Training frustrations

[friskypanda]

All good thing must come to an end? Pup has been great in training and we've been so pleased. This was week 3 and we're working on stay and come. She knew stay, but for some reason when I try it with the hand command now, she jumps towards me like it's time to wrestle or play. She's just so darn excited!

I plan on contacting our trainer tomorrow. When she does this I'm not in a good position to correct with the choke chain. I'm just at a loss. The good news is she's still heeling like a champ

[redheadbaker]

Does your trainer recommend training with a choke chain?

[friskypanda]

Yes, the trainer recommended the choke chain. It's praise/correction based training, rather than treat based. I was skeptical at first but she has done really well, up until now.

My mom is telling me she's still just a puppy (4 months) and I do expect some stumbles because of her age, but she was doing so well in class. She picks up on everything so quickly.

[sandollar1010]

I'd be leary of using a choke chain on a 4 month old puppy. I understand sometimes they are needed for out of control larger dogs for safety reasons, but puppy training should be done with a flat collar or harness. Stay is difficult for any dog, and puppies have such a short attention span it needs to be done in extremely short intervals. The way my trainer put it is that she would rather have my dog hold a longer stay with me right next to her, than walk away and and have her only stay for a few seconds. Try just stepping to the side for a while until she has it perfect, then a step back, etc. Stay is one of the more difficult commands, and she is just a puppy. She will get it, just be patient. Also, treats work awesome for holding her focus in stay. I would suggest using treats too.

[kellbell191]

You also lost me at choke chain. We practice positive reinforcement with our guys and follow a lot of the resources, as well as worked with a trainer/behaviorist and everything I've seen about them has been negative in the context you're using it in.

[caz1221]

Sometimes dogs (especially puppies) regress a bit or have some stumbles with training. My dogs sometimes need to be reminded of what a certain command means if we get a little lax in enforcement (i.e. "stay" really means stay until we release you, not stay for a minute and then wander off). Be patient and consistent.

I'm also not a fan of choke chains due to the pressure they put on one particular part of the dog's neck/throat (vs. a prong collar that distributes the pressure). My understanding is that if you need a collar for more control, a prong collar would be a better choice and even then, it's important that the collar be properly fitted and that you be trained in how to use it properly. I also practice positive reinforcement (using verbal praise, petting, and/or treats), and if I need to "correct," I use a verbal "eh-eh" or simply lead the dog back to where he's supposed to be (i.e. if he gets up from a sit, I say "eh-eh" and put him back in a sit at the original place). Both of my dogs have responded extremely well to the positive training.

[nital]

Ditto the other about choke chains. They can be very damaging to the throats of pups.

Your pup is doing it because she can. You didnt correct her for playing, so she keeps doing it. Her only incentive to listen to you is to avoid corrections, and since you can't correct, she won't listen.