please help, hubby is threatening to rehome Charlie

[ashleycat]

I had his treats on the counter. I have milk bones and a bag of those steak ones. I've been trying to train him. He's 4.

I'm also treating him for coccidia and whipworm. so that's why his stools are still soft.

I take him out all the time. I'm home all day. He scratches the door all the time it seems like. It seems like he's going out there every second. But he only fiddles around. He pees atleast 3 times a day. If not more cus of marking out on walks. He uses the whole yard. I've been using the leash on him for the back yard sometimes. I should do it more often. I just started tho. For the first few weeks I have been just letting him out, and he'd do his business. Now, it's fiddeling.

I'm trying to adjust to his needs. It's hard when I don't know what he wants.

He's giving me the runaround

[ashleycat]

I play with him all the time. I run around the house have him chase me, I play fetch with his bone. I have the bruises to prove it. lol

I keep his food up, and make him sit before he gets it, make him sit before I open the door.

I'm going to google the nilf, I read a little upon it. But need more.

[BC_MoM]

How about mental stimulation? Having mini training sessions on your own. Does he know his basic commands? If so, you can teach him different tricks.. or perhaps enroll in some obedience, flyball, or agility classes?

[ashleycat]

How about mental stimulation? Having mini training sessions on your own. Does he know his basic commands? If so, you can teach him different tricks.. or perhaps enroll in some obedience, flyball, or agility classes?

He knows sit, down and roll (where I get him to lay on his side)

But he ignores me a lot of the time. Unless I have something he wants. Sometimes I reward him with getting pet. No treat. So I've been doing that not every time has a food reward.

Depends on what I have. Sometimes he acts like he's the best trained dog in the world and sits and downs sooo fast. Then theres times where he ignores me.

[ashleycat]

I also take him 20 min walks around neighborhood too. I forgot to mention that. I get my excercise too. lol.

I have to go and buy a crate too.

[ashleycat]

how do i know where to find good obedience classes?

[BOBS DAD]

CALM DOWN ASHLEY... Deep Breaths... Deep Breaths...

I have not personally done the leash method but if I had a real problem behavior dog on my hands I probably would

Bob was a pretty good boy at home - most of the time. BUT he was a terror at work. I bring my dogs to the office as often as I can. Ginger is used to the routine and is a very good girl at work. BUT BOB - it was like he forgot everything he had learned at home. Sneaking away and doing his business, not listening, fighting with Ginger... on and on. Worst off was the fact that he loved to sneak across the hall and poop in the neighbor's cublcle. HOW MANY TIMES I HAD TO CLEAN UP and not to mentin the many times I caught him just starting to sneak away. Something about that spot - he liked to do his business there.

I did resort to the leash inside. I tethered him to ME, when I was moving about and when I needed to sit down and really concentrate, I tehered him to counter where I was. WHAT a WORLD of difference!!!

NOW when he really had to go, he let me know and outside we went. Sometimes he goofed off and I started not listening to him as early. I made him wait and when he was really, really fidgety, we went and HE WENT. NO MORE CUBICLE NEXT DOOR. He stopped eating my many papers strewn about the office. He lsitened better, etc. and eventually off the leash and NOW HE IS AT WORK LIKE HE IS AT HOME. I would definitely recommend the leash indoors!!!

[Vela]

A crate isn't going to fix the problem of him not seeing you as pack leader. You should really listen to waht K9Soul is saying and apply it. It will help you, Charlie, and your husband.

[ashleycat]

Nilf said to use a crate.

I would only use it when we're gone and at night.

[ashleycat]

so how do you know if he's potty trained? He's only had 3 accidents since he's been here. 2 by which was my fault.

[Giselle]

He knows sit, down and roll (where I get him to lay on his side)

But he ignores me a lot of the time. Unless I have something he wants. Sometimes I reward him with getting pet. No treat. So I've been doing that not every time has a food reward.

Depends on what I have. Sometimes he acts like he's the best trained dog in the world and sits and downs sooo fast. Then theres times where he ignores me.

