At my wit's end with rescue dog!

[sophia]

I adopted a four-year-old Jindo who has spent most of his life in shelters and foster care. As a consequence, while he is very smart, he has almost no training. He is obnoxious, needy, insatiable for attention.

I understand he has never had a home, and I offer him a lot of attention. When I am home from work, he is with me. I make sure he knows this is his home and give him a lot of love. But it is not enough for him. He makes this known by constantly trying to crawl or jump on me and generally constantly being "all up in my grill". He only sits when I ask if he feels like it. I have tried doing all of the tricks I have read: making loud noises to deter his bad behavior, turning and ignoring him when he jumps on me. Nothing phases him. He does not listen, does not recognize my authority. I don't know what to do.

I love this dog so much, and I am more than happy to provide him a home. He is very smart, very sweet, and very funny. But it's been six months now, with no improvement. I am at my wit's end!

 

[CaliTerp07]

Do you give him treats for being good, or just try to deter bad behavior? I am (and in general the people here are) a big fan of positive reinforcement training. You have to give your dog a REASON to sit (and no, you wanting him to isn't enough of a reason!)

I would do some googling of positive reinforcement dog training or clicker training. If he's smart, he'll pick it up quickly!

Also, I foster for a rescue, and we require all our new adopters to take their dogs to an obedience class, no matter how old the dog is. It's a great way to bond with your new dog, and it really helps to have a professional's eye to point out things you might be missing. If you can afford it, I would definitely try to find a class in your area!

 

[Maura]

Obedience class is order, here. Even if your dog was trained you could be having problems because of your timing, your posture, or a dozen other things that you are not aware of.

Are you using NILIF? Are you giving him affection when you come home? One technique is to come home and ignore the dog. Just be a big meanie, hang up your coat, and completely ignore him. Don't look at him, don't speak to him. When a dog is jumping all over you this isn't easy. At some point the dog will give up. This could take thirty seconds or five minutes. Wait until the dog has been settled down and is leaving you alone for a FULL five minutes. Then, you may call the dog to you. I presume you need to let the dog outside, so go to the door, call him, have him sit. Praise, open door and let him out.

Continue to be a big meanie. If you have a medium to large home gate off or close doors so that he has a small area to protect when you are gone. He may even feel more secure in a crate or small room. Have him sit before putting his dinner dish down. If his obnoxious behavior occurs for more than three days of NILIF and meanie, feed him one kibble at a time at dinner time. Do not free feed this dog. Do not allow him on furniture or beds. When you go to bed put him in a crate in your bedroom.

I know this sounds cruel, but the dog has not had consistency in his life. When you follow the above protocol it puts consistency in his life and puts you in a strong leadership position. It lets him know that you are in charge, not him, and it will help to make him feel secure. Also, when you pet him use TTouch, a theraputic massage technique. Get TTouch for Your Dog, by Linda Tellington-Jones.

 

[Criosphynx]

you need to start rewarding what you do like.

Hes in your face because it works.

 

[iluvmydogs]

Just be patience and try obedience class. It would help a lot.

 

[grayada1]

good quick read is culture clash by jean donaldson. Really explains how dogs learn and how to convince them to do what you want. I am trying to implement the book into teaching my dog. not perfect yet, but the book explains why dogs do some of the things they do and how to fix them

 

[Ironwil]

Training good behavior

Some of the posts brought up an important point - not reenforcing bad behavior unintentionally. If your dog does something bad, a person's inclination is to correct the behavior and then treat the dog for the good behavior. What this actually does is tell the dog that they should repeat the bad behavior, because if they do, the master will correct them and give a treat. Crazy, I know, but remember dogs aren't abstract thinkers. They are very cause/effect oriented.

Another bit that I can think of that might help - keep your calm. If you get excited, yell, push, etc. your dog will not listen to you. The dog is acting in this way because he/she is feeling anxious. If you add to the excitement level with your own anxiety, this will only aggravate the situation. Less is more. Show your dog that you're in charge. You don't have to be mean, but being calmly forceful will do a lot. Direct, calm eye contact helps. You can also shut the dog in a crate or confined area when he/she is failing to listen. Don't only shut them in the crate or confined area when they're being bad, or they'll associate it with punishment. It should be a place where they feel comfortable, but not allowed to interact with you. Teaching your dog basic obedience is a good thing, starting with walks. Take your dog on walks, positioned at your left and directly to your side or slightly behind you - never in front. He/she who is in charge walks in front, and that should not ever be the dog. Walking your dog gets them exercise and helps you two bond. It also lessens their energy and anxiety levels.

Google 'dog training tips' for a lot of good input on this.