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GoodPuppy
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2015 5:12 pm

Hello, new here

Post by GoodPuppy »

Hi! New dog owner and new to this board.

Hubby and I are empty nesters, just adopted a 2 yr old small breed (6 pounds) dog from a rescue about 2 months ago. Not much info about the dog's background, but we do know he was very well trained.

We're finding some behavior issues with the dog, however, and I really need some support and advice, as I am really getting discouraged. My husband and I aren't in agreement on the very basics of positive training methods either. He wants this to be easier than it has been. I love Victoria's show, "It's me or the Dog"...I wish she could come spend some time in our home!

(The dog has become reactive to my husband's movements when I am home, and as I write this, I am trying to countercondition the dog as my husband moves around in the other room and the dog is trying to restrain a reaction...!)
ckranz
Posts: 1028
Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:18 pm
Location: San Diego CA

Re: Hello, new here

Post by ckranz »

Welcome to the forum

One thing to keep in mind easier does not translate to fixed overnight. One of the misnomers on any televised show is the show is only a half hour or 1 hour long program and people see a dog in the fist 10 minutes that is tearing up the house, behaving aggressively etc... and then presto chango at the end of the hour the dog is behaving perfectly or at least making progress towards that end.

Training does not happen over night. It can take weeks, months and even years in some cases. That being said with problems its very important to be as descriptive as possible.

When you say reactive, how is your dog reacting? What have you identified as triggers for this reaction?
How tall/large are you and your hubby? How are you presenting yourselves to your dog? Think about what they are seeing and perceiving about you? Its not a matter of is this right or wrong, its about what your dog is experiencing and understanding how and why. Once you have that basis and we have better descriptions of what is going on, we can help you to develop a better training plan to overcome the difficulty you are experiencing.

With new dogs often times hidden things come out after 2-3 months in a new home as the dog adjusts to its new environment. Some of what your are seeing could also be why the dog was put into a rescue. In any event, its important to take things slowly and work to building a bond of trust between you and your dog.
GoodPuppy
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2015 5:12 pm

Re: Hello, new here

Post by GoodPuppy »

Thanks. I'll get into this more in the training part of the forum. This dog has many things going for him, but the issues we are having could end up causing major problems for us a few months from now. The dog is very vocal when upset, and we spend our winters in a city where we live in a multi dwelling building, so there will be neighbours to contend with.
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