1s time dog owner having a few issues

Hello everyone,

We just got Scotch from a breeder last week. He is a 1.5 year old beautiful Blenheim. We've never had a pet before so were extremely apprehensive but for the most part he's been great and we love him to bits already. We got him 10 days ago and he's completely house trained and sleeps well in his crate throughout the night and his adjustment has been pretty smooth. I take him for at least 2 long walks everyday and since I am a stay at home mom I spend quiet a bit of time with him. If I need to go out for a bit then I leave him in a separate playpen area with toys and he seems content.

My issue started with petsmart training classes that we started last weekend. I've never seen Scotch bark like that....
He did not want to train at all or even get any treats, all he wanted to do was sniff the other dogs backsides. Btw, he is neutered. Since that class anytime he sees other dogs he gets hyperactive and uncontrollable. He is good about sit command at home but outside he acts Li,e he can't hear me. Is this common? Except the training aspect of it he is really great and I'm really praying we get the hang of it soon. Any suggestions?
Also, how do I train him for recall. We've had him run out onto the street one time when the kids answered a door bell and it was one scary moment.How do we train him not to do that. And don't get me started on leash walking....

Is it just my cav or any of yours too who couldnt care less for treats when we are outside.

Please help....

Thanks.

Anita

Sorry no one has responded to you yet. I am not a trainer so my advice is to simply continure to go to the classes at PetSmart, tell the trainer what you are observing and ask the trainer to help you. If he/she cannot, you might ask around for another training facility in your area and interview trainers until you find one you are comfortable with and can teach both you and Scotch. I would also call the breeder and talk to him/her to see if this was behaviour Scotch displayed before he came home with you or the breeder can help you identify the trigger.

Hopefully someone with more experience than I have will respond as well with some more specifc suggestions.

Hey now 10 days isn't very long You have only been to one training class, things will get better as time moves along and you are consistent. You are very lucky to have a dog that is already house broken and crate trained!!!! Those are some of the hardest parts of raising a puppy.

Try bringing him VERY hungry to the next class, and bring chunks of chicken or hot dog, something irresistable. I have a feeling that might help his attention span in class next time

For running out the door, you can teach him to stay or wait whenever the door is answered, or to even go to bed, or find his "place" and stay there. I am sure these things will be covered in class! For now, maybe have him on a leash when you answer the door for his safety, or put him in another room.

Scotchyboy said:

... He did not want to train at all or even get any treats, all he wanted to do was sniff the other dogs backsides. Btw, he is neutered. Since that class anytime he sees other dogs he gets hyperactive and uncontrollable.

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We had a cavalier like that. Right after we married, my bride and I got a cavalier puppy. For two years he behaved that way around other dogs. So, we got him a cavalier puppy of his own, and that totally satisfied him. Thereafter, he ignored other dogs.

Scotchyboy said:

... He is good about sit command at home but outside he acts Li,e he can't hear me. Is this common? Except the training aspect of it he is really great and I'm really praying we get the hang of it soon. Any suggestions?
Also, how do I train him for recall. We've had him run out onto the street one time when the kids answered a door bell and it was one scary moment.How do we train him not to do that. And don't get me started on leash walking....

Click to expand...

Where do you live? If in the US, you should sign up for training classes at a local dog training club. The AKC has a list of them.

RodRussell said:

We had a cavalier like that. Right after we married, my bride and I got a cavalier puppy. For two years he behaved that way around other dogs. So, we got him a cavalier puppy of his own, and that totally satisfied him. Thereafter, he ignored other dogs.

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So funny!!!

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

Can't believe I just saw this. Our Bentley is 10 months old; we got him at 10 weeks and had to go through the potty training. Our experience at Petsmart was the same; in fact, we skipped the last session (graduation) where each dog was to be taken into the store on his leash and respond to commands. Are you kidding me? He was so distracted by the other dogs that he did not hear a command at all. We have to take him to potty on a leash every time, rain, snow, sleet, lightning, 100-degree summer..... I would love to be able to put him out the back door and have him go do his thing and come back in. He would run as far as possible in whatever direction the best smell was coming from.
But your post comes immediately after my daughter dropped by with her 6-yr old Bishon. Bentley went nuts playing chase until Elvis was put outside, then he ran from door to door & window to window trying to see him. It's mayhem if another dog is around. I'm thinking of taking him to doggy daycare occasionally to get him acclimated to other dogs. (and to give me a break!)

Rod said it best, you need to look for a highly qualified training through one of the training clubs. I think pet store training (though not always the case at all) can be a lot less skilled and structured. Your trainer should have picked up on your concerns before you even did and immediatly worked to help you and help Scotch. A good trainer knows things before you even open your mouth. Also, a trainer that is also skilled a a behaviorist (if you have that distinction between the two in the US) is the best you can get because they really understand and are trained in every facet of the dog.
Also, a trainer should be there for you like your dogs BFF. In time of need and questions that arise as you train and get used to your dog, they should be there to call or come over whenever you need them. I have my trainer on speed dial (ha, this is our first dog too...so everything is new!) and for no cost at all for phone calls (home visits are a cost), she helps me with every hiccup I have and if she thinks it is serious enough (like I would think this sudden hyperactivity around other dogs is) she will come over, go for a walk with me, watch as I put Brooklyn in situations that are causing the behavior and work with us to rectify the problem asap, give us tips, work with Brooky, bring her own dogs if needed to help "set up" the scene. This is what you need. She came over once when Brooklyn (out of no where) started going ballistic baking and howling over animals on TV. Since this was a new behavior and I had never heard Brooklyn even bark before, I thought I should get some advice. So we set up the TV on animal planet and she just observed...mostly watching to see if the barking and growling was aggressive/possessive/territorial/etc. She said it was fine, just Brooklyn "talking" to the TV and testing her voice now...then she followed up with tips on how to desensitize her to it and Brooky is much better now.

