Pongo is still behaving bad... need some help=o(

[lynnmw1208]

So Pongo is now 11 months old and will be one year May 20th. He is still jumping up on walks for absolutely no reason and it's getting worse. He actually bit my husband when he told him to lay down. Now, we are in training right now and he is a class A student during class, but at home it's a different story now. I have discussed this recent bad behavior with our trainer and she said not to back down and keep trying until you get him to lay down. Problem is, he just doesn't want to listen when he starts this. Yesterday on our walk, we stopped about 7 times because he started jumping up, biting the leash and tangling himself up in it. We practice his obedience training every day and take him on 2 long walks a day. I'm just not sure what else to do! I was thinking about getting a head collar for more control, but I just don't really like those things. Please help!

[Arooroomom]

I know prong collars aren't exactly a "favorite" here... but they are effective if used properly. Did he aggressively bite? Or was it just a hard mouthing?

I'd take things back to the beginning... down for meals, walks, anything. Crate him at night. Not letting him up on any beds couches while you're on them, making him get off when you come on. It's important that he knows you're in control. Try putting and keeping him in a heel when you walk.

If you can be more descriptive maybe i can help more.

[imstarvin]

I carry a little bag of small treats when out walking, as we all know huskies only do what we ask, if they want to and if there is something in it for them Does he get excited when he sees the lead or is told he's going for a walk. If so before you go for the walk make sure he is quiet and calm. When you stop and make him lay down wait a little bit longer until you are sure he is calm. I know this is a pain and takes patience.

I am not an expert but have watched many episodes of the dog whisperer, I would highly recommend it as I have learnt so much. Hope this helps if not you will get plenty more good advice on here.

[Bec]

Why do you think he behaves better in class than at home? What is the difference between the two? What do you do differently in class?

[lynnmw1208]

I know prong collars aren't exactly a "favorite" here... but they are effective if used properly. Did he aggressively bite? Or was it just a hard mouthing?

I'd take things back to the beginning... down for meals, walks, anything. Crate him at night. Not letting him up on any beds couches while you're on them, making him get off when you come on. It's important that he knows you're in control. Try putting and keeping him in a heel when you walk.

If you can be more descriptive maybe i can help more.

We are using a prong collar for training and he was doing really well with it. Now he just ignores it completely He did bite hard because he drew blood. I'm not sure if he meant to do it or if it was part of his freaking out and he got caught in the moment when my husband touched him. I wasn't there because of my knee surgery but I saw what happened to my husband's hand

We do all of these things (crating, downing him, no couch, no bed) and is pretty much well behaved in the home. He also heels really well! this is why I'm so confused lol.

I carry a little bag of small treats when out walking, as we all know huskies only do what we ask, if they want to and if there is something in it for them Does he get excited when he sees the lead or is told he's going for a walk. If so before you go for the walk make sure he is quiet and calm. When you stop and make him lay down wait a little bit longer until you are sure he is calm. I know this is a pain and takes patience.

I am not an expert but have watched many episodes of the dog whisperer, I would highly recommend it as I have learnt so much. Hope this helps if not you will get plenty more good advice on here.

before walks we make him sit and we walk out first from the house and then tell him to follow. We also do this when going back inside. So he is really calm before a walk. sometimes he'll do this out of the blue or he'll do it when we start practicing obedience and having him sit.

Why do you think he behaves better in class than at home? What is the difference between the two? What do you do differently in class?

In class he listens to everything we say even with the other dogs as a distraction. He doesn't jump up on us at all and listens real well. I'm not sure if in class he is trying to show off to the other dogs or what lol but he's really good there. We do exactly the same technique in class, just we're inside instead of outside. Like I said we're trying in incorporate those techniques and commands on walks as well and he's just not having it! I'm beginning to wonder if he is starting this teenage thing you guys were talking about. It would be a bit early wouldn't it though? he's almost 1 year.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

how did ur partner tell him 2 lie down ? with skyla we hold a treat so she can see it then when shes sat down we make her follow it with her nose down so it looks like she bowing down - then i drag it down towards me and tell her 2 lie down then give her the treat

[Carianne]

are you walking on the same route each time you are walking? Really weird that he's being good at his school and at home

[lynnmw1208]

how did ur partner tell him 2 lie down ? with skyla we hold a treat so she can see it then when shes sat down we make her follow it with her nose down so it looks like she bowing down - then i drag it down towards me and tell her 2 lie down then give her the treat

With a hand signal to put him in sit first then a down. He doesn't usually listen at this point so you have to touch his bum to get him to sit and pull his collar down a bit. Any other time he will do these things when asked.

