I need Help. Golden Retriever from hell.

[Guest stumped]

My last comment regarding the collar - if you are going to use it, make sure you know how. Many people think they know and then find out they have ruined their dogs. If you think this is something you want to try, talk to somebody who knows how to use it and have them show you how. Don't make a mistake that can ruin it for you and your friend.

Stumped

[grumpy 2]

Collar all the way.

Our dog used to wonder all the time. It was impossible to keep her in the yard. She is now trained. When I put the collar on her she will stay in the yard even when we go to work and school. I can keep it on tone and she will not even think of crossing the barrier, she will only cross the barrier on the leash or in the truck.

[FishOrDie 1]

I also have had many dogs, if you have to pen them up like we did.(wolves) you must let them out to play and be shown attention just like any other dog. at least an hour a day of playing and talking to your dog will make a world of difference in how they respond to you and respect you. Training is simple with small pieces of hot dogs.

I currently have two dogs, the older one i brought to dog school when he was a pup. His brother caught on very fast without the school. Both very well trained without ever hitting or hurting them.

but i also agree with TerryK. well said

[Guest bushrat]

I have a female Retriever and I cannot contain this dog. Chews through her rope. She can climb a 6 foot high chain link fence. I just bought a portable 6 foot high chain link pen that I will be putting a roof on so she can't get out. But this morning I got up and saw that she dug a hole through frozen ground alongside of my house. I'm freaking out. No matter what I do this thing is one step ahead of me!

What do I do? Put some peanut butter at the end of the 12 gauge? No I wouldn't do that but I'm at my wits end.

Roger

Wanderlust... maybe she's bored? I think the suggestions for lots of walks, maybe some intriguing chew toys might be good. I don't think zapping is necessary. I've never run into a problem with a pup that couldn't be solved with a little bite on it's ear or a stern voice.

[Guest Thrasher]

I have used "underground fence" witch gives a mild shock when they go near the set boundries of the wire you've laid around the area you want to keep them comtained to. Some see it as mean, but I'd rather have my dog get a mild shock than hit by a car, shot etc etc. Very quickly, they will learn what the boundaries are and will not go near them, hence staying in the yard. In terms of discipline, (this may sound wierd) I think of it as they would be disciplined by their own, look at wolves etc. It's all about dominance, when dogs go at it, the dominant dog is always on top. When behaviour correction is needed, be the dog on top. Beating isn't necessary, but a firm hand is.

Good Luck!

Thrasher

[grumpy 2]

This mourning, there were deer in the yard. The dog was laying on the deck watching the deer. If it were last year when we did not have the underground fence, the dog would be gone chasing the deer. The underground fence and the collar did the job.

[Guest TerryK]

lol, can you blame her??

[grumpy 2]

lol, can you blame her??

hmmm let the dog think. "If I chase the deer I will get zapped." "If I leave the yard I will get zapped." " I better sleep here on the deck until my %$#&%&^% owner takes me fishing"

[Guest TerryK]

I can call my dog off deer just with a voice command. (done it a few times since deer are in my yard almost every day) No torture needed! And since she is a part of my family, I'd rather not hurt her.

[Guest aanii84]

Terry, you keep refering to it as "torture". If thats what you think it is I suggest you do a little reading or maybe personally see how one works (by the way i'm talking hunting shock collar). You seem to have an extreme notion of what these things do (when used properly)

Maybe the following example is a stretch but possibly has some similarities....

When i was a young boy my grandma used to smack me with a wooden spoon when i was bad. I was not tortured. A zap collar is perhaps a wooden spoon for a dog. aha (exuse the example, its the best i could think of)

[Guest TerryK]

Terry, you keep refering to it as "torture". If thats what you think it is I suggest you do a little reading or maybe personally see how one works (by the way i'm talking hunting shock collar). You seem to have an extreme notion of what these things do (when used properly)

Maybe the following example is a stretch but possibly has some similarities....

When i was a young boy my grandma used to smack me with a wooden spoon when i was bad. I was not tortured. A zap collar is perhaps a wooden spoon for a dog. aha (exuse the example, its the best i could think of)

OK, let me clear things up. I only used the word torture once, and anyone on here that knows me knows I was using it tongue-in-cheek, mostly to rile up a couple of my friendly adversaries.

