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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Ojo
So speaking of Simon and his attitude I need some advise.
When we go out on walks or are in parks ect. He does okay, but sometimes he decides that he owns the whole area and goes insane with the barking. Sometimes he is super submissive. It really has no rime or reason to it. Within the last few weeks he has gotten really protective of the yard, which is fine most of the time but sometimes he just hears a leaf crunch a few yards over and goes nuts. I'm not really sure what to do. We are trying to find a good training class to go to in the area here soon. Any ideas for the incessent(sp?) barking?
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Re: Ojo
Okay well I found a class. Its the basic training class for small dogs. We will start in January. Just have to find out what night E has class so I can pick a night that it can just be Simon and I. He listens to E a lot better than he listens to me so I think that this will help.
ETA: Its through the SPCA.
The barking and dominance in public can be so frustrating! When Rudi was a puppy and in the throws of his nonsense phase, we lived an hour from the dog park, so it was always a big production to set aside time on weekends for us to go. Sometimes we'd get there, I'd get him out of the car and put him in his head collar, only to have him pull me so hard he'd hurt my arm. I put him back in the car and drove back home. Two hours wasted. BUT, after many, many wasted attempts at going to the park, he did finally put it all together than when he was calm, didn't pick fights, etc, he got to stay until he was tired. One other family rule is that when the dogs stop listening to commands, don't look at us when we say their names, etc, it's time to go. They're just tired or overstimulated at that point and it compromises everyone's safety and it's just not fun.
When our dogs 'fence fight' or bark at neighbor dogs, they have to come inside immediately. Our last neighbor had a yippy dog who lived in the yard and barked nonstop, so our dogs' natural reaction was to puff up and bark back. After about three weeks of having to come inside immediately, they started to ignore him and it was as if that dog weren't even there. It takes a TON of consistency, and it really can be a PITA, but it's worth it.
Same thing with barking at stuff outside. If they bark at neighbors, pedestrians, squirrels, dogs walking by, we close the blinds. Poor Wilson still gets so excited he's not entirely reliable with open blinds, but he does know to just walk away and leave it alone when I close the blinds.
I'm glad you found a class! I like that your fees will likely go towards good causes!
Things like barking at leaves, meh, if there's anything to do, I haven't figured it out. I ignore it because if I address it, it's like giving him a reason to think the behavior should continue. We let them investigate it, but my dogs usually aren't the incessant barkers.
If he's not listening to you as well as he listens to E, if your schedule permits, I vote putting you in charge of all dog tasks for the next week or two, right down to hand-feeding him his meals one piece of kibble at a time. Hold the kibble by your nose or the corner of your eye and say "Watch me". When he makes eye contact, give him the kibble. Do that, alternate sit, down, shake, etc, for his whole bowl of food. Instant reward and it reinforces trust. Plus, they're easier to manipulate when they're hungry
Thank you thank you thank you! I pretty much do all his food and the morning and nightly in and out lets go potty business, but I'll try the hand feeding thing. I think that will help him tremendously. And as far as the barking at the neighbor's dog ect I have been doing the come in now approach so I'll just stick with it. Thank you!
Question about the classes, E wants me to do them on a night he can go too, he's worried that if I am the only "trainer" that he will only listen to me. I don't think that's the case but I'm not sure. So should we do the class together or should I do it alone?
Thank you for the encouragement. I think we will sign up for a class on the nights that E can go too so that if he really decides he wants to as he says he does that we can go together.
Thank you for this too, there are days where I'm like really? I thought we had the we go outside to go potty thing down. And this only happens when it rains so I'm sure we will get there.
I just appericate all your helpful information! Thanks again!
Kind of unrelated, but last winter we were at Petsmart (aren't we always?) and bought a gallon of Nature's Miracle. We always keep it on hand and it was on sale that day.
The girl at the register asked, "Have you considered potty training your dog?"
For goodness sakes there are things called accidents!!! I can't believe she said that.
I love Nature's Miracle, I keep a small bottle around because of puppy accidents and I have a cat that gets pissed off at huge changes and pees in one of our chairs. It is awesome!