laura--dogs have different temperments, including dogs within breeds, they are individuals. no one knows exactly where the line is between nature and nuture, parents or doggie owners can have some influence on how an individual child or dog behaves, witness the miracle of Jake's Canine Good Citizenship success
and Cathy's blood sweat and tears, and persistence, wearing herself out, but, ah, the things we do for love! :lol:
I have been together with Zack and Belle a few times in the past year, and Zack was the one who managed to jump on the table and escape from the kitchen, and eat a whole NB lamb and rice roll, and probably the missing plastic wrapper, and last weekend, when we put the dogs in the kitchen at Lisa's place, Zack was the one who was going "ARFFF ARRFFF ARRFFFF ARRF" on and on, grating on everyone's nerves, especially their poor cat, when we came home after being out, both belle and zack were up on their hind legs at the gate to the kitchen begging to be let out, desperately, but Zack was the one who was making a horrible noise with his excited barking, and Belle was just making this very soft little whimpering noise, not annoying at all.
Joe, Lisa's boyfriend, used some mild intimidation to get Zack to stop barking, and he did, i mean, the whole weekend, after Joe communicated our expectations of quiet to Zack, he no longer went "ARRFF ARRRFF ARRFF" or if he did, we would just say "Zack!" and he'd stop. So that was interesting. I have not been at all successful training Zack not to bark at home. It doesn't happen very often, and it's purel a lifestyle thing, i leave the door to the outside open and from time to time he runs out and barks at squirrels or something, but i need to stop him so i've stopped him by calling him and he comes and then i give him a treat.
I don't think I'm very good at dog training. I hired a trainer to come to my house and train zack for 6 sessions. The first 3 sessions, the trainer took Zack outside and i was asked to stay inside and not be a part of it, (i got the referral for the trainer from a woman at the dog park who's dog was very obedient, though not perfect by any means, and very spunky and happy), the trainer, Brandon, just asked that i provide him with a bag of good treats, real fresh meat. After the second session, Zack, for the first time, would consistently come when i called him inside the house, whereas he used to stare at me and refuse to come. Then, Brandon told me to practice calling zack while clapping my hands and then when zack came, to give him a treat and keep clapping my hands while he was eating it, and to do it many times a day. He said he would explain later. so i just did it. Now, Zack will almost always come when i clap my hands, including when he's barkign outside.
Brandon also trained Zack to heel on and off the leash. He does that now.
Having said that, Brandon said that Cavaliers in particular are "stubborn" compared to some other breeds, and he also emphasized that Zack is still very young and has a puppy mentality and it will be along time before he will be completely reliable with things like coming and heeling.
But he said if i keep practicing it, in a couple of years (!) Zack should be very reliable on all the skills we worked on.
Like you, I am frustrated with Zack lunging at people and dogs, he is just being friendly, there is no aggressiveness or "dominance," he just wants to merge with others, he wants to party and have some fun with people and dogs, and he is so excited about the whole thing. Since working with Brandon, he's better than he used to be, but it's something that is not as good as the heeling and the recall, he's really consistent on those now, under NORMAL circumstances, but he seems to not understand about not jumping up on people, even though he is better, dimly on some level he is starting to get that he is not supposed to do that. He learned not to jump on other dogs nearly as much as in the beginning when some of them got mad at him, he was so surprised and hurt! but he learned not to be as carefree about it.
What you describe as going for a walk with Riley, i know what that's like, and i have not had that experience since i started just using the retractable leash, 26 feet long. I walk with Zack for about 45 minutes to an hour late at night when there aren't many people and almost no cars, and it's just leisurely, we both love it, he can run back and forth, stop and sniff, and have a relaxed enjoyable time together. I make him heel when we cross streets, i forbid him to go off the curb, he learned quickly not to tangle the leash up by trying to go places i couldn't go, i also practice heel with him when other dogs or people approach. And there is a city street a couple of blocks away that i take him to practice heeling with distractions. But my job is so high stress, i get home late, i just need to relax so i don't want my time with Zack to be hard work, so that's where the retractable leash walks come in, and that's where Brandon came in.
The same woman at the dog park who told me about Brandon said that she exercises her boy Aston by riding on her bike with him on the leash. I think that's a good idea and am searching for a small kids bike i can ride on the sidewalk so i can tire Zack out more. I'm not up to jogging these days. Wesley's mom has a good program going on though with the jogging and bike riding, i think.
I feel sure that Riley will become easier in time, but it might be a long time before he loses his puppy exuberance, but you are putting in time and work, like Cathy and Jake, and i know it will pay off. I know it's hard. I know he will learn. From what Brandon and other people here have said, and my experience of Zack, it's too much to expect a young dog to give up things like jumping and lunging. Some will and some won't related to temperment (innate) but those that do tend to jump and lunge, you will have to stay on them, very tiring and often frustrating. Brandon worked with Zack on jumping up on people, "Off," but Zack still always wanted to get up in Brandon's face and kiss him, and Brandon didn't seem to try very hard to resist the little guy's sweet smooches. But brandon said that when you try to teac them not to get on you, you are going against their breeding, they were bred to get up in peoples' laps and be closely physically connected with their people.
When i got Zack, because of my job, i knew i could not get a young puppy. Zack was almost 4 months, but i'd been told he was 5 months. 4 months would be the minimum i would get. Zack, knock on wood and thank Dog, has not been a problem chewer. So i am still thinking when i get another dog, it can be as young as 4 to 6 months, but like Zack was, i'd want one already beginning to understand house training. Also, i have a back yard. If i didnt' have a back yard, i would want an even older dog who is completely house trained.
hang in there mom. :hug: Cute photo of the little stinker.