Please explain the situation

[Zen Fox]

I haven't been here for awhile, but my pup, Ambur is doing well. She knows sit, down, and stand on command. But this topic isn't about her.

My step-mom's male papillon is strange. Whenever he's around her, he barks at everybody. If she's not around, though, he's the opposite. In fact, he shakes in fear from my brother and me. I don't know why: We've never done anything to him. Why is he so aggressive around her, but a wimp by himself? I hate that dog because it barks constantly as long as his *bi*ch* is around. lol. I think he's dominated her. Is he trying to dominate other people? Because if he is, a gentle stroke of my back hand will put him in his rightful place. I really don't want to be mean, but she doesn't train him and lets him dominate her and he's really, REALLY pissing me off.

My goal is to make it so that whenever I walk by, he'll sit in a submissive position even whn he's around her and not make a peep.

[oriondw]

Train him yourself. Take them both for walks, etc.


Get him to relax around her.

[minismom]

Hitting him will do no good!!!

[Zen Fox]

Hitting him will do no good!!!


I heard that if you wrestle and pin a dog, you show them you're dominant. I'd rather do this than actually train him because he's not my dog. And this dog is not the brightest compared to most other dogs. I'm also busy training my genious pup. He's got issues, she and her idiot husband have issues, and I'm the one annoyed. I don't want to walk him because I loathe him

Why does he bark only when he's around my step-mom and turn in to a little sissy that he truly is when left with other people?

[Brattina88]

Edit: I deleted this post on my own because I've decided that I'm in too crummy of a mood to post any good advice without being rude :rolleyes: Sorry !! :p

[Rubylove]

Zen Fox, first of all, calm down. Your anger is not helping your situation. I know it's frustrating, but you'll have more success if you can start again from the beginning with a clean slate.

The dog cowers in fear around you because it knows you hate it. Dogs are masters at body language, and they also have incredible senses of smell and your emotions come across as hormone smells to them. It smells hatred and anger. No wonder it is weird around you. It feels safe when your mother is around, and so it responds to your body language and smells of hate and anger by barking at you. This dog is being a dog, it is not its fault that it hasn't been trained properly.

Rather than hating this poor animal, why don't you take the time to make it's life happier?? It is clearly miserable, and no one wants to help it. I would feel sorry for it, not `loathe' it.

The dog is confused, it has issues with dominance, it doesn't get any structured training or learning from it's owner, and then when you or your brother are around it's terrified because it fears you. And rightly so. It is obvious to other people when they are not liked, to dogs that is absolutely magnified 1000 percent.

You have stated a goal, and then you have stated that you're not willing to do anything to achieve that goal, because he's not your dog. Well, it's not going to happen on its own. Someone needs to take care of this poor pup, and if you have come here to ask for a quick fix, it ain't gonna happen.

You will get solid advice on how to help this dog, or perhaps educate your mother on how to help it, but you will not get anything if you rant and rave about how much you hate the dog, you want it to behave, but you're not prepared to do anything about it.

Dogs need to be taught, they behave like dogs, not like people. Being angry and frustrated is part and parcel of pet ownership, but the more you behave like this the less progress you will make. I have had times when I could rip my hair out and scream the house down with frustration and anger, so I just go somewhere else and have a little nervous breakdown on my own!!

A little story. When Ruby was a little puppy, Max and I had a HUGE fight right in front of her. She wet herself about five times until we realised what we were doing. They can't handle their own doggy emotions a lot of the time, how are they supposed to handle ours, too?

If you want help with this dog, you'll get it here, but you need to let us know that you are prepared to spend the time - even a little time - that will make all the difference to this poor unhappy dog's life.

PS - Do not EVER use the wrestle/submissive roll on this dog. It's confused enough already. If you want it to freak out and bite you, this is the way to make that happen. It will not work, and it will make the situation ten times worse than it already is.

[Saje]

That's excellent advice Ruby. I know my dogs love most people but anyone I don't like (most recently my landlord) is NOT welcome in the house. Part of it is my feelings towards him and the other part is his mannerisms.

