The family dog (training)

[A3M0N]

I searched, but didn't find anything related to training, since she is part of the family I figured it would fit here.

We have a 2 y/o lab mix named Emma. She's pretty smart and is trained well for the house and backyard (housebroken and crate trained, plays pretty good fetch, decent obedience), but not very good on a leash and certainly not reliable off leash. I started really working on her obedience before I left for the TDY I'm on now with plans to train her in a basic retriever style.

How do you train your family dog to be a joy on camping trips and hikes? I want her to join us outdoors, but trying to keep her under control along with my 4 y/o son is more hassle than joy. We will be moving in the spring next year and I want to incorporate some camping along the way. Help!

I plan to pick up a well recommended book titled "The 10 Minute Retriever", if anyone has heard of it before.

 

[HenryJ]

Take her with you everywhere. Get her used to going all the time. Socialize.

Kennel train. Make that her safe place. We carry a fold up / pop-up kennel when we travel. One word: "kennel" and she runs for the kennel. Sounds like you already have that started at home. Continue it when you travel. Stick with a routine. Her bedtime is important to her. Find a quiet place for the kennel. She gets the back seat of the truck when camping. The kennel does fit. I have a small duffle that has the fold up kennel, gallon ziplock freezer bag of dog food, dishes, Kennel pad , water bottle old towel. Stays ready to go all the time.

Retractable leash. She can be close and under control, or allowed a little more room. Handy when climbing. Easy one hand operation. Keep it near the place she rides and make sure she does not get out without it attached. She will learn the routine. It is a hassle for us at first, but good safety practice. Nice to be able to open the door and have her wait, not just jump out.

Retractable dog cable. Ours is bolted to the rear bumper. (Yes we did see the "Vacation" movies )

There are times when she needs to be tied up at camp. However that doesn't need to be tangled around stuff. This has worked well for us. Keep one of those canvas buckets full of water near by.

Her ball. Have a spare in the trailer or truck just for trips. This needs to be THE toy that has her full attention. Think of the squirrel on Ice Age. That nut that has her so focused. Great tool. New kid in camp, kick the ball...friends for life. Big scary dude over for a beer? Kick the ball...friends for life. Great tool.

Fold up dishes. Keep a couple just for trips. One should be handy all the time for water at a potty stop. We keep a bowl and water bottle behind the back seat. The food dish is in the fold up kennel. I keep a set in the travel trailer too.

Be patient. She will mellow with age. You will learn how to make things easier for both of you. Don't get lazy. Stick with routine. In time it will gel.

 

[UK4X4]

Dog training

Food orientated or prey drive make the best systems

Clicker training too has its place , but never really worked for me

i have two weimeraners

Prey drive high, but they get bored when the toy don't squeak and try and run away

One has the food drive so he's easy with ham !

the other is not really a hungrey chap and was way more dificult.

Either way reward based training gets results especially in close

Long distance...I have used a vibrate shock collar to get them to realise I'm still the boss even when they are a distance away

Shock is real low, it goes away when they come back, ie a general anoyance tingling thats stops when they are next to dad.

keep the sessions short and focused-

 

[IdaSHO]

HenryJ, no disrespect intended, but your comments about retractable leashes are NOT proper training tools, and will do more harm than good.

Those retractable leashes are the LAST thing any decent dog trainer will suggest. All you are doing is training the dog to tug, as the leashes apply a constant tension on the lead. This quickly undoes any and all proper leash training you have done.

Quite frankly, if you cannot contain your dog off the leash, then you and the dog need MORE time off the leash, not less. Just because he takes off when he is on a leash doesnt mean you need to give him an extendable leash. It means you have to train him. You have to work at it, gizmos will only makes things less clear for the dog and make it more difficult for training.



My current pup is a male Plott Hound / Lab mutt. When I got him, everyone told me we would NEVER be able to leash train him due to his natural "follow his nose" hound nature. The assumption was that he would pull you everywhere his nose wanted him to go. People also told me we would NEVER be able to take him on our backpacking trips off the leash due to that same hound nature.

Both claims were proven false. The pup does great on and off the leash.

Proper training is the key, without gizmos.

