Archive for the 'French Bulldog Training' Category

Ask the French Bulldog Training - Potty Training Problems

admin August 6th, 2008

Hi Hope,

We recently added a new French bulldog pup to our family- Alphonse!
He came to our home from a reputable breeder at the age of 9 weeks, and he has been a joyous addition to our family thus far.

I read through your advice and responses on this message board on potty training, and have strictly abided to your advice.

After a few weeks, Alphonse began getting the hang of things. He started going towards the door (we used the same door to take him out each time) when he needed to potty, and he even responds to the “go potty” command which we consistently use each and every time he goes.

Alphonse is now 4 and a half months old, and he has been accident free for the last few weeks! Fantastic!

However, just this morning, we were playing with Alphonse as we normally do (our schedule with him- potty, eating, playing, sleeping, etc- has been very routine). All of a sudden, while playing his favorite game, fetch, he stops, makes eye contact with me, and then proceeds to pee!

We thankfully caught him in the act, firmly told him NO, and took him outside where he finished the rest.

What happened here? He wasn’t overly excited, he didn’t eat or drink anything out of the norm, and it seemed as though we were SO close to having him potty trained.

Also, what is the correct remedy going forward to ensure that he stays on the right track on the potty training front?

Hope writes –

Would you believe - you’re doing everything right? Nothing’s gone wrong, nothing needs to be changed.

Alphonse, bless his little heart, is being a puppy.

There are a few things that could be going on here. The most likely is that Alphonse isn’t totally convinced yet that outside is the only place he’s allowed to do his business. Like any other juvenile, he’s testing the boundaries - seeing exactly what he’s allowed to get away with.

Another possibility is you’ve reached a training plateau. I’ve heard various explanations for it, including one theory that there’s a lag while behavior is embedded in long-term memory. I don’t really worry about the why - I just know that at some point it’s going to seem like my dog has forgotten everything she ever knew. Fortunately, their brains stop rattling around in their skulls and settle into the socket again rather quickly.

Stay consistent, enforce the rules you’ve set and Alphonse will get with the program. He may be testing your patience and being a stubborn little bully boy, but he’s actually right on schedule. No puppy is truly securely potty-trained until about six to eight months, so relax, enjoy - and watch him every second!

Hope

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Ask the French Bulldog Trainer - Frenchie with Food Issues

admin August 5th, 2008

I am a proud french bulldog owner and live in Bogota, Colombia. There’s not much knowledge here about French Bulldog breeding or behaviour so I hope you or your collegues can help me with this question.

My male puppy is about 6 months old and is extremely picky with his food. Moreover, he has decided since the last couple of months to eat only when I’m not around. I’ve had to change his food several times as I’m unaware if he dislikes the food or if he is just manipulating me. Well, apparently the food is not the issue as he eats really well whenever I’m not around. The problem is that I spend most of the time with him and he has gotten really, really skinny and looks like if he was from another breed or something. I’ve tried every single method that has been suggested to me: leaving his food down for 15 minutes and then picking it up until the next meal, leaving him alone with his food for some time, warming his food, adding water, you name it! He will only eat when he is just extremely hungry and then go for a hunger strike until the next 24 hours or more (this is during weekends). During weekdays someone takes care of him for me and gives him his lunch but my puppy won’t eat at night or in the morning when I’m around. Incredibly enough he won’t even drink water for really long periods, sometimes even for a day. Even when I serve his food and have to bring him to it, he will just walk away.

He was really sick to his stomach when he was 3 months old (3 ulcers, ouch) and I might have placed too much attention on him, so he knows that his stomach problems really worry me. I guess that he is manipulating me and calling my attention by not eating, but simply haven’t found a way to get him to eat. Obviously as he is not eating correctly, he is getting sick constantly as his inmune system is not as it should be. By the way, he is a VERY active dog which makes this behaviour even stranger.

Oh yes, I have never fed him human food of any kind.

What should I do? Have you ever had a Frenchie that shows similar behaviour? Any tips?

All your help would really be appreciated as I am really worried for my puppy.

Hope writes -

At this point your pup’s food issues seem to be more related to behavior than health, so I’m jumping in to answer your question.

I agree that, at this point, it’s not the taste of the food that’s the problem. It’s also not your dog being manipulative. What he is doing is picking up on your stress. Dogs seem to know when their people are tense, his eating makes you tense, so he’s trying to fix it by not eating when you’re around.

I would forget about trying to set a bowl down and have him eat. Instead, make a game and training session out of his mealtimes. I know he will use calories as well as get some, but you’ll both have a better time and stop stressing about his food.

When you want to feed him, put his food in a small bag or bowl, and keep it up where you can reach it. Have your dog perform some obedience exercise or “trick.” Reward him with his kibble - one piece at a time, many pieces for each reward. Have a great time doing it - if he sits, tell him “good sit” and reward. If he lies down, say “good down” and reward. If he watches you, say “good watch” and reward him. Leave the room, call him and say “good come” when he shows up.

Your sessions will have a dual purpose, getting food into him and teaching him new things. Reward him for anything positive he does, ignore behaviors you don’t want. You and your dog will form a strong bond through training, you’ll stop being quite so tense about his food, you’ll have a good time with your dog, and, as an added bonus, you’ll have an extraordinarily well-trained dog, too!

You can teach any behavior you want - just break it down into the smallest possible increments and teach those, in any order. You can put it all together when he’s good at each piece separately. Training sessions should only last five to ten minutes, so be generous with your rewards to get the most food into him that you can.