[sparks19]

I heard that if you wrestle and pin a dog, you show them you're dominant. I'd rather do this than actually train him because he's not my dog. And this dog is not the brightest compared to most other dogs. I'm also busy training my genious pup. He's got issues, she and her idiot husband have issues, and I'm the one annoyed. I don't want to walk him because I loathe him

Why does he bark only when he's around my step-mom and turn in to a little sissy that he truly is when left with other people?


if you don't wish to spend any time with this dog and if you hate it so much than you should just not be around it at all. You "loathing" the dog and treating him badly because you are angry at your step mother isn't going to help. In fact it will likely end up with YOU getting the business end of a fearful dog. Put him into the Alpha roll if you really think that will help but do NOT come down on that dog when he bites you because he doesn't like what you are doing and he is scared. If you get bitten it is your own fault and I would hate for the poor dog to pay the price for your anger and hatred towards him. I just say stay as far away from that dog as you can. You will both be better off

[Zen Fox]

Rubylove, what you say makes sense and I'm *gasp* willing to teach this flea while covering my hatred with encouragement and pseudo love.

I have no idea how to get a dog to stop barking as much. You have to remember my step mom is overly protective of this dog and she'll be suspicious if I all of a sudden start hanging around her dog. Plus, the dog rarely comes close to me, which is smart on his part (until now since I'm going to shed my love on it).

What's the first step?

And Brattina88: You should be sorry. My God, control your temper!!! This should be a forum of advice and encouragement.

[Zen Fox]

if you don't wish to spend any time with this dog and if you hate it so much than you should just not be around it at all. You "loathing" the dog and treating him badly because you are angry at your step mother isn't going to help. In fact it will likely end up with YOU getting the business end of a fearful dog. Put him into the Alpha roll if you really think that will help but do NOT come down on that dog when he bites you because he doesn't like what you are doing and he is scared. If you get bitten it is your own fault and I would hate for the poor dog to pay the price for your anger and hatred towards him. I just say stay as far away from that dog as you can. You will both be better off



Well, that would be great advice if the dog wasn't in my house 24/7 always yapping. I'm guessing a five pound dogs' bites don't hurt, anyways. But, all this advice is useless since Rubylove is going to instruct me on how to teach this dog imposter to cut back on his yapping and growling.

[Zen Fox]

if you don't wish to spend any time with this dog and if you hate it so much than you should just not be around it at all. You "loathing" the dog and treating him badly because you are angry at your step mother isn't going to help. In fact it will likely end up with YOU getting the business end of a fearful dog. Put him into the Alpha roll if you really think that will help but do NOT come down on that dog when he bites you because he doesn't like what you are doing and he is scared. If you get bitten it is your own fault and I would hate for the poor dog to pay the price for your anger and hatred towards him. I just say stay as far away from that dog as you can. You will both be better off



Well, that would be great advice if the dog wasn't in my house 24/7 always yapping. I'm guessing a five pound dogs' bites don't hurt, anyways. But, all this advice is useless since Rubylove is going to instruct me on how to teach this dog imposter to cut back on his yapping and growling. And I never treated him badly. Please read all the posts before responding.

[sparks19]

Well, that would be great advice if the dog wasn't in my house 24/7 always yapping. I'm guessing a five pound dogs' bites don't hurt, anyways. But, all this advice is useless since Rubylove is going to instruct me on how to teach this dog imposter to cut back on his yapping and growling. And I never treated him badly. Please read all the posts before responding.

You may not have been treating it badly yet but you made it perfectly clear that you have no problem backhanding the dog in the head as you so clearly pointed out in one of the first posts.

I don't imagine a bit from any size dog would feel good. Especially if he gets you in the face. One of those pointy teeth gets you in the eye and it won't matter if it was 5 lbs or 50 lbs.

But I'm glad you have some guidance now from Rubylove. She won't steer you wrong

[Saje]

My advice would be to leave the dog under your stepmom's care. Assuming that it's loved and taken care of everything should be good. It's not your responsibility to change someone's dog just becasue you don't like it's behaviour.

