Help! How Can I Tell My Dog He's Wrong? #64

[@patriciadulaney2547]

The example with the tennis balls was great. Thank you for all your advice on training!

[@joannarogers3660]

My 1 1/2 year old Golden Retriever obeys sit, down, stay, just wait, bring it, leave it, but then there’s “give it”. In my backyard, I have a dry river rock bed. Lately he is bringing in enormous rocks through the doggy door. I tell him to “bring it", and he usually complies, but when I put my hand down and say "give it," he swiftly lays down and covers it with his paws and head, and I can't get it from him. I'll say "give it to me" a few times, and if he doesn't, I'll ignore him for a few minutes. Then I move to another section of the room and tell him "bring it to me" and then "give it to me." He almost always gives it to me at that time. I'll say "yes" and give him a treat. I put the rock out the front door where he can't get it, then have him watch as I close the doggy door and say "no more," and keep it closed for 20-30 minutes before opening it again. Even so, it will happen again later in the day. After listening to many of your podcasts, I've grown more aware of my physical position, tone, and not reacting negatively when he doesn't do it the first time, so I believe I'm doing well in those areas. But I can’t change the environment because the rocks are always there, so how do I get him to stop bringing in rocks and refusing to give them to me?

[@drintx5734]

Great information! Help your dog be successful!

[@DogsThat]

Thank you! 🐶

[@robinrutherfordcost4748]

I sometimes use Yucko for dogs/puppies that might pick up a rock and try to eat it. I always teach my students to NEVER make their dogs feel bad about coming to them, even when they're practicing the more formal recall. Don't say anything, not even a deep sigh. Just go back to them, set them up in the same spot you started from (if you've already left their side give direction from the front of the dog) and just go half the distance or even toe to toe to reward them, sometimes treat the wait like a stay so they never know when you're going to call them. I know you don't say either, I just like the difference in my training. My stay means you're safe and nothing bad will happen to you (so never say stay at the vet office) - I will come back to your side to release you. My wait is but wait, there's more, you will probably get released from a distance.

[@candp9978]

Thank you so much for this - Help! How Can I Tell My Dog He's Wrong? Just the other day I was working with my dog on IYC and I felt we were ready to move to putting a treat on a chair that she could reach. She did great in a sit so I thought I would walk her past - again she did great. I then turn my back to grab something and when I turned back I saw her grabbing the treat (it was a high value treat). Without even thinking, I told her "no" and the look on her face was like "I'm so sorry, I will never do that again". It made me want to cry - the behavior stopped, however I have probably done much more damage emotionally. I wanted to continue to keep challenging her but I know now that it was my bad and she wasn't ready to move to that point yet. In the future, I will try to keep my knee-jerk reaction under better control, while I continue to build her trust and gain knowledge to better communicate and save the "No's" to life threatening instances. Also, if we are constantly telling our dogs "no" - just like kids - they will stop listening.

[@Aaalllyyysssaaaaa]

Thanks, I've been teaching my dog a super good leave it. It's basically like a recall but he is allowed to go wherever he wants except back to the thing he was doing when I said it. The trouble is that the reason the leave it is so good is because I make sure it's really rewarding to listen, but then the problem is I'm walking this funny line where if he likes doing the leave it, he'll look for trouble to get me to say leave it. It's like the stronger he is at doing leave it, the more likely he is to be naughty when he literally couldn't care less about doing the naughty thing, he just wants to do a leave it. I saw a video by Kikopup and she said the dog should have enough fun things to do that leave it isn't really that fun by comparison, but I'm a beginner and my training skills aren't there yet, like it's already really hard for me to be working on "come" and "leave it" at the same time so that he's safe enough at the dog park to get his basic exercise needs met, and it's hard for me to imagine how I could be motivating my dog in that many different directions with my current skillset. I'm still struggling with the basics. I can't train my dog when it makes my dog feel frustrated, or it wrecks everything and erodes trust, and because I'm a beginner, the reality is I make things frustrating about as often as I make things fun just because I idk accidentally click a bad thing, or click without giving the food, or click when he's about to do it and then he doesn't do it and I feed him for not doing it, or I misread my dog, or say the wrong thing, or fail to recognize distractions, the list goes on and on, I've been practicing for over a year and there is simply a massive learning curve, especially when you are uncoordinated and get overwhelmed easily! And I mean, my dog is a rescue, the shelter told me he was extremely anxious, and I like to think he's past it, but like maybe I'm doing fine and my dog just shuts down from stress more easily than other dogs, and I just don't know it because he is the only dog I've ever trained! Who knows.

