Dog trainer: please help!

[SeymourDuncan]

We have a lab/beagle "hybrid" because mutt would be an understatement to the type of behavior this dog demonstrates.

For starters she is 3 years old. She learns tricks/maneuvers/words/whatever almost instantly. She even bark counts to 1 2 and 3 on command so long as she has acclimated to any guests that may be present. She loves all life forms and cuddles with anything with a heartbeat.


Her issue is this:
She will not go potty when she is supposed to or when she asks to go out herself.
She will get so excited and give us specific paws for 1 or 2 but by the time we make it 12 feet to the yard she is ill not go for a long long long time.
Like it affects our life big time long. We already spend every second of our time at home with her, we have to get to places on time though. If we leave her without pottying she soils the carpet and it makes my woman (its her flipping do haha) go nuts.

Aside from that she will not "come" to save her life. If she is not on a leash she escapes any type of confinement period and runs until someone miles ahead dives for her off their porch and that's just scary to me. Lol. She's like a mini whippit on crack.

 

[FF337]

I have had success with a shock collar with the button. Say come and if she does not send a warning. If she does not shock her. Should take less than a week. I have 4 catahoula leopards who are runners if they are given the space. They don't run anywhere now unless I am running beside them.

As far as bathroom stuff. The kennel was successful for me. Someone told me dogs do that because of seperation anxiety. But who knows. My dogs don't use the bathroom inside anymore unless they are sick

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I would highly recommend crate training and keeping her on a strict schedule. I know people have had success with remote trainers, but I have never personally used one and don't think I would.

 

[NanaReefer]

100% agree, she needs to be crate trained. Best thing I've ever done for all my dogs :)


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[bct15]

Crate training for potty training, eveything else I use a training collar. It gives a beep and then I can choose to do a shock, once the beep is associated with a no, you only have to use the beep and the dog will respond.

For example,

You say "sit" and start holding the beep button. The collar will continue to beep while the button is pressed.

When the dogs butt hits the floor you let go of the beep button and tell the dog good job and can give it a treat. Repeat for about ten minutes.


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[SeymourDuncan]

So how do I go about crate training to potty on command then?

 

[SeymourDuncan]

So how does crate training work then?

 

[bct15]

This is how I potty trained my dog...which is basically crate training with some bells added.

You get an appropriate sized kennel, so they don't poop or pee in it. Don't put anything in there, if it absorbs poop or pee they will go in there. The floor needs to be bare.

The dog has to be in the kennel all the time. You let the dog out to go outside and go potty, if it goes let it wander around the house for about fifteen minutes then put it back in the kennel. If it does not go potty then it goes right back in. It is important to not play with the dog outside during the training, only potty and that is it. Repeat the outside thing every few hours. Once it starts getting the go outside to go potty thing let it stay out a little longer. Your dog sounds smart it will probably take a well to potty train it this way, but it is a little older so it may take a little longer. If the kennel is properly sized it will not go in the kennel, just make sure there is no towels or blankets in there.

This is the best thing i did while doing this, I hung some training bells from my back door. Everytime I let the dog out to go potty I rang the bells and said potty. Now he associated those bells with having to go out and he tells me when he needs to go out now by ringing the bells himself. When I hear the bells ring I immediately let him out, I also let him our everytime i let him out of the kennel. Trust me, if you have an inside dog and no dog door you want to teach it to use the bells.

Another thing I did, to keep him from running out the door, when I am about to let him out he has to be sitting before I open the door. He then has to wait for me to say outside before he can go out. I he starts to get up before I say outside, I close the door and we start over. Now he doesn't go outside without permission, even of the door is left wide open. The training collar helped a little with this. Make sure you don't use the same word for different commands, potty means he has to go out but still needs permission, outside means he can go outside everytime whether for frisbee, walking, potty, car ride, etc.


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[SeymourDuncan]

Ok I'll try the kennel.
In the past we have locked her in one but she destroyed it. It was a metal crate and she busted right through the welding...I'll go buy one that's more heavy duty than metal. Lol.

Thanks.
I do the door thing, she is fine with that. Its just the yard...if we want to play with her out doors she has to be on a leash which limits her agility.

If she is off the leash she jumps, squeezes, flies, or eats her way into the great unknown..I haven't really liked the idea of shocking but I guess that's better than what could happen to her out of the yard.
Ill do some training and keep ya posted. Those 2 things cured will make our lives so much easier. She's otherwise the best dog ever lol.

I only wish there were brain enhancing exercises for dumb dogs lol. My wolamute is a very slow stubborn beast. He is beyond loyal though and when he is hooked up to my scooter he is a perfect sled dog. I've trained him completely with yips and whoops as far as navigating the sidewalks. But when it comes to common sense he will bite a flaming brick of solid marble if its bein tossed at him. He really tries though and he grooms the beagador for us. Her ears are always spotless Haha

 

[bct15]

If you train outside, and a training collar is required, shocking is the only thing that will work while outside and the shock has to be turned up two levels higher to get the dogs attention outside. You set the level by putting the collar on your dog, setting it on the lowest level and quickly shocking it, if no reaction turn it up a level. You keep going up until you notice a reaction, then turn it down one level. My dog is on three, but when outside Dogs get side attracted and the shock level needs to be turned up. Shock collars are designed off the principal of dogs nipping eachother in the neck in the wild to punish unwanted behavior. It is a similar concept, but you don't have to be physically involved...that way the dog doesn't associate you with anything negative but learns to follow the commands or it will get a negative response...so the dog respects but does not fear you.

