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1) this pup appears to get tired of a certain type of treats after a few days. She got tired of the veggie ones and spits them out. She is now tired of Milk Bone. What other treats should I buy? Is this normal?
2) She is 12 weeks. When does the nipping stop? Is there a point where her learning will finally click and stay- such as "come" "stay" etc? I work with her a little every day. She is not coming as well cause she is tired of the treats and a little distracted outside. Tips?
She is doing well with her other training. She is learning to not eat shoes, not eat the leash, not jump at the table.
She doesn't need treats. THAT's what she's telling you. If you watch a family or pack of dogs they are not treating each other all the time with FOOD. That's a human thing. Humans LOVE to give food instead of what the dog actually NEEDS such as getting up an hour earlier to give the dog a GOOD WALK.
Especially looking at the picture you posted before. She's some kind of working breed mix so she's not going to sit around doing nothing all day.
She's also entirely too young to meet those expectations. She's nowhere near "FINALLY learning". She barely left her dog family - who she would model and be "trained" in dog language.
Nipping is either playing or trying to get you to do what she wants even if she's not sure exactly what it is.
Make sure she's getting ENRICHMENT like three walks a day. Not just standing around outside to urinate. And she should be chewing non edible Gumabones (larger size not teeny ones) to get some of her anxiety/energy out especially if she's left alone alot or not getting exercise.
Sorry, I have to go to work but I'm sure people will respond to you more.
its obvious theres some snark in your response. completely unneeded. for your info,she can sit and shake now .you know how she learned those? treats and praise. i run her every day and i throw balls for her.
m
Congratulations on the new pup. Research has shown that the biggest learning curve is from 6 to 16 weeks and so you should do all you are able during this important period.
There are so many good training books and DVD's available now - see what your library might have to offer. I would recommend anything by Patricia McConnell, Karen Pryor, Pat Miller, Victoria Stillwell and Ian Dunbar off the top of my head. They are all positive reinforcement based training styles.
If there is a puppy training/socialization class in your vicinity that is convenient and affordable I would not hesitate to enroll in that. Many Petsmart and Petco stores do have such classes, as do some larger shelters in metro areas.
Best wishes for a long and love filled time with your new companion.
Try a soft, stinky treat, not dry ones. Teeny tiny pieces are all that's needed, along with sincere praise.
Here is some help for the mouthing / nipping:
There are 2 schools of thought here. One philosophy is that a dog's mouth should never touch human flesh (or clothing). If you believe this, then you will put the plan below into action the instant puppy's teeth touch your skin or clothes. The other school of thought is that in order to teach excellent bite inhibition, we must allow puppies to 'mouth' us, as their dog mothers and littermates do, and then provide feedback as to what level of bite is acceptable (i.e. gentle mouthing is fine, a harder bite that hurts or wounds is NOT). If you believe this way (as I do), then you will follow the plan below from the instant the bite goes from gentle and painless to harder and uncomfortable.
The plan is: as soon as the unwanted biting occurs you make an ouch! sound, pause for a second, then offer an appropriate chew item as a substitute for your flesh. If one more bite occurs, make an ouch! sound and completely remove pup's access to you and interaction with you for 20-40 seconds (any longer and it becomes difficult for the pup to understand the connection "I bit = I lost my pack". They have short attention spans at this age.) You can either put pup in a different space or move yourself to a different space where pup does not have access to you. This WILL take time - it is not a one-time-only training quick fix! You must practice this plan consistently, but eventually the pup will catch on and the method is highly effective.
A simplified version of the plan is: teeth on flesh = end of all fun. Every time. Being inconsistent is reinforcing for the pup - intermittent reinforcement is even more powerful than continuous reinforcement (think slot machine addiction).
I also find that having pup play with other puppies and dogs is the best way to educate them on inhibiting their bite. Dogs are the best dog trainers.
Stay and Come are two of the most important cues to teach your dog and it is helpful to do it the right way from the start. Hopefully you are already following these rules:
Stay
1) Give verbal cue & hand signal ("Stay" & stop-sign hand).
2) Let time elapse.
3) Reward in place (never call a dog out of Stay.)
4) Touch and release (use a release word like "ok" or "release" or "free").
Gradually increase duration of the stay. Gradually incorporate handler movement / distance.
Always return to your dog to reward and release - if you want to call your dog out of a stay use a different cue such as "wait". Stay means 'do not move until I return and release you', Wait means 'hold on a moment until I call you'. Having these be separate cues helps maintain a super solid Stay.
Recall / Come
1) Choose a Recall cue. It should have a distinctive ring to it and only be used for serious recalls. The Recall cue is only given ONCE. Your dog must learn to come immediately, not after you’ve called her 17 times! Repeating any cue teaches your dog to ignore you.
2) Inside the house, practice the recall when you are 100% sure your dog will come to you. Reward with 3 treats, given one at a time. Praise liberally! (Feeding multiple treats prevents 'dine and dash'.)
3) Outside, practice with your dog attached to a light weight cord / rope. Try to be 99% sure she is going to come to you before giving the cue. When your dog comes to you, praise and reward with 3 treats given one at a time AND THEN RELEASE HER to go back about her business. (The light weight cord is to be stepped on if absolutely necessary)
4) Make a habit of touching your dog’s collar as you reward with treats.
5) Increase difficulty as your dog becomes more reliable. Try your Recall when your dog is sniffing a good spot in the yard, when she’s distracted by a bird, when she’s interacting with another dog, etc. Resist the urge to repeat your cue if your dog doesn’t come. Instead, use the tip below to follow through with the Recall.
While you are still working on Recall training, there may come a time when you need your dog to come to you and you feel there is a good chance she WON’T because she is distracted. For now, don’t use your Recall cue, but instead make a fun, high pitched noise and run away from the dog. If this isn't enough, you may have to lay down on your back – few dogs can resist their owners in such a position..!
View things from your dog’s perspective. If every time she is called, she is given a few treats and is then set free again, you’ve set yourself up for a powerful, solid, works-every-time Recall. If, however, she is often called and is then crated, leashed, or brought inside, she may come to view “Come” as the signal that all the fun is ending.
The general rule is: Don’t use your Recall Cue if something unpleasant is to follow. Depending on the dog, that could mean a bath, having nails clipped, being crated, etc.
Consider using a special treat for Recall training, something your dog can’t resist and only gets for Recalls.
My dogs all have had insanely strong food drives. I had several trainers tell me to have "levels" of treats, with them getting better rewards for more important or complex stuff. PFFFFT. Even if my dog figures out the difference, I'm not going to be sorting through 3 different types of treats.
HOWEVER, I will mix things up. Milkbones are kind of boring. I cut up hot dogs (use sparingly - lots of preservatives) and string cheese into very tiny pieces. I buy all-natural jerky strips and cut them into tiny pieces. Cooked chicken breast works. Little grain-free training treats. I keep at least 3 different types in my treat pouch so it keeps things exciting and their attention is engaged. You can get a massive package of string cheese for 8 bucks at costco I think.
my dogs faves are little bits of dehydrated liver like CRUMBS (even for my 65lb Doberman)
or another easy one chicken breast, boiled and cut up itsy bitsy
and when all else fails, low sodium all beef kosher hotdogs cut up itsy bitsy
^There is certainly something to be said for finding out what is most rewarding to your dog. Sometimes it is a matter of finding what type of food they love. Once in a while I do meet dogs that value toys more than any food you could give them - the toss of that toy is what they will work for. Other dogs really appreciate a "party" - they are thrilled when the owner rewards them with a happy dance and a goofy voice. Rewards are defined by the dog, it's about what they truly enjoy, not what the owner thinks they should enjoy.
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