Anyway, I say get a new trainer/bahaviorlist asap. Since it is your first time owning a dog like me, this relationship can be such a life saver because most of the time when I call her freaking out about something, she usually laughs, tells me not to stress, gives me a tip and tells me its normal.

Oh, and I just remembered this...when Brooklyn was in puppy class (not training, just the puppy class where all they do is socialize, sniff bums, learn manners with each other, etc.) there was a 2 year old rescue in there with us. At first I thought this was really strange, but the trainer brought her in with the parents because even though it was older, it needed the "socialization and dog manners" before it could go into proper training. Though with this said, the trainer had her most of the time, monitoring, holding her back, letting her in, correcting behavior if the 2 year old go nipppy, etc. So she was very skilled in this and you would want a trainer who did it before...but it really helped the other dog. That might be something to consider, thinking of your dog as a puppy and starting from the ground up instead of going by her age, go by his mentality...maybe training was too much too soon and he really needs the basics first.

But again, a good trainer/behaviorist can reccomend how best to move forward once they listen to your issues and story. Good luck!

Oh, and hang in there with loose leash walking!! It is hard for all of us and takes time...we have been doing it since Brookyn was 12 weeks and even at 10 months, we are still practicing...its much easier now, but it is hard work But persistence is key. I found that carrying chicken in my left hand (Brooky walks on my left) was what got her to keep right next to me, offering it to her every so often.
And, when she was you and a pulling machine, I got her a front clip harness to walk her with. Not to rely on as a training device, but just as a tool so that when she saw heaps of people, dogs or something else that would divert her from our training, it would keep her from bolting at them (when the pull hard, it turns them around to face you). This was a great help, in conjunction with the loose leash training. Now Brooky uses a harness with great results (most of the time!)

I am not a cavalier expert but neither of mine would come consistently on recall. I've also read others on the forum say this is quite common also. Seems mine would just get distracted by birds, squirrels, kids, cats, dogs, people, butterflies, etc etc that they were always too distracted to come when called. I never, never, let them off lead unless in my own back yard.

this is a good thread on recall too that was posted not too long ago:
http://www.cavaliertalk.com/forums/...-back-to-me-down-at-the-park&highlight=recall

Sorry I just saw this (been moving my daughter into her new apartment), we are in the middle of puppy training 1 at Petsmart. As far as other dogs in the store, The trainer asks us to immediately bring our dogs into the training area before class. Do not allow them to mingle with other dogs until after class is over. We do not have a full training area of dogs so it is easier to keep each dog separated. If a dog in training will not concentrate he bring out this fence thing and puts a sheet over it so the dogs cannot see each other. It makes for an easier learning session if a dog gets too excited. It works really well, there is a Bichon in the class who will only concentrate for just a little while then only wants to play.
Toby is really great at concentrating in class IF you bring high value treats with you. He is food driven and wants to work all the time to get the yummys! The trainer loves to use him for demo's for everyone. The hardest things to get him to do RIGHT at home is loose leash training and recall each time. We work HARD at home. We worked in the house on the first day and put the loose leash training into practice on walks after that. I am finding that Toby is a day dog right now in loose leash training. He will listen and do what he knows is right(most of the time) during the day but taking him for a walk after dinner he will not listen and turns into a mess. We just keep trying. Our trainer says this is the hardest thing for the dog to pick up so it will be lots of practice for a long time.
Toby recalls sometimes when using the word "come" but if you say his name - then when he looks at you - you say "yes" he will come straight away because he knows that is the Cue to get a treat. I am hoping that soon I can use the come command and he will come straight away but for now I am ok with the way he does this.
Toby is great at tricks! Our trainer says that these things are taught in the advanced class. Toby needs the good manners and behaviors so we work hard on these things.
Your trainer should be available to you after class so you can ask questions. We are on week 4 of 6 and each week I have pulled him aside to ask questions. He has shown me some things for Toby to do for issues that we've had with him that others do not experience. He has pulled out some tools from his bag of tricks for us to make for at home training.
If you have questions please speak up. Our trainer told a german shepherd owner that he will to do private sessions with their dog because the dog will not work during class. All it wants to do is sleep and stare (although the dog is way younger than the rest of the dogs). Not sure if they have to pay more or not but the trainer is willing to take special time with this dog.
Biggest things to remember for the classes:
Bring the dog in hungry
Bring snacks that are a variety and some high value snacks that the dog does not get everyday
Do not allow the dog to mingle with any other dog before class (our trainer allows them to play after class)
Ask questions after class (if the trainer says no then this is not the trainer for you)


If you have specific questions on training sessions and what we are being taught, please PM me and I will try to explain.
It is frustrating when you are working hard at home and he will only do things sometimes but as I keep being reminded, he is a baby and it takes time.

Becky