However, imo, it is totally unnecessary to hit, kick, poke or shock a dog into submission while training. I've never in my life been without a dog in my family and not one of them was hit or shocked, and all were obedient and well trained (some better than others of course) by myself, and I'm no expert by any stretch!! I just use proven techniques and just as important, I have patience. Lots of it! My dogs are not trained hunting dogs, or show dogs, but I can call them off any situation and they are well behaved when alone or with people or other pets around. ANY dog can be trained this way without being subject to corporal punishment. I come to my conclusions by doing a bunch of reading and watched friends use these collars. There is no right or wrong way to use these things. A shock is a shock.

Go to YouTube and search "dog shock collar" and see 336 videos of idiots trying these things on themselves. If they can drop a full grown man to his knees you can't tell me it's a "mild shock" like some people try to do.

Oh and by the way, may father used to hit me just as was acceptable in society when I was a kid, but I have never hit any of my kids and all 4 of them have turned out to be great. One's in police college, one is a supervisor at his job, one is in nursing school and the youngest is an A student in high school.

And I never had to use a shock collar on any of them!

[Guest bushrat]

I don't want to offend anyone... but I don't see how it's not torture. It sure can't be therapeutic. It's a form of classical conditioning, only using electricity instead of harmless bells. You're putting something through pain to teach it a lesson, and while pain might drive a message home you can get mixed results.

The thing about a dog getting beaten is he can see who is attached to the hand.. eventually he'll either go all "dumb" or (more likely, as I saw when I was young) snap and start to fight back. I knew a dog that was getting picked on, but he would only bristle up when the offender was around. I have no experience with the electric fence, but I can only assume that the dog would be building up the stress of the pain, and having nowhere/one to blame. Wouldn't this make him a time bomb that might go off at any time... on any one?

I dunno... Some say they would never hit their dog, but they have up an e fence... Personally I've been shocked AND punched... I've gotta say shocking hurts a heck of a lot more.

I'd much rather spend 2 hours a day teaching my dog to stay using treats.

[Guest bushrat]

btw terry... that pic makes me laugh... snarly dog surrounded by cheery sheets..

It's almost like he's saying "I thought I told you... pink is NOT my colour!"

[Guest bushrat]

My sleepy pup... not much of a hunting dog though. Also, you can't leave a stringer of fish on the beach or he'll rub himself all over it. I guess some instincts you just can't train out of a dog.

[Guest TerryK]

btw terry... that pic makes me laugh... snarly dog surrounded by cheery sheets..

It's almost like he's saying "I thought I told you... pink is NOT my colour!"

Yeah I know, that picture makes me laugh every time I look at it. Btw, she's not snarling, just laying on the floor making a stupid face, and those are my daughters legs and pink PJs. lol The dog is a real clown. She makes faces, noises, throws her toys up in the air and catches them, all kinds of crazy stuff. Your pup is a real sweetheart!

On the rolling thing, Rosie found a dead deer in some tall grass last spring and before I knew what was going on she had a nice little "bath" in some seriously decomposing venison! Damn it was a long ride home in the VAN! lol

[Guest bushrat]

Yeah I know, that picture makes me laugh every time I look at it. Btw, she's not snarling, just laying on the floor making a stupid face, and those are my daughters legs and pink PJs. lol The dog is a real clown. She makes faces, noises, throws her toys up in the air and catches them, all kinds of crazy stuff. Your pup is a real sweetheart!

On the rolling thing, Rosie found a dead deer in some tall grass last spring and before I knew what was going on she had a nice little "bath" in some seriously decomposing venison! Damn it was a long ride home in the VAN! lol

Blech!! LOL

[Guest loggerpete]

When I met my wife she had a golden Lab and a shepard mix.Both dogs were mildly abused by boarders she had in the past.

Took me two days each dog to get them not to bite anyone even when cornered or reaching or taking theyre food or bones.

Its not pretty how I do this but it works and all it takes to keep the dogs in line is training them properly and continue the training

every couple days.Dogs have to be walked once every day even couple minutes just to keep that contact.They love it.

