Picking up the toys

In regard to forcing them to wait until you are out the door before you go out, I've done it with both my dogs during the puppy stage...with Honey it helped to remind her that she needs to mind me when she was outside and excited...I don't know if it's because it was interrupting a short circuit of her brain when she was excited and ready to bolt, if it's just the most important person goes first/gets the best idea you see in nature, or if it's just that it's that much more training she's going through during the day.... but it helped us during puppy training, and later when we moved and she was having issues with all the changes. (It isn't something I do every single time. Once they're doing pretty good with listening and not quite as crazy I'm fine with letting them run in and out.)

It helped again with Mango, not because I needed to remind her to focus on me or listen, Mango seems to devote 100% of her attention to me, but when Honey saw me taking the lead like that she seemed to calm down on her corrections of Mango, and trusting me to control her more.

Whether it's coincidence that things improved when we did it, or fact that it helps, at the very least it's an easy way to squeeze in a bit of extra training.
 
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don't know about doors but at herding, the dog is usually put in a stay while you open and enter the gate into the pen, then you let the dog in and put him in a stay while the gate is closed.
definitely an exercise in self control....
 
My daughter taught her Schipperke (Dickens's BFF) to put toys back in the box, but unfortunately couldn't teach her to do it on her on initiative.
 
Thank you so much everyone for the advice. I am disabled, so I can't get on the floor and call puppy with happy abandon as I did my other pups in years past. Being on their level makes a difference I think. Standing and leaning over him, makes me look big and not so fun. Being the one to always pick him up to take him to his potty spot, or put him in the confined playpen didn't help the trust thing either.

It's getting nicer outside so I could leave the sliding door open, the deck has a gate, so Chai couldn't go into the yard without me, but he had the porch to explore, and could go in and out of the house on his own.

Today was a good day. He did sit and look at me when it was time to come in, but as soon as I called him with a treat he came in, and wonder of wonders...I didn't have to trick him by tossing him a treat to chase...he was so happy to feel the freedom of the deck, being able to be going in and out, I don't think he was so worried he would never see the great outdoors again.

He isn't dodging me anymore either, I give him a treat and a pat and leave him be, now when I reach for him he doesn't think I'm going to grab him up. I have been doing that for days now...finally it worked.

I always make sure I'm the first one out the door, it's a safety thing. A gate could be open, a stray could be outside.... anything could be out there, so it only makes sense that I go check it out first to make sure it's safe. Nothing is more dangerous in my opinion, than a dog squeezing his way past his master in the doorway to get outside.

Puppy classes are great and I hope to get Chai in one as soon as he gets his last shots next month.
 
" I never understood the theory behind how you proceeding the dog equates to your status as alpha."

It's something you thought 10-15 years ago, there have been made studies on this and they show it has no effect.

Silaria -I do like you - sometimes I ask Minnie be standing in the door at other times she just runs out with me. :lol:
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I spend a lot of time on the puppy must have trust / faith in me.

I've never had problems with toilet training or education of my puppies, because they follow me and in everything I do (exactly as you would do with a child)

I talk a lot with my dogs, guides them lovingly, but does not require everything to be perfect from the start but it comes very quickly by itself.

But I want my dogs are well-behaved and obedient, and they will be of pleasure not of fear. :no:
 
Everyone's give you great advice. I just wanted to add an idea. When you have trouble getting him inside try using a squeaky toy rather than a treat to entice him. It sounds like he wants to play and explore rather than come inside and the playing has higher value than the treat. So if he wants to play let him see you are inside playing with a squeaky toy and the fun is happening inside. You will need to 'charge' the toy regularly - use it to play a really fun game so he doesn't just see the toy and think 'yeah that's just the excuse toy to get me inside'.
 
Thank you Caro! A toy is the perfect thing for Chai, I do worry all the treats will lead to a chubby pet, and I want my healthy baby boy to stay that way.

Folks... I used the "alpha" term as the best way to describe my puppy wanting his own way. I am the master, and any dog will learn obedience if you don't let them get away with bad behavior. I don't make any dog fear me as a training method, I don't hit or yell when accidents happen, even chewing on the wrong thing, I tell puppy "no" and give them a chew or a toy instead, I use positive reinforcement. I may make a noise to get my dogs to stop, just to distract them.

With the deck and back yard being open to Chai now, I no longer have to pick him up and put him in a playpen, and he will follow me to the potty area outside. Picking him up and taking him where I wanted/needed him to go, was causing trust issues.

This is the first small breed dog I have ever had, German shepherds at 12 weeks old are too large to carry around. Being small, it was too easy to just scoop Chai up... I have started rethinking my methods, and treating Chai more like a large breed, rough play is not a good game, coaxing puppy to an area is better than carrying them, inviting puppy to come up on the sofa or lap is better than trying to pick him up (a little help is needed still for getting up).

Doing the above seems to really help with Chai, life is a journey... in many ways, this is all new for both of us.
 
Flower said:
This is the first small breed dog I have ever had, German shepherds at 12 weeks old are too large to carry around. Being small, it was too easy to just scoop Chai up... I have started rethinking my methods, and treating Chai more like a large breed, rough play is not a good game, coaxing puppy to an area is better than carrying them, inviting puppy to come up on the sofa or lap is better than trying to pick him up (a little help is needed still for getting up).

Doing the above seems to really help with Chai, life is a journey... in many ways, this is all new for both of us.
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All dogs, whether a 3lb Chi or a 150lb Great Pyr, have the same basic needs when it comes to training. So often I see tiny or smaller breed dogs who have are carried around like toys, allowed to behave in ways that make them less than fun to have around and their behavior is seen as "cute" by their owners...when that same behavior would be seen as totally unacceptable in a larger dog. Sadly these little dogs are the ones who get blamed for their bad and often neurotic behavior. Dogs are dogs and although it is true that Shelties in general have what we refer to a "softer" personality than some other breeds and training may need to be approached slightly differently, they still need all the same guidance, respect and boundaries if they are going to grow up to be well balanced dogs who are a joy to have around and who are happy confident dogs.

Kudos to you...Chai is lucky to have you on this growing up journey with him. :yes:

Trini
 
Sounds like you are working it out together! One thing I Did with my puppy was i usually used his food as his training treats. I would just measure it out and use most at meal time but as a training session and save a few as reinforcements between meals. I had the same weight concerns as you. They also got btheough some puppy stages around three -4 months and periodicallybafter that are brattier or keep away stage or more stubborn. Even in a dog that isnt normally stubborn. Luckily, like two year old himans , they are phases.
 
The last few days have been so rewarding, Chai is doing much better and trust is being built FINALLY! Thank you Trini for the kind words. I gave Chai a bone from my T-bone steak, (trimmed and supervised because I'm a nervous nelly)...I am now his favorite person ever! He will follow me anywhere, and comes from the other room the moment I call his name.

Atticus cleaned the bone real good later on this morning, and let Chai enjoy what knuckle looking thing that was left...he seemed to not mind a bit, it's his favorite toy.
 
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