Training a dog is all about teaching the dog a way to know when you approve and disprove of a behavior, dogs naturally want to please their owner it is just hard sometimes for us to communicate with eachother. I got an Australian Shepard which is alot easier to train than anything mixed with a beagle, but the best training method I found for him was the collar...and I have to put a head lead on him when walking him on a leash because he likes to pull the leash, the head lead attaches the leash to his nose basically so he can't pull and wrestle with the leash. That is his worst thing is he hates being on a leash, but he really doesn't need one because he doesn't go farther than five feet from me unless I throw a frisbee, but him being on a leash makes other people feel safe around him.

If you decide to crate training you have to stick with it, you can't let the dog win and get out when it decides to...you have to be the boss. If it gets out, put it back, don't let it out because of barking except to go potty. If you let it out to go potty because of barking it needs to be out right back in whether or not it went potty, otherwise it will learn to bark and get out an wot get the potty training down. My dog likes his kennel now, but didn't at first it took about three days to get used to it and about a month for him to declare it as his room. Never reach into a kennel to pull a dog out that doesn't want to come out, even the most loyal dog will bite you in that situation.


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[FF337]

People will argue that shocking is cruel. If someone spanks their dog, I personally believe it is more offensive. Definitely more personal. I spanked my younger female dog once, just a single pop. (Because she was showing teeth to my then baby niece) She now is extremely submissive. Each dog has their own personally and there own way to disciple. With her all I have to do is raise or deepen my voice and she minds her manners.

Her mother is the devil though. She is "my" dog and listened like a brick wall. The shock collar worked within a day. I can closely duplicate the beeper by whistling and she rides my side. She also played houdini and would escape the kennel. But I think she was born potty trained.

Good luck to your decision.

 

[FF337]

My dog likes his kennel now, but didn't at first it took about three days to get used to it and about a month for him to declare it as his room.


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My male hated his kennel for a couple days. After that he would not sleep anywhere else other than at my foot or in the kennel. When I removed the kennel from the house, it took weeks for him to get on a regular sleep pattern.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Ok so here's what I did. I researched a ton about the crate technique and what it makes the dogs think in their own mind is that the only time they go out is to go potty. Eventually they forget about going in your house because of they don't get a chance to after so long. Conditioning them is all this is.

Well in the last our 40lb beast has broke the Welding off her cage, breaking out and cutting herself pretty badly. So I thought a bit...and before I could my girlfriend brings up dog underwear.

Well that's a silly idea, but for $30 we got her these.


Already there is a tremendous change in her behavior.

Our friend uses a ThunderShirt to calm her dog down, and it is also very effective. These underwear on our do seem to do the same thing. She has been more mellow and has not soiled the floor or her "panties" while left alone.

Its actually funny when we put them on her. Every time she immediately walks in a counter clockwise pattern that resembles a snail shell if I were to trace her steps. At the end of the spiral she plops down and lays there.

This is a lot cheaper than a heavy duty crate and seems to also be very effective without actually caging the beast. In combination with a ThunderShirt this could be an ultimate behavior outfit.

As for her urge to take off I have not yet gotten the training collar...so I will let you know when that comes around or if I find a successful alternative.

Now to see if she craps her pants or holds it!!!

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Oh and my avatar is my dogs smile. She does it on command or when she is guarding her things...she's had her First Lady movements before we spayed her. I think that has alot to do with that. She bites children btw. We rehomed her once and she was dropped off the next day so she's ours forever. I could not send out a child biter into the great unknown.

And she bites kids because they are ignorant and try to take things from her mouth aggressively. I don't know what it is about kids that do that but Jeesh that is stupid. I guess we just know how to focus her aggression safely. She growls and we say Relax and she does right away

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Yeah and she also eats bees. She is smart enough to use only her teeth but still...what in the world lol. She jumps 3 feet in the air and snaps them mid flight

 

[Tahoe61]

Buy a long line for training for the command come.

Have treats ready.

Let her go the end of the line and use one command her name or the word come. If she does not come, bribe her with a treat while pulling the line in. Start walking on a long line and keep repeating the command and reward with a treat but only if she comes. Do not treat her unless she follows the command. Once she gets the hang of it on the long line (usually takes a stubborn dog a week or so), let her go off leash in your yard and continue to treat her when she follow the come command. Never correct her for returning even after she has run off.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

Weve been doing that for over 3 years with no results. Negative reinforcements are never involved in her training... She just won't do it.

 

[SeymourDuncan]

The word come is and never will be in her vocabulary it seems the route we have tried.

 

[bct15]

The way to teach a dog come or here using a training collar is similar. You put the dog on a leash, after it has associated the beeping sound as a negative respond you tell the dog to come, and then hold down the beep button. Once the dog starts to come to you, you let go of the button, when the dog has reached you you tell it to sit, reward with a treat and the positive reinforcement beep (there is two beeps on the collar, one negative, one positive). If the dog stops approaching you, you turn back on the beep and repeat the command until it starts to come again.

You do this for about ten minutes a day, it took my dog 1 1/2 sessions to learn to come to me on command. He won't come to my two year old or anybody else though.


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[Tahoe61]

Weve been doing that for over 3 years with no results. Negative reinforcements are never involved in her training... She just won't do it.

The word come is and never will be in her vocabulary it seems the route we have tried.

And here I thought this thread asked for a dog trainer's input.

Take her to basic obedience training or work with a trainer. Your dog is not really any different than any other dog, it will come when called. Half of dog training is owner training.

And a dog that bites kids to boot.

You obviously have a dog that needs an experienced hand.

Being that I work with rescues, pits and basic training dogs 7 days a week I feel pretty confident that you and your dog need some one on one training with a decent trainer in your home and basic to intermediate obedience.

I understand that you're trying to give this dog the best possible home, but a dog that can escape an enclosure and bites children is a recipe for disaster for the both the dog and owner unfortunately. Rationalize it however you must but you have been given good advice. The dog can be trained it's the owner that is resistant and not giving the right cues.