I'm good with dogs, but not a miracle worker.

[Flying Grype]

Want to have a cat? Ok, we have a course for that (Do what ever the cat wants you to).

Yeah, cats generally come with their own training program.

I disagree about lizards -- they're different enough from mammals that a lot of people screw up on basic things. They're cold-blooded, for one; for another, people often fail on guessing what they eat (e.g. feeding big scary dinosaurish herbivore iguanas meat-based dog kibble).

@Kyree, I love love love your sig and your avvy.

[Kyree]

Tollbaby:
I suggested a petsmart or petco training class for them, they told me it was too expensive and the stores never had times they could match. So I offered myself or a personal friend of mine to do a class with them PRESENT with their dog. Surprise surprise, they don't have the time for it.

Jay 2k Winger:
I have that same problem with Callie, my german shepherd mix. She is 77lbs now, she was 49 when the rescue got her. She has it in her mind that all food, no matter what, must be in her belly NOW. She'll nip fingers to get a treat, not on purpose but she gets so excited to see that treat that's not in her belly and that needs to be fixed!


I have seen some of The Dog Whisperer. I agree with some of his stuff, and I love the fact that he promotes the fact that most of the time, it's the owners' fault for letting the dogs get that bad. But I disagree with a lot of his actual practices. If I ever suggest a trainer to follow, it's always Victoria Stillwell (Though I still don't understand why she doesn't suggest crating in a lot of her episodes.)

It makes me upset to see people set their dogs up to fail like that, or laugh at me because the training technique "sounds stupid" or it doesn't have instant results. I take solace in the fact that I must be doing something right. I can take 4 50-77lb dogs and 1 cat to the vet all at once and they all behave well enough that the entire staff comments on it.

Flying Grape:
Thank you very much :3

[Shpepper]

Sounds like it's the child that needs the training. You do NOT mess with the food an animal is eating. Ever. Lions, tigers, bears, or even canis amicus! (The kid was lucky the dog was smart enough to not really bite.)

Thing was, the child had been feeding the dog treats and the dog was very gentle in taking them. He thought he could so the same thing with food from the bowl. Since we are around so many little ones, I taught my dog to wait for all treats. if he reaches, he is told wait for it. Now anyone can give him treats. He will even sit and wait with rib bones about 2 inches from his mouth. So both needed and actually did get taught a lesson that day.

[Seshat]

Related-- our new dog, Mocha, is very strong willed, but she's learning that she does not outrank the humans. She likes to play with ice cubes from the freezer, and is known to snatch them from your hand if you're not careful. So last night, when I went to hand her one, I pulled it back sharply when she tried to snatch it, and gave her a sharp little "Hey!" She subsided, tried to snatch again when I went to hand it to her, and repeated the lesson. Third time, she carefully leaned forward and opened her mouth until I put the cube in it, and went "Okay." And she scurried off to have fun with it.

She learned.

Well done, and an excellent example of proper training techniques.

("proper training techniques" being, of course, any techniques that I approve of. )

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

I have seen some of The Dog Whisperer. I agree with some of his stuff, and I love the fact that he promotes the fact that most of the time, it's the owners' fault for letting the dogs get that bad. But I disagree with a lot of his actual practices. If I ever suggest a trainer to follow, it's always Victoria Stillwell (Though I still don't understand why she doesn't suggest crating in a lot of her episodes.)

While I do have some reservations as to Cesar Millan's techniques, he does get results. I fondly remember he rehabilitated after it had developed a fear of noise while it was working as a military dog on deployment.

Victoria's techniques are a little better but I hate how she treats the people in the show. I know it's her gimmick, but making the dog owner crouch on the floor whilst shaking a broom over their heads...well if that were me there would be at least 10 minutes of footage that would never get past the censors for the language that would pour forth from my mouth.

Cesar at least calmly explains the theory and then demonstrates it in a fashion that points out that the problem stems from the owner's behavior yet at the same time isn't blaming them for @#$%ing up the dog.

[ShadowBall]

Oh shit, cats cannot be trained. They are like Soviet Russia - they train you. My female cat has me trained to carry her around in one arm and try to go about doing normal things with my other arm.

I'm not incredibly keen on dog training techniques, but from what I have heard/read, methods from The Dog Whisperer can sometimes work on people too. Sounds like a good deal.

[Kyree]

I'm not incredibly keen on dog training techniques, but from what I have heard/read, methods from The Dog Whisperer can sometimes work on people too. Sounds like a good deal.

Just need a bucket of KFC, a person harness, and to practice *TSSST* (If anyone else watches south park, they'll get the joke.)

Milan has some good techniques, but in other areas he's very...lacking. The fact that he lets his pack of dogs roam freely around the compound without supervision, which has caused the death of dogs belonging to his "customers" just unnerves me to no end.

And I know someone who has taught their cat sit, roll over, and to jump through a hoop. I want their secret to this!

[Kyree]

Sorry for the double post, but huzzah! I found proof!

Trophy (that's the cat's name) Jumps through a hoop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nug9IPhSJg

[Seshat]

The secret is to use the same techniques as for dog training, but to be more patient. Also, to take the different anatomy into account.

Teaching a cat to sit:
Hold treat in hand. Let cat sniff it.
Slowly move treat from in front of cat, to above cat. In the process of tracking the treat, cat's head will go up, butt will usually hit the floor.
Command 'Sit' at about the point where the butt hits the floor.
Give cat treat and pettings.

Repeat multiple times a day, but each session should be short - if the cat is getting bored, it stops being productive.

Over time, start doing it with the treat hidden in the other hand - so the cat is tracking a treat-less hand. (but gets the treat almost instantly anyway)

Over time, start saying 'Sit' earlier in the gesture.

Over time, you become able to do it without a treat at all. Just pettings and 'good girl' rewards.


And yes, I have successfully done this. Unfortunately, I got sick and didn't keep it up: cats seem to forget tricks they've learned faster than dogs do.
They re-learn it faster than it took them to originally learn it, but I have to go back to having a treat in the gesturing hand.

[Lots42]

I'd call SPCA on these freakjobs.

[Kyree]

I'd call SPCA on these freakjobs.

These owners aren't abusing their dogs in the eyes of the law. They're just not the smartest people. MN doesn't have an SPCA either.

[Shalom]

taht is what the people who previously owned my dog did ie. kept him in a cage most of the time, did not play with him, did not pay attention to him or interact with him. and they wondered why he peed on the laundry and did destructive things. they were this close (ll) to putting him to sleep.

I shall avoid personalities that would incur fratching, and simply ask, Why in God's name did these people even have a dog in the first place?

[sylvier]

These people have obviously completely missed the boat on the concept of "dog training" and probably should not own anything more difficult than a chia pet.

[Andara Bledin]

Over time, you become able to do it without a treat at all. Just pettings and 'good girl' rewards.

And yes, I have successfully done this. Unfortunately, I got sick and didn't keep it up: cats seem to forget tricks they've learned faster than dogs do.

The one is related to the other.

Dogs will do tricks for the praise of their masters. They're needy like that. Cats will only work for rewards, and if the rewards stop coming, they'll stop doing tricks.

^-.-^

[EricKei]

Amen to that...It reminds me of a comic and/or saying and/or anecdote from awhile back...


DOG: The human brings me food and toys and pettings...he must be a god!

CAT: The human brings me food and toys and pettings...I must be a god!