Obedience question about an Italian Greyhound
Comments (0)This is a question I recently received from a reader of my website:
Question: We have a five month old Italian Greyhound puppy. We have started training him using treats as motivation (which he responds to VERY well!) and also using water squirts and time outs for undesirable behaviors (but not commands training). He is doing great overall and we are having a blast. You recommend treats for puppies as motivation. When do you recommend using corrections along with rewards such as with teaching the very important “come” command with a prong collar. Should these be used on Italian Greyhounds at all, and are there any other factors to consider about this breed specifically? He is a little sensitive, but also a bit dominant which is why I have read a book and am reading your great advice on obedience training. Thanks!!
Answer: At any age you can use ‘age appropriate’ corrections. So to answer your question, you can use them now. I would probably just use a flat collar versus a pinch collar. Tell the dog ‘come’ and if he doesn’t give a tug as you trot backwards. It doesn’t need to be super firm, just enough to grab the dog’s attention and begin forming an association with not coming when called.
At this age the best training program is going to combine some treats with some small corrections. This will help the dog start to realize that obedience is fun, but also mandatory. Good luck with your puppy training.
Teaching the ‘place’ command
Comments (0)When you teach the ‘place’ command there are three parts:
1- Go to the place
2- Lie down in the place
3- Stay in the place
I like to use a dog bed or mat to teach this behavior. Start out with your dog on a leash. Get your dog close to the bed. Give the command ‘place’ as you indicate the bed. If the dog doesn’t go to the bed use the leash to communicate what you want. Keep saying place as you tug the dog in the direction of the bed.
Once your dog is on the bed the next step is having him lie down. If he doesn’t go down right away use the leash again to communicate that you want the dog to lie down. Say ‘place’ as you give little tugs in the direction of the floor.
Now the goal is to have the dog stay. If he gets up before you ask him to, simply use the leash to tug him back onto the bed. When he gets back on and lies down praise him verbally. Keep enforcing the three parts of the behavior. Again, at any time that he breaks any of the three parts use the leash to communicate what you want as you repeat the ‘place’ command.
As you continue being consistent with this command you will eventually be able to wean the dog off the use of the leash. Gradually increase the distance and the time that your dog is staying in his place. Soon it will be a very functional command to have your dog calm and under control in the house.
The ‘place’ command
Comments (0)With every puppy owner client I have I nearly always teach them the ‘place’ command right off the bat. The ‘place’ command is one where the puppy goes to a bed or mat and stays there. I love this command for several reasons:
1- It makes it easier to supervise the puppy. Puppies need CONSTANT supervision. If they don’t have it they will often sneak away to chew on your stuff or pee on your floor. Supervision can get tough, however, when you are involved in day-to-day activities. If you can have a ‘place’ command it makes it easier to keep your puppy supervised when you are cooking dinner, mopping the floor, or just hanging out watching television.
2- It sets the proper ‘tone’ of the home. I enter many clients homes for the first time to meet dogs that are literally doing laps. The dogs are wild and crazy in the house and think nothing of running to and fro with reckless abandon. If you can use the ‘place’ command with frequency it helps the dog just ‘be’. The dog lies down, stays, and therefore becomes conditioned to a different way to be in the house. It helps the dog learn that the house is not a place for wild antics.
3- It is a good precursor to the ‘down stay’ command. If you can teach your dog to lie down on his bed and stay it then becomes a short trip to teach your dog to lie down anywhere and stay. I like to start with the ‘place’ command because there is something about using a physical target such as a bed that helps the dog learn to stay much quicker than without a target. Once the dog gets it with bed, then you can move on to having the dog lie down and stay anywhere.
4- It is a good replacement behavior. The place command is a great way to have the dog greet people at the door. If you can teach your dog to lie in his place when the doorbell rings you don’t have to worry about him charging through the door or jumping on your guests. If you can use the ‘place’ command at dinnertime you don’t have to worry about your dog begging at the table. Use the ‘place’ command to replace bad behaviors instead of scolding the dog unnecessarily.
Want to learn how to train the ‘place’ command? Stay tuned for a coming post detailing the best way to train it.
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