Who would you emphatically recommend for training a large dog in your home?

[gunnails]

As mentioned exercise cures a lot of ills.
I have had Vizsla's for over 35 years and as I age I find it harder to get them the proper exercise and when I do the dang dog recovers within an hour and resumes it's wound up ways.
Long story short is my current Vizsla that we adopted was out of control and was hard to discipline as in any verbal or physical discipline made him get crazy worked up. I would go alpha and pin him to the ground till he calmed and when I would release him he would be all jumping over the couch and tearing through the house, he was one tough nut.
Never thought I would have to do this to a dog but I ordered a $25 shock collar from Amazon, and the results were almost immediate and lasting. Totally a different dog now and we only used the collar for about 6 weeks.

 

[bbbass]

Never thought I would have to do this to a dog but I ordered a $25 shock collar from Amazon, and the results were almost immediate and lasting. Totally a different dog now and we only used the collar for about 6 weeks.

Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I just hope that people don't start out with a shock collar prior to trying other training.

I had a small liver colored shorthair that was hell on wheels. After a few years of hunting, he started breaking training and ranging out too far. He then found out that he could bust a point and not get in trouble because I was 1/2 mile away. It wasn't good. I truly wanted to get a shock collar because he wasn't responding to retraining, but then the divorce came and I couldn't keep a bird dog when I was homeless. I gave him to a good hunting/farm family.

 

[bbbass]

This is why I dont have a dog yet

It's also hard for me to justify people owning a dog when nobody is home because they work all day. IMO it's not fair to the dog and not conducive to good training.

I just cannot bring myself to have a dog smaller than my cats.

I get it... I always HAD middle to large breed dogs, collie, GS, Great Danes, Weimareiner (sp), labrador, and raised German Shorthairs. When I met my current wife, we were both working and she said "No dogs". Then after she retired, she decided she needed a companion breed and I thought, well a smallish dog is better than no dog! So we got a Bichon female and the dog and I fell for each other... that dog was MY dog. She was friendly to my wife, but absolutely in love with me. Lots of cuddles, and when you have PTSD, lots of cuddles really helps. After the dog passed, we thought we would not get another dog, but we couldn't stand the grief so we adopted a cute Maltipoo. Now she is getting older and I worry how much I will miss her.

I thought we were friends....

Now I find out you have cats!

^^^^This!!! You are banned from my house! - Just kidding. Gotta leave the cat dander outside tho... too much sneezy and runny eyes and itchy pallet (sp) and...............................

 

[gunnails]

Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I just hope that people don't start out with a shock collar prior to trying other training.

I had a small liver colored shorthair that was hell on wheels. After a few years of hunting, he started breaking training and ranging out too far. He then found out that he could bust a point and not get in trouble because I was 1/2 mile away. It wasn't good. I truly wanted to get a shock collar because he wasn't responding to retraining, but then the divorce came and I couldn't keep a bird dog when I was homeless. I gave him to a good hunting/farm family.

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Well to be fair to the dog we never hit him higher then an 8 on a scale of 1 to 100, and the wife and I each shocked ourselves with the collar (in our hands) before we used it on the dog to be sure it wasn't to extreme. It was shocking but not painful in the sense that once the shock stopped all discomfort went away.
Dog hated it, which is what we needed.

 

[bbbass]

=====================================
Well to be fair to the dog we never hit him higher then an 8 on a scale of 1 to 100, and the wife and I each shocked ourselves with the collar (in our hands) before we used it on the dog to be sure it wasn't to extreme. It was shocking but not painful in the sense that once the shock stopped all discomfort went away.
Dog hated it, which is what we needed.

They do work... we should put them on released prisoners... each time they reach for a weapon ZAP on 90% power setting... guy reaches for a young girls leg ZAAAAAAAAAP on 300% power setting (with paddles)! (Ooops that's related to a different thread. )

 

[Tarawa86]

Never thought I would have to do this to a dog but I ordered a $25 shock collar from Amazon, and the results were almost immediate and lasting. Totally a different dog now and we only used the collar for about 6 weeks.

I want to second the 'shock' collar option, as it's hard and expensive to find a decent trainer. My new Aussie was frustrating the heck out of me as she wasn't responding to training very well. I was frankly astonished because my last Aussie was a champ to work with.

I ordered the collar below which has a 'buzz/vibrate' option as well as shock, and it has made a huge difference. I was able to get her to stop pulling on the leash so hard, and to come when called. I haven't even had to use the shock feature. It's not a magic bullet, but its definitely been a big help.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075FV9Z6B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[gunnails]

I want to second the 'shock' collar option, as it's hard and expensive to find a decent trainer. My new Aussie was frustrating the heck out of me as she wasn't responding to training very well. I was frankly astonished because my last Aussie was a champ to work with.

I ordered the collar below which has a 'buzz/vibrate' option as well as shock, and it has made a huge difference. I was able to get her to stop pulling on the leash so hard, and to come when called. I haven't even had to use the shock feature. It's not a magic bullet, but its definitely been a big help.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075FV9Z6B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

\=======================================

That's the same set up we have, one cool thing is the dog is actually smart and I was able to train him to come when I hit the tone or vibrate mode, which is great when you don't want to scream across a field.

 

[Tarawa86]

...which is great when you don't want to scream across a field

Or at 3:00 AM when you're trying to get them to come in after a potty break. The collar has definitely reduced my frustration level. One of the reasons I'll only own working breed type cattle dogs is that they are generally smart and really easy to train. My new pup is smart but dang she had a bit of a rebellious streak there for awhile. It's strange how an innocent face can hide a sock and shoe destroying monster.

