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I cannot understand why people will put up with a noisy, misbehaving dog. I have a friend who has had two Boston terriers, little fur-wrapped Satans if you ask me. We're trying to have a conversation about anything and the dog is constantly raising a ruckus, barking, snarling, whining, making the whole experience not one I would want to repeat. I ask him, "Man, can you control that dog?" He looks at the dog and tells it to shut up and it does for about five seconds, then it's back to its usual demeanor, which is unpleasant to say the least. We quit going to their house because of it. My son has two dogs that raise a fit every time we go to their house, and he can't seem to train that out of them. We were going to get a dog when we moved to TX, and now that we're here, we've decided against it.
Not the dogs fault ... Training classes are a big help Having people cooperate helps. My 1st corgi Katie was Well behaved except with 1 friend!! She went Wild!!!! Then when she was 2 years old He Stopped encouraging Katies Behavior she stopped going Wild when she saw him!!
I cannot understand why people will put up with a noisy, misbehaving dog. I have a friend who has had two Boston terriers, little fur-wrapped Satans if you ask me. We're trying to have a conversation about anything and the dog is constantly raising a ruckus, barking, snarling, whining, making the whole experience not one I would want to repeat. I ask him, "Man, can you control that dog?" He looks at the dog and tells it to shut up and it does for about five seconds, then it's back to its usual demeanor, which is unpleasant to say the least. We quit going to their house because of it. My son has two dogs that raise a fit every time we go to their house, and he can't seem to train that out of them. We were going to get a dog when we moved to TX, and now that we're here, we've decided against it.
There are a lot of dog owners that assume if they are comfortable with their dog's behaviour everyone else will be. I don't have an issue with my dogs barking if someone comes to the door, but I won't tolerate barking at people walking by the house etc and I certainly would not allow my dogs to carry on the way your friend lets his. As with most behavioural issues, the root cause is usually the owner not the dog.
I have a troublesome dog. He barks wildly at anyone he doesn't know, he even barks at people when he's in the car. He will pull on his leash and he acts like a wild animal.
This kid is a rescue who was really badly abused. You should have seen him when I got him! I used to wonder why people didn't get their dogs under control but now I see how it can be. At least now he will walk on a leash without pulling. He is pretty obedient in the house now but is so scared and distracted outside that I hesitate to take him anywhere. Can't afford a trainer--called one when I first got him and the price was impossible for me.
So if someone comes to the house, I put him either in his crate or in the bathroom. Outside, he walks on the leash but there is a lot of stopping and sternly saying NO! Rewarding good behavior with a treat is no help at all because he gobbles it down and goes back to his pulling or barking. The only thing that works (and I hate to do it) is to really yell at him. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO--and if we are near home, open the door and put him inside. I feel sorry for him but being really strict and almost mean is the only thing this poor dog understands.
(I don't think a dog trainer could help even if I could afford it--this dog was so badly beaten and abused and was about 1.5 years old when I got him. Too much. Too late. But he's got a safe home--that's about all I can say, safe, loving, good food.)
Last edited by in_newengland; 01-17-2023 at 10:51 AM..
I remember when I was a kid in CA. My Mom, me and my sister, my Auntie and the two cousins, would come to TX every other summer to see Grandparents and the TX branch of the family, five uncles ands and aunts, and a bunch of cousins. I remember Grandpa's dog never misbehaved, because he'd been trained not to. If your dog misbehaved in TX, people would tell you to "Get a handle on that dog!" Pesky dogs were just not tolerated, and you're right, it is not the dog's fault, it is the owners. Either they don't know how to train the dog, or they are just lazy. It takes time and effort to make a dog behave. I'm a fan of the Cesar Millan method of dog training, where the dog owner has to make sure the dog does not think that he, the dog, is the pack leader. Dogs think it's their duty to bark and snarl at strangers and lunge at the leash 'cause they're the pack leader. Once you get that straightened out, they will calm right down, but it takes time and effort to do so.
