[YorkieMother]

Mybabyjasmine;
Is she not listening or does she truly not understand oh and it one and the same.

You need to teach come and drop or stop. This needs to be proofed in many places, many times of day, many distractions so that it is truly learned.
Dogs do not generalize so down in the bathroom does not mean down in the kitchen or down at noon if you taught it at night. I know crazy but true.

Also we tend to over word our dogs so we say down, down down instead of once and wait till they do it and reward once they do. Or in clicker form treat as they do it to shape the end result.


I would teach wait at the door.
I prefer to get the dog on a long line so that they do not get a chance to get far if I make a mistake and tight it on something solid.
That done I stand in at the door a open it just enough so the dog lifts it butt and I ask a sit. Sit should be planet that butt till I say you can move.

If they stay sat I reward with a treat.
I close the door and open it again and this time no more open then the last but Longer in time.

You work length of time so from open close fast to open for a count of 20 or more, first to a short space open. Then work the next step is to open the door more and go back to short time and build up again.

You can work on the sit lengthen during commercials of a TV show so the dog can learn to sit one commercial and build to two then three, then give a break while you watch the show then do it again the next set of commercials.
Once they can do the commercials build to half the show and then a whole hour show.

You will be teaching self control as well as listening to you.

Come.. long line attached to you and take her out. At first you want her just to look to you. As you move around the yard call her name and in doing so you teach her that her names was meaning and if she hears it to look at you. Pick a baby name for talking to her in the house and about her or a call name when your working training so she knows that names it she working and to listen.

Now as you walk around the yard call her working name and she looks at you as soon as she turns your way even before eye contact tell her good girl and see if that draws her toward you and if it does say come and help her gentle like by pulling in the long line to you. All the while you chatter and make a fuss.... if she comfortable with fuss... mine run if I acted crazy.
Once she gets all the way to you toss a party with lots of one treat at the time.

Come is always toss a party even if you call and then she thinks about it and then comes no getting upset just start back at one and teach it again.
If you get upset the dog will think man I came as asked and she got mad, I not doing that again. no way.
If you have already scolded on come try here or even just her name.

The wreaking of your house is separation anxiety and nothing to do with you being or not being a pack leader. That pack leader stuff is full of pit falls.
You want a relationship based on trust and respect and that only happens from love not forcing a dog in anyway to comply.

So for this try making a smaller place that makes them feel cozy and safe.
Could be one room or a large dog kennel made into a bedroom and play and pee pad zone. Add lots of safe toys stuffed and interactive to work on while you are gone.
Make coming and going as uneventful as possible. So 15 minutes before you leave pay her no attention and 15 minutes as hard as it sounds pay her not attetnion... other then to get her out to pee if you need.

It not in my thoughts not so important at the end of the day but and the beginning of the day they have that calm 15 minutes before you go to replay in their brain all day.

Dap Diffusor as well can help and a radio that is on a timer to play on and off all day set on either the radio station you listen to most or a classical station or get a CD from through a dogs ear to help calm.

Also switch up your habits of leaving. She knows your pattern off by heart and the routine is the tell you are going. Now be careful I can not with my dog do this as the non routine is the stressor for mine. So watch if routine of leaving helps come stick to it.

As for the pack leader stuff. Dogs are not wolves dog are social critters that want guidance and rules. You can do that by loving the stuffing out of them. The only time rules need to be followed to the letter and not have flexibility is in extreme cases of aggression and even then you need to know when to juggle for the dog.

Dogs are just like human children and needs meet for each one separate and slapping the pack leader do it my way rules on a dog does not give you the flexible you need for special times and spacial dogs.
You want to be a great Mom with a wonderful loving relationship with your dog not a leader of a non excite ant pack as dogs are not pack animals.


As for maturing dogs are physically grown at one.
socially at two
mentally at three
until then and sometimes longer for some dogs, they are still babies and should be accorded the same treatment and time to learn as a human baby.
We expect our dogs to be all grown up and knowing and accurte far to soon.

JL