Archive for the tag 'dog training'

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 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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Ask the Frenchie Trainer - Suddenly Agressive French Bulldog

admin July 1st, 2008

Note: this question was from the comments on another post. Please DO NOT post your questions in the comments section! We do not regularly check them, and chances are your question will go unanswered. Email your question to us directly, as noted above.

Does any one knows how to retrain my Frenchie female Tuffy who suddenly all over became very aggressive against the other fem Boston Terrier that we have? Tuffy is 18mo old and the other girl is 6yrs old.

Hope writes -

Without more information, I’m sorry to say that we can’t do more than suggest you find help in your area.

Do have your Frenchie checked by a veterinarian. If she’s in pain for some reason, it could cause her to be unusually grumpy and short-tempered.

If she checks out okay, please seek help from a professional trainer. Dog aggression should be addressed quickly and steps taken to correct it. You may find a referral from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers: http://apdt.com/

-Hope

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Ask the Frenchie Trainer - Jumping Bean French Bulldog!

admin June 24th, 2008

We have a very loving frenchie named Roxanne. She is one year old and loves
everyone.

The problem is her jumping. Especially on guests. I try to hold her down by
her collar and tell her “down” repeatedly and praise her when she’s calm
(which is not often) but then she just pops up again like a spring. She is
incredibly strong and knocks over children and sometimes frightens adults or
gets them dirty!

Walks are getting embarrassing!

Any ideas?

Hope writes -

Frenchies just love to jump, don’t they? It can be an annoying and possibly dangerous habit, as you’ve discovered. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy habit to break.

As with any training, stopping the jumping will take a bit of time and patience. Understanding why Roxanne is jumping puts the behavior in perspective. She’s a friendly, happy, loving girl who thrives on attention and wants to share her joy with everyone. It’s essentially saying “Hi! Look at me! Pay attention to me!” and it’s working. The attention she’s getting may be negative - you’re trying to stop the behavior, but it’s reenforcing the act.

Rather than trying to “correct” her for jumping - deprive her of the reward she’s after. Set up a situation with a family member or friend.  Have that person approach Roxanne. As soon as she starts jumping, have the person fold her arms and turn her back on Roxanne. When Roxanne follows and tries it again, have your friend keep turning away, arms folded, ignoring the jumping. As soon as Roxanne tries something else to get attention (most dogs will sit and try to figure out what’s going wrong) have the person praise her, reward her and tell her how wonderful she is. When she gets up, or tries to jump, go right back to the “fold arms and turn away.”

For a while, until she “gets it,” everyone is going to have to treat Roxanne’s jumping the same way. Reward her for behavior you want and ignore the behavior you don’t. Deprive her of the attention she craves when she’s misbehaving. Frenchies are pretty smart - she’ll figure out pretty quickly that being a “good girl” gets her what she wants.

Good luck!
Hope

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Ask the French Bulldog Trainer - Sneaky Piddling Frenchie

admin June 20th, 2008

Dear Hope,

My husband surprised my boys and I with a French bulldog puppy we had
all been looking at for about a week back on December 27th. He has
been a wonderful dog for our family. He is sweet, smart, fun and my
boys absolutely adore him! My husband and I do as well except for 1
little thing… he is a piddler (our term for just randomly urinating
all over our house..) I do not believe that it is a medical problem
because he has been going all night without messing his crate since
January/February. He knows to go to the door if he needs to go
outside and does it. We have noticed that his “piddling” increases
whenever he is not being played with or loved on. I think his
“piddling” is his reaction when he is not the center of attention.

What are your thoughts and recommendations on how to get him to stop?
Thanks for your help!

Hope writes -

Dogs aren’t people! Dogs are not spiteful, sneaky, sulky or secretive. If a dog wants attention, he comes up to you and barks, jumps, wiggles, brings a toy, tugs on you, or other direct means of drawing your attention. He doesn’t go off and piddle somewhere just to “show you” he’s neglected.

The reason he piddles when you’re not paying attention is because - you weren’t paying attention and missed his signals he had to go out! He truly isn’t securely housebroken - he doesn’t know the rules yet.

Go back to the beginning. If no one is actively watching him - he’s in his crate. When he earns a bit of trust, put on his harness and leash and attach him to your belt loop while you’re going about your daily life. As soon as he starts sniffing around, indicating a need to go - take him out and praise him when he “does his business.”

Your pup just needs reinforcement of his training. He’s not being headstrong or willful - he’s letting you know he’s not sure of the rules.

-Hope

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