Looks like you got a lot of good advice, I agree that unless there is a huge difference in size, it's better for the dogs to "work it out" themselves, although you can tell them "no." One way to establish yourself as the "alpha" is to become the "alpha eater," always eat your meal before you feed the dogs, and insist that the dog "sit" before setting their food down, always requiring them to "wait" until you give the "release" command. If they go for the food before you release them you pick up the food dish. This is actually a fairly easy thing to teach, and it usually takes no more than a couple of sessions. This lets the girls know YOU are the boss, and they need to behave in order to get food. I also agree with the above poster who said crating should never be used as punishment. The crate should be thought as a "refuge" and their safe place. I'm not big on the whole punishment thing, I think it has to be immediate to be effective, and saying "no", and shaking "pennies in a can" seems to be the most effective treatment for modifying undesirable behavior. Some people use a squirt bottle, but you have to chase them to do this, and that becomes a whole other issue. They really hate the sound of the pennies, and after a while your word "no" becomes more effective all by itself. Always say the word "No" first, followed by the can shake, in order to link the two properly. When training never use the word no, use a word like "uh uh", this lets them know that they will not receive reinforcement (a treat), but that they haven't done anything wrong. "No" should only be used to stop the immediate activity. A firm "No." It's great to watch Cesar do it; he even moves his body in such a way that he doesn't need the pennies in a can to stop the behavior immediately. |