Quote:
Originally Posted by mayer5  ok thanks i can try the water bottle is it tooo late for him to change? i hope not I will talk w/ the kids although I have been telling them u can not use ur hands w/ him etc
I can not afford a trainer or obedience classes at this time so I need to come up w some other ways to train him on my own.
Thanks |
I don't believe it is too late for your pup to change, but he is not going to change on his own.
I would recommend against the water bottle in your situation. It has to be done correctly otherwise the dog will have no idea why he is being sprayed and is likely to become aggressive.
In my non-expert opinion, I believe a hands off, calm approach would be better suited to your case. Check out books and DVDs from your local library on basic training using positive reinforcement methods. The "Nothing in Life is Free" is also a good book. YouTube has lots of dog-training videos too.
First, I would start working with him every day on basic obedience: sit, stay, down, and other commands. Make this training fun for both of you, not a chore. Take him for a walk every day at about the same time. Having a schedule of activities is calming and reassuring for a dog, and makes them less likely to misbehave. Activity also wears them out and makes them less likely to misbehave.
When your pup misbehaves, remove all attention from him. If he bites, you can yelp like a hurt dog, cross your hands over your chest, walk away. You can also cross your hands over your chest and say "no bite." Don't lecture or carry on. Your dog will not understand. He will only see an excited/agitated human and he will mirror that state of excitement.
How old are your kids? Make sure that they are not playing any games with the dog that would encourage this kind of behavior; no teasing and I would recommend against tug-o-war. Even the best kids can behave inappropriately with dogs and inadvertently encourage bad behavior. I would separate the dog from your kids when you cannot supervise closely.
Dogs don't become good dogs on their own. Your pup will not grow out of this behavior.