quality. GSDs need to be socialized thoroughly but carefully to lock in that confident-but-also-aloof sweet spot. Flooding your puppy with tons of new people and places will create a fearful adult, but so will keeping your dog locked up. I have seen lots of success using a puppy-led gentle exposure technique. Take your dog to lots of places, but don't make the novelty into a big deal. Don't force your puppy to interact with every person and dog you see, and call it a day if your puppy seems overwhelmed or scared. A puppy builds confidence by exploring on its own, you're just there to moderate the experience and make sure it's a positive one. I can't recommend a group obedience class enough for young GSDs...learning to focus in a controlled environment around other dogs is a valuable asset for future life skills. Consider finding a local trainer that does group positive reinforcement based training, or at least very positive-leaning balanced training. Avoid anyone who mentioned "alpha" or "pack leader" because that school of thought is outdated and disproven (but is holding on forever in GSD breed circles for some reason). Also avoid anyone who wants to put a prong or choke collar on your dog without evaluating their behavior first.

Honestly, if I were you I'd stop and do a little more research before bringing home a GSD. They're a little more of a "lifestyle breed" than your average family pet, and will find and exploit any weakness in your dog-owning abilities. Read some books (recommendations here: 1 2 3 4), talk to your dad, take a good look at your breeder, maybe find a local trainer with a good positive puppy class, and try again with a little more information under your belt.

u/emmyjayy · 3 pointsr/Dogtraining

Since you only brought her home today, I wouldn't judge her ability to understand where to potty quite yet. I definitely don't think she has a psychological problem. She's in a brand new home with brand new people and has absolutely no clue what's happening to her. Even dogs that were previously perfectly house trained for years tend to have accidents in the house after being in a shelter or rehomed. With a little decompression time, you'll be surprised at how much more of her personality you discover.

Since she's new to your home, you're going to want to introduce her to your home by slowly increasing her access to your space. Dogs won't potty in what they think is their home/hangout spot. You can start with a crate and work outwards. Whenever she isn't crated, having her tethered to you or closely monitored while tethered to furniture is a great start, too.

I'll link a couple of Zak George videos, too. It's way easier to explain techniques through video links. He's got great positive training tips, especially for dogs that are essentially blank slates. If you want to delve deeper, I'd read How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves or The Perfect Puppy in 7 Days, both by Sophia Yin.

Zak George on House Training

Zak George on Crate Training

Good luck! Congratulations on your new addition!

u/TXrutabega · 3 pointsr/Dogtraining

Stop petting him. It's either bothering him, or overstimulating him, or both.

When playing, redirect.

Growl barking- yes, ignore, if he nips you remove yourself from the room or, if you can, make yourself a 'pillar of boring' and act like he didn't even do anything. It might get worse before it gets better, but if he's not getting a reaction, he may stop doing it. (Since the attention seems to be what he's after).

The key to this is to try to figure out what he's telling you. He doesn't know how to use his mouth appropriately and he doesn't know how to get your attention appropriately. So, what can you do to fix those situations.

Set him up for success. Training. I would suggest How to Behave so Your Dog Behaves by Sophia Yin.

u/goatsickle · 3 pointsr/dogs

For starters, buy this book: https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Puppy-Days-Start-Right/dp/0964151871

Then, after reading that, buy this book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Behave-Your-Dog-Behaves/dp/0793806445

Don't take the puppy before it is 8 weeks old. The day after you get the puppy, bring it to the vet for first exam and to make sure it gets up to date on dewormings and vaccines. Talk to vet about when to neuter (studies are showing these days that large dogs should wait for 18 months) and if they can do a gastropexy at the time of that surgery (google it if you don't know what that is). Listen to your vet about medical stuff, not your neighbor.

u/brdtwrk · 2 pointsr/Dogtraining

Here's what Dr. Sophia Yin says:

> At any point when Fido’s predictably lying down with the hand signal, add the cue word “Down” right before you give the hand signal. Make sure you say the cue distinctly but in a happy voice. Also, make sure you say the cue word before you give the hand signal that he already knows. If you present the two at the same time, a phenomenon called blocking may occur, in which he fails to learn the verbal cue because the visual cue (which he already knows) is more salient. That is, he will have no reason to learn the verbal cue because he already knows the hand signal.

> On the other hand, if you present the verbal cue first, then it will predict that the visual cue is coming. Once you present the verbal cue prior to the visual cue enough times and follow with a reward, he’ll respond to “Down” by lying down. You can test whether he’s lying down due to the verbal cue or whether he’s going on a visual cue by standing perfectly still with no body gestures and uttering the cue “Down.” If he lies down on a vocal cue while you’re otherwise perfectly still, then he knows that “Down” means lie down.

> If you taught down by just waiting for Rover to lie down and then rewarding the good behavior, then you can teach the verbal or visual cue by giving it right before you know he’s going to lie down. After many pairings, he will understand that these cues mean that he should lie down.

u/momomojito · 2 pointsr/TrollXChromosomes

Buy him Sophia Yin's book. It breaks down proper dog training in really easy to understand examples. It sounds like the training methods he's using are out of date and honestly a overbearing.

u/aymeoh13 · 2 pointsr/Dogtraining

Sophia Yin suggests making your dog work for their food. My dog no longer gets food in a bowl, it all comes from my hand. I measure it out at the beginning of the day and he only gets it during training. It's greatly increased his drive to work for food.

u/manatee1010 · 2 pointsr/Dogtraining

I agree with all of this, OP.

I also recommend getting the book How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves. It gives a lot of good information about how dogs learn and how you can best get the behavioral outcomes you're looking for. Without beating. Or perfume.

u/lzsmith · 1 pointr/Dogtraining

>So I'm going to have a dog and I want to teach him tricks and stuff, but I don't know anything.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0793806445
https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup/videos

>Which dog is the easiest and the most motivated to teach tricks

The most enthusiastic trick dogs tend to be poodles and herding dogs. However, these dogs are not always good choices for beginner owners. They demand a great deal of attention and work, and will become neurotic if not challenged and educated. You're better off with a "medium" dog for your first dog, not a hyper trick dog.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446521515