Barking is the easiest to stop.Use a muzzle for a week then the next week take it off and only put it on when the dog barks.

then show them the muzzle to remind them.they will stop when shown the muzzle and eventually stop barking.

Ive trained dogs for my freinds cause they bring them to me but it only takes common sense.

[Guest TerryK]

When I met my wife she had a golden Lab and a shepard mix.Both dogs were mildly abused by boarders she had in the past.

Took me two days each dog to get them not to bite anyone even when cornered or reaching or taking theyre food or bones.

Its not pretty how I do this but it works and all it takes to keep the dogs in line is training them properly and continue the training

every couple days.Dogs have to be walked once every day even couple minutes just to keep that contact.They love it.

Barking is the easiest to stop.Use a muzzle for a week then the next week take it off and only put it on when the dog barks.

then show them the muzzle to remind them.they will stop when shown the muzzle and eventually stop barking.

Ive trained dogs for my freinds cause they bring them to me but it only takes common sense.

Great post pete. Congrats on having the patience to train a dog right!

[Guest Wes]

OK here is a question. I have a dog that I have been quit successful with training. Walking correctly, coming on my command, etc. BUT, she yips at nothing. Well it must be something but I can’t here it. Could be the mouse in the house for all I know. It is very annoying. I’ll be sitting at my computer working and she usually sits beside me. She sometimes barks very loud for what seems like no reason and scares the carp out of me. I just want to wack her with whatever I can find. I don’t for obvious reasons. But damn it sure would feel good. Haha I can't seem to curb it. I have been trying for years now. No success at all.

Anyway here is my question. If I use the muzzle in the manner that Pete suggests will that stop all barking or just the annoying bark. I am afraid she will not bark when my wife is home alone and someone tries to bust in the house again. Because I know my dog, I think she will still bark at anyone at our door but I can’t be sure. I would still want her to bark in the yard as well, if someone enters without our presence.

Thoughts?

[Guest TerryK]

That must be a pretty loud bark Wes to scare a carp out of you! Maybe give it to the dog to chew. that will keep her quiet for a while!

[grumpy 2]

As i sat down to read Wes's post my dog started to bark at me. She needed food, her bowl was empty. She also barks when she wants a treat.

[Abes 5]

Amen, as far an electric collar goes, brutal even if they have all these nifty settings. As far as I'm concerned if a dog owner doesn't have the time to properly train it the right way then don't get one. I'll ask the wife for some suggestions for you Roger, she trains them as puppies at a vet clinic.

Screw the electric collar...

Maybe for a breed with agressive behavior, and an owner who doesn't want to spend quality time with the pet he probalby shouldn't have, if he is considering a collar,

But for a social, unagressive breed such as the retreiver, "an electric collar will change the animals behavior" and you might as well give the dog away,

cause you just ended any chance of that retreiver respecting you.

You have a very inteligent breed who needs quality time as training, don't be the stupid 1/2.

[Guest Wes]

Not trying to shoot down your idea Grumpy but I don't think that's it, in her case. She eats at a certain time every day. I fill the bowl in the AM and she doesn't touch it until about 7 ish pm. It's weird. She doesn't beg very much either. She knows not to eyeball us, or be in the same room as us, when we are eating. So thats why I think it is something other than food related.

It's the weirdest thing. We'll be sitting watching TV and she'll bark for, like I said before, what seems like no reason.

Here is the funny part. Someone rings a doorbell on a tv show or movie, you guessed it, she barks.

We don't have a door bell! never did.

Maybe if I could figure out why, then it would be easier to correct.

I have been giving the muzzle thing some though. By using the muzzle the dog will associate that with punishment as well she will associate my wife or myself with being the punisher. And in order to be punished we would have to be there. So she may still bark at intruders when neither of us are in the room.

[Guest TerryK]

Can dogs get Tourette's syndrome??

lol Maybe she's shouting dogging obscenities!?

[Guest Wes]

Someday I think thats exactly what she is doing. I would yell at her for barking and send her to bed. She muffles off a few barks as she lays down. I can't help but laugh when my wife was the one that punished the dog, and the dog tells her off.

When the dog tells me off I nearly fly off the handle. And of course the wife laughs at me as well.