ok, one of my dogs seems a bit slow to train

[misdee]

honestly, i think he might just not be getting this training stuff.

he wont sit on command. when walking, i try to get him to sit at the kerb before we cross. his brother does it perfectly.

But Ralph? Oh ralph, will turn around and look at me, as if he is saying 'why would i do that?'.

he pulls on the lead still.

he ignored the open back door this evening and peed on the floor. not the first time he has done this.

Just dont know what to do.

Go to a training class? Some dogs need different training methods. My terrier is pain in the arse to train as he is motivated by nothing and I'm not a fan of punishment based training. We have a tug toy we use as a distraction, but it's difficult to use it as a reward as it gets him hyper and stops his concentration.

Once he spots that toy that's it nothing and no one can stop him trying to get it. Trying to tell him to sit while you are holding it is akin to trying to tell me not to eat the chocolate

What breed of dog is it? How old?

What does your dog like? toys/food/praise

Use whatever is the favourite as a reward for training, and only for training.

Cheese seems to work well for a lot of dogs who are not particularly food motivated.

sorry, if you have tried all these methods, its early and I am only on my first coffee.

It is hard having the two (sorry don't mean to sound like a stuck record bear with me!) because what works with one does not work with the other.

Having two sets of twins I have experinced this with the DC's as well most frustrating!!

You need to see what motivates Ralph, it may be by ignoring him - don't ask him to do anyting just ask the other dog and praise the other dog like mad when he does it. Ignore Ralph totally - if he does it obviously praise like crazy. Some dogs do worl well with peer pressure some don't even seem to notice so this may not work.

Otherwise echo above but I guess you have tried all that.

Could be that he is approaching the joyful adolescent time where puppies do seem to go deaf and forget everything you have ever told them!

minimu

Did I read that correctly?

2 sets of twins?

minimu has has NEVER got training. i think he may be a bit errr daft?

he is food motivated, as part-lab.

i train them seperatly and walk seperatly and together.

i do sometimes just 'look' at him, after Tom has sat down, and its like he sighs and goes 'oh all right then' and sits. he is just an oddbal. but lovely. he does love a good tickle under the chin as well.

We can't ever admit our dogs are daft - it is always down to our training methods!!!! (bollocks)

Personally I think some dogs are less brainy than others and I guess need more encouragement and more repetitions and definately more alcohol to be consumed by the owner to help.

I think you are a star to have coped so well with them all.

It must be so frustrating. I have the same. One beautifully trained labradoodle and one who looks at me as if to say 'You want me to do what???'

And as for doodle number 3 who was re homed to us, she is beautifully trained (not by us), but just goes awol when she feels like it and also eats randon stuff round the house. Last week she ate an x box controller - we are just waiting to see if she will start playing call of duty with my Ds's

My kids are totally different characters, so it isnt unreasonable to think that dogs are too.

One of our dogs is clearly quite dim. She's border collie x greyhound but clearly didn't get the border brains. She can see our other dog (a border collie) do things (ie open a door rather than be stuck in a room, get over a style) a million times but she'll never learn to do it herself. She'll just cry folornly until someone comes and helps her. The difference in intelligence between the two dogs is actually quite staggering.

She also does the sigh 'oh all right then' when you ask her to do something you know she knows how to do. It's like there's a delay in her brain so she'll obey a command only after about 20 secs of thinking about it.

Luckily she's a lovely creature in many other respects so we never minded her being a bit dim.

On a constructive note, OP, is it worth maybe getting a halti to stop Ralph pulling on the lead?

He isn't a beagle is he??!! I have two (I know, I know!): old boy always wanted to please, but couldn't seem to remember what to do- ie I taught him to sit, but when I tried to teach him lie-down, sit went out the window, and the two became interchangeable, as he sits/ lies/sits, with a very worried look on his face.

Witchy-features is far smarter, but she just doesn't want to do it, unless there is immediate calorific gratification in it.

There is a theory that dogs being pack animals, it's not actually advantageous for them all to be smart- the smart ones look out for the dummies! (works for my two)

Yep Jax two sets of twins and one in the middle. Now if they could be trained like dogs no problem at all. The fact that both of my identical twins are completely different in character I think is just taking the mickey!

aagh beagles I would like to come back as a beagle they can do just what they like and get away with it!

they are both labradoodles.

he is seriously daft. but not that daft as i have to hide his worming tabs in food to get them into him. but other one wolfs them down. he also knows when its time to get into the crate and hides.

i think he relies on his looks too much. he is a stunning dog lol.

we have a halti. after 2 months, he still spends most of the walk trying to figure out how to remove it. and ends up tripping up if i give him a bit of slack at all.

Lol minimu1- yep, beagles just do whatever the hell they please and care not a jot for the consequences!

misdee- some dogs just don't seem to want to be trained!! I wish I could tell you it will come with time, but my 2 are now 15 and 11, and they are no better. I have given up now, but vowed to make sure the "next dog" we get is properly trained (hmm!)

Admit it. They are as thick as shit!!`
Flupps will only work for food. any other time, he'll look as me as if to say 'No food? no work!'

lol PC. yup i got a thick one. he is a total airhead.

Now see I have a different problem. Devil Dog is extremely intelligent. Intelligent enough to know he doesn't have to sit if he doesn't to, or come back when I call his name, or stay in crate (which he has figured out how to open somehow)

He's very stubborn and willful. Training sessions are almost alwayus a battle of wills. Usually resulting in him thinking 'Oh alright then I'll sit if it will shut you up and you'll let me sleep again, but don't for one second think I'll eat the chicken you have lovingly prepared for me coz I won't'

Personal clown I think your dog sounds extremely clever - he will only work for treats - I reckon you are owned!

Joking apart generally so called thick dogs just need a different motivator for them to work. If the dog does only work for treats then you need to ask for a behaviour and randomly reward so not every time the behaviour is offered. This ususally makes them more keen.

Training should always be fun fun fun for the dog if it becomes a chore up the anti ask for harder things to be achieved make the sessions shorter but keep the dogs on his toes change things around and challenge him.

flups is one of my dogs brothers.

def food i think.

he sat, laid down and rolled over yesterday all for one biscuit and a belly rub [gr4in]