[Zen Fox]

You may not have been treating it badly yet but you made it perfectly clear that you have no problem backhanding the dog in the head as you so clearly pointed out in one of the first posts.

I don't imagine a bit from any size dog would feel good. Especially if he gets you in the face. One of those pointy teeth gets you in the eye and it won't matter if it was 5 lbs or 50 lbs.


No. I said I would gently backhand him if that's what it would take to put him in his place. I also said I didn't want to do that when I said, "I really don't want to be mean." As in I really, really don't want to use force. But I don't like that term "force" -- it sounds painful. A gentle backhand is not painful, just enough to be domineering.

And I wear glasses. No way would he get to my eyes.

[Rubylove]

I'm guessing a five pound dogs' bites don't hurt, anyways...
Wrong!!! It'll hurt like mad....lol....a two-pound CAT can give you a killer bite!!! And anyway, the size of the dog shouldn't matter, a bite is a bite - and if he learns to bite he'll bite anyone and anything.

First things first. I would like to ask you some personal questions (not too personal!!), so I wonder if you would like to email me so that we can have a chat about this pup and what to do in private?

You can get me on trainingtips@iprimus.com.au. I will talk to you at length and in depth tonight when I get home from work, which will be about 6 o'clock, which is seven hours away.

Then we can get to the bottom of your problems with this little dog, and start building a happy life for him together!!

[Zen Fox]

My advice would be to leave the dog under your stepmom's care. Assuming that it's loved and taken care of everything should be good. It's not your responsibility to change someone's dog just becasue you don't like it's behaviour.


Up until this point, I've been doing what you're suggesting, but you have to realize the amount of yapping is getting me to my boiling point. It's not just me, but everyone, including my step-mom. She just won't do anything with him. Well, that's not 100% accurate. She tells him to stop, but it doesn't sway him to stop.

Plus, my lovely lady, Ambur hardly makes noise. She only makes low grunts when her dog is instigating and when Ambur replies, that flea goes hog-wild. then, my step-mom puts Ambur outside as if she's instigating. Dogs wrestle, I realize, but her dog goes overboard. And I want Ambur to be more of a house dog and I'm trying to house train her. If she's always outside, then she'll get confused about where to go to the bathroom. Again, I encourage dogs to wrestle: It's good exercise, but not when it gets mean and her dog gets mean. I've been thinking about training my sweet Ambur to get mean with other dogs, but she's to sweet for that. When she's ready to get hostile, she will.

So maybe people that have been on me can cut me some slack. I'm not talking about you, Saje.

[Zen Fox]

Wrong!!! It'll hurt like mad....lol....a two-pound CAT can give you a killer bite!!! And anyway, the size of the dog shouldn't matter, a bite is a bite - and if he learns to bite he'll bite anyone and anything.

First things first. I would like to ask you some personal questions (not too personal!!), so I wonder if you would like to email me so that we can have a chat about this pup and what to do in private?

You can get me on trainingtips@iprimus.com.au. I will talk to you at length and in depth tonight when I get home from work, which will be about 6 o'clock, which is seven hours away.

Then we can get to the bottom of your problems with this little dog, and start building a happy life for him together!!


For sure. I look forward to it. But you have to realize it's just not me that's annoyed with him. It's everyone in my house. I'm just the only one that's willing to do something about it. And that dog is happy. Like I said, he's dominant of his owner.

[RedyreRottweilers]

Zen, you will NEVER fool a dog with false good will.

[RedyreRottweilers]

And don't blame the dog. Blame the owner. If the owner is not willing to participate in modifying the dog's behavior, it will never change.

[Rubylove]

Of course - if you didn't want to help him you would never have posted about him in the first place!! I'm sure the dog is very annoying - as much as we love them, it doesn't mean that they're not annoying sometimes! - but we'll sort it out and then you'll ALL love him!

[Rubylove]

Zen, you will NEVER fool a dog with false good will.
And that's very true. He won't believe you, and will just get more confused. Remember, they work on body language (that you are unaware of) and smelling your feelings. If you ACT like you love him, but you SMELL like you hate him, he won't know what's what!! Better to just be yourself and not try to fake anything - the lovin' will come when he starts responding to you.

