nothing in life is free..

[my2yorkies31]

Does any one use this method for training? Does it work ?? Im really going nuts with these dogs .. till after the holidays I dont kno what else to try till I see the trainer ... just wondering if this is worth the money to buy . . thanks in advance .. Noel

[JoeyP]

What's the specific problem?
I find I need two eyes in back of my head
Try confining them to one or two rooms at a time
Take everything worth anything or that they can get into trouble with off the floor
Even with that you're gonna have to watch them like crazy
But if you're consistent they will listen Yeah Right!

[lemonlauren]

I've read about the nothing in life is free stuff... I didn't realize it was something to buy though. I just thought it was a basic concept - the dog has to do something for you (like sit, roll over, etc) in order to get whatever he wants (playing with you, food, etc). Your rule the dog's life, not the other way around. Maybe I should read up on it a little more.

One little thing I'm doing with my puppy that I think is a NILIF thing, is that whenever I give him his food dish, I always make him sit first (the only trick he knows reliably so far). I agree with JoeyP though - what I really want is eyes in the back of my head. That would be the most helpful thing!

I dunno... good luck, anyways, no matter what you end up doing.

Lauren & Nikko

[Erin]

NILIF is just a training method. What are you going to buy? I would only spend money on a book (like $10 - I like Pat Miller's books) or an actual trainer. Don't buy like an online course or anything. There are tons of free resources online and books you can get at the library.

What are you trying to teach them? Your success will depend on a few things:
1. How motivated your dog is (either by toys or treats or praise - you have to find out)
2. How much effort you put into it and how consistent you are
3. How smart your dog is - seriously Loki learns things in 5 minutes and I can talk to him in complete sentences and he even understands subtle things like wait, move, almost done, etc, but only because I have trained him since he was 12 weeks old. Sammy's favorite trick is to look cute and play dumb but we love her! My point is that dogs learn at different levels just like people.
4. EXERCISE! A tired dog is a good dog!

[YorkieMother]

Yes it works and it free on the how too on line.

Nothing in Life is Free Training Method

Nothing in Life is Free Training Method
Dog Behavior and Training >> Nothing in Life is Free Training Method

Does your dog: Get on the furniture and refuse to get off? Nudge your hand, insisting on being petted or played with? Refuse to come when called? Defend its food bowl or toys from you? "Nothing in life is free" can help. "Nothing in life is free" is not a magic pill that will solve a specific behavior problem; rather it's a way of living with your dog that will help it behave better because it trusts and accepts you as its leader and is confident knowing its place in your family.

How to practice "nothing in life is free:"
Using positive reinforcement methods, teach your dog a few commands and/or tricks. "Sit," "Down" and "Stay" are useful commands and "Shake," "Speak" and "Rollover" are fun tricks to teach your dog.
Once your dog knows a few commands, you can begin to practice "nothing in life is free." Before you give your dog anything (food, a treat, a walk, a pat on the head) it must first perform one of the commands it has learned. For example:
YOU YOUR DOG
Put your dog's leash on to go for a walk Must sit until you've put the leash on
Feed your dog Must lie down and stay until you've put the bowl down
Play a game of fetch after work Must sit and shake hands each time you throw the toy
Rub your dog's belly while watching TV Must lie down and rollover before being petted

