Treat rewards???

[lady bridget]

Well this is my first thread So let me start of with a little bit of background info to better understand.Dozzer is 3, I got him from my older brother when he moved out a less than a year ago. Ive always had an influence on this dog and he listens to me well but... He was never trained with classes and hasn't been taught anything other than the "basics". My brother only wanted a pet and Im pretty sure he really didn't think hard about the desicion of the breed and efforts is takes. None the less he is a farely well behaved dog, loving, friendly, clever and a HUGE BABY!!! When he wants out he nugess the door or taps the door knob if its just to pee I tell him to sit and he complies then I open the door put his leash on and away he goes. He sits and lays and shakes paws, you know all the 'classics'. But he seems overly depended on treat rewards. When he is in the house he is excited and hyper and it his hard to make him settle for long. I say settle and he does but shortly after he is up and running. He knows what the words mean and how to do it but he only does it till he gets a reward then shortly after he is on the move again.
Could this be he is just overly energetic and is not excersized enough and is just wanting to play??? Or is he just playing around with us and doing this to get treats??? He has a muzzel and when u lift it up and till him sternly "NO!LAY OR MUZZLE!" he calms down but im afraid this is more a thret than a solution.
on another note when is it to late to take classes??? My thought is never but... I just want to check. Im saving for classes for him and have planned "play dates" to better socialize him with other animals. Am I on the right track??? Would these classes also help him except the verbal and physical praise better???

Sorry for all the questions, I think I know most answers but you can never be to sure.

[targonrotts]

never to late to take classes or socialize.better late than never.
yes, they are smart...and can train you!
if after the undesirable behavior they get a cookie,they can do it again for another!
regarding play dates...how is he with other dogs?i would do classes first...and see how he reacts to seeing other dogs.
hailey used(actually still)loves to bark...when we put a pair of shoes on top of her crate...she quiets down!reminds me of your muzzle threat.

[hmeadq]

Our boy came to us at 4 months, and never barked.

Our very first obedience class he barked at another dog (as they all did! ) We were told to tell him "Quite" and then when he was say "Good Quiet!" and give him a treat.

The only thing he took out of that first week was bark, be told quiet, be quiet, get treat! And he tried to practice it at home. Took quite a few weeks to break him of that bad habit. So treats can be msused, and he can train you with them!

As for treats in general, we still use them but more carefully,being sure to always be reinforcing positive and not negative behaviors.

And it is NEVER to late for classes. And look around, we found our local training club had classes for half the price of other trainers.

Doc is the first dog I have had that we have done any formal classes with. We are in our third class (6 week session) now amnd it is worth every penny and every hour we've spent. We may not have a perfect dog but he is already better behaved then most of the other dogs I know, and getting better by the week.

Enjoy him, and your time together!

[lady bridget]

I will. I adour him with all my heart. I really have no clue how much classes are and I plan to start looking soon. I really want these for him and am getting a job soon and my money will be spent on these courses.
Targonrotts, im not 100% sure of how he is with dogs I live in the country and the people out here are narrow minded and beleave and I quote "if if doesnt fit on your lap than it shouldn't exist". So as u imagin there arent many dogs out here although there was this one dog he used to play with in the yard when he was younger but the dog had to be put down when he was hit by a car.:(
Thank you both for your advice.

[Luvs]

Originally Posted by lady bridget

But he seems overly depended on treat rewards. When he is in the house he is excited and hyper and it his hard to make him settle for long. I say settle and he does but shortly after he is up and running. He knows what the words mean and how to do it but he only does it till he gets a reward then shortly after he is on the move again.
Could this be he is just overly energetic and is not excersized enough and is just wanting to play??? Or is he just playing around with us and doing this to get treats??? He has a muzzel and when u lift it up and till him sternly "NO!LAY OR MUZZLE!" he calms down but im afraid this is more a thret than a solution.

When you give him a command you need to make sure that you are in a position to enforce it. If you tell him to "settle" make sure he is on a leash and have him lay next to you. That way when he tries to get up you can have him lay down again before he gets away from you. You will need to sit there and watch him until he knows that you mean what you say.

Originally Posted by lady bridget

on another note when is it to late to take classes??? My thought is never but... I just want to check. Im saving for classes for him and have planned "play dates" to better socialize him with other animals. Am I on the right track??? Would these classes also help him except the verbal and physical praise better???

Sorry for all the questions, I think I know most answers but you can never be to sure.

It is never too late to start taking classes. No matter how old a dog is or how far into training they are, there is always something to be gained from taking classes
I would be careful about setting up play dates with other dogs unless you know the owners and dogs really well. How does he get along with other dogs? If you do decide to let him have play dates, be very careful introducing him to other males, especially if they are intact. He doesn't have to play with other dogs to be happy.

[Canadianrotti]

in our last round of training classes (last night is this friday ), there are a total of 10 dogs,and 3 of them are seniors! In our grade 2 class there were about 10 dogs, and 4 of them were different seniors! It is never to late to got into training!

Also, doing formal training with your dog will help you build a better bond, and also help to establish you as the top dog.

Not sure about the cost of trainig in NB. but some of the classes here in Ontario are around $200 for 8 week.

Also, I would start off in the lowest level of classes. A lot of what they will teach you may be review (like sit and down), but you will re-inforce and also ween of of using the treats.

Good on ya for taking the responsibility of taking care of this dog. It sounds like you have your self a wonderfull companion, enjoy!!

P.S. take lots of pics!!! the folks around here cant get enough!!!

[lady bridget]

lol.
luvs, im not to sure how he is with other dogs. MY friend has a female rotty that is 18 months old and very friendly with other dogs. Would this be a good choice or are other breeds better to start with, or is the age to young??? I was also thinking about using the muzzle as a precasion just in case. is this smart or would he feel restrained to much and get aggresive??? I'll try those tips too.

canadianrotti, Tomarrow after school I am calling around and searching for training classes. I only have 50 dollars so far but I will get more. And yes I do have a very wonderful companion he is a very special part of my life. He is the families dog but everyone referse to me when somthings gotta be done. So I have the strongest bond with him and would really like to improve it more. As for pictures I have a few of him and would love to put them on but I have no clue. .

Thank u again for everything.