A brain ripe for the picking.

[CreatureTeacher]

Hello Everyone!
I'm a dog trainer in Fort Collins, CO and I love the Chazhound website! I'm a positive reinforcement trainer and problem solver, and I can talk about dogs all day! If anyone's having any furry problems, please feel free to pick my brain. (You can PM me as well, if you want.) I've also got a reasonable grasp of nutrition and plenty of opinions on products and training techniques. I'm excited to get to know everyone better, both the smooths and the fuzzies!

[Rose's Gal]

Hi and welcome to Chazhound!! :D I always thought it would be cool to be a proffesional dog trianer or dog behaviorist.

[poodlesmom]

Welcome! I'm sure your experience will be greatly appreciated! :)

[CreatureTeacher]

Aw, you're all too friendly! Well, now you've got your very own professional trainer on call. Let me know if I can help.

[Renee750il]

Thanks, Emma Lee. I'm sure you're going to be a great help. There are so many ill-advised training methods still being used - and advocated by "professional" trainers. :rolleyes:

I'll admit straight up - I'm a terrible trainer. I'm infamous for conversing with mine! It's a good thing they listen so well.

[stbernard]

HI CreatureTeacher!
I am training my 12 week old St. Bernard, Missy. I have been crate training her and about finished. She has made gr8 progress. She has not messed her crate at all! SO any advice is great. She appears to be very smart and willing to train. I will beginning to teach her the sit, stay, and so on this week.

[CreatureTeacher]

Are you just looking for general training tips? If so, check out my second post here: http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2107&page=2 . Also, feel free to browze my webpage for tips at www.dogsday.8k.com .

As a professional trainer, I can absolutely assure you that positive reinforcement training is the way to go. There's a great beginner's book called 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training' by Pamela Dennison. It'll give you a great base to build on, and it explains step-by-step how to teach your pooch the basics.

Good luck! I love Saint Bernards!

[scob89]

Since your a professional I was wondering what your professional opinion on e-collars is. I am considering getteing the Dogtra 175 NCP at www.dogtra.com (http://www.dogtra.com/) it is the first one under companion pets on the left hand side.

[CreatureTeacher]

This is a bit of a sore spot for me, so please understand that I don't want to offend anyone. This is entirely my opinion, and you can take it or leave it as you wish. Just a warning; I tend to be fairly brutal when it comes to electric shock collars.

To be perfectly frank, I think they ought to be illegal. And I'll be thrilled to tell you why.

First, I will NOT use anything on a dog that I haven't used on myself first. That includes electric shock, citronella (a smelly spray from a collar that's supposed to train dogs not to bark), choke chains, and spike collars. (Believe me, I got some odd looks walking around with a choke chain bruise on my neck. And that was just with a normal strength "correction" that most trainers consider to be perfectly acceptable.) If you've never experienced electric shock--such as that given by an e-collar--I highly recommend it. Once you've tried it, you'll never put it on your dog. It's not exactly pain that you feel, but a distinctly unpleasant sensation that you'd be willing to do pretty much anything to avoid in the future. This is, of course, why electric shock is used in aversion training, which is what an e-collar is for, and I think it's inhumane, cruel, and unnecessary.

So the collars work just like they're supposed to. You can shock your dog all day long. The problem with training in this manner is that it has behavioral "side effects". Here's an example: your dog's digging a hole in your garden. You give him a quick zot with the e-collar, and he stops digging. "Ha!" you say, "I have succeeded!" (Something less nerdy works, too.) And off you go about your business. But step into your dog's paws for a moment. Sure, he probably won't dig there anymore. But what the heck just happened to him?! He was merrily digging away, satisfying a base instinct that most dogs possess, and BAM! He's suddenly in horrifying discomfort. He knows the hold didn't do it; he's been digging there all week, and this never happened before. He knows you didn't do it; you're standing in the kitchen. He's hurt and scared and doesn't understand what's just occured. Yes, your garden is safe. But was it worth planting the seeds of what could become emotional disorders in your dog's mind?

Another example: The mailman comes every day about the same time. Every day, your dog barks at him, and lo and behold, the mailman leaves! His barking has succeeded! He's saved his pack from the evil mailman! Seriously, barking at the mailman tends to be a result of boredom, but that's another rant for another day. So you put your trusty e-collar on the dog. Next time the mailman comes, Rover takes a shock as soon as he starts barking. He may, and probably will, stop barking at the mailman. What he has learned is that the appearance of the mailman causes him pain. Barking, which in dog-speak is a very polite and hard to ignore warning, is obviously an unacceptable behavior. He is not permitted to warn the mailman away from his home. I pity that mailman the next time he has to drop a package at the door. The dog, having been taught not to warn the mailman, may just go to the next step: biting. Or he may become withdrawn from strangers, because they may cause him pain. Either way, your relationship will be damaged because you have made it clear to your dog that his communications are not acceptable.

Here's my rule of thumb for dog training: Don't do anything to your dog that you wouldn't do to your child. Even if you don't have children, you get the idea. Don't give in to "quick fixes" like e-collars, because they only cause more problems in the end. And certainly don't give those scheisters $180 to abuse your dog.

Why don't you let me try to help with your pooch? Tell me what the problem is, and I'll do everything I can think of to help. If I can't do it, then you can buy an e-collar. Just put it off for a few weeks, for your dog's sake. I'm all ears!!

