Two unrelated questions

paulag1955 · 09-02-2010, 02:08 AM

First question, Leave It

Shasta knows what this means but she continues to chew things after I tell her to Leave It. Case in point, she chews the oak pedestal of my desk chair. I know she knows she's not supposed to, because she will sort of mouth it, then look at me waiting for the Leave It and the treat. Other times, she wants to engage in some serious chewing. She is never allowed to get away with this behavior and is redirected every single time to a toy and told, Chew Your Toy (which she will do for about 30 seconds, then comes back to the chair). Even though this repeated behavior earns her a trip to the crate every time, she continues with it.

Second question, stopping to sit while walking on a loose leash

We're not actually teach a formal heel, just walking on a loose leash, but when I stop, I want Shasta to stop and sit automatically. She's actually doing this pretty well, but when she sits, she often swings her bottom around so that instead of facing 12 o'clock, she's facing maybe 4 o'clock (bottom at 10 o'clock). How do I go about getting her to stop walking and just plop her butt down without swinging around?

Thanks!

Good_Karma · 09-02-2010, 07:27 AM

Question one is the only one I have any idea about. It almost sounds like Shasta is connecting putting her mouth on your chair with getting a treat. I say that based on the way you describe her tentatively putting her mouth on it while looking at you. But it also sounds like that must be some mighty fine chewing material there.

A low tech, non-behavioral solution would be to wrap the chewed area in tin foil. I've heard that metal isn't so fun on the teeth for a dog. It won't be pretty, but it might save your chair until she learns that only toys are for chewing.

Have you tried lots of different chewing toys? We started ours out with the edible Nylabones and worked them up from the softer bones to the bigger, harder bones. They both seem to like the ones with lots of bumps and ridges. Maybe there's one out there that's better than oak!

Good luck

jakeandrenee · 09-02-2010, 07:30 AM

Try a raw frozen marrow bone or a bully stick.

vat · 09-02-2010, 07:37 AM

On question 1 I had a pup do something very much like that. He would go for something he knew was a no no and wait for the click treat when I said no and he left it. What a smarty pants

. I simply stopped treating him when he did that and instead gave him praise and it became not so much fun anymore

**MaggieRoseLee** · 09-02-2010, 08:45 AM

He's awful young (5 months) so make sure you take that into consideration in all the training.

I agree that you may accidentally be teaching him that the way to earn a treat is to chew on something, mom says leave it, he looks at you and gets a treat.

Are you clicker training? Clickers are more concise cause you wouldn't have it get so muddy with exactly 'what' earns the click/treat. The 'leave it' gets the click/treat, not the chewing. AND when you are clicker training you have to go from click/treat 100% of the time to 'random' reinforcment and then to just praise most of the time.

You are a human and THINK you have trained your puppy not to chew the chair. It's perfectly clear to me as another human what you want. But your puppy is a puppy and it's not clear to them!

PUPPY CLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be a huge help for all the obedience questions like the crooked sit.

Though frankly, I would NOT train my pup to sit all the time when I stop on a walk. Way too much and too boring and no real reason. I WOULD however, instead teach my puppy to 'sit' at intersections! This is a SAFETY thing so our pup doesn't suddenly lunge into the road. And it's also a clear visual for the pup, for us to be consistant, and random enough so it's not boring boring boring.

Truthfully, the chewing the chair thing is just a normal bored puppy thing. With the 'even negative attention is attention' thing going on. I think if you can really up the exercise (off leash hiking for miles a few times a week going on yet) you'll see an immediate improvement in the random chewing.

PUPPY CLASSES for socialization and training at an appropriate speed.

EXERCISE for the both of you!

Heck, what I have to do with my puppies to have them wonderful in the house...

You Tube

09-02-2010, 02:08 AM	#1 (permalink)
paulag1955 Knighted Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Western Washington Posts: 2,665	Two unrelated questions First question, Leave It Shasta knows what this means but she continues to chew things after I tell her to Leave It. Case in point, she chews the oak pedestal of my desk chair. I know she knows she's not supposed to, because she will sort of mouth it, then look at me waiting for the Leave It and the treat. Other times, she wants to engage in some serious chewing. She is never allowed to get away with this behavior and is redirected every single time to a toy and told, Chew Your Toy (which she will do for about 30 seconds, then comes back to the chair). Even though this repeated behavior earns her a trip to the crate every time, she continues with it. Second question, stopping to sit while walking on a loose leash We're not actually teach a formal heel, just walking on a loose leash, but when I stop, I want Shasta to stop and sit automatically. She's actually doing this pretty well, but when she sits, she often swings her bottom around so that instead of facing 12 o'clock, she's facing maybe 4 o'clock (bottom at 10 o'clock). How do I go about getting her to stop walking and just plop her butt down without swinging around? Thanks! __________________ Paula Shasta - GSD (4/30/10) RIP Duchess - Shetland Sheepdog (12/25/88 - 2/14/04)

09-02-2010, 07:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
Good_Karma Crowned Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Upstate, NY Posts: 3,658	Question one is the only one I have any idea about. It almost sounds like Shasta is connecting putting her mouth on your chair with getting a treat. I say that based on the way you describe her tentatively putting her mouth on it while looking at you. But it also sounds like that must be some mighty fine chewing material there. A low tech, non-behavioral solution would be to wrap the chewed area in tin foil. I've heard that metal isn't so fun on the teeth for a dog. It won't be pretty, but it might save your chair until she learns that only toys are for chewing. Have you tried lots of different chewing toys? We started ours out with the edible Nylabones and worked them up from the softer bones to the bigger, harder bones. They both seem to like the ones with lots of bumps and ridges. Maybe there's one out there that's better than oak! Good luck __________________ I'm Leah. Niko: Chief stick chaser, Jolly Ball licker and food taster. Titled in Kissing, Jogging, and Pestering the cats. Rosa: Mistress of the house. Titled in Kissing, Picking up dropped food, and Snuggling. Last edited by Good_Karma; 09-02-2010 at 07:28 AM. Reason: typo

09-02-2010, 07:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
jakeandrenee Knighted Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Huntsville Alabama Posts: 3,103	Try a raw frozen marrow bone or a bully stick. __________________ Renee' Jake 2/12/10 CGC TDI

09-02-2010, 07:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
vat Knighted Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Kingston, IL Posts: 3,027	On question 1 I had a pup do something very much like that. He would go for something he knew was a no no and wait for the click treat when I said no and he left it. What a smarty pants . I simply stopped treating him when he did that and instead gave him praise and it became not so much fun anymore

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