I'm a fan of the Cesar Millan method of dog training, where the dog owner has to make sure the dog does not think that he, the dog, is the pack leader. Dogs think it's their duty to bark and snarl at strangers and lunge at the leash 'cause they're the pack leader. Once you get that straightened out, they will calm right down, but it takes time and effort to do so.
Personally, I view the role of the pack leader a bit differently. I don't just control the dog or make it do everything, I teach what the dog's responsibility/job is and when is most or least appropriate moment for the dog to do it. If the dog hasn't been shown when it doesn't need to defend me (their pack member) or display its territorial rights, it may make that decision for itself. If the dog tends to be anxious, fearful, or indecisive it is also my responsibility to teach the dog when it can relax. Remove responsibility off the dog's shoulders and put it on mine. The dog trusts me to lead so it can be off duty. Result: confident, well behaved dog.
Either they don't know how to train the dog, or they are just lazy. It takes time and effort to make a dog behave. I'm a fan of the Cesar Millan method of dog training, where the dog owner has to make sure the dog does not think that he, the dog, is the pack leader. Dogs think it's their duty to bark and snarl at strangers and lunge at the leash 'cause they're the pack leader. Once you get that straightened out, they will calm right down, but it takes time and effort to do so.
I used to think Cesar's methods were the way to go, but have since learned better... the whole "pack leader" method and theory have been debunked, and can actually cause more harm than good. Positive reinforcement and conditioning are the only things that REALLY work, but they take time and sometimes money (working with a good trainer). Most people are unwilling and/or unable to do that, as proven by a couple of the responses above.
Now that I've learned more about dogs and their behavior, I am a much bigger fan of Victoria Stilwell's methods. She used to have a show called "It's Me or the Dog," which I recommend watching if you're interested in learning more. And here's a link to her explanation of why Milan's methods don't work: https://positively.com/dog-training/...eory-debunked/
I have a troublesome dog. He barks wildly at anyone he doesn't know, he even barks at people when he's in the car. He will pull on his leash and he acts like a wild animal.
This kid is a rescue who was really badly abused. You should have seen him when I got him! I used to wonder why people didn't get their dogs under control but now I see how it can be. At least now he will walk on a leash without pulling. He is pretty obedient in the house now but is so scared and distracted outside that I hesitate to take him anywhere. Can't afford a trainer--called one when I first got him and the price was impossible for me.
So if someone comes to the house, I put him either in his crate or in the bathroom. Outside, he walks on the leash but there is a lot of stopping and sternly saying NO! Rewarding good behavior with a treat is no help at all because he gobbles it down and goes back to his pulling or barking. The only thing that works (and I hate to do it) is to really yell at him. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO--and if we are near home, open the door and put him inside. I feel sorry for him but being really strict and almost mean is the only thing this poor dog understands.
(I don't think a dog trainer could help even if I could afford it--this dog was so badly beaten and abused and was about 1.5 years old when I got him. Too much. Too late. But he's got a safe home--that's about all I can say, safe, loving, good food.)
I applaud you for taking on a difficult case, and it's great that he is safe and loved now. That being said, you can still apply positive training methods without using food as a reward. My husky (neglected rescue) is NOT food-motivated, but I don't believe in using negative reinforcement either - so my trainer said to give what he wants, which is praise and attention. When he does what he's asked or supposed to do, like coming when I call, he gets "GOOD BOY YAY!" and lots of scritches. You can see how happy that makes him, and it's much more effective than punishing or yelling at him for being bad.
Also, while I understand training can be expensive, you need to find a way to make it happen. Even if you're learning their methods on your own. Adopting a difficult rescue comes with challenges, but letting these behaviors continue might have dire consequences (for the dog and/or any humans who get in his way). I recommend looking into Victoria Stilwell, as I mentioned above. Here's a link to her main training page: https://positively.com/dog-training/
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