anybody tried a dog listener? ie someone who can communicate with your dog properly

[wishesandkisses]

Dog trainers have given up on him and he's been kicked out of puppy class. He's not nasty, there's not a bad bone in him but he's just so damn naughty. We love him dearly but we're running out of options and are soon going to have to face that we've just got a naughty boy. Constantly steals things, it's hard to stop him because he can jump over a baby gate, up onto surfaces that are 4 foot high + and has learned how to open doors and cupboards. He's a foot tall! Drags on lead with a harness on, even after months of training. Goes on 1 hour walk twice a day. Still isnt fully house trained so I've run out of ideas. He's a year old. I know many dogs still aren't trained by this time but he's just so far past other dogs I'd guess you would have to see it. He has a cage and a routine.

My question is have any of you tried hypnotherapy kind of thing for a dog? I never thought I'd be looking for one so is there any opinions on it? Tia

[tabulahrasa]

No, I'd avoid anyone calling themselves a dog listener tbh, I think it means, untrained and dodgy.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Can I ask a couple of questions?
Do you train everyday or only when at classes?
Is there any difference of opinion in the family over how to train the dog?
If you are prepared to train everyday and everyone agrees to do what they are told get one to one sessions with s properly qualified dig behaviourist.

[DunelmDoris]

I agree with both of the above posters.

Dogs aren't naughty. They do what works for them. If he goes on counters it's because there's been something worth going up there for in the past. If he pulls on the lead it's because whoever is on the other end has followed him and he's learned that pulling gets him where he wants to go. If he opens cupboards then he's clever and he needs stimulation.

I'm not saying these things to be critical but to explain that you don't need some dog quack to come and take your money. You need support to train this dog, properly. And nobody can do it for you - they can only help you do the right things. You need to put loads of time into interacting with this dog, not necessarily walking him miles but working his brain as much as his body.

An APDT or APBC member will be able to help you - I strongly suspect the trainers you've had involvement with so far aren't members of either organisation.

What breed is he? Beagle?!

[wishesandkisses]

Do it every day for at least an hour and no nor really me and my partner both chip in and he shadowed the classes whilst I was doing them with the dog so he'd know what to do. When he got kicked out we got a qualified dog trainer to come round and she spent a few days with him and then told us to call somebody more qualified which we did and he would do what he was told some of the time then blatantly ignore her for the rest of it. She went on holiday and we rung her a few times and she never got back to us so I'm at a loss of what to do!

[wishesandkisses]

When I mean an hour everyday I mean like train him to do stuff. We keep it up throughout the day for the basic stuff but with no avail

[ggirl]

what breed ?

[Hikarumba]

Yes I have. She was very good and has stopped my dog being dominant. Pm me if you would like the details.

[DunelmDoris]

I'm not unsympathetic - I have a little dog who can open the fridge, will happily wander over the dining table and the kitchen worktops, will steal shoes, kids toys, clothing etc (so far today I've had to retrieve three boots, a stuffed toy, a cereal box and a pair of pants from the lawn), she'll chew up anything and everything and she is frequently on the lookout for mischief.

However, I know that I can minimise trouble by supervision, reducing stress (she always chews more when she's stressed, for example if she's had to be left alone for a longer period or if we've had a chance to the routine), managing situations (for example using door and fridge locks) and keeping her occupied with Kongs and chew toys. She doesn't get any food in a bowl, it all comes in the form of food toys so she is occupied working for it.

I think if you look up a technique called NILIF you'll find it really helpful.

[DunelmDoris]

Oh Hika your dog was never dominant, I promise. See what the whole internet and all of science has to say about it and you'll see what I mean:

www.google.co.uk/search?q=why+not+dominance+in+dog+training&oq=why+not+dominance+in+dog+training&aqs=chrome..69i57.7987j0j4&client=ms-android-sonymobile&sourceid=chrome-mobile&espv=1&ie=UTF-8

[DunelmDoris]

Useful article for you, wishes:

www.apbc.org.uk/articles/learn-to-earn-is-nothing-in-life-free-for-dogs

[wishesandkisses]

No no, it's fine. I understand where you're coming from. He's a mix and beagle is in there (silly me) but we adopted a 1 year old full beagle years ago and she was such a good dog. So we thought it may be the same scenario here (famous last words). Someone else who got from the same litter posted something similar months ago actually. Will have a read up! Thanks x

[DunelmDoris]

Can we have a pic?! :)

[Floralnomad]

When you say he has a cage and routine what is your routine as someone may be able to point something quite simple out that will help . A different type of harness may help with the pulling , does he go off lead ?

