Sorry if I've asked this before...
Are there any trainers here? I have a question for you. I need some help training Zeke. First of all, Zeke is a VERY soft dog. Yelling (even if it's between my dad and I or whoever) he gets upset. Even if I am playing tug with him, and it accidently hits his face, he is afraid of it till I can show him it's fun again...So, if we're walking, he will come when I call him. He he smells something and doesn't "listen" then I can raise my voice and he will come.....The problem, however, is dogs. He is a very social dog, and he LOVES to play. So, when he sees a dog, no amount of yelling or calling will bring him back until he's been over and smelled the other dogs. I would like to walk him in the park offleash and not worry he is going to run up and bother other dogs or get in a dogs face that he shouldn't.
He has come A LOONNNG way with his training. I'm very pleased with him, but I can't seem to break him of this completely. It's like, when he see's a dog he goes deaf? I don't understand because I have complete control over him ANY other time. He does what I ask him without fooling around. (what I mean is, if I say sit, he sits right then..he doesn't try to push me...like other dogs I own ) so to me, I see myself as alpha to him. He is submissive as well...so WHY would seeing a dog make him not listen to me? I find it so confusing. WHY just dogs? Is he not socialized enough? Or to much?
I can remember about a year ago when I joined flyball. If he was offleash in there, he was running around the whole place, going crazy. Now, he is starting to do exchanges and he comes right to me with other dogs in the other lane and in his. He is doing very well. He listens better at flyball then outside. I just don't get it. He is a very intelligent dog, he should be able to be trained out of it, so what do I do?
What do I do when he runs off to see a dog then comes back after a few mins? They say I'm suppose to praise him for coming back, but if I don't be firm with him, won't he think he can do it whenever and it's all good? I understand that yelling at him when he came to me is just saying "hey! don't come to me! bad dog!" but at the same time, isn't it like saying "Hey, you ran off, good dog!" ? It confuses me.
I have been taking him to the park everyday and running him in a fenced in place. We do a lot of throwing the ball, him fetching it and coming back for the tug. We play around, then do some obedience, then some chase games. Sometimes there are other dogs around that the owners will let Zeke and their dog play...so he does that as well.
Another thing is, when we walk, I let him go ahead and get absorbed in sniffing before I call him. As soon as he turns his head to look at me or start to walk to me and say "YESSS!!!!!" then he gets really excited and runs to me. I'm trying to do that a lot too...
-sigh- he still needs work...what am I doing wrong??? I've only started "serious" trainnig 2 weeks ago, but he's always known what come means. IT would be super if I can get him over this.
Are some dogs just more "dog" crazy than others? Will he grow out of it? (he is around 3 yrs old)
Sorry this is so long
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