Training. Can anyone help me?

Here I am again . This time I would like to ask you some things about training. I am thinking that is time to learn some things to this little devil (probably 2,5 months old Great Pyrenees or Golden Retrevier see here http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1646 if you want to decide by yourself) but I don’t know what and how. So, I would be pleased if anyone could suggest me a site with good training tutorials. I search a little the web but the tutorials I founded assumed that you are having the dog indoors and he he is alone without having contact with other animals, canine or not. In mine case the things are different.

1. The dog is living outdoors and he has more than 600 square meters (even if he uses less) to run and play.
2. Although there isn’t other dog to play with he has a bunch of cats (6 to be more precise) to play, at least as he thinks because they probably think that some times he torture them.

As you can understand the dog can run and play whenever he want it and as long as he want. The tutorial that I have founded assumes that the dogs feel restrained and need attention and if you give it the through training you will have results. In my case the dogs already has that so what I can do? He doesn’t get crazy if I pet it because he had the cats to play with. He doesn’t care if I get mad with him because I cannot provide him something that he already doesn’t have (except food). That’s why I am asking for you to suggest me any tutorial that considers this 2 parameters. Also I don’t care to learn my dog how to behave in house, because he never enter it, but I want to learn him not to destroy every flower or search in the garbage.


Today was the first day I put leash on him. At the start get really mad and try either to pull it with his teethes either to get away. I tried to do what he wants, at the beginning, until he acclimatized. Afterwards we went for a little walk. I noticed that he whiny even if all the pressure (while he pulling to get away) from the collar was on his scruff and not at his neck. The most time I do exactly the opposite that he did. When we stopped 15 minutes letter and kneel to pet him he licked my hand. Why did that? He hadn’t done that again.

Why do you have a dog if you don't want him with you in the house? Dogs need to be with their people. They are social animals.

The books and/or videos by the Monks of New Skete can give you some very good insight. www.dogsbestfriend.com

I have a similar situation (training problems)

My dog is really hyper. He jumped out of our garage window. ( I told you that so you can get an idea of how hyper he is) I train him every day, but he just never gets it. Yesterday, he finally sat when I told him to, but today he won't do it again...

First af all let me say to you how I obtained this dog. I don’t actually plan it to get it, just happened. What mean with this? I will explain it right away. Almost 5 weeks ago my father learned that one old man with health problems was about to abandon 6 or 7 little puppies because he couldn’t take care of them. He could only take care their mother and he will leave to theirs fate (death is maybe the most appropriate word) the little puppies. Living and caring for so many years little animals my father couldn’t just stay without do something. Then he agreed with some of his friends, who wanted to have a dog at home, to take 1 puppy (or more) each. That’s how this puppy ended up to my hands. The way I obtained it don’t mean that I don’t love him and care about him.

I don’t leave the dog outdoor because I don’t love him or as a kind of punishment. I just can’t imagine the dog living indoors. Here in Greece is very common to have our dogs’ outdoors. And I don’t mean that they just dump them outside. I know 5 peoples who have dog and all (including me) ensures that the dog has a place to stay and be worm and protected by wind, rain or even snow. So I don’t even think about the possibility to put the dog indoors. After alls I think that a dog will be far happier to be in his environment (outdoors) than in ours (indoors). Having this in mind I think that is a bit cruel to sustain the dog indoors if you have a large outdoor space for him.

The problem is that he don’t really seems to care if I praise him when he do something good or give him a disappointment look if he do something wrong. All the training tutorials I have seen assumes that the dog sees you as a god (or half god in some cases ) and for that he tries to do things that content you. All the tutorial assumes that the dog hadn’t other animal to interact and playing with him will disappear his loneliness. It’s like a trade you give him attention (which he need it desperately) and he gives you attention when you pleased or displeased with his actions. As I explained you before my dog seems to be content playing with cats (even if they don’t respond) and he don’t wait from me to satisfy this need. That’s why I am asking for you if you know any good training tutorial which considers that the dogs lives outdoors and has other animal to play with.

In my opinion it seems to be as though your pup has bonded with the cats instead of you. I would like to make a suggestion that perhaps at least during his very young months you might consider having him join you in the house at least a few hours a day/night in an effort to establish a strong bond between the two of you. As a pup he needs to socialize with people and during his time inside with you you can work on some training sessions which will also help increase the bond between the 2 of you. I'm sorry that I can't refer you to any tutorials for the type of training you are looking for. Perhaps you might have some luck if you search for methods for training dogs for working as livestock guardians, etc. Good luck with your pup - he is a cutie & it is great that you & others were able to provide homes for him & his littermates!

That's the problem: if your dog doesn't live in close contact with you he has no reason to be concerned with what you want or what you think.

Historically, yes, these dogs were outdoors - but they were guarding flocks and herds and that was their sole focus. The humans were also living a life that kept them outdoors with the dogs the majority of the time. It's not that the being outdoors is cruel (especially in a lovely place like Greece - I envy you), it's that the bond between dog and human needs more than an hour or so a couple of times a day, especially with these herding breeds. They have a very independent streak, a necessary trait over all those generations of tending herds. They had to be able to make independent judgements and act on those decisions to perform their duties and even to survive. The most intelligent, strongest and most tenacious dogs survived and were bred simply because they did their jobs better.

It's a good time to start taking him with you whenever possible; just spend all the time you possibly can with him. This is the time in his life when it is easiest to form a bond with him, and you need to take advantage of it. You can adapt most of the training methods to your situation quite easily, but you really do have to establish this strong bond.

You and your father did a wonderful thing by making sure these puppies weren't left to their deaths. I cannot understand how anyone can be so callous. Life is precious.

I have been in a place where you can train your dog yourself but with a help from a trainor, but then my dog kinda forgot. My dad said that australian shpherds are really anxious. Does that make them harder to train? My dog is part australian shepherd.

I think you need to consentrate on natural instincts and not so much on tutorials. What I mean is, sometimes people focus so much on what books say to do and do everything by the book, they tend to lose focus on the dog itself. You need to get to know your dog, his personality, his reactions to this and that. He is a puppy! He needs interaction with you at this time more than ever. When you do this, you will get to know him and he will get to know you and there's nothing written in a book or tutorials that can compare to that.

Easy advice, your puppy needs interaction with you ! They are babies. He's looking for guidance from you.