[Nicky D]

Originally Posted by Blinky

Sorry it took so long to reply, but how is she with her sit/down stays?

For the most part she is good with sit and down. She does not stay too well. This is something that we are working on with her. The other problem is that she does not come all of the time when she is called. She will sit there and decide if it is what she wants to do, if so great, if not then you might as well just forget it. She will run and wait for you to chase her, she thinks that it is a game.

I know that she is a Husky and that they have a mind of their own and will analyze a situation to see if it suits their needs. There are just a couple of issues that I really want to train her better.

[kAr]

She will run and wait for you to chase her, she thinks that it is a game.

It is a game that could be turned to your advantage...

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/malamute-memories

One thing I learned from one of the dog training books I read is to never call your dog over to you to punish it, always go to the dog. That way it doesn't associate 'come' with punishment.

[Blinky]

Originally Posted by BigKid

Hey Blinky, I got one for ya. I'm not sure how to correct it because I don't really know how to recreate it. Here is the situation:

A kid who lives on my block has one of those weedeater engine powered scooters. He flies up and down the block sporadically. My GSD will be mid nap, here him coming and bolt to the front yard fence and chase him the length of my yard barking (I have a fenced in front yard). I just got a text from my girlfriend who stopped by my house to do me a favor and while going in the house, the kid goes by on the scooter. My dog is gone. 2 blocks later he stops chasing and turns and she picks him up. Scolded him and he has been pouting ever since, she says. However, what concerns me is that last week, I came home, opened the gate to pull my truck in, and a kid on a bike goes by and he chases him down too. Absolutely no aggression, his tail is wagging and he thinks its a fun game. Prior to these 2 instances, he sit and stays while we pull a car into the yard. People have walked by, cars have driven by, kids have been playing in the street (which he struggles with his "stay" cause he wants to play with them so badly, but he never actually gets up). Any advice? He scared the snot out of both kids (when I say kids, they are 16ish) cause this 80 lb GSD is running at them and they don't understand that he just thinks they are playing.

Thanks Blinky.

I'm curious, does this only happen with those particular scooters or does it happen with people on bikes or non-powered scooters? I'm wondering if it is the sound coupled with the motion or just the sight of a single person traveling at that speed triggering the behavior.

[BigKid]

Originally Posted by Blinky

I'm curious, does this only happen with those particular scooters or does it happen with people on bikes or non-powered scooters? I'm wondering if it is the sound coupled with the motion or just the sight of a single person traveling at that speed triggering the behavior.

He gets excited about bikes and skateboards too

[Nicky D]

Originally Posted by kAr

It is a game that could be turned to your advantage...

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/malamute-memories

One thing I learned from one of the dog training books I read is to never call your dog over to you to punish it, always go to the dog. That way it doesn't associate 'come' with punishment.

Thanks for the link. That is one thing I really avoid, even as difficult as it is sometimes. I was taught that a long time ago.

[bluelineman]

We got a lab mix puppy (Mom was all black lab, Dad unknown) last weekend. As I said, Dad is unknown, Mom was found on the side of the road after getting hit by a car. The puppies were dropped off at this lady's house in the country.
She is about 8#, approx 11 weeks old (they didn't know exactly), all black with the exception of a small white stripe on her chest. Anyway, was wondering if there is any of guessing how big she will be??? I'm guessing probably around 25-30#. She was calling her a "mini Black Lab".

[Poppa Bear]

My mix was 10# at 8 weeks and is now 75# at a little over a year old.

She will be about 1/2 her weight at 6 months old. I would not be surprised if yours is 30+ pounds by that time and 65 to 90 at full growth.

[bluelineman]

Wow! The vet weighed her last Thurs & she was 8#, this Thurs (approx 12 weeks old) she was 10.5#.

[bluelineman]

Ok. Now she's about 4 months old & 19# as of Friday. Gaining average of 2-2 1/2# a week.

[rsm688]

Any way to make a dog quit drooling when your eating food , I for the life of me cannot come up with any way to train him since it's an unconditioned response but it's quite annoying

[BigKid]

Originally Posted by rsm688

Any way to make a dog quit drooling when your eating food , I for the life of me cannot come up with any way to train him since it's an unconditioned response but it's quite annoying

I'm sure Blinky will chime in pretty soon, he is the resident expert. But I can talk to my personal experience. My GSD was really bad about begging even though I have a hard rule of never feeding him off my plate. He will sit there and try everything to be "good" so we will treat him. He will sit straight and tall. He will lay down. He will try to shake our hand. He does everything we have ever taught him that has at some point rewarded him with a treat. So I borrowed an idea from "The Art of Raising A Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete. They would have their dogs do a down stay during the duration of their meal. If the dogs got up, one of the monks would quietly get up, retrieve his dog and make the dog go back to a down stay.

So what I started doing was, I'd eat first (which I've been told is always a good idea since you are the Alpha, Alpha's eat first). So while we are eating, my dog would be put in a down stay in teh same room as us (they are social animals so I don't want him acting out while we are eating). Usually I will put him in down stay in an area that if he drools, looks sad, or wimpers a bit, its difficult for someone to "slip" him food out of pity. My will power is great as I am very stubborn, but my girlfriend and her kids are not so strong. Then after dinner I will go over, praise him heartily and "treat" him with his dinner. Took about a week for him to get it down but now when its dinner time, he goes straight into down stay without being told. He tests the waters and skoots closer now and again. But I just quietly get up and put him back in his spot and he stays put. It's worked well. This way you don't have to necessarily train him out of an unconditioned response, but merely remove that response from the family while they are eating. If he drools a lot, maybe lay out a towel for him.

Good luck.