More often than not, the majority of the "training" is changes that have to be made with the owner, simply to make things 100% clear to the dog. Any command that comes through as uncertain will be ignored by the dog.

 

[IdaSHO]

I should also say that clickers and collars have their place, but I refuse to use them. Especially the collars.

Ive seen too many dogs become perfect dogs with the collars on, only to revert right back to nasty with them off.

 

[86tuning]

I should also say that clickers and collars have their place, but I refuse to use them. Especially the collars.

Ive seen too many dogs become perfect dogs with the collars on, only to revert right back to nasty with them off.

Apparently the trick with collars is to put them on and not do anything with them for THREE days. Then use something new when calling them, like a special whistle. If they ignore the special whistle (or whatever you're using) then BAM reach out with the Hand of God.

Next time you call and call and they ignore you, use the special whistle, then BAM. Shouldn't have to do it more than twice.

That's what I've been told, haven't wanted to try it yet.

 

[A3M0N]

Thanks for the replies. So do y'all have any tips on how to keep a dog's attention when you move outside? She does really well in the house, when we take it to the backyard she does good for a few minutes. She'll sit and stay, come and whoa a few times - then she just walks away. Treats don't matter, toys don't matter, she's just done. I don't beg her to come back, I just take my tastey treats and go back in the house. She looks confused when I walk away, but I don't know how to keep her attention and motivated. Maybe a collar would work, the idea of a shock collar bothers me, but it may be what we need.

Thanks again.

 

[rcharrette]

Get a good shock collar. I've had 3 Golden Retrievers. My #2 guy was a strong headed Alpha male, he knew what was the right thing to do when off leash but looked at me like "try and make me do it". I got a good hunting grade (water proof, adjustable probes) collar and I could count on one hand how many times I had to use it in his life of 13 years. It put him right in line.
It sounds like your pup is the same. It knows what's the correct way to behave but also thinks you are no longer in control off leash. You need to show him you are.

 

[HenryJ]

HenryJ, no disrespect intended, but your comments about retractable leashes are NOT proper training tools, and will do more harm than good.

Those retractable leashes are the LAST thing any decent dog trainer will suggest. All you are doing is training the dog to tug, as the leashes apply a constant tension on the lead. This quickly undoes any and all proper leash training you have done.

None taken. Many areas require the dog be leashed. Off leash is not an option. I have found the retractable is a great asset. More for me than the dog. When she is healed I can shorten the leash. This can be an advantage when a less trained dog comes up for a "greeting" More for my peace of mind that I can pull her aside quickly if needed. On the beach I can offer her some latitude , even though not more than 6' is permitted. Quickly retracted I can look legal again if needed. The pull is small. Less than a tape measure. It locks with a thumb switch. I use it like an adjustable length leash. It has been great for us, but we do not have a dog with a tugging problem either. She heals nicely.

You are right that the dog should be leash trained and not pull on the leash. That is not why I was recommending a retractable. If you are looking for control and training, I can agree that this may not be the right tool. Maybe later?

I have been told that the drug dogs are picked by their attention to a toy. Those that are "squirrel focused" are the best candidates. Maybe you just need to find the right nut?

 

[Yohannes]

I suppose the pup lack interaction with other dogs as well?

Start the training on areas that you wish to improve on, reward until she remembers the right thing to do, then when you are more confident, take her to dog parks or other places where other dogs are present and continue training from there...

 

[X2Outdoors]

I have a 3 year old yellow lab. I also have a sport dog field brand collar. She is trained very well. The collar has a tone button on it as we'll as shock settings one thru ten. I have not used the collar in over a year! She is seldom on a leash. (All though she is leash trained). I would trust her anywhere. You just have to be reasonable.


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[java]

Keep the training short. When she loses attention, make her do one more thing and take a break. They cant concentrate constantly. Intermix training with play, 5 mins constant attention, 5 mins relax play time.


And on that note I have a 6 year old lab who is great, listens off leash, good on leash etc etc, but loses his head when he sees another dog. Sometimes he can be told to leave it and he can get by with just a lot of whining, sometimes he goes full on barking rampage. He gets plenty of time at the dog park, he just cant control his love for dogs....