[Doberluv]

Rubylove gave you excellent advice.

Remember, dogs don't communicate the way we do and they don't understand anger or high level emotions. It confuses and frightens them. This little dog has probably been in a situation for a long time where he's insecure about who his leader is...not a correct kind of leader. This is something dogs must have in order to function normally.

May I suggest that you ask your step mom if she'd go along with some stuff you're learning about on a dog forum and would she like to learn with you in order to help the dog be better behaved and happier.

You could tell her some things you're learning and show her.

Before you can reach this little dog, you'll have to gain it's trust in you. That would be the very first step. Kindness, calmness and a feeling of confidence in yourself will be the needed ingredients. You'll have to withstand the yapping for a while and try to fight the nervousness that it will cause you...for a while. First get a relationship going with this dog.

Find out what treats he likes best....really special ones. And use those to help. See if he'll come over to you and get a treat. Does he know "sit?" Lure him into a sit with the treat and then give it to him. Spend some time trying to make friends with him. Is there a game or toy he likes that you could play with him? If he's not into that, don't worry. Find out what he likes and use it to your advantage...either to help win trust or as a reward for a small task.

If you try and dominate with force of any kind and have a power struggle with this dog, you won't win his trust. In wild dogs and wolves, the alpha is fair, calm, gentle....never harsh, just sure of himself and in charge. He enforces the rules to keep the others safe with firmness and he provides resources...he divides the kill up for the other wolves and decides who will get what and when.

You'll have to work to get the anger and emotions out of it. Dogs do not understand that. How you will become a leader is to be trusted, sure of yourself, kind, but firm. Teaching him a little skill here and there will also show him that you're in charge. If he knows or learns sit or come because you'll reward him when he does, that can be used as something he must do to earn a reward and praise. Soon he will enjoy learning because it's going to be fun. He'll start looking up to you.

Then you can work on teaching him other things, like "enough" yapping. Rubylove and the others can help you a lot too. There are lots of good ideas floating around this forum.

Let's all put our heads together. I think you'll need the cooperation of others who interact with the dog to really help the animal, otherwise, it's going to be quite confusing.

Don't worry too much about being insulted. Things get written sometimes on the Internet which aren't exactly how they were meant. It's really hard to communicate this way, especially when you can't see eachothers faces, body language, gestures, hear inflections in voice etc. So, try to get the gist of the information and concentrate on that instead of feeling hurt or mad. Let's get to it and try to fix this problem.

Best wishes.

[bubbatd]

He is her problem ... not yours . And what's wrong with your Amber peeing outside ?? I just wouldn't take my dog over , if it upsets you so.

[Zen Fox]

He is her problem ... not yours . And what's wrong with your Amber peeing outside ?? I just wouldn't take my dog over , if it upsets you so.



I don't have a problem with Ambur going to the bathroom outside -- I want her to, but the problem is when my step-mom constantly puts her out there when she and her dog get in to it. I want her to go outside only to go to the bathroom or play, not to be forced outside just because she responds to her dog with grunts when he's instigating rough play. My concern is she'll be confused where to go because she's outside all the time when she doesn't have to go. She knows what out means, but she doesn't know why she goes out... That's the problem. I would expect my step-mom to be so stupid as to do this because her dog is almost a year old and isn't housetrained -- not the dog's fault, but the owners for not training him. RedyreRottweilers would approve of that statement.



Thanks, everyone, for all the great advice. I've actually learned a lot already, especially about dogs picking up on negative vibes and being nice as the alpha (I seriously thought head of packs wrestled lower members to prove their dominance). Is it ok to wrestle with dogs that trust you? Do they look at it as a dominating behavior and are they ok with it?

Rubylove, I have to go to bed, but I promise I'll email you tomorrow. Training this dog may not be as bad as I thought it would be. We'll see.

See you all tomorrow.

