Two Problems

[GSDgurl]

Hey everyone.....I need some help.
I am training Colby n' I don't really know how to train "stay." I want him to be really good at a stay....where you could pull on his leash, run around, leave him n' come back n' he well still be there. I know that well take time......but I forgot how to teach it... How did yall teach your dogs??

Also Coby is having really bad "gas" problems......n' it really stinks. I read in one thread to mix a spoonful of yogert in their food. Well I have been doin that for some time now.....n' the least to say...it didn't work at all. So is there anything else I could use.....that maybe would help??

Thanx guys~!

[ParNone]

hey there GSDgurl!

I've no advice on the gas thing, but I can tell you what I
did with Oz on "stay" that worked. I put a flat collar on him
and attached a 6 ft leash. I stood beside him and had him
"sit", then I told him "stay" and also used my hand in front of
his eyes as a hand signal for "stay". After a couple of seconds
I told him "good boy", gave him a treat, then gave a release
word, "done" and walked around excitedly with him.

When I got the time duration up to about 10 seconds, I then
added stepping in front of him. As he succeeded with that,
I then would step back away from him, slowly increasing the
distance and duration as he succeeded with that. Oh and
very important, I would always step back to him, before giving
him his reward, so he was getting rewarded for staying, not
moving. Also, remembering to give him the release word,
after the treat.

As he succeeds, I keep increasing the distance and duration
and adding distractions. I'll have Murph run around him getting
treats, while he stays. I'll dart to and fro trying to intice him
to move. I'll take him to Petsmart (all kinds of distractions there).
If we start having stay issues, then I regress back to where
we were succeeding and start building back up again.

Par...

[GSDgurl]

Par....
Thanx...that sounds like it would work really good. After lunch im goin to train him....I do everyday after lunch. I'll see how he does as the week goes by. Tell ya if I might have any problems.

Thanx again~!

[binka_nugget]

I used the same technique as Par. It worked wonderfully. Kai probably knows stay best. I can run around the living room, go upstairs, go outside and still have him right there where I left him. Remember though, you want to work on time, not distance. Distance can be worked on later...but time is really important.

[micki76]

Excellent advice for the stay. Just one other thing, remember to only work with Colby for a short time. Maybe 5 minutes several times a day. Any longer than that (for anything you're trying to teach) and they get BORED!! I would, too!

About his gas ...

What kind of food are you feeding? Have you considered changing it? Every food is not right for every dog/puppy and if he's having that much bad gas, it's probably the wrong food for his system. Millie had this little problem when we first got her and now she and Chester eat different foods. So does Aneko, but that's cause she's ancient.

[ParNone]

Good point binka! I should have added for myself I don't
consider "stay" a long timeframe type of command. I use
"stay" for short duration things and "settle" for long periods.

For example, I wouldn't put Oz in a sit stay and expect him
to stay for 30 mins like that. "Settle" is not as rigid, where
I just want him to go lay down somewhere in the general
vicinity for 30 mins.

We're still building up time on this command and I teach it
differently than "stay". Still using the flat collar and 6ft leash, I
put my foot down on about 2 ft of the leash, so that it'll be
more comfortable for him, if he lays down. I say "settle" then
totally ignore him. If he lays down, I say "good boy", but not
too excitedly, that he'll want to get up. I started with 1 min
and am slowly increasing the time. This command has come
in real handy at training class, where I need to be able to
focus on what the instructor is telling us, without having to
worry about Oz distracting me. Harder to use "stay" in that
situation, because I need to be focused on Oz to make sure
he's staying exactly where I put him.

Oh and here's another one, I use "wait" for things like not
rushing through a door or gate, until I tell him he can come
through. I don't use "stay", because I don't care if he moves
around where he is, just don't want him moving through the
doorway. This command was pretty easy with Oz, because
herding breeds seem to have a natural tendency to want to
bring up the rear.

Par...

[GSDgurl]

Thanx again yall~!

Micki- He was on Pro Plan Large breed...puppy chow. We just changed him b/c he was gaining no weight at all on that food. So now he is on Purenia(sp) Dog Chow.....he loves it. If this food doesn't work for him.....when he finishes the bag I was goin to change him to Iams....is that a good food?? I have heard that it is from breeders.

