How to be the ALPHA?!?

[enigmaquandry]

Hi, when I got Pidge as a puppy everyone said shelties are easily trained, super smart and very sensitive/easily cowed. Pidge is now over four months and could not be more stubborn! She's clearly smart and she does learn some things but she is so stubborn and impish. She clearly chooses when to obey and when not to. I've tried every kind of technique I could think of for come, heel, sit, down, stay etc. and she has been to puppy class for six weeks with some improvement. I think the problem is that neither my husband or I is really the alpha dog in her mind. We don't let her go in doors before us, let her bite us or anything but it's like she doesn't hear us. We try not to repeat commands but try to make her do them but it's like it doesn't "click". It's so hard even to get her attention to make her look at you and listen and she is VERY inconsistent when it comes to obeying. She is precious and we love her dearly but I have never seen a more stubborn, distracted puppy! She does respond somewhat to positive reinforcement and virtually not at all to negative, being scolded or leash correction doesn't phase her even a bit (just to be clear, our scolding is not physical or loud etc.).
Sorry this got so long but any Alpha dog techniques/"I can sympathize" stories/advice? HELP! psycho puppy out of control!

 

[Caro]

Be very careful. Tully was very stubborn at this age and I brought in a behaviourist who used the dominance and alpha theories and it really turned her into a timid dog. I really wish I had not used these approaches on her because I have had to work twice as hard to build her confidence back up.

Remember Pidge is the equivalent of a 3 year old human, I doubt at that age the issue of alpha dog even enters her mind. She is just doing what precocious 3yr old children do.

Tully was very immature and looking back now I see the stubborness was just part of this. Although at the time if you told me she was actually timid not dominant I would not have beleived it - now shes an adult dog I see it.

I ended up seeing a vet behaviourist who told me I needed to really really praise her. So I went over the top with my praise and she responded really well to lots of 'yey Tully' and me jumping around and being silly. Lots of cuddles too when she was being good.

Dont worry if she is goofing off in puppy class - its about socialisation not learning obedience commands. Plenty of time for that. And you might want to have a look at the article I posted earlier in the week about dominance theories.

I really do sympathise, I have been through this and wish I had gotten better advice. Please don't be too harsh with her, shes just a little girl.

 

[Ania]

If she responds to positive reinforcement, have you tried clicker training? All it uses is positive reinforcement. I use it with my two, and the results are great. Maia, has mind of her own too, but she responds so well to the clicker. Chinook was very inconsistent with commands too, but he seemed to grow out of it for the most part (he's turning 1 tomorrow!) Be patient, Caro is right - she's still a small 'child'.

 

[romeosangiovese]

I've got a sheltie that started off stubborn (and lazy) as a pup! I'm abit wary of saying problems arise because we aren't "alpha" and personally, I went the way of earning trust and bonding first and foremost, then giving Romeo a set of rules to live by, which he knows if he abides, he gets rewarded, and if he doesn't, he gets "punished" (timeouts which mean something since thru the bonding he really likes being with me).

Here's a short (or not!) summary of what I did (I'm at work now y'see):

1. Hand feeding meals - this REALLY helped Romeo's focus on me. I would ask for him to look at me in the eyes before giving him a kibble, then slowly increase the duration he has to watch me. Also improves the bond between dog and owner and increases all the good feelings he would have of you.

2. NILIF - I implemented the nothing in life is free priniciple right from the start (and am still doing it now!). Romeo does not get anything without first giving me something. This includes food, treats, ice cubes, walks, peeing against a tree, going through a door, etc. He learns that if he wants anything from me, he has to earn it. You control all the resources. This is about as "alpha" as I get. I've not had problems with it.

3. Consistency - If I say No, I mean No. Each and every time he does a bad behaviour. I don't make excuses or anything like that. If I say Sit, I mean sit. Even if I have to revert to 'semi-luring' the sit, I get it. If I saw come and he doesn't come, I go over to him and walk him back to where I was standing. This is so that EVERY single time I tell him to do something, I really mean it. This one is, admittedly, not easy to keep up with because sometimes you are in a hurry and are frustrated yourself, but I just take a deep breath and think of how I want Romeo to be when he's older - a dog that can be easily and reliably controlled with my voice. By the way, I only do this for cues he ALREADY knows. I won't expect him to know how to do something he's not familiar with. Also, this applies to time-outs - if he does a bad behaviour which should earn him a time out, he gets it. Stern and strict tho' it may sound, these rules of the house are important! Incidentally, my only "punishments" are time outs/withdrawal of attention. I don't tug leashes, hit or whatever. Oh and for barking, I use the coins in a can.

4. Play - incorporate alot of play sessions with your pup. BOND. Remember also that your pup is well, still a pup and will want to play and all. A round of fetch also train retrieving! A hide and seek game can be a prelude to scenting! The more you become the most exciting thing to your dog, the more you become the thing that positive feelings (food) are associated with, your dog will look to you more. And will be more willing and will actually look forward to doing what you want it to do to get these rewards. Romeo now BUGS me to train.

If you keep at the above and make training fun, your pup will come around too. I'd urge you to put in place some house rules and a program like the above because typically once the pup hits adolesence, you'll find find your dog continuously trying to push its boundaries!!

Good luck!

 

[labgirl]

When I was training Cadbury the basics (sit, down) I used to get really frustrated when he just seemed to forget, then I read that though a dog can learn a command within a few repetitions, it takes hundreds of repetitions before they really 'get it'.

Inconsistency is a part of puppy training and even the best trained, obedience champions have their moments. Also changing methods can confuse and setback a dog (especially when they are little).

Young pups are such butterfly-brains, they get distracted, they miss a command and they mess up. Sometimes they just don't know what you mean and get frustrated and give up.

They also learn in context - so they'll do a superb sit in the kitchen on the tile floor, and then shift to the carpeted living room and they seem to have forgotten. But actually they have connected the sit command with the tiled kitchen and need to relearn it when on carpet.

Oh dog training can be so complicated, be oh so fun when you get there!

Be patient, loads of praise when Pidge gets it right and ignore the mistakes. At 5 months, with adolescence looming, training can be very hit-and-miss.