[Rubylove]

Ok I'll speak to you tomorrow! Have a good sleep...lol

Also, I would not recommend wrestling. There are many games that have dominance problems associated with them - wrestling, tug-of-war etc. These can be ok with some dogs (although I don't use them) but should not be used with others. You want games such as fetch, which the dogs love, but will establish YOUR dominance. Playing with a toy - throwing it and then getting the dog to bring it back and give it up to you is a great way to get them to see you as leader. There's others you can play, too, which will not confuse the dog in any way.

[RedyreRottweilers]

You know, I have to say I see a pattern here.

First, one dog is stupid because it does not respond to incorrect and poor training techniques.

Now you hate this dog for it's behavior, and you want to show it the back of your hand.

You also insinuate on another thread that dogs are vindictive and eliminate in the house for revenge.

I don't think you like dogs very much, and I have to wonder why you even come here.

Unless of course, it's to stir things up.

[Rubylove]

You know, I have to say I see a pattern here.

First, one dog is stupid because it does not respond to incorrect and poor training techniques.

Now you hate this dog for it's behavior, and you want to show it the back of your hand.

You also insinuate on another thread that dogs are vindictive and eliminate in the house for revenge.

I don't think you like dogs very much, and I have to wonder why you even come here.

Unless of course, it's to stir things up.
I think, perhaps, that this poster came here for help, and is just not familiar with dogs, their behaviour, or their ways. There are many out there like that, and if we can help one person who is asking for help then we can smile and say we've done a good thing today.

[Doberluv]

Redyre....some people just don't understand dogs very well or at all. They make statements which show this. If they are asking for help, it shows that they have an interest in learning or would like some help with one or two particular things. That is what this forum is for. If after a long time, there seems to be a real resistance to accepting the information given by more experienced dog people, then and only then we might conclude that someone is trying to stir things up. But we can't jump to that conclusion at this point. It's way too early for that. That is something that the moderators or admin will evaluate if and when the time comes. :)

[Zoom]

I don't have a problem with Ambur going to the bathroom outside -- I want her to, but the problem is when my step-mom constantly puts her out there when she and her dog get in to it. I want her to go outside only to go to the bathroom or play, not to be forced outside just because she responds to her dog with grunts when he's instigating rough play. My concern is she'll be confused where to go because she's outside all the time when she doesn't have to go. She knows what out means, but she doesn't know why she goes out... That's the problem. I would expect my step-mom to be so stupid as to do this because her dog is almost a year old and isn't housetrained -- not the dog's fault, but the owners for not training him. RedyreRottweilers would approve of that statement.



Thanks, everyone, for all the great advice. I've actually learned a lot already, especially about dogs picking up on negative vibes and being nice as the alpha (I seriously thought head of packs wrestled lower members to prove their dominance). Is it ok to wrestle with dogs that trust you? Do they look at it as a dominating behavior and are they ok with it?

Rubylove, I have to go to bed, but I promise I'll email you tomorrow. Training this dog may not be as bad as I thought it would be. We'll see.

See you all tomorrow.

I think you're not giving your dog enough credit as far as the outside bathroom thing. Once she's learned that "outside is for potty", that's what she'll do. My dogs spend a huge amount of time outside and there is no confusion as far as the potty training goes.

As far as your step-mom's dog goes, well, Papillions are notorious for being hard to housebreak. We have a member on here who is on her way to being an excellent trainer and her 2 year old Pap isn't reliable inside either. It's a small-breed thing. Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, the toy terriers, etc...all fairly hard when it comes to housebreaking. I understand that you don't think much of your stepmom, or at least not her actions towards dog training (i.e. none)

I wrestle with my Aussie, but I make sure that I'm the one initiating the play and I say when it stops. If he starts getting too rough and using his teeth at all, fun's over. Also, I try to make sure that I'm never letting him push me on my back, because that is a dominant/submissive position.

[RD]

Papillons are sneaky little devils, the worst thing you can do is to underestimate their intelligence and capability of thinking. Obviously, he knows he can get away with murder with your stepmom, and that is why he yaps all the time when he is with her. If you are firmer or don't reinforce his yapping, that would explain why he doesn't bark when he's around you.
I would suggest learning more about the Papillon breed, so you can get an idea of what you're dealing with. They are extremely intelligent and will get away with whatever they can. My feeling is that the reason this little dog is misbehaving so much is because he's had no discipline from your step-mom. It doesn't sound like anyone has taken the time to train him, and he's likely just misbehaving out of boredom. Papillons are energetic little dogs and when they're bored, they're going to cause trouble. When she's talking to people with yappy dogs, my friend always says "a busy dog can't yap" and she is so right. If you keep his attention on you or something else, he won't be able to bark.