 

[bbbass]

Or at 3:00 AM when you're trying to get them to come in after a potty break. The collar has definitely reduced my frustration level. One of the reasons I'll only own working breed type cattle dogs is that they are generally smart and really easy to train. My new pup is smart but dang she had a bit of a rebellious streak there for awhile. It's strange how an innocent face can hide a sock and shoe destroying monster.
View attachment 567654

That IS a cutie!!!

Funny, not, how they say giving them a chew toy will stop them from destroying your socks and shoes ... not in MY experience!!

 

[Gootz]

As the owner of a dog that was bred specifically for protection purposes, I went down that rabbit hole pretty far. There is a trainer about 2 hours north of Portland/Vancouver who I would have no hesitation in recommending. He is extremely in tuned with animal behavior and trains protection dogs for many high profile people. If you haven't found a trainer yet, send me a PM and I will be happy to share his contact info.

 

[Member 5605]

I think it would be nice to have a dog that will go rabid while by your feet and not move towards anything without the command.

Then I realize who's dog it is.

Training a house guard and a lover requires two different mindsets. I believe you can have one or the other and not both.


I was poopin when I took that photo. He insists sharing the bathroom with me.

 

[Member 52301]

Was a small dog "hater" for most Of my life. Then we got a Lhasa Apso and he has been a GREAT dog.

Easy to travel with, easy to excersise indoors, takes guarding the house seriously, no fur everywhere since they have hair.

My buddy is about 16 so he is a little bit like a roomba these days but other then sight and hearing, he is in very health condition.

I never had a LA dog but I knew two people that did.

The dogs were originally used to guard kings/queens and palaces.

They don't shed like most dogs do. You can see this when they are brushed or in the houses where they live.

I had 100% German Shepherds most of my entire life, a few Cocker Spaniels and a pound puppy (Samoyed.). We did have a GS with a bit of collie in it when I was a kid too.

Cate

 

[Member 52301]

I trained and raised my own dogs and I helped some friends with their dogs for 'free' in my former state. I dog sat for them and welcomed their dogs into my home a few times too.

My parents did the same thing when it came to dog training.

I have had 100% German Shepherds (Good stock-police.) and other GS 100% good stock dogs almost my entire life from a baby until I was 51 years old. (I do not have a dog now @ 68.5 years old.)

I have had a few Cocker Spaniel dogs, a pound puppy (Samoyed.) and a GS mix and she had a little Collie in her - she came from a dog pound. I have had ONLY female dogs my entire life shy of one gift of a CS puppy (Male.) when I was 16 years old. I only wanted female dogs but I did love my little red haired Kelly, the above CS puppy gift too.

I was going to put some more info down but I did not want to derail the thread. The trainers that I have SEEN and the dog OWNERS with their dogs who have gone to doggy school in or out of their home LEAVE A LOT TO BE DESIRED in my opinion.

Three things make me say this HERE. SOME trainers, SOME dog OWNERS and some dogs not just SPECIFIC 'BREEDS' and/or over bred dogs are about as worthless as teats on a boar. (I am talking about known vicious dogs with a history of bad behavior now or turning into a psycho dog and on it's own owners not just other people in a normal self defense situation.)

I could give examples in another section if needed since it comes to SELF defense from one of these so called 'trained' (NOT!) dogs with it's owner/owners.

As a dog owner, single person, a couple or with a family in your home... you better be sure that YOU or another adult person with a CLUE is the ALPHA person in the house.

THE DOG DOES NOT RULE YOU or your wife/husband/partner or family.

The dog is a dog and NO matter how much I love dogs... the dog MUST PAY ATTENTION TO YOU, LISTEN, OBEY, DEFEND IF NEEDED, ETC. BUT 'YOU' are the alpha dog not the dog.

I love most dogs more than most people, NO BS to you now, including ALL of the late, smart, loving, and BEAUTIFUL (Heart, mind and looks.) dogs that I have had in MY own life too.

The dog must be smart and loving but YOU are the alpha dog in the dog's brain.

It is not about circus tricks or cutesy wootsey tricks. If you want to do that... your choice. I never did circus tricks with my dogs.

I played with them of course. So did my late husband and my late parents.

But FIRST, you have to be a smart, loving and filled with common sense DOG OWNER... you must be sure that you are the leader and the DOG KNOWS IT. So the dog must know this and act well with the other people in the house if you do not live alone.

I always treated my dogs like little people even though I did not have children. I TALKED TO THEM and I worked with them. I played with them. I took very good care of them.

They KNEW what I was thinking and what I wanted even before I said or gave them a signal most of the time too. I am NOT kidding you there. Unconditional LOVE and RESPECT from a good dog to it's owner and VICE VERSA.

That is HOW YOU TRAIN A DOG - LOVE IT and make it know who IS BOSS even if you want to BABY IT. You can show who IS boss even if you talk to it like a baby when it is a puppy with LOVING, PUPPY, SWEET WORDS with cuddles/pets so you don't scare the puppy but it understands.

Dogs are smart and the BEST thing that God created besides some specific people in MY opinion.

Old Lady Cate - A Dog Lover
Typos!

 

[Member 52301]

Always trained my dogs myself.

Kids and dogs will take a mile if given an inch so consistency is #1.

Labs are a working breed and will need to have that worked into their daily schedule. Fetching a ball, running, walking etc for an hour a day will itch that need and mellow them out some.

A friend of mine had his so conditioned that he would put a small rock on his nose while sitting and the dog would stay still forever. Then he would grab the rock and toss it into the woods. It would sometimes take longer then others but that dog ALWAYS returned with that same rock.


YouTube can be a big help.

I'm not advocating for not using a trainer, I've just found a stronger bond in the end when I do it myself.

Stronger bond = the owner training her/his own dog in a sane and SMART WAY is the best way to go in my opinion.

The human being - owner is the ALPHA leader always, always and always.

Thank you.

Cate