[yorkietalkjilly]

In light of some of what most would probably agree was bad advice on general dog handling and training you got from your professional trainer, I'm going to give you some tips to read through, consider and use or disregard, just in case something might help you with your baby:

Basic dog training is all about shaping your dog’s instincts and behavior to fit your lifestyle by repetitively communicating what you expect of him in a clear, concise manner, rewarding him when he gets it right, marking incorrect actions with an “uh oh” and turning away from him and always enforcing behavior boundaries you teach him he cannot cross. No need to yell, scream, give time-outs or suddenly spray the dog in the face with water or citronella – just gently keep showing him what you expect of him and reward good behavior – whenever he is doing what you’d like – with positive reinforcement by marking it with a smile, praise and a treat(resource sharing) and an “uh oh” to signal the misfires.

Additionally, always stop improper behavior by standing up as you say “No!”, making direct eye contact with and pointing at the dog, walking over to him in a no-nonsense manner with your best pack-leader body attitude and into his space, thus dislodging him and standing your ground until he backs off, turns away and gives up and relaxes – standing there over him however long it takes to achieve an acquiescent state of mind in your dog. Pack leaders in wild or feral dog packs will often use this type of minor discipline, using their body to claim the space the offender was using, direct-eye contact, sometimes in conjunction with bared teeth, a snarl, growl or teeth held across the back of the neck, to teach a pack member a better way to behave. As dog pack leaders have no hands or more sophisticated methods of teaching as we do, they use what they've got but only as a teaching tool.

If he jumps up on you as you walk in the front door and you dislike that – walk forward into his space until fears he’s going to lose his balance and gets down. Some keep walking, ignoring the dog and others like me will mark the dog stopping that behavior with a smile and a wink as I walk on. He’ll quickly learn not to jump up. If he’s barking too much, teach him to bark on command by reinforcing your commands to “Bark! Bark!”, along with a hand gesture to mimic a barking muzzle, with very excited praise and a treat until he’s doing that every time on command.

After he’s got that command down pat, as he’s barking on command, suddenly stand up or sit up very straight and say “Quiet” as you use a slashing gesture across your throat or a finger to your lips – some hand signal – and when he stops from his surprise at your sudden actions and new command, instantly smile, give gentle praise and say “Good Quiet!” and treat him. Repeat, repeat, repeat in very short one - two minute sessions two or three times every day until he’s both barking and going quiet on command every command.

If your dog is chewing on the table leg or digging a hole in the new couch with his paws, immediately do this: Lock eyes with him from across the room, point at him with an outstretched arm, walk over into his space as you clap your hands or continue pointing and say “No!”(not viciously or in a scary voice – just speaking firmly as a teacher would to a kindergarten student about to break something) and displace him with your body or hands and claim the spot where he was or continue walking into him, until he turns away, gives up and then relaxes. Stand there until he does give in and becomes submissive, acknowledging your leadership.

Don’t worry – canines are an hierarchal society, instinctively calmed by having a firm but benevolent leader to direct and take care of them and often become anxious without one, trying to exert leadership of their pack themselves by becoming frantically anxious, dominant and/or aggressive.

If you are persistent and always stop him and stand him down from any bad behavior every single time, in time he’ll begin to associate each misbehavior activity in his brain with your always stopping him and backing him off. Dogs seem to dislike being disciplined with a direct-eye-contact type stand-down confrontation and will in time begin to police themselves from returning to behavior you’ve repetitively taught them you disagree with and even if they do occasionally re-offend, a simple direct stare or pointing finger is often enough to stop the behavior and send the dog into ready submission.

Obedience training x5 minutes two or three times a day – as dogs generally only learn to obey commands or perform tricks by proper motivation and repetition - taught in an upbeat manner, kept interesting, fun and rewarding for the dog with treats and lots of heart-felt praise from you in a squeaky-sweet voice will over time create a strong, working-team bond between the two of you, teach him who is leader while learning to control his impulses for the pay-off to come and encourage him that automatically obeying you always results in great rewards and happiness for him as it’s such good times when he does.

And, in the process, you’ll have created for yourself a happy, feisty, active little companion who rarely ever misbehaves as he’s learned his best life is associated with pleasing you and works hard to do that.