Donna asks…

train to attack on command and guard house?

i have a 7 month old female red nose pitt-bull,who has been raised as a family and friendly dog ,i just got her about a month ago.she doesnt bark to much ,not even if someone rings the door bell or knocks on the door,or approaches me in an aggressive way when im walking her.she is a very nice size for her age about 40 pounds or so ,very built so people that i dont know are nervous when they see her.how do i train her to be a guard dog to my house and family and to attack on command or if she feel someone is trying to harm me? because she is 7 months old is it to late to teach an old dog new tricks?(7 months isnt really old)

Anna Walker answers:

Pit bulls are typically very protective of their owners, but you need to build up a close bond with them first. You’ve only had her for a month. PLEASE, do not attempt to train her to be aggressive. She could potentially hurt somebody, thinking she’s doing something you’ll approve of. Any dog will protect its owner if necessary, you don’t need to train them to be that way.

Carol asks…

Need help with house training?

Sorry this is so long but I am desperate. My dog is a 19 month old female Boston Terrier. We have had her for 15 months. I have tried every bit of advice handed to me in order to get this dog to go outside. I have had her checked at the vet for abnormalities. My vet thought I was a nut but I was told she may have urinary tract or bladder issues. She is crate trained and at this point lives mainly in the crate because unless she is under 24 hour watch she will go in the house. If we are sitting in the kitchen when she has to go she will go to the door. If we are not she goes wherever she feels. Though I know she is going to the door the fact that she has to make some noise to let us know she is there isn’t sinking in. I have taught her how to speak and make her speak every time i open the back door yet she will not bark to go out she just stands there. I even taught her how to ring a bell that I hung on the door handle (another piece of advice that isn’t working) but unless you tell her to ring the bell or speak she will do neither when wanting to go out. Also her crate is just roomy enough for her to sleep in yet she goes in the crate. She goes on the blanket she is lying on and gets covered in pee. I have to bath her at least 3 times a week and her skin is being affected by the bathing but I have no choice. I put her water bowl down only 3 times a day for her and let her drink to control how much water she gets to no avail. If I let her sleep in the bed with us she goes on the bed. I am at my wits end. The last advice I got was and I quote “You may just have to accept the fact that she goes in the house. Some dogs never get trained. Just try and keep up with the cleaning.” Is this true? I have to just let my dog use the house as a toilet and accept it? What else can I do besides keep her crated 24/7.
Also she is spayed. I was told this may help. It hasn’t.
Walking lady i haven’t tried the keeping her on the leash with me. It is a bit impractical but worth a try. The habit of being allowed on the furniture will be hard to break and I don’t mind that though she is no longer allowed up-stairs.

I have trained her to ring the bell. She will ring it if told to but will not others wise.

Anna Walker answers:

Try umbilical leash training. When she isn’t in the crate, she is on her leash and the other end of the leash is attached to your belt loop. She will be 6 feet away and can’t sneak off. Also, try taking her out every hour on the hour for a week or so, then increase the time to 90 minutes, and so on. Yes, she should be able to hold her urine longer than this at her age, but you need to give her ample opportunities to succeed.

I agree with using enzymatic cleaners. It will help with the training and it will save your house from smelling like dog urine.

Unless there is a health issue, she can be trained, but it will take time and diligence. And try not to restrict her water so much. OK to take it up at night, but if she has a problem such as diabetes insipidous, not having water can really harm her. Good luck.

Chris asks…

dog pooping in the house?

I have a two year old Scottie and he will poop outside and then come inside and still poop inside the house. How can i help train him not to do this. he already is trained to ring a bell and does when he has to go out but he still poops in the house often.

Anna Walker answers:

The first thing to try is increasing his exercise when you take him out to toilet. Give him a good 20 minute walk, even if he poops in the first five minutes. Walking stimulates the movement of the bowels. Many dogs need that stimulation to fully evacuate their bowels. He may need to poop several times to completely empty out.