I was looking at these calming treats online and I was wondering: do you think this is some type of anxiety that he has started? This only seems to happen when outside and on walks. I can't imagine anything that would have started this. he gets extra worked up when there are other dogs walking and kids. It's almost like he gets mad that we didn't go say hi, but not everyone wants their dog to meet ours. If it is an anxiety what do you think about these My link

[Smokey]

actually i've read that huskies are smart enough to know the difference between being trained at home and being trained in a classroom setting. Smokey behaves the same way. in class he never complains when i ask him to sit or lie down or roll over but when at home he usually has a lot to say even with a treat in my hand.

have you heard of a gentle leader? they are a type of leash that goes around the muzzle and then behind the neck. supposedly they calm the dog and prevent pulling or jumping. they also give you better control of the dog because instead of pulling the dog just ends up turning his head toward one side when he tries. i tried using it on smokey but he friggin HATES it and i haven't had much success with it. i think once the dog gets used to it however, it makes walking a dog a very pleasurable experience. also, when i put it on Smokey, he complains and and it makes me sad cuz i feel like he is in pain. i think you just have to be stubborn about it and let it be.

here is a link. it hasn't worked out that well for me on walks but for training in a class it's decent. maybe it'll work for Pongo on his walks? wish you and your beautiful husky the best of luck!

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=gentle+leader&cid=1926265309444142359&ei=wevZS-f_F522igT8sYzZCw&sa=title&ved=0CAcQ8wIwADgA#p

[lynnmw1208]

I was wondering if this would work but like I said I feel bad about using a gentle leader. I mean I'm not sure what else to do. I think he's really trying to push his luck with us and even more so with my husband. He does calm down when i hold his muzzle though so maybe it would work. Any other opinions on this?

[Rosemary]

in class he never complains when i ask him to sit or lie down or roll over but when at home he usually has a lot to say even with a treat in my hand.

Just love this about Huskies ..........

[Bec]

In class he listens to everything we say even with the other dogs as a distraction. He doesn't jump up on us at all and listens real well. I'm not sure if in class he is trying to show off to the other dogs or what lol but he's really good there. We do exactly the same technique in class, just we're inside instead of outside. Like I said we're trying in incorporate those techniques and commands on walks as well and he's just not having it! I'm beginning to wonder if he is starting this teenage thing you guys were talking about. It would be a bit early wouldn't it though? he's almost 1 year.

Do you use the same treats? Do you structure you at home training sessions the same way you train in class? Do you implement a training program like NILIF?

I was wondering if this would work but like I said I feel bad about using a gentle leader. I mean I'm not sure what else to do. I think he's really trying to push his luck with us and even more so with my husband. He does calm down when i hold his muzzle though so maybe it would work. Any other opinions on this?

I don't think a head collar would help much here. If he's bouncing around on the leash a lot he could also injure himself on it. Many dogs find head collars highly aversive and fight wearing them - I would rather see him on a tool like a well fitted martingale or prong. How old is he? Have you considered getting a trainer in?

[SARSMINI]

Hi there steve walks amazingly on his halti collar no pulling no fighting! he does not really like having it put on but as soon as he is out he absolutely fine there is not so much strain on his neck and is a lot easier to handle, he has his scatty moments but the halti calms him as he turns to face me and then snaps out of that mood, not sure if that helps i find steve only bites me and no one else but as he has got older he now just mouths when greeted or excited! good luck

[lynnmw1208]

Like I said we ARE using a prong collar and it used to work. Now he just ignores it. and yes we do use NILF. We're just not sure what else to do with him. We haven't gone a single walk in a long time without him freaking out on us and jumping all over the place. He is calm when we leave, we leave before him, make him lay down for food etc etc. I'm just concerned this is turning into an aggressive act since he did bite my husband Not sure what else to do. We've done treats and all of that as well but he still continues to do this.

On a brighter side, he was a bit better today, but it was about 80ºF so it was hot and he usually tries to stay calm on those days since it takes a lot more energy for him to get worked up. He still did jump up on the walk after seeing a neighborhood dog and wasn't allowed to play. It's almost like he gets mad at us it's odd. He really needs to learn that he can't always go see every dog and person we see on a walk. It's frustrating but we're trying to work with him. any other suggestions?

[Grayliana]

well as said here before they do things when they see a reason for it, that doesnt nescesarly meen only food but can also be crossing a road, getting your collar on and things like that. While on the lead you leave your territory and needing to lay down is something a dog just does not like in a difrent territiory. i can walk mine everywhere but they will point with their paw to their front head if i ask them to laydown just cause i want them.

A friend of mine who owned 35 huskies and could them all walk lose together while they listend as soon as he called them or one of them told me how to attracked their attantion. Take a roller ream, one of those 5 meter things and practice. everytime they see something else and those ears turn upwards, call his name and get him to you. doný pull him in as a fish but make it fun to come to you. give him a pet on the head and sometimes a treat so that he doesnt want the treat all the time but just lives in hope of getting one. If he loses intrest try to get him a difrent way, move some paces back in a playfull way to make You intresting for him and everytimes he comes act as if he just won the iditarod.

seeing the biteing incident i think he either didn't see it comeing and it was an act in pannic or he is testing your husband aftherall he is in pubertie age. Don't go looking for this power stride but play with him where you kow he feels save and in the game try and get him on the floor with all 4 paws up. and that is just while playing. we got a book here about dog language from a woman caller turrid ruggaas. It's very intresting and about their behavior as in body language. if you gat the chance read it and it makes dealing with a puberty dog so much more fun.

