Training my EBT

wilykit

Hi everyone,

I live on my own with my 2 year old EBT, Bully and I would really love to start some training with him.

I know EBTs are stubborn - and mine certainly is so I guess I am just asking for help, advice, tips etc?

I want him to see ME as the boss...not the other way round!! :rotfl:

xx

DogsBody

Have you got Jane Killion's book?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Pigs-Fly-Training-Impossible/dp/1929242441

She has EBT's too, well worth a read for people with 'challenging';) breeds!

sarabe

I second that. Jane Killion's book is an excellent resource for owners of independant (as opposed to stubborn ) breeds.

ladymarmalade1970

I have a rottie and a staffy X. Both are pretty well trained and my partner and i are not doggy people as such. I am a member of this site http://s4.zetaboards.com/StaffiesRus/index/ which you should check out and if you don't like that one then there are several others you can look through. Just type dog training forums into google. You could probably find an EBT specific one!
A word of advice though, be careful on some of the forums. There is one Staffy forum that i know of that is not great and has some "alternative" opinions and there is also a rottie forum that i have been banned from.
If there is anything suggested that you don't feel comfortable about don't do it. You should ALWAYS trust your instincts as no one knows your dog better than you.
And one other thing, the most important thing in training is to be consistent and never give up. My dopey staffy X can now "bow" on command. The joy both he and we get from him learning stuff like this is tremendous.
Good luck :-)

elsien

DogsBody wrote: »

Have you got Jane Killion's book?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Pigs-Fly-Training-Impossible/dp/1929242441

She has EBT's too, well worth a read for people with 'challenging';) breeds!

I should have had this 12 years ago when I first took mutt on - she's a bit of a lost cause now. I could buy it ready for the next one though.

Wilykit, I took mutt to dog training classes - she was a similar age to yours when I got her and completely untrained and unsocialised. I phoned up first to check that they knew what they were getting and as we were the only "problem" dog there, they said it was ok. I just did the basic bronze canine good citizen award - (we were never going to get to silver as that involved off lead work - never going to happen!). Mainly to get mutt used to other dogs, but also to give me confidence that what I was doing was ok.
How highly strung is your bully? I found with mutt that I needed to be really calm and consistent with an awful lot of food rewards. Any raised or high pitched voice and she was bouncing off the walls. Plus putting in time every day - it's easy to think I'll do more tomorrow, then you realise a week has gone by. And lots of patience and not giving in when the little git was going her own way and completely ignoring me. The trainer said I had to make myself more interesting than anything going on around me. Which was fine until he put the bowl of food on the floor and I was meant to call her past it - never felt so daft in my life as I'm trying to sound really encouraging and mutt is stuffing her face whilst pretending I don't exist. :rotfl:
What training have you done so far, and which areas do you want to work on next?

wilykit

Elsien - I took Bully to a training class along with Mia (when I had her) and they got kicked out! I think I am going to try and do it at home myself. It might not sound like much but I have managed to get him to stop jumping up at the front door when I let him out - for weeks I have been saying 'down!' and not opening the door until he stops jumping and he has finally learned that I won't let him out until he stands and waits. Like I said, might not sound much but it has given me hope and encouragement to try and train him with other things.

I have now tried to make him sit and wait when I am giving him his food as he normally just lunges at the bowl - I have made him sit, and I hold his collar and tell him to 'wait!' and if he moves I take the bowl away and start again until he sits nicely.

I know it will take time but I know I will get there

And thanks for the advice on the book - I will deffo look into buying it! xx

ali-t

DogsBody wrote: »

Have you got Jane Killion's book?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Pigs-Fly-Training-Impossible/dp/1929242441

She has EBT's too, well worth a read for people with 'challenging';) breeds!

I bought that for a friend with bullys and it is fantastic

elsien

wilykit wrote: »

It might not sound like much but I have managed to get him to stop jumping up at the front door when I let him out - for weeks I have been saying 'down!' and not opening the door until he stops jumping and he has finally learned that I won't let him out until he stands and waits. Like I said, might not sound much but it has given me hope and encouragement to try and train him with other things.

I have now tried to make him sit and wait when I am giving him his food as he normally just lunges at the bowl - I have made him sit, and I hold his collar and tell him to 'wait!' and if he moves I take the bowl away and start again until he sits nicely.

I know it will take time but I know I will get there

xx

Sounds like a promising start - don't get discouraged if it feels like 3 steps forward and two steps back. I used to be in tears at times when everyone else was making progress and we were getting nowhere fast but we got there in the end. Perseverance is the key.

Good luck.