How di I train my 5 year old dog?

Question
QUESTION: My border collie/labrador mix doesn't listen to me well. He does anything my dad says though. He is five, I play with him a lot, I kind of baby him. I just want to be able to make him sit and stay on the porch when people walk past our driveway. He is a very good watchdog. Also he tends to pee in my brother's room. My brother used to be very mean to him. How do I make my dog listen?

P.S. His name is Buster and he has been nuetered.

ANSWER: Hi Morgan,

Thank you for your question.

Some people might say that the reason your dog listens to your dad is because your dad has more of an authoritative manner about him, and that may be true. However, I firmly believe that the method of training I use called clicker training is the most effective training available. With clicker training you do not have to rely on the volume of your voice or an authoritative manner to get your dog to comply. With clicker training your dog will do what you ask because he truly enjoys working with you!

Clicker training is positive reinforcement training that uses a marker signal or unique sound that tells your dog exactly which behavior he has done that you like and will reward. It works because your dog will repeat behaviors that are rewarding for him and not repeat behaviors that are not rewarding. The click - or other sound of your choosing - helps you communicate with your dog in a way that he can understand. Once trained, you do not need to use the clicker to get your dog to do what you ask. The clicker is only used during training as a communication tool.

Clickers cost about $2-3 - that's all! You can learn how to get started using clicker training by referring to my articles on the Animal Info Publications website: http://animalinfo.com.au/fact_sheets/view/2/25/175/Clicker_Training_What_is_it

Be sure to watch the accompanying video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHKOra47fsQ

There are excellent free videos I recommend on Youtube. The trainers whose videos I recommend are 1) "Kikopup" (Emily Larlham) and 2) "Supernaturalbc2008"/"Supernaturalbc2009" (Donna Hill) and 3) "tab289." Beware - there are other videos as well as articles on the internet that talk about clicker training but many are inaccurate.

To be able to get your dog to sit on the porch when people walk by your driveway, you need to teach your dog to "stay." See this video by Emily Larlham: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk4PPcE1CqY Emily teaches stay basically the same way I do, and that is by teaching a good solid sit or down and teaching a "release word" that tells your dog when he can get up from that position.

To begin to train any new behavior you need to first teach your dog in a low distraction setting, and then gradually increase the distraction level once your dog really knows the behavior. People walking by your driveway is a distraction, so first you might try walking by your dog inside with him in a sit. Then skip by him and then run by him inside before taking it outdoors.

Make sure you are complying with local leash laws. I never leave my dogs outside in town of leash, even though they are well trained. No dog, I don't care what anyone tells you is 100% reliable 100% of the time and a squirrel on the right day could send your dog running into the street to get hit by a car!

As far as Buster eliminating in your brother's room, your dog may be returning to the same place because he smells his urine there. Dogs are attracted to places they've eliminated and return to them time and time again unless you totally remove the scent (dogs can smell it even if we can't) with an enzymatic cleaner. This is a cleaner that has enzymes in it to break down the proteins that are responsible for the smell of urine - or stool. One product is called Nature's Miracle, but there are others that are probably as good. Read the label to see if it says it will eliminate pet odors and stains permanently, and then use as directed.

You may also want to block access to your brother's room, or at least the area where Buster has been eliminating to break him of this habit.

Watch Buster closely to see when he has to eliminate and take him out after playing, eating, waking up from a nap - also first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Praise him and give him a treat if you like when he eliminates in his potty spot outside.

Never punish Buster for eliminating indoors because he may not get the message and may make the unintended association between you and the punishment. This will not help your relationship - which is necessary for effective training - but it may also cause Buster to seek out places to eliminate out of your sight. He could learn that eliminating in your sight causes him discomfort - not what you intend at all!

Try to find a clicker trainer in your area to help you. Now beware, there are trainers who use clickers but do not use clicker training principles so they are not truly clicker trainers. In order for clicker training to be most effective, you need to follow certain principles, such as not using correction, teaching the behavior before adding the cue, etc.

You can look on this website to see if there is a clicker trainer in your area: https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer  Call 800-472-5425 if you don't see a clicker trainer in your area because not all Karen Pryor graduates pay the fee to be listed on this site.

If you cannot find a clicker trainer, try to find a positive reinforcement trainer. Here are some links to information to help you find a good trainer:

http://www.dacvb.org/resources/for-the-public/

http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/behavi

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/purelypuppy/lradosta/2011/nov/finding_the_right_puppy

http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/when-choosing-dog-trainer-buyer-beware

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-training/find-dog-trainer.html

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_9/features/Dog-Training-Professionals

http://petindustryportal.com/find-pet-professional/

http://www.trulydogfriendly.com/blog/?page_id=4

Please also see the following links for important information:

American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) position statement on the use of dominance in behavior modification: http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/domina

AVSAB position statement on the use of punishment in behavior modification: http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/avsab%20postion%20s%8Ant21


Morgan, just remember this: if you train your dog with kindness, consistency and are clear in what you ask him to do you will be successful! To help you learn the nuances of effective force-free dog training, I do recommend you check out the links above. I wish you the best of luck!

Happy clicking!

Cindy




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your help. I will try what you suggested. I just have a few more questions. Do I have to buy a clicker or can I make click sounds with my mouth. Also would you recommend the age old "shove his face near the urine" trick? Probably not. Leash Laws aren't a problem because we are in the country. I just want him to be able to run and play with us in the summer. Thanks again.

Answer
You do not have to buy a clicker but they are only a few dollars - very inexpensive. Yes, you can use your mouth to make a clicking noise, but I recommend starting with a clicker since the clicker makes a unique and consistent sound.

No, I do not recommend shoving your dog's face in his urine. Dogs do not get the message you would be trying to convey with this method. Think about a baby and a soiled diaper. You wouldn't try to teach a baby not to soil its diaper by shoving its face into the diaper.

Please see the links on clicker training. Clicker training does not use correction, but rather builds on desirable behavior. It strengthens your bond between you and your dog and creates a happy, motivated pet!