Wolf and Dog Pup study info

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dogmom

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There has been some general dog training and behavior discussion in the "Hearing Dog" section of this Pets thread....so I decided to create a separate thread on it in case anyone wants to discuss more so not to affect the Hearing Dog part of the page. Here's a link to what I thought was an interesting article on a study about some differences between dogs and wolves.Dogs, But Not Wolves, Use Humans As Tools | The Thoughtful Animal, Scientific American Blog Network
 
I think the key to understanding how to train a pup is really understanding the pups mind. This is good info.
 
:ty: Botti and johnny
yes, I agree about understanding the dog's mind, there is a book I like and have called Inside of a Dog: Inside of a Dog
 
you were also mentioning how you spent a lot of time with your dog, johnny so you could learn about him or her and it helps you be a better trainer...this is what I do, too.

When I was a younger kid, I would spend hours walking around my city blocks and look for dogs in yards, stray dogs - just dogs to be watch and be with. I couldn't have explained why I did this at that time, but that I just "liked dogs". I would sit for hours and draw pictures of dogs and horses. Then I started volunteering at an animal shelter when I was in about 8th grade and I did that all through college. Sometimes I volunteered with another person when I was in the 8th or 9th grade. She happened to live with two dogs of her own and I did not have dogs as a child. She lived with a GSP and another smaller dog.
It was a lot of fun when she and I volunteered together. She happened to have CP and used a wheelchair. Many times if they seemed to be appropriate for it, I'd take a smaller dog out of a shelter kennel and put him on my friend's lap for a ride down the hall to the room where we spent time grooming, playing with and some very basic training of the dog.

In college I went to dog training classes and training seminars even though I did not have a dog. In the public training classes I sat on the floor and watched other people train. This was the old school way at the time. I got to observe all the things the people missed seeing in their dogs.
 
jonnyghost said:
I think the key to understanding how to train a pup is really understanding the pups mind. This is good info.
Click to expand...

and also having what it takes to be the alpha male/female
 
dogmom said:
you were also mentioning how you spent a lot of time with your dog, johnny so you could learn about him or her and it helps you be a better trainer...this is what I do, too.

When I was a younger kid, I would spend hours walking around my city blocks and look for dogs in yards, stray dogs - just dogs to be watch and be with. I couldn't have explained why I did this at that time, but that I just "liked dogs". I would sit for hours and draw pictures of dogs and horses. Then I started volunteering at an animal shelter when I was in about 8th grade and I did that all through college. Sometimes I volunteered with another person when I was in the 8th or 9th grade. She happened to live with two dogs of her own and I did not have dogs as a child. She lived with a GSP and another smaller dog.
It was a lot of fun when she and I volunteered together. She happened to have CP and used a wheelchair. Many times if they seemed to be appropriate for it, I'd take a smaller dog out of a shelter kennel and put him on my friend's lap for a ride down the hall to the room where we spent time grooming, playing with and some very basic training of the dog.

In college I went to dog training classes and training seminars even though I did not have a dog. In the public training classes I sat on the floor and watched other people train. This was the old school way at the time. I got to observe all the things the people missed seeing in their dogs.
Click to expand...

Yea, that's another thing I find funny is that most people want to learn how to train after they already have a dog. That's why a lot of breeders wont sell to first time dog owners. There is a high rate of people not knowing what they are getting into or how to handle it once they are there.
 
More like what it takes to be a good parent.

(Response to #5 which I failed to quote.)
 
Jiro said:
and also having what it takes to be the alpha male/female
Click to expand...

Depends on how you mean it. I'm a strong leader and my pup knows that she can trust me. For instance If we're in the yard I can tell her to sit and stay and then walk away into the house. Come back a few minutes later and she's still sitting in the same spot because she trusts that I will release her (because I always have) and that it will be fun when I do.

I've never seen a dog raised the aggressive alpha style that would obey commands after the owner was out of sight for a while. Once the threat of punishment is gone they just don't feel the need I guess.

My pup is 1 year old and she is steady on come, sit, stay, heel, lay down, fetch (she brings it to hand), drop and shake. Next we'll be learning hand signals for the field. She is well mannered and confident so she learns fast. If she's running through the yard after a toy and I yell sit she does so on the spot!

Every dog has it's own way necessary to be trained but dogs that are handled to harshly usually lack the confidence required for fast training and initiative in the field.
 
yes, "alpha male/female" = myth, one can see previous discussion here and in "Hearing Dog" thread.

Botti:thumb:
 
jonnyghost said:
Depends on how you mean it. I'm a strong leader and my pup knows that she can trust me. For instance If we're in the yard I can tell her to sit and stay and then walk away into the house. Come back a few minutes later and she's still sitting in the same spot because she trusts that I will release her (because I always have) and that it will be fun when I do.

I've never seen a dog raised the aggressive alpha style that would obey commands after the owner was out of sight for a while. Once the threat of punishment is gone they just don't feel the need I guess.

