Dog Experts Come

A "hit" is a NO-NO!!!! A dog responds to voice and feelings. Your Dad could have simply pushed him on his butt with his hand while saying some command that let's him know upstairs is not an option. Like "GO DOWNSTAIRS!" Then treat him and say "GOOD BOY!" when he gets down there. The more you talk to your dog, the more he'll pick up on your voice, inflection, ACTUAL words, and body language. Believe it or not, they figure it out (if they're smart, which I think Cooper is). I think you need to get a babygate to block the opening to the upstairs if it's such a deal with your dad...

Whenever he is in the process of going upstairs I use a loud, deep voice "Get down!" and he usually knows what I mean. If he ignores me I walk hastily to him, pick him up, and look at him right in the face and say "NO...", then I bring him downstairs and play with him. Is that ok?

I don't hit my dogs, well the past ones I've had, and I don't plan on it. I mean I'm a dog lover like no other, I think any kind of hitting is wrong and I don't like it. This is just my opinion.

I dunno...my other dog sure acted like she knew when she was going to be in trouble. She would always greet us at the door when we came home and usually she was wagging her tail and had her ears up, but occassionally she would see us come in and have quite the guilty look on her face along with crouched down, ears back. Mind you, this is two steps inside the door with no chance to realize something was wrong. Usually it was she had made another wet spot in front of the fireplace or she had unzipped a backpack again and eaten whatever candy my brothers or I had stashed.

All of these responses would occur 1-4 hours after the fact.

I think the " No, Down!" could be confusing .... then even more so if you pick him up and reward him with a playtime. Never spank a dog after the fact !! There's a difference with a rear end spank and a hit..... like a spank on a child's rear end and a slap in the face ! When you go up stairs and he wants to follow, turn an say " no stairs "..... when you get to the top, go back down and praise him for not following. Gee, folks ! It doesn't take a rocket scientist ! When he can go up with you say , O.K. stairs! with a happy tone and a clap to your leg..

P.S. ...H2 whatever.... please don't post just to see what you've posted.

Sorry, Dober, but I've got to differ . . . and you'll have to giggle. These two grrrrls KNOW when they've done something, even if I don't find it for days! They know better than to get into the garbage, or counter surf, and they'll hide their ill-gotten gains all over the place. I've even hidden and watched them frantically trying to hide stuff they've stolen when they hear me coming to the door! It's a hoot! I've even caught Kharma cramming stuff under the sofa cushion and then laying down on it, avoiding getting up to see me when I come in the door - a dead giveaway, lol! And then they'll try to fake me out, opening those eyes wide and blinking, the message clear as if they'd spoken, "What? Me? I've never seen that before!"

Oh, make no mistake, they KNOW . . .

How about a babygate at the bottom of the stairs to keep the little man downstairs. I use them everywhere for both dog and kids. They work wonders and eliminate some worries. Just a thought if you wish to try it. I agree hitting a dog is never a good idea and I also never have spanked my kids. I do what works best for them at 2 and 3 years old they love cartoons and that is their punishment no cartoons. It works because I stick with it and they know it too. I don't hit my horses when training them either. Hitting is just wrong.

LOL at Renee750il post. I dont know how to include a quote.. I still have LOTS to learn. One time I came home to find that Phoebe had totally rearranged the lounge furniture, and the floor was awash with bits of foam from the sofa. I probably did the worst thing, but I just couldnt help having a giggle, but to be honest, she never did anything like it again. She DEFINITELY knew, as she couldnt stop wagging her bottom from side to side and looking at me with very cute, bright eyes / well, one cute bright eye, as she only has one. Too gorgeous.

Hitting your dog...I guess it works. Its not a good technique though because you never know when that dog will snap. Dogs can do a LOT of damage. Chances are, they also don't know why they've been hit. It probably makes them lose some trust in you too.

Everything comes with time and practice.

Also when the dog listens to you from training and love, its out of respect and love.

When the dog listens to you from hitting, its out of fear.

I think I might have been unclear in my post. I would NEVER hit my dog, and when I said I probably did the worst thing, I meant that I just couldnt control my giggling. Probably not wise, but perhaps because she didnt get a reaction she never bothered to do anything like it again. I had a darling Boxer called Lexi *Rainbow Bridge, R.I.P.* who I got as a rescue when she was a year old. She had obviously been beaten by her previous owners, as I could NEVER pick up a broom, fly swatter, golf stick, ANYTHING resembling a stick, without her cowering and shivering in the corner. She broke my heart and I just never put her in that position once I realised what she had been through. She did that till the day she died when she was 11, so she sadly never forgot that early, horrible part of her life.