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Permalink Reply by Sam on May 11, 2008 at 2:37pm

Probably some answers here you may not wish to hear but they are given as one that has trained many young dogs. First I must tell you that supervision is the key. While I know it is impossible to put everything out of a puppy's reach you have to make every effort to supervise him. I often recommend putting them on lead and tying them to you. This keeps you aware of everything they are doing and also helps create a great bond. Puppys chew and part of raising them is to redirect inappropriate behaviors. Pups should never be punished for chewing....they just need redirection. The recall or coming when called is probably one of the most difficult commands to proof. It requires practice, practice and more practice. Biggest problem I see is most people give them too much freedom way too early. I suspect his occasional come when called is mere luck and you being the most interesting thing at the moment. As for running in the road he just should not have access to do so. While it is great for dogs to have the ability to run our society is not conducive to allow dogs to be outside without being on lead. One mistake can cost him his life. I would reserve the swats....it would be a rare occasion that I would ever do this. You can see this creates a dog that has no trust. Find a training facility near you. Sounds as if you both would benefit greatly. Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Charlie on May 11, 2008 at 3:57pm

Hi Billy,

Welcome to MyCorgi. Bless you for adopting from a shelter!

Your dog is about a year old, so brain-wise he is about at the mental age of a human 15 year old. Just like a teenager, you can expect him to test your rules and be somewhat rebellious for about the next 6 months to 1 year. Then he'll be a well turned young adult if you work with him properly.

Realize that many shelter dogs were originally bought as cute cuddly puppies by people who probably didn't have any dog training experience and did not seek out any advice or help with behavior. When the cute puppy turned into a teen rebel, they decided the dog was stupid and turned him over to a shelter. Take heart! Most shelter dogs are perfectly trainable and turn into wonderful companions. Just start with an assumption that you are starting from scratch and train him like you would a 10-12 week old puppy.

Yelling and hitting does destroy trust. So stop that, and start building a bond with him by looking for things where you can say "Good boy" and redirect bad behaviors without physical punishment or yelling.

He should have plenty of toys in a variety of sizes and textures. Try to catch him before he starts to chew on the phone or other "off limit" items. Say "Uh, Uh!" the second he puts anything in his mouth that he shouldn't (if you don't catch him right before). Give him one of his toys he can chew on. When he takes his toy tell him, "Good boy!"

Don't call him to "Come!" unless he is already running to you without the command. If you know he is coming to you, say "Come!" while he's running to you and throw a big "Good boy!" party with verbal praise, petting, and treats (not a bad idea to carry a few treats in your pocket while your training). The only time you should say "Come" otherwise is when he is on a leash and you can reinforce the command by giving a gentle tug toward you. Never repeat "Come! Come! Come!". It only teaches him that "Come!" is optional if he feels like it. Only give the command once, and make sure he does it. Always act very happy and reward him anytime he comes to you. Never call him to you for punishment, or he won't want to come to you. If he has done something wrong, go to him to correct him.

Do not let him off leash ever anywhere he could run into a street until you have a reliable "Come" established. This takes over a year with most dogs, and some dogs can never be trusted off leash. The only off leash time he should have is in your home, or in a completely fenced-in safe area.

If you have never taking a dog through a formal basic training class, it would be a great experience for you and your dog. They will help you learn positive training techniques and the time you spend together will strengthen his trust and bond with you. Certainly worth the one hour a week for a month or two to get you started in the right direction.

Good luck and congratulations on the new dog!

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Permalink Reply by CaptainCorgi on May 11, 2008 at 8:07pm

Most corgis are BIG chewers. Luckily my Eowyn didn't chew phones or wires and stuff like that. All I did was "puppy"-proof my home. I lifted everything off of the floor that she could have chewed and destroyed (Of course she still got a hold of some stuff Lol!) But, I hid my possessions that I did not want chewed high up. She had a thing for my glasses. (I had to get them replaced!) Only lay chew toys upon the ground. When you see him chewing his toys, praise him and tell him 'Good boy'. Whenever I found Eowyn chewing on something I didn't want her to be, I scruffed her gently and pointed to what she was chewing and said 'bad girl" Then gave her a time out.