My pup is 1 year old and she is steady on come, sit, stay, heel, lay down, fetch (she brings it to hand), drop and shake. Next we'll be learning hand signals for the field. She is well mannered and confident so she learns fast. If she's running through the yard after a toy and I yell sit she does so on the spot!

Every dog has it's own way necessary to be trained but dogs that are handled to harshly usually lack the confidence required for fast training and initiative in the field.
Click to expand...

What kind of dog do you have? My dog does not mind going into his crate on his when I am going out . Marty know I will be coming back to let him out.
 
She's a lab and she has a crate too. She loves it as it's her den. I forgot to mention that the command "Hide" sends her into the crate. When we go hunting it will be the command to go into her blind.
 
One of my first dogs was a Lab I learned about through rescue. He came to us at about a year and 1/2 with UTI, dual ear infections and mild demodex mange.
He was not housebroken, crate or leash trained; I taught him those things. He was fairly shy for the stereotype of his breed.
Then one day the Summer after he came to live with us, we were walking past a house in our city neighborhood one day and a smaller wire-y Terrier-type dog ran out of a house to us as we passed by on the sidewalk. I don't remember if the other dog had a collar or not. I stopped because I thought pulling my own away would be behaviorally a bad idea for both dogs. Well, conflict -they both went at it anyway - lotta noise but not much else, luckily. An adult came running out of the house and scooped up the smaller dog, apologizing, saying he wasn't friendly with other dogs....think I figured that out...after that he became quite sensitive about other dogs being near him or right in his face. We went through several "Shy dog" classes with him.

I use crates with all my dogs and my current oldest girl will go in there just to hang out regardless of whether or not I'm home. My sweet Lab used to go in his crate when he was worried about something or didn't feel well. He lived to be 13.
 
My last dog was a shelter dog. We had a long road of learning together. This time I got a pup from a good breeder because I want to hunt with her. It has been soooo much easier training a puppy from scratch. I love shelter dogs but I just don't have the time these days for the training and rehab and in the end they may still not be hunters.
 
dogmom said:
...I use crates with all my dogs and my current oldest girl will go in there just to hang out regardless of whether or not I'm home. My sweet Lab used to go in his crate when he was worried about something or didn't feel well. He lived to be 13.
Click to expand...

It's funny the older dog will put herself to bed but my pup will sit at my feet an wine when it's bedtime until I put her in her crate. It's like she want's to go but she juuust caannt bring herself to do it on her own yet :lol:
 
All my dogs are rescues. We form a cohesive pack of the formerly abused and neglected.

Rescue dogs always know they have been saved.
 
jonnyghost said:
I just don't have the time these days for the training and rehab
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By "time" I mean I don't want to wait 5 years to and realize she doesn't even want to hunt vs pup ready to go hunting in 2 years. Not that I don't have time for my dogs. :D Just wanted to put that in there before someone saw it and thought I was neglecting them :shock:
 
jonnyghost said:
She's a lab and she has a crate too. She loves it as it's her den. I forgot to mention that the command "Hide" sends her into the crate. When we go hunting it will be the command to go into her blind.
Click to expand...

Marty does not mind going into his crate , I just drop a cookie in the crate he will go right in. I will not let my run lose in the house anymore. I did that with my dog and she got a hold of a box of wooden matches and chewed on them !She was lucky the matches where safety matches and only lite on the box and I was lucky too !
 
whatdidyousay! said:
Marty does not mind going into his crate , I just drop a cookie in the crate he will go right in. I will not let my run lose in the house anymore. I did that with my dog and she got a hold of a box of wooden matches and chewed on them !She was lucky the matches where safety matches and only lite on the box and I was lucky too !
Click to expand...

I left my pup out once to go outside for a minute, came back and she had eaten half a tin can. That was an expensive night at the vet. Labs are hardcore chewers.
 
jonnyghost said:
I left my pup out once to go outside for a minute, came back and she had eaten half a tin can. That was an expensive night at the vet. Labs are hardcore chewers.
Click to expand...

I never of a dog eating a tin can , I have heard of goats doing this. That was a good thing you realize this right away . People should realize that the plastic bags in boxes of cereal are not glued to the box . Some people let their dog have the run of the house at night and when the people woke up they found their dog dead . He got a box of cereal and put his head into the box and the plastic bag got stuck on his face and was not able to get it off. The people said they wanted other pets owners to know about this so it will not happen to their pet too. :(
 
An adult came running out of the house and scooped up the smaller dog, apologizing, saying he wasn't friendly with other dogs....think I figured that out...after that he became quite sensitive about other dogs being near him or right in his face
Click to expand...

I'm not surprised he became sensitive. Turns out that fights with other dogs, or near fights like that, can be really traumatic to even the most even tempered dog and it can permanently change their personality, even if the incident seems mild. This is why I avoid dog parks. There's just not enough supervision and there are too many aggressive encounters. Dog parks are not set up for the way dogs work, they are for the people.

johnnyghost, I also hunt my dogs. Upland game.
 
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