Training of an older dog - please help!!!!

[nina3010]

Hi everybody!

I'm new to this forum but I hope you'll be able to help me.
A four-five montsh ago I got a 6 years old rotty female. Obviously she has been somehow trained by her last owner because she understands and responds to every command - but only when she is on the leash! But, as soon I release her she just won't listen... She is not agressive at all or something like that, but she is just pretending she doesn't hear wht I say. "Sit" and "down" sometimes work (when i have some treats in the hand) but "come" - absolutely not.
That leads to another problem: my neighbour has two dogs (both females) too. We both don't have fenced yard (just a large wineyard between our houses), so my Ella, every time when she is released from the leash, just walks down to neighbour house and scared the **** in both of neighbour's dogs - she does't fight, but just chase them till they don't hide in the house. Calling her back just doesn't make sence because she is not responding to the calls. When I go to get her she just walks forward, pretending like she doesn' hear me at all - sometimes I have feeling like she is laughing at me!!!!!

Please, give me some advices what to do and how to discipline such lovely but stubborn girl???

There are no trainers or obedience classend in my area, so I'm left on my own.

Please help!!!!!

Nina 3010

[Rockwilda]

i had an old dog like yours ... he was a german shep X .....it was hard to get him to listen but perseverence paid off ...pretty myuch all i used was treats and if he listened i gave him one... he was never 100 percent but he was alot better in the end i doubt thats any help but figured i would throw in my 2 cents

[Grendl]

When you turn her loose, leave a length of rope attached to her collar. I use 10 ft. of cotton clothesline, with a snap hook on one end. The enables you to get within 10 ft of your dog so that you can grab the rope and reinforce the "Come" command. It provides a measure of control that you do not have when you just turn her loose. Patience and consistency will eventually prevail. If you always back-up your "Come" command with a brisk walk to her, step on, then grab the trailing rope, followed by a sharp correction (jerk on the collar) and firmly lead her back to the point from which you issued your command. Then say enthusiastically "Good Girl!" and let her go, so you can do it all again! You can give her a treat at the time you are praising her. That will also help reinforce "Come". Remember, patience and consistency are crucial, and eventually, she will realize that she does not have a choice. Good luck.

[poohbearsmom]

keep her on lead. If I were your neighbors, I would not appreciate a large dog chasing mine around in my yard, whether she's fighting with them or not..... ;)

You apparently need to teach her a solid recall. This can easily be done on a long line (you can fashion one from a long rope, attaching a clasp that will clip on to her collar)....

Let her walk around the yard on the long line, then call her. If she does not respond, reel her in, and when she arrives in front of you, praise her, and reward her with a tussle on a toy.... let her wander off (on the line) and repeat.

Leave this session on a positive note, like you would any other training session.

You can apply the sits/downs on the long line as well, as it's not as restricting as a 6' lead, and you are still maintaining control, and can correct her.

It's good to have a release command, so, if you are not asking her to perform another behavior, you can release her from the command you've given her, and then reward her with play.

Hope this helps you.

Regards,


(LOL... Grendl, great minds think alike! :) )

[nina3010]

Hi,

thank you all for an advice, I'll try with 10 ft rope and let you know of a progress.

For now I was working with a normal leash attached to her collar. If I let the leash hanging on her, she behaves like well trained dog, but as soon I release her from it, she ignores any command.
I'd really like to find a solution for such behavior because i don't want it to become a "real" problem with my neighbours.

[Beckysmom]

You mean she obeys when a leash is there even if you are not holding it and even if she is basically free to go to the other dogs, but does not behave with leash off at all? Is this true even inside the house? If so, then I would think she may have learned that commands only mean what they mean when the leash is on. I mean she may not be testing you, but may truly not understand that she is still supposed to obey with leash off, because if she were just testing she could do that when the leash is on but you are not holding it.

If it were me I would work for a while inside the house with no leash on at all and offering treats for "come" etc. sometimes, sometimes just petting, starting very close to her and getting progressively farther away for the "come"--as if Iwere training these commands for the first time in a no leash context...before assuming she is deliberately misbehaving and 'correcting'. It sounds like she thinks leash off means "all free". So I would also be sure to teach her some words and gestures on your part that really do mean she is free...and only use them when she cannot get into any trouble with other dogs etc.

in addition to working outside with a long rope on. Also you can use a longer rope than 10 feet if you want to.

I don't know if they have it where you are, but I am setting up an area with horse type electric fencing ((it is a rope like substance with very fine wires that carry electicity, and it can go on plastic poles and so go anywhere and come back out again--not good to just leave a dog out with, since it is not that solid, but a reasonable easy and not too expensive way--at least here--to set up a temporary off leash training area... on internet companies here that carry if are Parmak and Gallagher. This is not the type that takes a special collar or burying the wires.). That could be a way to set up a small training yard where your dog can't actually run off, but would not have leash or rope on either.

[nina3010]

Right, she obeys when the leash is just hanging on her collar, even if we are not holding it.
We learned her a gesture and word that means "all free", so I'm sure she's not thinking that leash off means that. It seems she just knows that we are not able to control her when she is completely free and uses the situation. She is the outside dog and just doesn't like to be in the house, so I never tried to work with her inside.
Also, after she runs away, she always follows the same pattern: runs to the neigbour's house, make her dogs hide, and comes back like nothing happend. It looks like it is her special mission that just MUST be done.
Strangely, if we go to some unknown place with her, she obeys even with the leash off (maybe not 100%, but at least 99%).

[Judi W]

Actually she sounds like a wonderful dog. It is very likely that because you really haven't had her too long, that she still might not see you as master which is why she somewhat disregards you when she doesn't have a leash on. Also, she is very smart.

I would not be comfortable having her be a totally outside dog without any fencing or supervision at all however. After all, no matter how well trained, dogs will be dogs. If there is any livestock in the area, you run the risk of her molesting them and she could be shot. She might only be going next door at this time, but it is too easy for a dog to expand its area of roaming. Please consider putting up some kind of fence so this wonderful girl can be kept safe and not be frightening people. That too could put her at risk of being aprehended or injured, not to speak of vehicles possibly hitting her.

[nina3010]

She is really wonderful dog!!! As long we have her we never had any agression or growling problem with her, just that stupid joke she makes with neighbour's dogs.
Everything would be easier if we could put fence around our backyard, but due to complicated terrain it is not possible.
When I say she is an outside dog - she doesn't like being in house at all, so we made her a large cage just next to our front door and she sleeps there or we put her inside when we are not at home - what is pretty much rare situation. The rest of her time she spends with us - in our wineyard or garden (that what we do for living). The road side of our yard is fenced so she is safe from cars. Actually she has no place to go - except that one neighbour...
As soon as she remembers them, she has to do her "job"...

[Judi W]

Humm, well a suggestion I have is that you do some active training with her even though she knows her commands. The reason this would probably help, is it would assist in establishing in her mind that you are "master". Is there any club near you that you could attend for obedience training? If so, try to sign up. If not, put the leash and collar on a cople of times a day and go through some formal obedience drills.