advice for training

[Gina]

Hi all...I am looking for some advice on training my doodle. He is a year old, just turned this past November. We feel like he has been doing well....but still has issues in the house when we get home from work. He wants attention NON-STOP, and it makes it very hard for me an my husband, who have demanding careers, to spend the entire evening catering to him. We try to walk him a lot at night, so as to get the energy expended from the day. He still cannot be trusted, and is kept in his cage throughout the day. He sleeps, I am sure, most of that time. I feel so bad for him, and know that the energy issue is one of the major issues with his behavior at night....but he still needs a lot of work on learning to not jump when someone gets home, he barks WAY too much when he sees neighbors when we are out to do the "business", and really needs to learn to allow me to get within 3 feet of my hisband without breaking it up, and jumping on us to keep us apart...he gets JEALOUS!! :) We have tried the spray bottle, turning our backs to him when he jumps, and all of the methods you can do on your own...what kinds of training should I be looking to, a home trainer that can come a few times? The Petsmart obedience classes? Will he just get better with time? Any advice is SO welcomed! Thank you!

[Angelica Steinker]

Hi,

i am a professional trainer with four different certifications and also a doodle fan. my school hosts some doodle meetups so that is why I am here. :) I have not read this thread but would like to offer you some assistance. :) so here are some thoughts for you:
1. you need to exercise him more. forget walking him for a large dog that is not a effective means of exercise. you need to get him RUNNING. try www.cleanrun.com for the nifty pet exerciser toy or other lunge whip toys that can be dragged on the ground prompting your dog to RUN and catch it. you can stand in the middle and not waste much energy and in 10 minutes totally wear your dog out.
2. attention is rewarding. if you give your dog attention for being demanding then you might as well give him a cookie for being demanding. you are training demanding behavior. :) so instead ignore your dog when he is being demanding, if necessary leave the room, and give him lots of attention when he is calm, napping, chewing is toy or playing with a Kong toy. Kong toys are wonderful toys so if you don't have one get one. they are dog binkies and very useful.
3. hang in there because your doodle is in the terrible twos. from 6 months to 2 years most dogs go through a terrible two phase, hormones raging and activity levels higher than normal. in a year your doodle should be calmer.
4. work in creating a dog safe room so you can start getting him out of the crate. crating will only increase his level of energy and boredom which you need to decrease. :) obviously he needs to be safe so only leave him in a dog proofed room and only for short times until he has proven himself. :)
5. the barking: this could be a whole bunch of things so I am goign to opt that you increase his exercise. in most cases increased exercise decreases barking. :)
6. jumping on people: also a by product of not enough exercise. are either of you runners? if so, take the dog! :)
7. jealousy behavior: have either cookies or a kong in hand when you approach husband. snuggle with husband and give dog the cookie or kong. teach him to share. :) you let me snuggle with hubby and you get a wonderful stuffed kong.
8. spray bottle: I suggest you stop using that. you are punishing but have not taught him what to do. instead do the above. :)
9. teach him to sit for everything, food, petting, dinner, breakfast, going outside.. that way he will default to sitting, offer the sit even when you dont' need it. then you can ask him to sit when you greet him. where do you live? you need a good basic obedience group class with this dog to get you off on the right paw. :) I would avoid petsmart as the classes can be good or bad depending on the trainer. let me know where you live and I can get you a referral. :)

later, ange

[Gina]

Thank you SO much! I live in Durham, NC. I really appreciate your noting each of my issues! The hard part about getting him exercise, is neither one of us run, my husband is a resident physician, he works about 12 or more hours a day, and the dog is usually up to me on the weekdays, which I don't mind at all, but I am not really a runner. I walk a lot...but the thing we have found is he runs non-stop at the dog park, is that good enough for exercise, like every other day?? The days in between we go for walks...short and long, depending on how long my day was...

The main issue that we are coming down to is in the evening, he will look at us, as we are checking our email, after sitting down from dinner, or watching TV, and he will bark non-stop,, staring at us!! I give him his kong, and another great rubbery set of rings we bought him, and he loves those, but he chews them AGAINST the chair and couch..or on my leg, so as to play a game. He will sometimes chew them on the floor, but anymore, its a game to get them on our lap, or on our furniture, which I don't like...cause the furniture is starting to show from this huge guy chewing his toys against them? I think we are getting the energy to a better level, but even after the park, or the day after, he is barking once we sit down. Does he just want attention more and more and more? We pay a lot of attention to him when we arrive home, but when its our time, we aren't allowed to have it.

I have asked, but no one really responded to it....would getting him a playmate help? Someone to be with all day while at work, and all night at the park, and with us at dinner time, and for walks? What does a professional trainer think of this for helping an attention seeking doggy?