Does anybody have training tips?

[steppy104]

we don't have whole wheat flour....would regular flour work?

whats the diff?

*never cooked anything besides grilled cheese and boiled eggs before*

 

[livelife]

Regular flour should work too, just the whole wheat is a bit more nutritional. If you're not sure, just make a half batch and see.

Be prepared for lots of drooling! My dog flips whenever I make homemade cookies for her. They're inexpensive to make and dogs really seem to notice the difference in taste because every dog I know just goes nuts over homemade cookies. There's tons of recipes out there. I used this particular one for training because I had such a hard time maintaining my dog's attention. These were good & smelly and they were soft enough to easily chop up into small bits, so they were ideal for the purpose.

I was actually able to hold her attention in a room full of rambunctious pups in obedience class!

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[steppy104]

i'm not much of a cook, but i'll try it out sometime.

hmm...funny how i can't get blue to lie down....but sadie sure gets him to do it with no problem! she's got it all down.....if grabbing her ears or neck doesn't work, then she'll take her paw and force him down. i'm suprised she don't have him trained! lol...

my way of doing things-if he lays down on command, give him a treat.
her way of doing things-if he doesn't stay down when she makes him lay down, punish him!

lol. she makes sure he's down, and if he gets up she snarls and continues bitting his ears and neck. my big tough girl

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Um, doesn't anyone train their dogs without the use of treats? I've found that a lot of dogs, especially puppies, do better with praise then with treats as a reward, since they are often more interested in playing then they are in food bits. I show them how to do something, like sit, and when they do it on command I treat them like they just saved the world. They love it, and get the hint faster than with the treats. Another problem with treats I've found is that they aren't as motivating when the dog isn't hungry, or if they aren't treats they like as much. I've had dogs who will hold out on doing commands until they see that you have the treats they really like, and that's not a good thing. You don't want the dog playing you. Also, I'd use hand signals as well as voice commands for all 'tricks' as these come in handy when the dog is far away, it's not a good time to yell, or when they're older and/or go deaf. Good luck with the puppy, how I wish I could get one now....

 

[livelife]

hehehe NinjaSmurf. It's awesome that you were able to train your dog without treats (and a feat I would have LOVED to accomplish)! Give your pup a nice scratch behind the ears for me! I agree with the hand signals. It's just as easy to teach them at the same time as the verbal command and can be a priceless tool.

Unfortunately, mine was soooo hyper that we had to do something to get her attention initially and even "regular" treats weren't working, and so I found that nice stinky cookie recipe ;o). (our vet couldn't believe the progress we had made with her and couldn't believe that we made any of this possible). The idea is to use the treats at first, along with praise, then only treating every 3rd or 4th time, and then occasionally. Once they learn the commands, you can wean them off the treats very quickly (good thing because otherwise, I'd be rolling my dog from room to room!).

 

[steppy104]

i think i'm gonna have a go at the cookies....all by myself....no ones home and i'm bored...wish me luck....

how do you crack an egg?? guess i'll try it and see how it goes...

 

[steppy104]

ugh....is there a difference between garlic powder and garlic salt? can anything substitute that if not?

EDIT-nvm....yes there is a diff.....lots-o-salt....i don't think thats good.

 

[steppy104]

i couldn't help but to try the treat out for myself....it tasted suprisingly good

is that normal?

 

[livelife]

well, can't say as I've ever been tempted to try 'em, but I do have a few recipes where the author supposedly enjoyed them with her dogs. I'm not surprized that they taste good as all they are all good ingredients. ;o)

What did your pup think of them? Any progress on the training?

I chopped them up in small bits and it worked great. My dog loved them so much, she was willing to pay attention for 'em. You actually had me thinking that I should make another batch for her. We've been having a problem with excessive barking when people walk by the house and "regular" treats or reprimands aren't grabbing her attention so that I can curb this behaviour. I had forgotten about these cookies until you posted your problem.

....off to the kitchen!

 

[steppy104]

oh ya...theres progress.

he now sits good, lays down good, rolls over before i can even say "over", speaks, and is getting the hang on "shake". i'm having trouble with "sit pretty"/"beg" though.

 

[Discomafia]

he now sits good, lays down good, rolls over before i can even say "over", speaks, and is getting the hang on "shake". i'm having trouble with "sit pretty"/"beg" though.

You've already gotten him to sit, now you should concentrate on getting him to "stay" first, the rest can come later. "Heel" is important too, especially when you're out on a walk.

 

[yossie_ika]

Call the dog whisperer....Cesar Milan?

 

[steppy104]

dog whisperer? sounds like a rip.

i did try "stay" yesterday....he stayed all right, but only cuz on my way to taking 2 steps away from him, he started itching and biting himself. (dry skin...no fleas)...i can't get him to focus long without itchin!!!

 

[steppy104]

does anyone know how to teach him to "come"? he doesn't seem to listen too well when my dad tells him to "come here". he's afraid of him.

 

[Discomafia]

he's afraid of him.

That's your problem right there...