when will the teenage stage end!?? i REALLY need help!
ok so up until last month baden has been such a good boy and i was so proud of him. now hes starting to forget all of his training and the moment he steps outside he thinks hes a big 120 pound dog. he will walk out and do this loud bark to announce that hes outside. i put him back inside for a min and then we head out for out walk or to the car. he will growl at everything that makes a noise. i scold him and hes done for maybe a min and then will find another thing to growl at. the whole walk is nothing but him with his fur raised and growling at everyone. its so embarrassing, especially when someone asks to pet him and then he will growl at someone else and they think its them.
we walked on a bridge called "the big dam bridge" and we got out of the car and he did his growl/bark at every one, after 30 seconds he was fine. he wanted to greet and say hi to whoever. even on the bridge he did great but then he was playing with a dog and he just stopped and looked all around and raised his hackles and just growled at everyone. it was like he didnt notice they were there and then when he did he thought the were demon's. i scolded him but it didnt mater...he just kept doing it and ruined the fun i was having with friends so we started walking back and it was dark so i understand he growled then but it got to the point where it was so bad that he couldnt stop. i tried to talk to him so he knew it was ok but he didnt look scared he just looked like he didnt want no part of anyone there.
i dont get it! i socialized him very well at a young age and kept up on it, he was doing awesome up until a month ago. im taking him to a class when arthur gets back (the little rock training club) but thats 2months away. i am open to whatever anyone suggests. i just need help, i am all into positive training but if he needs something more then please let me know... im open to any and all suggestions. at the moment i walk him on a regular collar, i tried a slip collar yesterday (because he backed out of his collar 2days ago) could that have caused it?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on
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This is very much what Yuki used to do (and still does, to an extent), but his barking is due to anxiety as well as trying to act like the big man on the block. Training helped to teach me how to control his behavior on walks (you may have seen me describe Yielding in other posts) and I have started working on his barking when outdoors. Here is what I do:
Step 1 - pick a treat that he loves. In Yuki's case, it's a few blueberries or raspberries. Since this is new to him, I make sure he sees that I have these treats. As he improves, I'll keep the treats hidden from his view.
Step 2 - step outside ahead of the dog and then allow them out. This helps (at least for me) to control the dog's energy. Yuki can't charge out of the house and start barking.
Step 3 - keep that treat out! I make sure Yuki is focused on me and that treat. If there are other dogs barking, then I give him a sharp "No" the moment I see him getting ready to bark. If he is focusing on me and behaving in the way I want him to, then I say "Yes" and offer a treat ("Yes" is the word we use to mark correct behavior.)
Step 4 - the potty command. Use whatever you use as a potty command (for Yuki, it's "spot"). I stay right near him, even though he's on a lead rather than a leash, and correct him if he gets ready to bark. As soon as he squats to do his business, I say "Yes!" and wait for him to finish. Then he gets his treat and I tell him "In" and he runs to the door. He gets another treat when he gets inside.
So far, after 1 week of doing this, his behavior is improving. A couple of times he has gone out and done his business without barking, which is fantastic for him! The biggest challenge is when there are other dogs barking, but I'm sure he'll get there.
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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I'd get a treat pouch that you can attach to your pocket or belt, and any time he starts to raise his hackles or growl I'd say something like "AAH aahh watch me!" and if he turns to you say YES! and immediately give him the treat. If you're walking past a big group of people that you know will set him off, keep the treat out (or feed him multiple treats if needed) and talk to him to keep his attention on you until you are passed. The idea is to associate whatever thing he thinks is scary with something positive happening. I personally wouldn't scold him for growling, that's sort of a dog's "warning" system and you don't want to take that away.
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Permalink Reply by Diane on
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Oh boy does that all ring a bell... When we adopted Chewey he was a teenager. Even though I did lots of reading/research on the breed beforehand we really had absolutely no idea what we were really getting into - first time corgi owners AND we adopted a teenager ;->
In the first two out of three sets of obedience classes we went to he spent a good chunk of the time barking and growling at every other dog. Or he just barked for the heck of it when the instructor was trying to explain something (apparently there wasn't enough going on to keep him occupied). All I know is the first 6 weeks I was more exhausted than he was after class....Finally figured out about 6 weeks into it that we could keep him occupied with a kong filled with frozen peanut butter, which at least let us hear the instructor.
That's just one example - I mentioned before that he also liked to lunge/bark at other dogs while walking (and occasionally joggers). What really worked for us was to get and keep his attention using "Watch me" and high-value treats (and "Leave it" if he started to zero in on the other dog), pretty much as other folks have already said. It just took lots of practice and time, but he did eventually get over it... Well, most of it anyway ;->
Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on
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i want to say thank you to all who have responded. yesterday i went out and bought a martingale collar. i first started training in my home so he knew if he pulled ahead i would stop and he would feel a little pressure. after about 5mins he figured that if he pulled ahead at all i would stop and wait for him to back up (of course i would praise him for it) so going out the door was a total success. he didnt go out being the big man he thinks he is lol
so i found something he really loves. the laser pointer now i know a lot are against it but he just likes the clip on the laser pointer and the sound it makes when i shake it, not the light its self. so when we went out today and we seen someone i would say "ok lets go baden!" he got excited of course, when he looked at the person and then i got him to look at me instead and i brought out the laser pointer and made it jingle. he then sat down and looked at the person and back at the laser pointer. since he didnt make a noise i turned on the light and let him do a few spins and we were off (of course the man was puzzled lol) i praised the heck out of him. this happened about 3more times out on the walk and after the 4th person he would just look up at me.
i am truly amazed how well positive training works, i truly am. instead of me say "no!" all the time and yanking on the leash he now, on his own, looks to me for guidance
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Permalink Reply by Ludi on
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Woooo! Go Baden and Rebecca!! :D I am so happy. :) Redirecting his focus is such a great way to do this.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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He sounds like a real smartie! He will probably continue to be a handful but my "handful" turned out to be the best boy ever so continue your education and his it is truly a gift that keeps on giving :)
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Permalink Reply by Lindsey Corkern on
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That's great! How old is he? Leia is 2 years (end of March) and I think she may be going through another teenager stage again. Went through one at 1 1/2. I'm wondering if this stage is still normal. Could be just plain defiance...
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baden is just a few days shy of being 8months old. this is the 1st stage i have seen him going through but im hoping it will pass soon with a handful of treats and me showing him that no one is out to get him.
my first corgi, teddy (R.I.P) went through another fear stage at 1 1/2 and it lasted for about 1month , just one day was afraid of everyone and everything. it was the weirdest things so what i did to over come that was every day i took him to outdoor flea markets, sat outside stores, went to petco/petsmart, to the lake, trails, etc. after weeks of that he got over it. someone on here called it "flooding" which they get so use to all the people/dogs that its no biggie anymore
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Permalink Reply by liane, emi, and helix! on
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UGH i totally understand where you are!!! emi is doing the EXACT SAME THING!! everytime i take her out, she barks at EVERYTHING even if there is NOTHING there or different! shes forgotten almost everything it seems! and that shes just regressing in her training T__________T hopefully you guys will get through this soon! im sorry i cant offer any advice myself, but just know you are not the only one! i am definitely on this boat with you!
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its ok, i was at a total loss when he first started doing this one day, ill be happy once this stage is done lol how old is she? maybe shes going through what baden is??
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shes 6 months right now and she is driving me up a wall >< shes being a total teenager !! i can NOT wait for this stage to be over !!
im sure its just a teenage thing! hopefully after a little longer, they will be polite well mannered young adults ! (or we can always dream) haha!
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