Elizabeth Ann
May 12th, 2008, 01:23 PM
I was totally THT.
Elizabeth Ann, when you coddle, you are reinforcing bad behaviour. If your dog is afraid of the vacuum, for instance, if you start the vacuum and react to your dog's fearful behaviour by shutting of the vacuum or picking him up and cuddling him - you are teaching him that when he is acts frightened, he gets what he wants. Go about your vacuuming in a matter of fact manner, ignoring the fearful behaviour as much as possible. The pup should learn that this is just something that happens, nobody gets hurt, and stay out of the way.
If you are out for a walk and pass a yard with a large barking dog inside a fence - instead of picking up your pup and talking sweet to it, laugh at the big dog, tell your dog how silly it is for getting all worked up and keep right on walking. Your pup will get his cue as to how to react from you.
As for dog parks, some people think that they are wonderful. Personally (and this really is just my personal opinion) while I can guarantee my dog's behaviour, I can't another dogs behaviour and I have met way too many people who don't take their dog seriously to risk my dog.
As much as I hate to admit it I am loving my dogs into bad behavior. But then after reading that thread I am going to try to change my ways. I used to use picking him up like a pacifier, it is a quick and easy way to stop him from barking or wining.
This weekend we took the three dogs on our first camping trip with the trailer and I did my best not to just pick Gizmo up when ever I was not happy with his behavior.
There were times when he started wining and barking at me just for attention. In the past I would pick him up ask for kisses and then sit with him in my lap. Over this past weekend I would ignore him, and if that didn't work I picked him up and put him in his crate. I know I shouldn't use the crate as a punishment tool but while camping there weren't any other alternatives.
I waited until he calmed down (and a couple minutes after that) then went to the crate and put him back in the x-pen.
When I was sitting down and he was being good I would pick him up and put him in my lap for a few minutes but only if he was being good.
The other two dogs were fine… I guess I have just turned Gizmo into a spoiled brat and now I need to undo that. I bet it’s going to take twice as long as it would have if I had just not coddled him.
I have another question. Gizmo watches TV and barks when he sees other animals. He will lung at the TV start barking and then go behind the TV to try to find said animal. He is even at the point where he knows if an animal is going to come up on the TV just by hearing the theme music to a commercial in the back ground. He could be dead asleep the music will start and he is up in a flash to get the animal.
I have tired EVERYTHING that I can think of to make this stop. I have tried putting him in another room when he starts barking and then not bringing him in until he stops. We tried that for a month (consistently) and nothing. We tried to talk to him and tell him he was a good boy just as a commercial came on so that it distracted him, that didn’t work because the dog/cat/bird/fish eta. was always more interesting then us. We have try learing him with treats, but all that did was make the barking worse.
I am not sure what else to do. I really don’t know how to stop him.
I am unable to watch movies of TV shows that have animals in it… and if I do watch them I have to lock him out of the room (which makes him wine for attention).
Elizabeth Ann, when you coddle, you are reinforcing bad behaviour. If your dog is afraid of the vacuum, for instance, if you start the vacuum and react to your dog's fearful behaviour by shutting of the vacuum or picking him up and cuddling him - you are teaching him that when he is acts frightened, he gets what he wants. Go about your vacuuming in a matter of fact manner, ignoring the fearful behaviour as much as possible. The pup should learn that this is just something that happens, nobody gets hurt, and stay out of the way.
If you are out for a walk and pass a yard with a large barking dog inside a fence - instead of picking up your pup and talking sweet to it, laugh at the big dog, tell your dog how silly it is for getting all worked up and keep right on walking. Your pup will get his cue as to how to react from you.
As for dog parks, some people think that they are wonderful. Personally (and this really is just my personal opinion) while I can guarantee my dog's behaviour, I can't another dogs behaviour and I have met way too many people who don't take their dog seriously to risk my dog.
As much as I hate to admit it I am loving my dogs into bad behavior. But then after reading that thread I am going to try to change my ways. I used to use picking him up like a pacifier, it is a quick and easy way to stop him from barking or wining.
This weekend we took the three dogs on our first camping trip with the trailer and I did my best not to just pick Gizmo up when ever I was not happy with his behavior.
There were times when he started wining and barking at me just for attention. In the past I would pick him up ask for kisses and then sit with him in my lap. Over this past weekend I would ignore him, and if that didn't work I picked him up and put him in his crate. I know I shouldn't use the crate as a punishment tool but while camping there weren't any other alternatives.
I waited until he calmed down (and a couple minutes after that) then went to the crate and put him back in the x-pen.
When I was sitting down and he was being good I would pick him up and put him in my lap for a few minutes but only if he was being good.
The other two dogs were fine… I guess I have just turned Gizmo into a spoiled brat and now I need to undo that. I bet it’s going to take twice as long as it would have if I had just not coddled him.
I have another question. Gizmo watches TV and barks when he sees other animals. He will lung at the TV start barking and then go behind the TV to try to find said animal. He is even at the point where he knows if an animal is going to come up on the TV just by hearing the theme music to a commercial in the back ground. He could be dead asleep the music will start and he is up in a flash to get the animal.
I have tired EVERYTHING that I can think of to make this stop. I have tried putting him in another room when he starts barking and then not bringing him in until he stops. We tried that for a month (consistently) and nothing. We tried to talk to him and tell him he was a good boy just as a commercial came on so that it distracted him, that didn’t work because the dog/cat/bird/fish eta. was always more interesting then us. We have try learing him with treats, but all that did was make the barking worse.
I am not sure what else to do. I really don’t know how to stop him.
I am unable to watch movies of TV shows that have animals in it… and if I do watch them I have to lock him out of the room (which makes him wine for attention).