If he ignores you, you're either boring the the living daylights out of him or he simple isn't trained well enough. Honestly, enroll yourself in an obedience class (I don't recommend PetSmart). You need a professional trainer to work with you because it doesn't sound like you and Charlie are communicating efficiently. Here's a link of where to find trainers in your area from the APDT (Associate of Pet Dog Trainers): http://www.apdt.com/trainers-and-own...-a-trainer.htm

Also, I *wouldn't* get Charlie started in any advanced classes since he doesn't even seem to grasp the Basic 5: sit, stay, down, come, heel. Charlie is an aussie, I assume? If so, aussies are AMAZINGLY intelligent dogs. They learn and they learn quick. They don't like repitition. You need to vary your commands and perform them randomly. Don't just stand in one place and ask him to "Sit" 5 times in a row. He'll get bored and try to invent his own form of entertainment (i.e. counter surfing and knocking dishes onto the floor). If Charlie ignores your commands, DON'T repeat it over and over again or the effectiveness of the command wears off and he gains leadership over you. This is why NILIF is *so* crucial and *so* important.

When you ask Charlie to do something, he thinks, "What's in it for me?"

A pat on the head? I'm sure you love Charlie very much so I'm sure you give him loads of kisses and pats and hugs anyways. So why should Charlie sit for a pat on the head? If he's going to perform for you, he needs a strong motivation. The primary motivation should be because he wants to please you because you are ALPHA. You see, this whole training business all goes back to NILIF. You need to assert yourself as alpha and he as the omega. Once you strongly establish leadership over him, everything falls into place. Once you are leader, Charlie will want to please you. He doesn't know right from wrong, but you do. Once you are leader and once Charlie finds the motivation to perform willingly for you, he will act "obedient".

[ashleycat]

so part of the NILF is that he has to be on a leash while inside too, if not in crate. Well, that might have been the problem here. He has access to everywhere. lol.

[K9soul]

It sounds to me like you are catering to his needs so much that he feels he is the pack leader. You definitely should not have bruises on you from his playing, he is playing too roughly with you then. I don't know about the chase game, especially for a dog who is feeling like he is the pack leader. It might just encourage and reinforce dominant behavior. Fetching games are good as long as he gives up the toy easily he is fetching, and I'd give him obedience commands in between and have him earn the throw. Of course no exercise is as good as a nice long daily walk, just playing in the house or yard will never expend enough.

After reading many books and watching a lot of Cesar Milan's show on Ntl Geographic, I really am convinced the majority of dog behavioral problems have to do with excess energy and confusing messages sent to them by our own behavior, putting them in a position of leadership without us really realizing we are doing so. This can cause anything from anxiety and fearfulness to aggression and acting out to just destructive, pushy behaviors. A dog with calm, assertive leadership, not aggressive leadership with punishment, but just calm and consistent, is a much calmer, happier, and well behaved dog.

[K9soul]

This is a good post someone posted not long ago. Some may have slightly different version of NILIF but the basic idea is the dog learns all good things must be earned and that you are the one they come from and only when he behaves.

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=102679

I personally don't use the head halter collar but I have used Cesar Milan's method of putting the collar up just behind the ears and under the chin, and keeping the dog by my side on walks, not in front. It was surprisingly easy to nix any pulling problems (mainly with Tommy) with this method. I also stopped watching the dogs while I was walking them all the time, and look straight ahead like I am leader and am confident about things. In a pack, the dog watches its leader, not the other way around .

edit: I just realized you asked about a video. I haven't seen it but I have watched a lot of Cesar Milan's shows and he has a basic dog behavior and how to interact with them video. http://cesarmillan.securesites.net/p...products_id=34

[elizabethann]

What's a NILF? I don't understand the leash in the house thing. Maybe it's just me.

I would take obedience classes and teach him who the alpha being is - you. Also someone mentioned Cesar Milan (the dog whisperer on the national geographic channel), he has a new book out. You should see if the local library has it.

Good luck.