Training a very hyper dog

[Brokendreams490]

Well I am adopting dog from my shelter. She is a 2 year old English Setter mix, I will be getting her next week tuesday, and I dont plan to start traing her until she is used to the house a little more. I basically only want to do basic training, and was wondering if you guys could give me some tips. She is extremely hyper.

Thanks

 

[Doberluv]

Congratulations on adopting this dog. Until you have some very specific questions about training, my advice would be to get a couple of good training books and browse the forum for titles of threads which may catch your interest. There are sticky threads too with good info. Some books I recommend are Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson, The Power of Positive Training by Pat Miller. There are other good ones too.

For a hyper dog, nothing is better than plenty of good, hard exercise. And I'd start giving her a couple of little short lessons right away. Dogs love to work with their owners when it's fun and rewarding. And having a "job" helps with behavior in general. She can still get use to the house while being introduced to some small lessons. When you control her resources, such as having her do something in order to get what she wants, this establishes you as her leader, something that will make her secure in her new home. If she can sit, ask for a sit before she gets something she wants. Good luck. If you can't find what you're looking for or have a specific thing you need help with, let us know.

 

[casablanca1]

Tire her out a little before you try to get her to concentrate. If she's really excitable, don't encourage her to get out of control, just buy a 20'-30' lead(like those light, yellow lines they use to train hunting dogs, or just buy clothesline) and find a large, quiet field, then let her run, explore, etc. She can get up some speed this way, yet not get away. The 'formal' commands can always be learned, in any class or from a book. At first, I'd concentrate on getting her exercised, getting her to pay attention to you, and setting boundaries.

 

[whatszmatter]

hyper dogs are the best, they love to do stuff, and when they learn that you bring the good stuff when they do things you want, there's nothing you can't teach them. They are a little harder to put up with I guess if you're not accustomed to them, but a little exercise never hurt the handler or the dog.

One thing you can't do is give in to her hyperness. If she's jumping for treats or on the counters or on the couch, she or he, can never get rewards for this, no petting, no snatching the treat from your hand, etc, they can only get the reward for doing what you ask and train them to do.

There are tons of "tricks" for training and i'm sure you'll hear hundreds of them, but most importantly you need to be patient and consistent in your training.

 

[LargeDogBreedz]

I agree with the post above. Hyper active dogs are always the most personable go-lucky dogs, even though they can be very aggitating when not dealt with properly.

Your best bet is, of coarse, to make sure that she gets plenty of exercise. Take her to the doggy park and let her play with the other dogs for awhile, that should knock her right out when its time settle down.

Reprimand her when she misbehaves or jumps up on furniture or begins chewing. Make sure you are catching her in the act and nip it in the bud at that exact moment. Patience during these times can play a big factor in response. Again.....I cannot reinterate how much proper exercise will play an important role in this situation

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

So you advise taking a new dog to a dog park where there are infinite unknowns re: the dogs who will be there?

Define reprimand?

 

[Doberluv]

I had a very rambunctious Doberman puppy. I never had to harshly reprimand him and he is a lovely, well mannered, well trained adult dog now. Reprimanding (scolding) a dog for being a dog is confusing and teaches your dog to distrust you. He has no sense of our morals or values. He can learn all the things you want by showing him alternative behaviors to behaviors you don't want. If he's jumping up on you, it is because he is seeking attention. Attention then, is the reinforcer. So, if you do not give any attention, zero, zippo, none, not good, not bad, not a word or a look...nothing, he will get back down because he's not getting what he wants. He'll probably sit because often when dogs are in question, they plop into a sit. Wait for that. THEN squat down and lavish him with attention and a treat. It won't take long if you're consistant and everyone who interacts with him is consistant to choose the behavior you want....a sit for a greeting. It is cruel to punish a dog for greeting you the only way he knows how. It's like someone reprimanding you for wanting to shake hands.

The same thing goes for chewing. Keep your valuables put away. Puppy proof your house. The more chance for your pup to be reinforced by chewing your good stuff, the more the behavior will continue. Redyre has a wonderful sticky up on having a toy box for your dog. Read that for good, solid training advice.

In general, distract, give alternative behaviors, preferable intercepting the unwanted behavior before it happens.... reinforce those, obedience train, exercise without being excessive to hurt the bones and joints, patience, consistancy, kindness and an understanding of how dogs learn and process information. They do not understand aversive punishment from primates. (us)

I do not recommend a dog park for a very young puppy. I'm not a fan of them at all, but your puppy needs to be fully vaccinated and even then, he will be very vulnerable to who knows what. There are sometimes aggressive dogs and one frightening situation...just one is all it takes to ruin your dog's sociailzation program. It is far better to enroll in a puppy kindergarten class with a reputable trainer who uses gentle, positive reinforcment methods. It is a very good way to socialize your puppy because it's controlled and they're all puppies. If you have friends with friendly adult dogs who are healthy, you could try getting together with one of them. Just be sure the adult dog is exceptionally friendly and tolerant of puppies. A dog park is definitetly not a safe place for a little puppy.

 

[Brokendreams490]

Who are we talking about now lol?? I am adopting a 2-3 year old dog , not a puppy, and I am not taking her to the dog park, and she already has all her shots and is fixed...I am a little confused

 

[Doberluv]

Sorry, I got mixed up. I didn't answer this the first time I read it and when I went back to reply, didn't double check the age, just went from memory of what I had read before. I'm old and addled and have a lot on my mind because my Doberman is sick and I'm probably going to lose him. But I still would be careful with dog parks anyhow, especially with a new dog that you don't know well, don't know how she'll react to or be affected by bullying or aggression in another dog. And if she hasn't been taught house manners, would be careful about the reprimanding for "misbehavior" and instead teach with an understanding of how dogs think and learn. Sorry I messed up. Good luck with your new dog.

 

[Brokendreams490]

Its okay, thank you lol. I will try me best to teach her the way dogs understand. I am so sorry about your dog, and I hope all works out for you .

 

[Doberluv]

Thank you. My name should be Brokendreams.