Wendi Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 The foster dog arrived yesterday. We knew he'd been spending a lot of time outside, but we didn't know how untrained and nervous he'd be. Apparently he's been in the backyard for months, only brought in on very cold nights. He's 18 months old. Considering all that, he's doing pretty well! But he jumps on us and has trouble settling down. He is trying to be good, but he's so excited and starved for attention! My son is not happy; I admit it can be overwhelming at times. But it's only been a day. Any places to look for some training advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 If at all possible, keep him leashed to you while in the house. We found that crating helped as well for when the dog can't be on the leash. This will go a very long way towards helping him understand that he needs to settle down and that it will all be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Google "Nothing in Life is Free." It's a very simple but very effective way to help dogs learn to follow rules. Also, lots and lots of physical and mental exercise. For mental exercise, start working on the basics of sit and stay. Most dogs can learn sit reasonably well in a couple of relatively short training sessions. And you'll need a decent sit to start implementing Nothing in Life is Free. You can also hide treats for him to find or get a treat-dispensing toy for mental exercise. A tired dog (mentally and physically) really is a good dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 When my rescue girl gets so darn excited that I exist, and that she has a bed and food and attention we actively ignore her. She still scares easy and I hate to see her cower or regress so we keep verbal corrections for serious offenses. Plus when she is worked up and we get worked up it only fuels the fire. We use no physical corrections on dogs or kids other than walking her on a prong because I have torn my shoulder 3 times and can't afford another injury, she self corrects in that case. By actively ignore I mean cross our arms stand tall and keep our back to her, even if it means turning in a circle for several minutes. We don't do greetings until she calms down, and if she gets crazy we go back to actively ignoring her. Also look up clicker training, it works, it is amazing, and fun, and teaches the dog to think while also making behavior modification totally non confrontational and fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Definitely a crate. You will probably want to dog school or a few sessions with a trainer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 I'm probably not a good person to ask since I have trained exactly one very small, very sweet dog, and we got her as a puppy a little over a year ago, so I know little about starting out with an older dog. I just wanted to say that my sister (who knows more than I do about dogs) told me a while back that 18 months is the most common age for dogs to be abandoned because their behavior is really challenging. Our little one has been a holy terror for the last little while and I completely believe her. However she also said that it's such a shame too, because if people would just hold on for a few more months their dog would settle down into very nice adult dogs that they would love and adore. And I believe that too, because just in the past month or so it's like a switch has been flipped in our dog's head. All of a sudden she is sweet, cooperative, and calm in ways we have never seen before. She does still have occasional bouts of puppy crazies, and we're still working on a few things, like barking at strangers (but only when they come into the house, which isn't all bad, I WANT her to bark if there's a stranger in the house, but only until I tell her it's okay for that person to be there--then I want her to stop). But for the most part this little ball of teeth and claws and tongue and noise and energy is actually settling out into a very nice little friend. All of which is to say that part of what you're experiencing with your dog probably has to do with his age and may be less of a training issue than it looks like right now. But again, I have experience with ONE dog that we got as a puppy and are still working on, and I have no experience at all with older dogs or rescues, so take that with a grain of salt. I just wanted to offer you hope because knowing it was a "phase" helped me a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Yes, most dogs are given up between 12 and 24 months. They are "teenagers" and can be really challenging. But most of them can be reigned in with calm, firm yet gentle limits. And when given plenty of stimulation and appropriate toys to redirect some energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Definitely turning around and ignoring when they jump. Definitely clicker training. Youtube is a good starting place. We have two 5 month old puppies, plus our two grown up dogs. We go through a lot of treats. I like the jerky-type ones that you can break up into lots of little pieces. I hand out tiny little pieces when they sit. If they stay sitting, I keep giving the treats. If they get up and go crazy, I turn until they settle down and sit again. Definitely lots of exercise. Do you have a crate? If not, it would be a nice way for everyone to take a break. The first week, especially with rescue or shelter dogs, can be very different from what their real personality is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 We do have a crate. This afternoon, he was getting wound up and I put him in the crate. He laid down and was quiet and calm. He is starting to respond to "sit", and walking on the leash is getting better every walk. He was good at the vet today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowing Brook Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Eric Letendre Is a wonderful dog trainer. He has tons of you tube videos for how to train your dogs with different behavior problems. He also has a book. His information is what has allowed us to keep our very out of control dog. Congrats on your new dog. http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Training-Ultimate-Guide-ebook/dp/B00ANYEDTC http://www.dogtraininginnercircle.com/home.php?varset=s:438-pm:p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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