[wishesandkisses]

He's got a full body harness-
(Routine depending who's at work that day)
-wake up and go for a wee outside
-have breakfast
-walk
-cage (whilst we eat)
-gets let out
-(baby has a nap and we do some 1-1 with him)
-cage for an hour for his nap
-gets let out and is given his chew toys
-walk
-cage for 20 mins whilst we have tea
-gets let out
-goes to sleep in his bed

X

[Floralnomad]

For a start I'd go right back to basics to crack the house training ( there are loads of threads where this is explained) , it may be difficult because you have a baby but I'd do away with the hour nap and just let him wander - my dog has never slept or stayed put in the same place for an hour during the day - he mooches from place to place finding the sun ! . Does he go off lead or does walk mean walk as that may be one of the problems .

[EasyToEatTiger]

He may be quite a 'worky' kind of dog so it may be worth investigating specific kinds of training. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers is a very good starting place for pet dogs. I may be writing rubbish. We have collies and they are definitely working dogs and not pets, so have to be treated as working dogs. They have been bred for what they do, not who they are, so we have to respect that, even if they never herd a sheep in their lives!

I think, that like training horses, dog training is still a dark art. You need the dog to trust you, you need to be kind, and you need to watch and learn.

Our pup sounds quite similar and can open doors and leap fences and tugs like a train. Well she did tug like a train. It's actually pretty horrible for her and stresses her out and winds her up. Today when I took her out I stood a bit taller and decided it was better for both of us to be calm.

I don't know anyone who calls themselves a Dog Whisperer but I know people who are known by others as whisperers. I think these people have magic wands about their person

[Carpaccio]

I would start over with the house training and walking nicely on the lead.

Treat him like a puppy - take him out for a pee/poo after each nap, meal and playtime, praise when he goes. When accidents happen in the house, don't shout at him and clean it up.
House training is hard work - I have done it several times and have watched the dog like a hawk so I could take her out whenever she looked like she needed a walk.

For walking nicely on the lead, I've found the stop/start method ineffective, but have instead trained my dog to heel. So when she has been pulling, I've given her the heel command which meant she came back to me and gradually she has learned to walk nicely and if she pulls now, I just give her the command. I have used good treats and all that to train the heel command. It is IMO very important to be consistent about this - it should be trained on every walk and by everyone walking the dog.

Regarding counter surfing, I would ensure nothing is on tables - now he knows there are goodies there so he will keep trying to get there. If there's nothing there, he will not be able to take anything.

I would also introduce some brain training - it tires the dog out and he'll be busy with that for a while. Simple stuff like spreading his food (kibble) in the grass and let him find it using his nose really is very good.
Treat dispensing toys like the Kong Wobbler, Kong Genius Leo or the Buster Food Cube have been very popular with the dogs in my family (I have a cocker, my parents have a working spaniel).

When we did the puppy training classes, we were told it is very important to train at home. Shorter training sessions spread over the day is better as training for an hour straight is too much for the dog.

[DildoFail]

Avoid anyone who calls themselves a whisperer/listener/calmer or any other whimsical "I have a special gift" type title.

Avoid anyone who talks about dominance/rank/pack leadership.

Look for someone who uses positive reinforcement and science based methods.

[DildoFail]

Can I ask for examples of the suggestions you've been given by the previous trainers for the various behaviours?

[EasyToEatTiger]

I agree with Dildo about self professed dog whisperers. Most dog trainers Do Not call themselves 'whisperers', even if they carry magic wands. Much of the new dog training evidence is based on pet dogs and less on dogs with jobs. If the reward-based training really isn't working, your behaviourist should be able to point you in the direction of a specific breed based trainer. As I have said I think dog training is a bit of a dark art, and not all things work for all dogs, but it is very, very important that we are kind to our animals and respect them for who and what they are.

[DunelmDoris]

I really don't think you can call dog behaviour a "dark art" - it's a science with a massive body of research underpinning it. It's no more a dark art than modern medicine is.

[VeryVeryDarkGrey]

Have you tried clicker training him? My dog loves it because he has to figure out what i want to get his treat and it really works his brain. I did 10 minutes with him in the garden and hes zonked out

[BertieBotts]

Have a look at the Zak George videos on youtube. He really breaks down training into what to do/not do and I find them really easy to follow. He often does Q+As on facebook, too.