[stbernard]

I have been crate training Missy, my st. bernard, for about five day now. She has had no accidents inside the crate but when I have her out, she has had afew accidents and drippled. How long does it usually take a st. bernard to potty train? I thought that her bladder had not grown but she makes it all night. Also, last night, she started to nip. What's your opinion on stopping this behavior?

[scob89]

The problem with the dog that I am fostering right now has a barking problem. He will bark at anything and has started to nip at me. Do you think a muzzle would work better for barking than an e-collar and what if you give commands with the shock? I have had one of those choke chain brusis before to and every body in wally world was giving me those looks to, so I know how you feel there.

[dogsrmylife86]

Hey, creatureteacher, i'm a very young trainer, but, i've watched dog training shows, serfed the web and read many dog training books. i'd love to make my life filled with dogs by becoming a dog trainer but, i've feel as though i've been pulled to become a vet. so, in retrospect, i've trained my two dogs (more one than the other) and am very active in 4-H. this is my fourth or fifth year in dog obedience, i'm only 14 and have my very own dog training philosophy! do you have any tips to push my Ginger over the edge in training to bump that fourth place in novice i got at state to a second, third, and FIRST! lol, i'm not really all about winning, i just want to know how far my beautiful dog can go.

alllison

[CreatureTeacher]

What kind of dog is he, scob89? And you say you're fostering him; was he in the humane society? Why are you fostering him (was he sick, too young, etc.)? When does he nip? How big is he? Explain your situation to me a little and I'll be happy to help you out. :)

[CreatureTeacher]

Good luck with your training, Allison. And good luck in vet school, too!

The only advice I have is don't push your dog farther than she wants to go. I have ethical problems with competition so I don't train for it. I've known people that have damaged their relationship with their pooch trying to get that extra "oomph" in competition. But I also know dogs and dog moms who love to compete together, each of them respecting the other's feelings. So just listen to Ginger. She'll tell you what to do!

[ChiliBeans]

Hello, Creature Teacher! It's nice to meet another very knowledgeable person I can look up to as a first-time pet owner! Our "baby" is a two year-old Chihuahua named Chili. She's the sweetest little thing! Welcome and nice to meet you!

[CreatureTeacher]

Chili is adorable! I love the picture of her with Santa.

Thanks for the kind words. It's great to be in the virtual company of so many dog people!

[Doberluv]

A belated welcome Creature Teacher. What a cute name! I think you're going to be a great help...so glad you've joined.

[CreatureTeacher]

Thank you! I quite like the name "Doberluv". (Dobies have always been my favorite. But shh, don't tell anyone!)

[dogsrmylife86]

Your website is pretty cool, Emma (?Mrs. Lee?) The training "program" so to speak we had at 4-H, no offense to the trainers we've had, aren't exactly, well, you know. lol. they're volunteers so, i'd better not say more, it's a good help for those starting out though. Lol. Allison

[i'm_sofa_king]

ok, i gots a guestion. how do your get a puppy to stop biting? we have a Shih Tzu, male, named Toby. he's about 3 months old now and he's been nipping at us for awhile. he dosen't nip at me so much anymore, but he likes to bite my wifes toes, and nip at our neice (she's 2) when she plays with him. he also likes to bite the cat in his rear, under his tail. the cat outweights him and probably always will. he weighs 19 lbs. and stands 14" tall at his back. Toby weights about 6 lbs. the cat will play with him and hold him down. sometimes he'll bite his neck, but thats only after he's pretty fed up with Toby.

any help you could give would be greatly apperciated.

[CreatureTeacher]

Eeew, no "Ms. Lee", thank you! :D

As for the nippy Shih Tzu, you need to put a stop to that ASAP or you risk ending up with a grouchy, nasty pup. First, let's try this: institute a "time out" system. If you don't yet have a kennel for your pooch, get one. It shouldn't be too expensive for a dog his size, and he'll use it all his life. Pick a kennel that will be large enough for him to turn around and lie down in when he's fully grown. Get a comfy kennel pad or doggie bed to put in it (the "bean bag" style is my favorite, although they usually aren't washable) and also put in some fun new toys and chewies. Leave the door open during the day and encourage him to get comfortable with it by tossing treats inside. Let him sleep there if he wants to. This will also serve the purpose of giving him a spot all his own, a "den", where he can have some alone time.

The kennel will also be for time outs. When he gets nippy, then shut him in his kennel for 5 or 10 minutes, then let him out. But the trick is, everyone has to do it; not just you. The cat can probably hold his own against a puppy less than half his weight, so I wouldn't worry much about that. (Sometimes I think my cats may be masochistic as far as being chased by the dogs goes. But who can fathom the mind of a cat? :) ) So give that a try, and if it doesn't seem to be helping in a week or so, I have some other ideas for you.

[i'm_sofa_king]

he has a kennel. he sleeps in at night, and is in it during the day while we are at work. i always heard not to use the kennel as a 'time-out' place. he usually just nips when he's playing. sometimes when you pick him up and he doesn't want to be held he will start to kinda growl and bark, so we just hold him until he's quiet, then let him down. that has help with that problem. he used to growl and squirm for awhile, now he shuts up pretty quick, or he'll give you a kiss on the check.