Once you've given the command, don't give your dog what it wants until it does what you want. If it refuses to perform the command, walk away, come back a few minutes later and start again. If your dog refuses to obey the command, be patient and remember that eventually it will have to obey your command in order to get what it wants.
Make sure your dog knows the command well and understands what you want before you begin practicing "nothing in life is free."
The benefits of this technique:
Most dogs assume a neutral or submissive role toward people, but some dogs will challenge their owners for dominance. Requiring a dominant dog to work for everything it wants is a safe and non-confrontational way to establish control.
Dogs who may never display aggressive behavior such as growling, snarling,or snapping, may still manage to manipulate you. These dogs may display affectionate, though "pushy" behavior, such as nudging your hand to be petted or "worming" its way on to the furniture in order to be close to you. This technique gently reminds the "pushy" dog that it must abide by your rules.
Obeying commands helps build a fearful dog's confidence; having a strong leader and knowing its place in the hierarchy helps to make the submissive dog feel more secure.
Why this technique works:
Animals that live in groups, like dogs, establish a social structure within the group called a dominance hierarchy. This dominance hierarchy serves to maintain order, reduce conflict and promote cooperation among pack members. In order for your home to be a safe and happy place for pets and people, it's best that the humans in the household assume the highest positions in the dominance hierarchy. Practicing "nothing in life is free" effectively and gently communicates to your dog that its position in the hierarchy is subordinate to yours. From your dog's point of view, children also have a place in this hierarchy. Because children are small and can get down on the dog's level to play, dogs often consider them to be playmates, rather than superiors. With the supervision of an adult, it's a good idea to encourage children in the household (aged eight and over) to also practice "nothing in life is free" with your dog.

Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and Humane Society of the United States. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

[my2yorkies31]

for all the help!!!..... just wonder if this is a possibilty with the aggressivness thats already there .. it seems to be getting worse .......... have lots of reading to do

[YorkieMother]

Originally Posted by my2yorkies31

for all the help!!!..... just wonder if this is a possibilty with the aggressivness thats already there .. it seems to be getting worse .......... have lots of reading to do

What are you seeing as aggresion ??

Yes it will help with aggresion as it could be a lack of structure affecting the dog.

More info on what you are seeing is needed though to make a clear picture to help.
Both Erin and I work with and live with intresting yorkies with mental health issuses... some would call aggresion... in my dogs case dep fear and anxeity.

JL

[Erin]

Hey! I won't tell Loki you said he has mental health issues

Loki had diabetes insipidus, which is extremely rare and went undiagnosed for his first year or so. In that time, he was in a lot of pain and would guard items and growl when you picked him up. He is also afraid of big dogs and loud noises/storms but that is probably unrelated. In any event, we have worked with him extensively and got him on medication and his behavior has gone from awful to outstanding. He knows drop, leave it (he happily drops Kongs and Bully Sticks now) and 100 other commands and he is in no way an aggressive dog. He is still a bit fearful, but rather than standing in the yard and freak out barking at another dog, he gives a quick bark and BOLTS for the front door to get back inside. He barks as he runs back to me Anyway, his issues were never "dominance" or actual aggression but pain and fear, which is the case in a huge % of "aggression" cases. You have to find the REASON for the behavior while working to manage and improve the behavior.

[my2yorkies31]

Thank You both for your replys.. I often wonder if there is an "issue" with Precious.. She is a very excitable dog.. shes always anxious... hardly ever relaxed .. only when i make her relax is she relaxed... What I see as aggression is ... she will get behind peanut and put her mouth around the back of her neck , peanut doesnt back down so its a full blown fight .. mostly when shes anxious.. if she saw the cat and couldnt get to her , she looks for peanut and strikes .. if theres a dog outside and she sees it she looks for peanut and attacks.. if i play with peanut and precious , she attacks .. if theres a kid in the house having a bad day shes anxious all day and will strike whenever on peanut... if i walk in the door from work sometimes she will attack peanut ... I dont know why .. but this is what ive noticed... I just thought it was her making sure I knew she was boss! which right now she is because i dont want peanut attacked any more so I really wont play or pet either of them .. I just kinda leave them be give them a bone to chew and ignore them .. its the only way to "keep the peace" .. and i feel horrible about it but Im afriad for peanut so this way is better then her getting attacked ...

[Erin]

Originally Posted by my2yorkies31

Thank You both for your replys.. I often wonder if there is an "issue" with Precious.. She is a very excitable dog.. shes always anxious... hardly ever relaxed .. only when i make her relax is she relaxed... What I see as aggression is ... she will get behind peanut and put her mouth around the back of her neck , peanut doesnt back down so its a full blown fight .. mostly when shes anxious.. if she saw the cat and couldnt get to her , she looks for peanut and strikes .. if theres a dog outside and she sees it she looks for peanut and attacks.. if i play with peanut and precious , she attacks .. if theres a kid in the house having a bad day shes anxious all day and will strike whenever on peanut... if i walk in the door from work sometimes she will attack peanut ... I dont know why .. but this is what ive noticed... I just thought it was her making sure I knew she was boss! which right now she is because i dont want peanut attacked any more so I really wont play or pet either of them .. I just kinda leave them be give them a bone to chew and ignore them .. its the only way to "keep the peace" .. and i feel horrible about it but Im afriad for peanut so this way is better then her getting attacked ...