[Bec]

Like I said we ARE using a prong collar and it used to work. Now he just ignores it. and yes we do use NILF. We're just not sure what else to do with him. We haven't gone a single walk in a long time without him freaking out on us and jumping all over the place. He is calm when we leave, we leave before him, make him lay down for food etc etc. I'm just concerned this is turning into an aggressive act since he did bite my husband Not sure what else to do. We've done treats and all of that as well but he still continues to do this.

I really think your best option is going to be to get a qualified and reputable trainer/behaviourist in especially as you are worried about the behaviour getting worse - there's only so much we can help you with over the net without seeing the dog in person.

This is not a tool problem and not something switching to another tool is going to fix. Dogs can learn to pull on any training tool be it prong collar or harness or head collar, if it is not used properly with the right training program - a good trainer will show you how to use it effectively.

Often we can't see where we are going wrong and it takes someone more experienced to assess the situation so we know how to remedy it.

He really needs to learn that he can't always go see every dog and person we see on a walk. It's frustrating but we're trying to work with him. any other suggestions?

Unfortunately there is no quick answer to this - training a dog to work under distractions takes time. Has he got a solid look or heel command?

[lynnmw1208]

He does know the command "look" really well except when there is a distraction while walking. It's just frustrating because when we're with our trainer in class he does everything like a star. When we're on a walk, it's another story He seems to be getting a little better in the past week. My husband has been working with him on having him wait before exiting the house for a walk and when coming back in. One thing we did try which seemed to work is we walk him on his EZYdog harness but have his prong collar on just in case. When he starts acting up on the harness we switch to the prong collar and he seems to get the idea that we need him to behave. Only had him jump up twice on one walk which is improvement! He does a heeling REALLY nice and it seems that even if the prong collar is on but is not being used he still thinks he's in "working mode" I suppose because he heels with the harness on. I'm just guessing that the biting was an accident since he has stopped since. I think that he is just really testing us to see what we will do about his behavior. he listens to me A LOT better than my husband but I am still recovering from surgery so there's only so much I can do lol. I just think he needed to work with him a bit more. So far so good. Thanks for the advice everyone!

[SarahNukka&Shadow]

He does know the command "look" really well except when there is a distraction while walking. It's just frustrating because when we're with our trainer in class he does everything like a star. When we're on a walk, it's another story He seems to be getting a little better in the past week. My husband has been working with him on having him wait before exiting the house for a walk and when coming back in. One thing we did try which seemed to work is we walk him on his EZYdog harness but have his prong collar on just in case. When he starts acting up on the harness we switch to the prong collar and he seems to get the idea that we need him to behave. Only had him jump up twice on one walk which is improvement! He does a heeling REALLY nice and it seems that even if the prong collar is on but is not being used he still thinks he's in "working mode" I suppose because he heels with the harness on. I'm just guessing that the biting was an accident since he has stopped since. I think that he is just really testing us to see what we will do about his behavior. he listens to me A LOT better than my husband but I am still recovering from surgery so there's only so much I can do lol. I just think he needed to work with him a bit more. So far so good. Thanks for the advice everyone!

Thats great that hes getting better... before I read you last post I was going to make four points, I'll still make them as I think they might help...

Firstly I think your right he is starting his naughty teenage testing to see what he gets away with phase... Nukka is ten months nearly eleven months and slowly starting to test the boundaries, so just stay firm and consistent and dont let him winde you up till you loose it as thats not leading behaviour if you feel yourself getting mad just stop whatever it is your doing and walk away maybe put him in a timeout for 5 minutes til you both calm down...

Second point for training sessions try to introduce a word for training like "Working" say it to him as you go into training class... like "Pongo working now" so he gets the idea that your now training and he has to consentrate... then move on to telling him that before you do a home training session like you said to get him into "working mode" I think this might hel him understand what your doing and co-operate better..

Third point.. work on your "look", build up the level of distraction.. do it first in the house with no distractions, then have your husband do somthing fairly noisey in another room and get him to "look" and hold your "look"... then move out into the garden, then try it out on a walk when theres no one around and so on building on the level of distraction and also the time he can hold the eye contact before he gets the treat this should help when out on a walk and he wants to see another dog you get him to "look" at you while the dog goes by...

Fourth point is you say training classes are indoors? so again build up to doing training out on walks, do it at home first, then go out into the garden, then somewhere quiet outside your house... Again its all about building it up the differences the levels of distraction etc.. dogs are funny they wont always transfer associations like when potty training a puppy they learn that you dont like them going in your house but they dont always transfer that to other peoples houses so you find you have to keep the training going till the make the distinction between inside and outside not just your house and garden.

Hope any of that helps Im pretty much talking from a dog behaviour student point Im learning how dogs learn in order to be a better teacher for my dog and alot of it makes alot of sense when you think about it!!