But.... since you seem to despise him, I can't be too sure that you will even get past the "pseudo-love" part of it. he most likely will never fall for it.
My Papillon can read people's intentions like a book. If they aren't wild about him, he takes the same approach to them. If I want to give him a bath, and don't even say anything when I go to pick him up (NOTHING is different than when I just pick him up for a cuddle) he hangs his head and grumbles. I imagine it is because I have reservations, something is very subtly different about me or my body language that signals to him that I'm not just going to pick him up and give him a smooch. If he can read those differences, I have NO doubt that he could tell the difference between masked hatred and actual fondness. And, to be perfectly honest, if you hate the dog so much you should stay away from it until you can have an open mind about training it. Trying to train it now will only lead to your immense frustration and a very fearful dog.

If you ever do need help understanding the dog I'd be happy to assist you, as my Pap sounds a bit similar. If I just let him run amok, he'd be yapping, biting and soiling the house all day long. But with fair, consistent and firm leadership, he is a really cool little dog and a lot of fun to be around.

Edit: Didn't see Zoom's last post, but I am the one with the Papillon that is still not reliably house trained. It is not because my dog is dumb, but rather because he is so tiny and the house is so huge. If he makes a mistake in the house, it's my fault for not taking him out sooner and preventing it. Blaming the dog does nothing.

[Doberluv]

Wonderful post RD. Terrific advice!

[rosebud*]

I think that you need to calm down when you are around the dog, and before you know you are going to see him. that will make a difference in his attitude towards you. Also you can do some training when it is just you and him, if you are concerned about you step mother's attitude. You stepmom has obviously not established herself as the leader of the pack, so he took over. everyone here gave good advice, take it it will help make your life easier with the dog.

[Zen Fox]

Papillons are sneaky little devils, the worst thing you can do is to underestimate their intelligence and capability of thinking. Obviously, he knows he can get away with murder with your stepmom, and that is why he yaps all the time when he is with her. If you are firmer or don't reinforce his yapping, that would explain why he doesn't bark when he's around you.
I would suggest learning more about the Papillon breed, so you can get an idea of what you're dealing with. They are extremely intelligent and will get away with whatever they can. My feeling is that the reason this little dog is misbehaving so much is because he's had no discipline from your step-mom. It doesn't sound like anyone has taken the time to train him, and he's likely just misbehaving out of boredom. Papillons are energetic little dogs and when they're bored, they're going to cause trouble. When she's talking to people with yappy dogs, my friend always says "a busy dog can't yap" and she is so right. If you keep his attention on you or something else, he won't be able to bark.

But.... since you seem to despise him, I can't be too sure that you will even get past the "pseudo-love" part of it. he most likely will never fall for it.
My Papillon can read people's intentions like a book. If they aren't wild about him, he takes the same approach to them. If I want to give him a bath, and don't even say anything when I go to pick him up (NOTHING is different than when I just pick him up for a cuddle) he hangs his head and grumbles. I imagine it is because I have reservations, something is very subtly different about me or my body language that signals to him that I'm not just going to pick him up and give him a smooch. If he can read those differences, I have NO doubt that he could tell the difference between masked hatred and actual fondness. And, to be perfectly honest, if you hate the dog so much you should stay away from it until you can have an open mind about training it. Trying to train it now will only lead to your immense frustration and a very fearful dog.

If you ever do need help understanding the dog I'd be happy to assist you, as my Pap sounds a bit similar. If I just let him run amok, he'd be yapping, biting and soiling the house all day long. But with fair, consistent and firm leadership, he is a really cool little dog and a lot of fun to be around.

