Dad's "Training" Not Helping Mine

[onceinabluemoon]

My dad thinks to "train" Casey, she should be yelled and and smacked/jerked by collar. I think this is wrong, and unfair to Casey. She gets in trouble a lot from my dad because she : begs, goes outside and barks loudly, and chases out cats. The cats have never scratched her, they only bat at her, so she hasn't learned her lesson yet. Anyway, when I'm training her, I notice that my dad isn't helping. For example : yesterday, we were working on "shake". She knows this trick very well, but when my dad came outside to watch, she wouldn't preform. She sometimes cowers when I try to pet her, because my dad was told by some trainer to grab her nose and push into her chest if she misbehaves. My dad is a nice person, he'd never beat a dog, but I'm worried about Casey. Any seuugestions? Thanks so much!

[Dax]

Onceina - your dad might be a nice guy but he is not the person this dog should be trained by. A dog needs to trust it's owner to perform at it's best. You can force a dog to sit if he's within range but a well trained dog will sit when you are 30 feet away.

I would ask your dad to enroll you & the dog in obedience classes. Once you've had a couple of lessons, invite him to watch. Have the trainer speak to your dad about tips he can use to re-build his relationship with the animal.

Hope this helps.

[GretaJack]

Okay. When I was growing up, I had little dogs, a schnauzer and West Highland White Terrier. I hated to watch my dad discipline my dogs because I thought that he was mean and abusive to them. And I would undo whatever training my father had done because I would coddle and pamper my little dogs. Now, I own three labs and I realize that my dad was not mean and abusive, just authoratative with the dogs and demanded respect. Right now, I think my dad thinks that I am agressive with my dogs, which I am not, but dad is now a big softie.

My questions. How old is Casey? What kind of breed is she? If the dog, knows a command and is refusing to perform it, a corrective means is necessary. A dog should respect, love and obey it owner(s). I do not necessarily agree with your father's method of smacking your dog. But yelling, well if it is to give a dog a correction, is acceptable.

Here is my suggestion to you. Casey sounds like a smart dog and that you have put time into teaching her tricks like shake. You know what irratates your father, begging, barking and chasing the cats. Now teach her not to do any of these things. When some one is eating, teach her to go lay on her bed, in another room or in her crate. And she is to stay there until she is give a command to leave. If she barks, teach her to speak on command. This will then help you to teach her to stop on command also. As far as chasing the cats, well I have the problem with Tanner. He has gotten a nose full of nails but still hasn't learned. But if there is a cat around and I see that look in his eye, I call him to me. If he does not listen immediately I go and get him (yes, I grab him by the collar) and I bring him to where I want him and then praise the snot out of him. I am trying to teach him to redirect his attention when I require him to do so. So chasing the cat is highly desirable to him, but I don't like that idea, so I redirect his attention to me and praise him for that and give him treats.

Those are my suggestions. Hope that might give you some ideas.

[Moo]

I feel your pain, I don't agree with my Dad's 'training' either.... He's never previously had a dog, he's never been to a training class with Kirb, never read a book, but still insists that his way is the best way. I could be trying to correct something with my dog, and all of a sudden, a spoon flies at us from behind me, or I'll feel something swatting about above my head. I don't like it at all, and sometimes he misses and accidentally hits me. As a result, I have to be very, very careful in what I train when my Dad is around. If I'm correcting, Dad thinks Kirby needs MORE correcting.

I think a talk would be in order. Make an agreement with Dad that you'll work on correcting the chasing, etc, but you will do it your way. Say "If we take two different approaches, it will probably confuse her". Show him what you can do with her without the physical corrections.