Clean up the poop areas in the house carefully, using an enzymatic cleaner such as “Nature’s Miracle.” This product breaks down microscopic residue so that even a dog’s powerful nose cannot detect the odor of previous poopings. It, or something like it, should be available at your local pet store. A black light can be used to detect small traces invisible to the naked eye so you know where to apply the enzymatic cleaner.

Now that it’s a habit, you should keep a closer eye on him for several months. Keep him in the same room with you so you can catch him when he starts, interrupt him, rush him outside, and praise for finishing outside. You might try tying his leash to your belt to keep you in the same room together.

Joseph asks…

ATTENTION all PEOPLE WHO TRAINED THEIR DOG TO ALERT THEM WHEN THEY HAVE to go outside for a potty break!!!?

I think I should train my yorkie pup to ring a bell. She is 7 months old and 3.9 lbs. I hear this is common. I think this will help my dog because if she is running around the house, she will not tell me that she has to go and will go in the house. This is why she is mainly crate trained. Otherwise, she is doing very well with training and responds when I tell her to “go potty”. how can I train her to ring a bell??
Any other alerting methods that worked for you??

Anna Walker answers:

Ringing a bell worked like a charm for me, maybe a little too well for my dog. :-) I tied a bell to the doorknob, and whenever she showed signs of wanting to go outside, I would walk her to the door, ring the bell, praise her (even though she didn’t do it), and let her out. She eventually learned to ring the bell herself and I would praise her and let her out.

The downside is, she figured out that she could ring the bell and be let outside even if all she wanted to do was play outside. Then I would be stuck watching her run around, but not going potty, then I would have to corral her back inside.

Luckily, we have a great fenced-in yard now, so we put in a doggy-door and she comes and goes as she pleases.

Lizzie asks…

Dog Train’n Help!?

Okay… I have a few questions.
First, I love my dog so much and I just love playin with her(shes a SMART German Shepard 3 month old) I wanna play hide and go seek with her but i don’t know how to train her to do that!

Also, how can i train my dog to come right on command? like when shes chasing another dog i just wanna say ( Gracie COME) and she turns around immediately and comes to me? do i have to train her outside so shes use to distractions?

Plus, (lol) how can i first start training my doggy? ive been to sightes and im also trying to teach her to speak, they all say hold something up that she wants intell she barks or ring the door bell, but that doesnt mae her bark how can i start off trainin her? or like just a little house hold thing like turning the light on and off… do i grab her paw and place it on the light and
say light? and just keep doing that?.. please help ima vote best answer…. plus dont give me junk please! =D

Anna Walker answers:

First, you need to get your GSD to a puppy class. This will socialize your GSD so chasing other dogs will be cut to a minimum. Dogs, in general, chase and socializing your GSD will be the best thing since in about 3 or 4 months people and other dogs will be walking the other way due to her size. My GSD was 75 lbs at 7 months and people thought he was over 2 years old. This will give your GSD the ability to ‘chase’ in a playful manner rather than aggressive.

Training is based on obedience. Sit, stay, come, heel are all basic obedience commands. Time, patience and treat reward will have your GSD trained in no time. Advanced obedience, everything basic but off lead, will get your GSD to stop in her tracks and come back to you.
Training should be done with and without distractions. A class will provide both and balance the training out. She is very young, so start slow with puppy class and work on basics at home, like sit, stay, etc.

Keep in mind your GSD will be going through a lot of changes in the next few months. Size, weight, mental development. Keep training sessions short (15 mins) and fun. The more fun it’s for her to train, the easier it will be to do it.

As far as turning on a light, barking when you need something, that will take time. I strongly suggest you start basic obedience first. And barking when you want something is probably not a good idea because she will bark all the time. But she is your pup and you should do what you want. I know that my 14 month old rarely barks unless it’s for good reason and when he does bark the neighborhood knows it.

Good luck and if you need any more help with your GSD just e-mail me.

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