With the come command, I wouldn't let him off-leash at all anywhere until he is fully under your control. Eowyn use to be defiant like that, now she listens very well will daily training. I can let her off anywhere! When she was going through that 'defiant' stage, I kept her on a 20 ft leash all the time. Called her name, if she didn't look, I gave the leash a quick tug and called her again. When she looked at me, I said 'Good girl." I only asked her to come when she actually was heading my way. It's a very good idea to say "Come!" Everytime your dog is running your way or walking towards you. Everytime you see that, say "Come!" We've been doing that with my sister's 4 month old Borzoi. We've only had him for about 3 weeks now and he is already coming everytime. We can let him off leash outside our house now.

I don't recommend swatting. A "Bop" on the butt might do. Just like a bump with your finger tips to get his attention. I usually punish in the form of "scruffing". Other dogs will do that if the other miss behaves. They will grab the missbehaving dog by the neck and pin them to the ground until they surrender. But, you don't need to go that far. Just a gentle grab of the handful of skin on the back of the neck and a "No!" will do. It also calms a dog down if you do that. The mother will grab her pups by the neck to carry them and every baby animal freezes and goes limp when their mother does this. With daily training he should get better. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on May 11, 2008 at 10:47pm

Hi Billy. Welcome aboard and thank you so much for saving this corgi. I can't really add to what the very smart folks here have suggested, I mainly wanted to welcome you. Training is really helpful; I wholeheartedly recommend it. And it seems corgis are especially difficult to train to "come" so that makes the training even more important. I can tell because in so many pictures I see of corgis there is that telltale leash trailing off out of camera range!

I hope to see some pics of your little guy on the board soon! And hopefully your phone wasn't too expensive. Sid loves my daughter's heels and she's had to learn to keep them shut up in her closet! Luckily she buys most of them at Payless.

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Permalink Reply by Billy on May 13, 2008 at 9:08pm

I just wanted to thank al of you for your tips and help. I am sure you heard this question over and over again. I apologize if it was just another echo, but I really felt it helped!

I suppose I am going to get him started on some basic training and see where that takes us. Any suggestions as to where? Or is PetsMart the best choice?

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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on May 13, 2008 at 9:17pm

Call the shelter where you adopted him and ask them where they recommend. They usually have a pretty good idea of who trains well. PetSmart is a good choice. If you go someplace else, ask first if they train with positive reinforcement (praise and/or treats); you should avoid any place that uses punishment as a training technique.

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Permalink Reply by Cindi on May 14, 2008 at 8:25am

As a PetSmart trainer, I can tell you that you both will enjoy the class. We do train using positive methods. (I joke in class that the most negative thing you'll hear is "uh-uh.") The socialization with other dogs is really great and you'll gain the tools you want to be able to relationship-build and train your new corgi.

All of ours are rescues of some form or another. Good for you adopting from a shelter! Coming from that type of situation, you do have the occasional issue to deal with. And that's okay and understandable. By participating in a training class, you'll learn how to overcome those issues in a way that is encouraging to your dog.

All here have offered excellent suggestions. You've certainly come to the right place to get the info you need to be a great corgi pet-parent!

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on May 15, 2008 at 2:09pm

I would recommend against punishing the dog; it will simply breed distrust between you and your pupper. Instead, when you see her/him doing something you like, such as chewing on a toy (NOT your phone) or obeying your command, PRAISE THE DOG LIKE CRAZY! Dogs, like children respond best to positive reinforcement. If you see the doggy doing something you don't like, point them to the right behavior. Chewing on your phone? Take away the phone and give the dog a toy. When the dog starts chewing on the toy, praise!

There are a few good training books as well: Cesar Milan's "Cesar's Way" and Brian Kilcommon's "Metrodog" are both good AND simple. It just takes patience and time! ;)

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Permalink Reply by Cindi on May 15, 2008 at 3:17pm

You mention Cesar M. I think the most important foundation of his training is his emphasis on "exercise, discipline and affection" and in that order. We do tend to anthropomorphize our doggies and forget to give them what they need to be happy, healthy and balanced. I can't believe how many of my clients believe that throwing a ball in the back yard is all the exercise their pups need. By truly putting in the time to walk your dog, and in the appropriate way, you can overcome many of the behavior issues that most dog owners face.

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