OK, I'm trying a new approach to dog training...

[MonkeyFunk]

It's been pointed out to me that making my dog sit for a few seconds while I feed him is abusive.

So I'm adopting a new approach.

Just now, I lit some candles, put on some Lou Rawls, and sat down with the mutt. I took his paw in my hand, and looked him in the eye, and said "Little buddy... You know I love you. But when I ask you to stay, and you don't listen, it makes me feel like you're not respecting me as a person. You know I think you're an equal partner in this relationship, and I walk you and feed you and groom you and put up with your nasty peanut-butter farts, and all I ask in exchange is that you listen to what I'm saying. I don't get the sense that you REALLY hear what I'm telling you."

Then he farted and went to sleep. But I think he'll take it to heart.

[jpgray]

1. His behavior is addictive functioning in a disease process of toxic codependency.

[opiate69]

2. ...

:spray:

[mark414]

3. it's good that you changed your technique

cause you know, i came thisclose to calling animal control after reading about your last attempt, and how awful and horrendous and abusive you obviously are to your dog, which you probably value no more than wet stinky garbage

[MonkeyFunk]

4. Earlier today

he chased the cat, and I yelled "No!" and gave him a stern look. We both had a good cry afterward.

[Karenca]

5. .........

:rofl:

[mark414]

6. that's it...where's my telephone?

you are a monster
















:rofl:

[Elidor]

7. Have you heard of the lippinzaners?

I bet you can get a good deal on a cattle prod at the local feed store.

[MonkeyFunk]

8. Oh, I have a cattle prod

but we keep it in the bedroom.

[China_cat]

9. Who told you that it's abusive?

That's crap. There's nothing wrong with making the dog 'work' a bit for his food. (Not to mention making him safer from poisoning if he gets used to having to obey a command before eating...it's the start of teaching food refusal.)

If you have kids (or when you were a kid, if you don't) don't you have them do something before meals? Help set the table? Carry in some dishes? Wash their hands? Same principle with a dog. Sit! Good dog, here's your dinner.

NOT training a dog...that's what's abusive.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. Don't pay any attention to that. Only you know your own dog.

You have to be the "alpha" and you know that. You have to be, to keep him safe, if nothing else. I have had eight dogs in my life, I'm embarrassed to say, since I'm not that old. But I do adopt older dogs, since I've felt that they were the ones who needed me. And you have to make sure that they'll listen to you, or what is the point? Just continue doing what you know is best, for you and your dog. As long as he knows you love him and he loves you, you're doing the best for him, and this is better than most. :-)

[MonkeyFunk]

13. thank you Rhiannon...

I appreciate it.

[Rhiannon12866]

15. You're welcome, my friend.

I'm sure that you're doing a great job with your dog, and I saw your earlier thread. You have to teach them to listen to you, to keep them safe. And I'm sure that your dog loves you just as much as you love him.:hi:

On edit: I'm planning on taking my puppy to training classes, since he is such a little nut case, LOL. He's the blinking pup on my sig. My other dog, who is 13, the one who sticks out his tongue on my sig, is snoring behind me in my chair as I write this. :-) I trained my first dog, the only other puppy that I've ever had, when I was a kid. I taught her everything that I could think of and we both enjoyed it. When I ran of things in the book, I resorted to teaching her tricks and one of them was balancing a biscuit on her nose and she wouldn't toss it in the air and catch it until I said so. She was such a great dog and I absolutely know that she enjoyed our games, since we were together and she got treats...:D

[MonkeyFunk]

16. I do indeed love him

thanks.

[Rhiannon12866]

17. I'm sure that you do and that he adores you, as well.

They want attention, which he's sure getting, affection and also discipline. He needs to know that you're the leader, so he feels safe. I don't have a pic of my first dog, the one I trained as a kid, that I can post, since I lost her in 1980, when she was 15, which ripped my heart out. But I adopted my beloved Barney, from rescue, in 1995, because he reminded me so much of her. I lost him in 2002, at 18. He was the dog of my heart.:-)

My Barney:loveya:

[MonkeyFunk]

18. ohmy gosh

he was gorgeous.

18 is a very long life for a spaniel. You did very well by him.

[Rhiannon12866]

23. Thank you. He was so very special.

He was a stud dog at a commercial kennel and when he got too old, they were going to put him down. This wonderful woman in rescue, who I've gotten to know and who placed a second cocker with me a few years later, begged them to give him a second chance. They insisted that he could never live in a home because he had spent his entire life on a kennel run, had never lived with people, and he wasn't housebroken. But this lovely woman took him, and told me that he was the filthiest, smelliest dog that she'd ever rescued and she'd been doing this for years. She washed him and washed him and got him vet care and worked on the housebreaking.

This was October and I met him in January, when she offered him for adoption. He was on "Pet Connection" on my local TV news and I fell in love with him on sight and his story broke my heart. I knew that he was the right dog for me. And he was perfect from day one, a gentle soul with the most perfect temperament. And I agree that he was beautiful. He was 10 or 11 when I adopted him and I had him for eight wonderful years. I would have done anything for him, took him for acupuncture when he developed back problems at 17. I still miss him terribly and know that he was one of a kind. Thanks so much for your kind words.

Rhiannon:-)

edited for typo.

[hickman]

11. Bind together a large bunch of parsley with a few sprigs of lavender.

Wave them in front of his nose and give him the command. If he refuses, whack him hard on his ass with the bouquet, and start again. Works with kids too.

[MonkeyFunk]

19. Thank you

I will try some herb-beating.

[philosophie_en_rose]

12. Clearly, you are just in the regret phase of a cycle of abuse...

Making your dog wait 10 seconds to eat is so mean. :eyes: :P

Clearly your dog should escape to the sanctuary of a dog shelter to escape your mean tactics. :P


Seriously, making a dog (or anyone) wait 10 seconds to eat is not a big deal. Your dog showed a lot of restraint, as opposed to my little hellions who would attack the food as a pack. My only suggestion is that you may try to use just his regular food or a small amount of a treat like pupperoni. A fancy schmancy dinner would be overly tantalizing for my dogs, though you know your dog best of course.

[MonkeyFunk]

14. my biggest fear is that

some giant ball-less goon will steal him from me.

[slj0101]

20. Titus.

[MonkeyFunk]

22. Great movie!

:thumbsup:

Jessica Lange as Tamora kicked ass.

[PVnRT]

21. Fucking freeper

Had you used the PETA-approved method of setting the dog free to starve or freeze to death on its own, you wouldn't have this problem.

[HEyHEY]

24. It sounds like you two may need professional counselling

[havocmom]

25. I trained my sister's dog to pause, bow his head and wait until after prayers to eat.

She called day after she got back and said something was wrong with the dog. He won't eat. He ran in, wagged his tail, sat down, looked at the dish and HE'S JUST SITTING THERE!!!!!

Told her to go in and say: "We thank the dog-god for our food, AMEN"

She finally did and he finally ate.

Reverent and sincere mutt he is ;) Smart too.