Help with 1 year old english springer

viktory

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

over the weekend I found out that as soon as we go out, or go upstairs, he goes into the not allowed areas. I feel really upset that he obviously isnt trying to please us as I had thought, and feel as though everything we have trained him to do is irelevant as he will just do the opposite when we are not there???!!!.

I'll be honest - this made me laugh. My two are not allowed on the furniture and are really good about following this rule when we are home. So where does all the hair come from when we are out?

You are expecting way too much from you dog.

Caroline_a

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

I dont want to use baby gates - done all that when the kids were little! he does not go into rooms that he isnt allowed when we are not there, so he knows that he is allowed.

I've thought about this for a while. You are basically putting human thoughts and reasoning expectations on to a dog. You need to understand how a dog's mind works - it's very different from us humans! A dog will want to please you, but if you aren't around he won't really care as he cannot reason like that. You need to provide physical barriers, shut doors, etc. If you can't do that then expect him to be investigating those areas where he 'isn't allowed'. Mine aren't allowed upstairs, so when I go out all doors are shut, and they are left with the run of the dining room and kitchen. If I didn't do this, they'd be happily asleep on the beds when I came home!

You do say this is your first dog, and personally I feel that a Springer is not a dog for a beginner. However, it is what it is, so you need to prepare yourself for about another year of 'teenage' behaviour. Once you are through that, and keep reinforcing the training then you will have a well behaved dog that you can be proud of. Owning a dog is, as they say, for life, and they go through stages where even the most dedicated dog lover could quite happily strangle them.

Good luck!

aliasojo

With regards to the pulling, I know a behaviourist who recommends these....http://www.cannyco.co.uk/home.html

vax2002

Just to add, never be tempted to use a choke chain on a dog that pulls, they can cause fits, often hours after they are used .

Lifeisbutadream

DogsBody wrote: »

I like the 'bike' suggestion, I'm thinking about doing that myself!

When you say he's not interested in treats, is this when you are 'out and about'? Would you say he seems more excited, or more stressed (food not 'high value' to a stressed/excited dog)? Is he a hunter (well obviously, he's a spanner!), but has he had plenty of opportunity to 'please himself' hunting so that he finds you less interesting?

There is some evidence to suggest that mad pulling on the lead can be linked to stress, and stressed dogs don't learn too well - would you say he is stressy, or is he just a busy young hooligan?

He is not interested in treats when we are out - he is far too busy!!

Lifeisbutadream

suki1964 wrote: »

Sounds to me that although you say you have "tried everything" you havent actually tried one thing long enough to train him - hes not trained

Thats not having a go at you as so many of us find stopping a dog pulling on the lead just too difficult and either get a harness or like you - give up on the lead walks

So either get the harness - one that does stop him in his tracks if he pulls or go back to basics and make every walk a training session till he gets it - and now hes going through puberty its going to take a while

I hold my hands up here, my last lad I never got him lead trained because I couldn't walk him for months due to an injury but I taught him to walk to heal off lead and we would often walk Tooting to Putney like that not a problem

This lad is a puller ( cocker) but as long as I have a tennis ball in my hand he dont go to far ahead - the tennis ball is the only treat hes interested in when out, food doesnt do it

Thanks - I had a bad back for months earlier this year which didnt help lead training, but he is perfect in that he doesnt go far - off the lead he is a dream - its like he is on a string - I just call or whistle and straight back he comes.

I would probably have more luck training him to walk next to me without a lead!

Lifeisbutadream

Caroline_a wrote: »

You mention that you want your children to walk him. How old are they? If it's the children that you want to walk the dog then the training should be happening with them as the focus, or the dog will just take advantage and you'll have a potential disaster - I heard of a lab last year who pulled his owner under a lorry's wheels. Dog and owner both killed.

I agree that you haven't given any of the training methods a decent chance. No dog can continue to pull on a Halti - if you are holding it right, it just turns their head and unless they are backing up (in which case it will probably come off), then they don't have the correct muscles to pull. If my 54kg Shepherd can't pull with one, I'm sure your dog can't!!

My children are 8 and 12 - they cant even walk him to the field nearby as they just get pulled along.

I would love to show you what he does with the halti - I promise he pulls on it!! it is not pleasurable to walk him on it at all as the whole walk is just loads of grunts and pulls and stops.

liam8282

I will give you my thoughts, I am no expert, but just speak from experience.

I had a dog which died last year, 12.5 years old, and we have now just got a puppy, 12 weeks old.

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

I have a one year old English Springer Spaniel.

I have never had a dog before (we got him when he was 4 months old).

I have a number of problems, which is basically ruining my enjoyment of having him:

1. He pulls so hard on the lead that my children cannot take him out and i hate walking him so much I now just drive him to a field/river so that I do not have to walk him on the lead. I have tried everything (different collards, training etc.) - he does it for so long and then just 'forgets' (or doesnt care) I walk to places several times a day and if this didnt happen he would have absolutely loads of walks!

You need to persevere with this one. You have to teach your dog how to keep to your pace. When the dog starts pulling forward, I either stopped completely and made the dog stop, or pull them back as you are walking forward. It is just a repetitive method, but that is how I taught my dog.

The dog breed I have is Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which is a dog which pulls as it walks, but you can teach them not to do it.

I would suggest getting a harness for your dog as this takes the strain of the dog pulling.

Also, a point I might add, I am 6ft and walk quite fast, as I walk the dog the majority of the time, the dog is used to walking at my speed, so if my partner takes the dog out the dog is pulling her along, until he adjusts to her walking speeds.

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

2. He is only allowed in certain areas in the house (i.e. not on carpetted areas) - he has done this beautifully almost since day one, but over the weekend I found out that as soon as we go out, or go upstairs, he goes into the not allowed areas. I feel really upset that he obviously isnt trying to please us as I had thought, and feel as though everything we have trained him to do is irelevant as he will just do the opposite when we are not there???!!!

Could you imagine leaving a child in a room with a box, telling the child not to look in the box and then leaving the room. The child will look in the box.

A dog is the same, they are inquisitive and will want to look around the house.

If you do not want them going in certain rooms or areas, you need to make them inaccessible, by shutting doors or gating them off.

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

3. As above I trained him to wee and poo in certain areas in the garden - the minute my back is turned he goes in the middle of the lawn (not good when I have children who play on the grass)

These may seem petty to some and basically he is a good dog, but at the moment I am feeling very indifferent to him and am not sure how to handle my feelings and how to change things.

It would be extremely difficult to make a dog go to the toilet in specific certain areas in your garden.

However, you can train your dog to go the toilet when you take it for walks. But you need to set strict times and stick to them.

Lifeisbutadream

aliasojo wrote: »

With regards to the pulling, I know a behaviourist who recommends these....http://www.cannyco.co.uk/home.html

Tried them..

Gingham_R

How much exercise does the dog get? They're not couch potato dogs and need to be kept busy from what I can remember of my friend's dogs as a child.