Yeah, she just sounds like a nervous, neurotic dog Gee, don't know anything about that. She is just re-directing - she easily gets over her threshold and then peanut is there so she goes after her. You need to do a few things. First, you need to work on basic commands with her to give her more confidence. (She is actually fearful, not dominant as some might want you to think.) Then, you need to show her that she can look to you for guidance. If Loki gets too worked up (like when the UPS man pulls in the driveway) he looks at me and I tell him to go to his crate. We try to do this *before* the freakout. If he sees a "scary" dog he knows now to look at ME and I tell him to sit and we stand out of the way or we cross the street. Work on "watch me" commands and just work on rewarding her when she doesn't lash out. (For example, we sit by the patio door and when we see a dog I hold out a treat and Loki gets to sniff it while he watches the dog walk by and then he can eat it if he does NOT bark.) When she does react, you need to immediately remove her from the situation and say "No, Time Out" and place her in a crate or behind a gate. She won't like it, but she needs to learn what acceptable behavior is. Lashing out is not acceptable and she needs consequences for when she does it. Just removing her so that she does NOT have your attention is a good enough "punishment" Don't yell, just interrupt her "AH AH" works well, and remove her. When she calms down she can try again. She needs to learn to calm down.

[QuickSilver]

Does she get enough exercise?

[my2yorkies31]

Thank you..I thought sort of what you said as well , the more ive been reading things.. Precious i thought was more insecure then aggressive and thats why she does what she does , she just doenst know what else to do .. because when shes not anxious her and peanut play and chase toys together .. they do that play fight thing when they lay on the floor opposite each other and bark and thier butts go up in the air... and the sleep and cuddle together every nite in the crate.. So I know they can get along, its just those moments of krazyness in precious that chaios breaks out! Thank you so much for the help I truely appericate it ... I dont want to get rid of her , Ive watched the dog whisperer so many times tivied so many episiodes ,that I know this can be corrected I just need help learing to do that.. So im going to work on your suggestions and keep trying .. so far she is getting the sit command... and she knows NO! and the other day when i can see her getting freaked out i tell her IN and the both of them kno that means in ur crate... so maybe things can get better... thanks soooo very much
AS for exercise, no she probably doesnt get as much as she should, well i should say she wasnt getting enuff.. the past week I have been makeing every effort to get her an peanut out walking ... ! even at this point 30 minutes if its all i have , its better then nothing right now .. so im workin on that as well .. thanks again every one ...

[JoeyP]

I think you and the people on here have hit the nail on the head
Yes... the one doing the aggrssive behavior is very likely doing it out of nervousness and insecurity
extra exercise will help
also redirecting their behavior is key
walk around with a favorite squeeky toy
a bag of treats
or a loud NO! or clap of the hands from you
anything to get them to stop in their tracks
it has to be loud ... and done once
no rushing and shouting their names
their attention must be redirected ..... then you go in and separate them

[my2yorkies31]

Thanks! Im feeling better about this already! would a whistle work? No! doesnt seem to be to effective.. most of the time here i have 2 small grandkids and NO gets used alot ..the dogs hear it all day ! it works before it esclades but once its beyond that NO doenst do a thing .. I cant clap loud so im thinking maybe a whistle ?? a dog whistle or a regular one??. one quick blow? .. I went out and bought more treats so i will never run out ! I sincerly thank every one for all thier help and suggestions.. I almost see the light at the end here.. but I know I have a long long road but with the help here i feel like i can do it now

[JoeyP]

Anything that will stop them dead in their tracks
even one of those stadium horns if you have to
you need their undivided attention .... then you can institute the behavior you want
not before