[@DogsThat]

@Aaalllyyysssaaaaa thank you for rescuing and for the great love for your dog that shines through! 💚 Check out our video on using a positive interrupter - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXqbq3-Ng5mlh80si=azYERS6ZSAqs8T1x - and our playlist on behavior chains - kzbin.info/aero/PLphRRSxcMHy36FqDOVAwoHy87MhWFUxVd&si=uNRUH3v9ga5CetWd

[@EpsilonAD]

I say that's not it and Eps looks for other solutions. I am so grateful she is smart. I am still working on training the trainer to be able to make steps forward towards more positive based training. Your clips are so helpful in our journey.

[@smokeyfuma]

I'm So into The way you Deliver the great Dogs 🐩 informations. 🥰🐩

[@smokeyfuma]

Great Video 📹 🐩

[@annieriley6337]

Thank you for this Susan - I definitely need a better training plan

[@Manaoohawaii]

Absolute loved this one! The methods also work with people!

[@blanchekcooper4218]

Awesome, excellent reminder for training the puppy!

[@vickydimitriou6156]

I don’t mind if my 9 month old makes mistakes but she is really over the top crazy excited when ever she sees people or dogs. I get her to do something but she’s just not listening. Sometimes it’s not an option to get her distance from the excitement, like vets.

[@DogsThat]

Hi Vicky, here's help for vet visits: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHvGZWV4m7Olm5Y And a playlist for excited greetings: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6qXfIiJeMhmmdk Happy training!

[@Greenhills2004]

Superb podcast! Love your explanations!!!

[@ladonnaking4222]

The tennis ball example makes it so very clear. Thanks!

[@lynne-sheltiesrock2322]

* * * * * Great stuff, as always! Thanks for doing these podcasts - you are helping thousands more dogs and people!!!

[@dogsrgodsspelledbackwards3340]

Ah ha ha. Oh my goodness. I was smiling, giggling, then laughing out loud......I just had training sessions with my 11 yr old bc and he’s soft, so I had to hit thy forehead where the x marks the spot and came back with a clearer plan for a particular thing I was training. Then of course it was taught and learned with no more targeting my head. I do the same behaviour with the next dog who is 3.5 yrs old and he could care a less if I had withheld the reward. He just plows through. No hitting my head just shake it at this dog’s total who cares attitude. Love your videos.

[@tianabrown2831]

Susan! Your podcasts have been so helpful and I listen to them every day on my way to and from work. I just found them about a week ago so I have some catching up to do!! I was wondering if you could do a podcast specifically for reinforcing and engaging with a deaf dog? My dog has recently become def by malpractice at a vet clinic. She is older (almost 14) but went from hearing well to NOTHING! We are trying to cope AND training a new puppy but I’m struggling with communicating with her because most of her old cues/releases were verbal! I appreciate you so much!

[@nancyhooper1742]

Great podcast as always ❤❤❤❤⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@heathervenkat1414]

Great episode!!!

[@anna7bel1]

10 month mouthy when tired. If she jumps and grabs me I have yelled at her. I’m trying to catch it beforehand but I haven’t quite tuned in to the antecedents.

[@DogsThat]

Hi Ann, we have a playlist with lots of help for biting pups, here's the link for you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIjTd5iff7qrirM

[@AnnainAwe]

I am doing some training that needs a non-reward marker. Where do I learn about how YOU teach a non-reward marker?

[@lindabedard8254]

Any suggestions on how to get my foster dog to stop bothering and chasing my cat? She's two years old and may have been a working dog. I think she's a Lab/Border collie mix. I'd like to adopt her but that's not possible if she doesn't get along with my 14 year old cat.

[@Defender_messenger]

Haha my mild verbal punishment is “uhm… excuse me!?”

[@sarahanderson2032]

How do you teach the "oops"? I also use an "oops" as a NRM, but I'm not sure if I trained it right, I think my dog views it as a mild verbal punisher, but I don't want it to be.

[@grannysouthafrica7540]

❤❤❤

[@nancyhooper1742]

Rewatch and learned more and want some vegan cookies but walnut instead of peanut please. Definitely learning and making adjustments to my training ❤️❤️❤️❤️⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@sandegeorge542]

Do you sell those dog frisbees?

[@DogsThat]

Hi Sandie, there is a page with Susan's favourites, including the Aerobie: dogsthat.com/favs/

[@azogal53]

"Oops!". Yep, guilty... Thanks for pointing that out. Another 5-vegan-cookie podcast! 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

[@animalashes377]

I'll do anything for vegan cookies!