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Originally Posted by SirTeddykins  You make a good point about dogs enriching our lives but, if you're honest, would you say you feel this dog is currently enriching your life with the current behavior? Once all of that is put in check, the lessons will be lifelong. You only have to be strict for a few weeks or months, depending on how long it takes for you to teach and the dog to learn, then you never have to worry about it again. My dog is currently tethered to me all day because he's marking in the house. I consider training him to be enriching for his life and enriching for mine since I don't have to worry about him peeing on my stuff and I know this is only temporary until the behavior is corrected 
Spoiling him or giving him freedom which hasn't been earned doesn't make for a good dog or a happy life. If you continue all of your current behaviors, then how is anything going to change?
I've said before, a stubborn dog is a smart dog...but it sounds like he's quite a bit smarter than most if he is getting to misbehave and still getting his way. Do you think this is his fault or someone elses
You must be a firm, loving parent to this dog before you can live a life together as friends. It's your responsibility to this dog so you are doing nothing wrong by teaching him how to behave in a human home. However, you are doing everything wrong by not teaching him and then blaming him or his personality for the behavior. |
Your right about the the leash, I was just pointing out my concerns but I accept that that may be a way to help him.
But in no way did I say Jake had his own way constantly? I said he lives like a king and has more space to play when he wants to but in no way is he spoiled by us. In the way he lives like a king I meant he has a nice life, toys, food and people to play with him but not when he's naughty at all.
We are not continuing all current behaviours as I've said different things have been done to try and stop him from doing it so we are changing them once we have established they do not work, be it a month or two months we give him a chance to get use to the new change and if it doesn't make a difference we then go back to the drawing board.
I understand that the way his is, is our fault but this isn't just a new thing, he was like this when he came and he was much worse. Where you say we are doing everything wrong by not teaching him and then blaming him for his personality or behaviour, how is that so? I have said from the beginning we have TRIED since day one to correct these things and we are 18 months on and yes he has got better but not the stage where we are living comfortably with him and he is enriching our lives because he's not. Maybe in the end we are just not the people for him and he wont end up living with us, who knows. But I am not a push over with dogs, yes I love them but I believe they should behave in a normal way just like my two do at home, I have never had a problem with them and my family has had dogs all their lives and we have never seen anything like Jake before.