Edit: Didn't see Zoom's last post, but I am the one with the Papillon that is still not reliably house trained. It is not because my dog is dumb, but rather because he is so tiny and the house is so huge. If he makes a mistake in the house, it's my fault for not taking him out sooner and preventing it. Blaming the dog does nothing.


Thanks for the advice. What can I do to make him not so aggressive with other dogs? My dog will make a little movement around people and he'll go haywire. This is the number one behavior that I want to curve.

[Zen Fox]

You know, I have to say I see a pattern here.

First, one dog is stupid because it does not respond to incorrect and poor training techniques.

Now you hate this dog for it's behavior, and you want to show it the back of your hand.

You also insinuate on another thread that dogs are vindictive and eliminate in the house for revenge.

I don't think you like dogs very much, and I have to wonder why you even come here.

Unless of course, it's to stir things up.


And penguins annoy me too. lol.

[Zen Fox]

Redyre, didn't someone leave the forum because of you?

[Rubylove]

Redyre, didn't someone leave the forum because of you?
Now now! Let's be nice - everyone is here because of a mutual love for dogs. We all get frustrated and angry every now and then.

[Zoom]

Yes, let's keep this civil and on topic. Anything else, take to PM's or just leave it alone.

Zen, is there anyway you can keep the two dogs seperated? Have the Pap be in another room while you are playing with your dog? Do either of them have crates?

[Zen Fox]

Yes, let's keep this civil and on topic. Anything else, take to PM's or just leave it alone.

Zen, is there anyway you can keep the two dogs seperated? Have the Pap be in another room while you are playing with your dog? Do either of them have crates?


Yes, but that's not the point because that's only a temporary solution. Ambur is fine. It's Leon that goes hog-wild. But, of course, I seperate them when training them. Leon needs to act civilly around other dogs and stop yapping all the time.

Here's where I stand now:
I want to teach Leon not to yap all the time and be nicer to other dogs.

Everything else can be handled by his owner. So, basically, what I teach him is the only thing he'll ever know. lol.

[Rubylove]

Yes, but that's not the point because that's only a temporary solution. Ambur is fine. It's Leon that goes hog-wild. But, of course, I seperate them when training them. Leon needs to act civilly around other dogs and stop yapping all the time.

Here's where I stand now:
I want to teach Leon not to yap all the time and be nicer to other dogs.

Everything else can be handled by his owner. So, basically, what I teach him is the only thing he'll ever know. lol.
It may not be that easy. In order to respect you and obey you, you will have to start slowly and work up to the yapping. You won't be able to just stop him yapping and have him well socialised and nothing else. That's just not how it will work. But anyway we'll talk further when you email me ;)

[Zen Fox]

I emailed you today.

[RD]

Thanks for the advice. What can I do to make him not so aggressive with other dogs? My dog will make a little movement around people and he'll go haywire. This is the number one behavior that I want to curve. Sounds like he feels he is above your pup and wants to control her. Best way to deal with this is to not reinforce the behavior. Keep him on lead, and slowly get her in the room with him. BEFORE he even considers going after her, distract him with a command. (Yes, I would definitely recommend teaching something simple like "sit" before working on any issues with other dogs. Sit is a "magic" word to my Papillon) When he obeys, reward him and immediately remove her from the room. Gradually move your pup closer and keep her in a sit-stay or down-stay, and make him sit and watch you longer and longer. Reward his obedience every step of the way. Work towards getting her to lay close to him without him reacting to her, and getting him to keep his attention on you instead of on her. Once he will reliably sit and watch you while she is near him, let her get up and walk around. Start over, and make him sit for only a moment before rewarding him and sending her out of the room. It'll be a long, slow process to desensitize him to her presence, but it works wonders if you just want him to ignore her.
If you don't feel like spending the time training him, I would recommend separating them.

By the way, you do need to consider that this dog may not want much to do with your training at first. Papillons tend to "like all and love one", and it takes some time for them to accept a new handler. He might have no respect for you whatsoever for a couple of weeks, which is why it is important to build a bond before beginning training. Learn to understand him first.

[Rubylove]

I don't seem to have got your email, Zen. Could you resend it? If it doesn't come through again I'll give you an alternative address ;)