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Originally Posted by Sunny95  Wonderful advice!!! Thank you! I'm going to work with her this weekend with her crate. I know it's not going to be a quick fix but we have to do this. For both of us. There is going to be a lot of training going on. I can see where the crate will really help.
I loved what you said about "wild child and majoring in screaming!" That is SO Ginger!!!! She sounds like someone is killing her! It's not barking - it is soooooo screaming! It's awful!!!! People look at me like "what are you doing to that dog?"  |
In my experience at least, hyper/nervous dogs can make wonderfully trained dogs as they are so eager & excited to experience things & respond to them physically - just need direction & a purpose - they need to work. Tibbe loves to train daily & in that process, totally modified his behavior & I think he thinks of it as his work - trying to learn what I want him to do & do it well. So with work & patience & desensitization to the things that make them hyper, they can use those same qualities that cause hyperactivity redirected to learn to respond quickly to you & what you want them to do.
I taught Tibbe to learn to bark on command. Boy, he'd do that well. He got a treat for every barking session. Then I taught him "Quiet" by treating him the instant he would stop barking(eventually, they do get tired & stop on their own), saying the word "Quiet" at the same time. He very soon learned that stopping barking was something that got him a nice treat & a big smile. If he barked with the "Quiet" command, I would say "uh oh" with a bit of frown & look away, putting the treat behind my back. Before long, he was barking & quieting like a champ. Then, we slowly cut out the barking part - he does that enough on his own - and just telling him "Quiet" when I wanted him quiet. He stopped barking! Works just as well on screaming, growling, whatever.
So work with your little one & remember that all is not lost. It just takes knowing a few things to try & there are several good ways to get there when one doesn't out work for you & your dog.