Relax, have fun and play-train your dog. Please let us know how you do!
Hope

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Ask the Frenchie Trainer - Teenage Terror French Bulldog!

gollygear July 22nd, 2008

Hi Hope,

I have a 9 month old Frenchie, who to say the least is really pushing my limits. She is only left alone for 3-4hr periods at the max. We crate trained her for the first 5months and when I thought she was house broke we let he roam the house. She typically did very well but recently she has been pooping and peeing throughout the house in certain favorite spots of hers. She is also going crazy in the house when we are gone by somehow opening cabinets, drawers, doors, etc to get stuff out, rip them up, pee, and basically be a little terror.

What suggestions do you have? How can I eliminate this poor behavior and stop the defecation within the house?

Thank you!

Hope writes -

Welcome to the wonderful world of adolescent Frenchies!  If there’s a way to get into trouble, they’ll find it. And, in reality, that’s a good thing - you want a dog who’s curious, engaged, and looking for fun.

Like every other adolescent, human or animal, your pup needs some boundaries set for her. The only way to do that when you’re not home is to keep her in her crate.

You already mentioned that she was very successful in her crate. My question to you is - why did you stop using it? Crates are not a temporary housebreaking aid, although that is one of the first uses. It’s also your dog’s “room,” the one place in the house that belongs to her, where she can go to be safe and secure.

Dogs are den animals by nature. Most dogs love being in small spaces, secure and cozy. I know of one dog, a Boston Terrier, who never got into trouble unless he was denied access to his crate. Then he tore up the house.

You need to restore your pup’s special place to her - as soon as possible. I also know of a recent case in which people thought they were doing a kindness to their rescue dog by leaving it uncrated when they were away. He ate a tube of ointment and died.

It’s a harsh lesson - please learn from others’ experience. Your little girl is too precious to risk.

Hope

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Ask the Frenchie Training - Handling a Hyper French Bulldog

gollygear July 18th, 2008

i have a 5 month old frenchie and shes hyper as all get out,she also bites and chews she has a room full of toys i dont want to get rid of her what do u suggest i do

Hope writes -

Puppies don’t know how to “behave” - you have to teach her!

My first suggestion is that you find a good basic obedience class in your area. The best classes and trainers are the ones who teach you how to train your puppy. A good class will give you the skills to take home and practise with your puppy several times a day, a few minutes each time.

Many dog clubs have classes that are open to the public, check the American Kennel Club listing of obedience club to see if there’s one in your area:  http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.cfm?action=obed&display=on

Alternatively, many park districts and dog day-care facilites offer basic obedience classes.

In the meantime, start teaching your puppy to “sit and accept praise.” After a fun play session and a potty break, sit with your puppy on the floor. She should be next to you, facing the same way. Have her sit at your side. If you have to hug her to keep her still, that’s okay. Talk to her calmly and pet her, telling her she’s a good girl, and “good chill” (or whatever word you choose to use). After a few minutes, release her, saying “good job.” Stay calm, and she may just stay next to you, relaxing.

Schedule a few “chill sessions” every day, until she learns that after playtime, it’s time to relax - for both of you.

-Hope

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Ask the Frenchie Trainer - Barking Bully Boy

gollygear July 17th, 2008

I have a 5 year old male frenchie who is very aggressive with other dogs.  I am having trouble with him even seeing another dog on walks in parks etc.    He will bark and lunge and get very upset.  It is really hard to stop this behavior  We live in the country  and he does not routinely play with dogs a lot but he does like dogs he knows a bit.   We travel a lot and so he does meet a lot of dogs and he is more and more aggressive toward them.      In every other way he is such a wonderful dog.

I am considering getting him a bark collar so he will at least not bark at dogs when he sees them but wonder if even that would work.

Thank you for any advice you can give me.

Hope writes -

From your description, it’s hard for me to tell if your boy is truly being aggressive, or just trying desperately to “meet” the other dogs. Either would fit the “barking and lunging.” Since you call it aggression, I’ll assume that’s what we’re dealing with.

There are several exercises you should practise with your boy. The first is “Leave it.” This one will apply to anything you want it to - delightful smells/trash on the ground, other dogs, people, etc. Sit with your dog in an area without distractions. Have a bunch of yummy treats. One at a time, give your dog the treats, saying “take it” as you give him each one. After a few, close your hand around the treat and say “Leave It.” He  will probably sniff, paw and perhaps nibble at your hand. Be patient. As soon as he looks away from the “cookie hand,” even if it’s just for an instant, tell him “Good Leave It!” and give him a different cookie. Randomize the “take its” and “Leave its” and practise a couple of minutes, a few times a day. When you’re sure he has the idea, you can broaden “Leave it” to anything he’s fascinated by. Be sure you do have a reward handy when he turns his attention away from the object, person, or dog.

Another good exercise is “watch.” Again, find a couple of minutes in a distraction-free zone with your dog. Have him sit in front of you. When he looks up at your face, say “Good Watch!” and give him a treat. We want him to learn that looking at your face will always be a good thing and deserves a reward.

When you’re out and about with your boy, try to be aware of your surroundings and situations that may trigger his aggressive behavior. Before he even knows there’s another dog approaching, have him sit facing you (away from the other dog) and watch! Be prepared with treats. Be sure that your dog is safe - you absolutely don’t want the other dog coming up behind yours. When you ask him to behave, you are asking him to trust that you’ll keep him safe.

The key is to be in control of the situation and to head off problems before they start. If you are fearful, nervous, or apprehensive, that emotion will travel straight down the leash and may cause your dog to become protective and aggressive. Know that you are in control and that your dog will behave. Make it happen.

If these simple, distractive techniques don’t work to control the situation, do seek help from a professional dog trainer in your area. Ask local dog clubs and dog professionals for referrals. Be sure the trainer is right for you and your dog - ask for references and, if possible, watch the trainer in action.

Good luck!
Hope

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