Oh how I wish Victoria could come to the US! I have been watching Victoria's show for awhile now and have gotten so really great training tips from it. There are a few things that I haven't seen addressed yet and don't know how to deal with it.
I have a 5 year old Sheltie (female) and 2 male Cavalier King Charles Spaniels who are 2. Those 3 get along fabulously and play and have a great time together.
We rescued a blue tick coon hound from a family who wasn't feeding him, giving him any attention or water, had him on a choker chain and chained up outside with no dog house in the middle of an Ohio winter! They said he was over a year old but I honestly think he is more like 8 months. He is the sweetest gentlest thing. He doesn't have any aggression no matter what happens to him. I have 4 kids (the youngest are 7 year old twins).
I have a few issues with the mix. First my Sheltie and the coonhound. For the most part they do really well together but the coonhound will not take the hint when the sheltie is done playing. She will growl, bark and snap at him and he just thinks that's a cue to play more!
Another issue is with the tinest cavalier. The coonhound wants to play with him and that Cavalier will play back. The coonhound can put the majority of the cavlier in his mouth though. He hasn't hurt him but I am afraid that he is going to hurt him without meaning to.
The last issue is that the coonhound has no concept of personal space or where he is sitting. He will plop down and sit right on us. If I sit on the couch he thinks he is a lap dog. I can't figure out how to get him to pay attention to what he is sitting on.
Any ideas how to help these issues. I am amazed at how sweet he is and he is very smart. He really wants to learn. I really just don't think that he has a clue how big he really is. I need to get him under control so that he doesn't hurt the kids (not meaning to but just because he is so big). I have had him about a month and the idea was to find him a good home instead of being sent to the pound to be killed because the family wasn't caring for him. We have fallen in love with him though and really want to keep him. I just need to figure out how to train him properly.
Big dog/tiny dogs
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
AAAh that's hounds - great soppy lolloping clumsy things. 
I'm afraid you can't unhound a hound, so you will have to take charge of the playing and stop it before anyone small gets into a difficult position, either in a hound mouth or feeling she has to say BACK OFF.
Supervised play only from now on, and move in nicely, positively and crisply before things get out of hand. Everybody can SIT and get a sweetie!
As for sitting on you - repel any efforts to do this, and tell him to go to his bed. Have a bed for him in every room, and reward him when he goes on it. If you want him to lie down beside you, teach him to do that. Read the pinned thread on clicker training for good ideas!
I'm afraid you can't unhound a hound, so you will have to take charge of the playing and stop it before anyone small gets into a difficult position, either in a hound mouth or feeling she has to say BACK OFF.
Supervised play only from now on, and move in nicely, positively and crisply before things get out of hand. Everybody can SIT and get a sweetie!
As for sitting on you - repel any efforts to do this, and tell him to go to his bed. Have a bed for him in every room, and reward him when he goes on it. If you want him to lie down beside you, teach him to do that. Read the pinned thread on clicker training for good ideas!
Find the cause, find the cure.
A dog is never 'bad' or 'naughty'. It is simply behaving like a dog.
A dog is never 'bad' or 'naughty'. It is simply behaving like a dog.