Par n' Binka- Thanx a lot for all the advise. Right now I am workin on "heal." He is gettin better at it everyday. When im done w/ that I'll start w/ "stay". Or can I do both just at different parts of the day?? I don't want to confuse him....he just learned "down" a few days ago. He's gettin better everyday so far....

Thanx again~!

[micki76]

Originally posted by GSDgurl
Micki- He was on Pro Plan Large breed...puppy chow. We just changed him b/c he was gaining no weight at all on that food. So now he is on Purenia(sp) Dog Chow.....he loves it. If this food doesn't work for him.....when he finishes the bag I was goin to change him to Iams....is that a good food?? I have heard that it is from breeders.

No offense but I don't really like any of those foods you've listed, and Dog Chow is just crap (IMHO). What about Nutro or another comparable food? You'll find that many foods are high in corn and other undesirable ingreds and many times those ingreds can cause gas and other sensitivities. If you can afford it, feed a human grade, baked food like Wellness or Innova. I know they're expensive and I only feed Millie Wellness. Chester is allergic to everything an the Venison and rice is the best for him and his various problems.

If you can't afford the human grade, at least step up to Nutro or Nature's Recipe. Dog Chow is just full or fillers and you'll find that if you up the grade of the food, he'll develop better muscle tone, have a better coat, less gas, and you'll have less to pick up in the yard, too! Nutro & Nature’s recipe aren’t that expensive.

[binka_nugget]

Yep, listen to micki. Wellness and innova are great foods. They may be expensive but when you think about it, it's just the same. You'd be able to feed less since they're getting all their nutritional requirements in smaller amounts. Nutro is also a good (less expensive) food. Kai gets nutro max when he doesn't have raw food.

[Sevens]

Actually, as far as the food/gas thing is concerned, I feed my dogs Petsmart's Authority Brand Lamb and Rice adult. I tried Bailey on Purina Dog Chow (chock full of corn), Iams Lamb and Rice (chock full of corn) and Nutro Lamb and Rice puppy (no corn).....even on the Nutro, she did huge soft "deposits"..and gas.

After the Nutro, I started her on the Authority Lamb and Rice puppy. It does have corn oil in it, but it is listed at almost the end of the list of ingredients, which I think means it's not one of the huge main ingredients...please someone correct me if I am wrong. We adopted Guinness right as she was about to finish up her last big bag of Lamb and Rice Puppy Food and he seemed to like it, even though he is about 2.

Both of them seem to be doing well on the Authority Adult now. Hardly any gas between the two and fairly small regular firm "deposits". And also, it's not as expensive as Nutro. Nutro here is $20 for a 20lb bag, but Authority is $17 for a 30lb bag.

[GSDgurl]

Micki- OK..... I guess if this is a crappy food....I must change. It is just hard to change....not only would we have to change him....but our other two too. I have never seen Nutro in Petsmart here......I'll have to look. First I do have to finish this bag of food too....for we just got it. I don't want to waste a whole bag of food.....its not hurting him...just a lil' gas. Its just I have asked a vet....that studies one the various different types of foods(also a friend of mine)....says that there is nothing wrong w/ Purenia. Thanx for the info though....I really appreciate it. I was just tellin you from what I have heard here.....n' that is all I can go from. I have to talk to my Mom about this also.....

Sevens- Thanx too......I have never seen that food either.

I guess I'll see what I can do.....

[cocker_luva]

Originally posted by micki76
Dog Chow is just crap

yea, i agree. that any Purina food got jesse REAL SICK!!! so we feed her IAMS. we have fed her that for about 7-8 years, we (and her) have had no problems with it.

[GSDgurl]

So Iams is good food.....

[binka_nugget]

Well, depends on what you consider a good food. Something like wellness might upset your dog's stomachs or make him really sick while something like Eukanuba might give him a long healthy life with no problems at all. You just have to find it.

[GSDgurl]

Binka- OO ok....I get ya. Then....... we have had our dogs...ALL of our dogs.....on Purenia n' they have all lived great, HEALTHY lives. So it was a "good" food for them. They had no problems at all. I well change my food if this affects Colby in any way. Or if I think he does not look his best. Thanx for the advise though..