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ITT, ask a trainer le/x/bian
Hey there, /an/.

I am a professional dog trainer. I've been hanging around here for a while and I've seen quite a few threads asking training/behavior questions, so I figured I might as well start up a thread for people out there who still have questions. I can give advice for whatever situation, I know little tricks/tips to help make training easier, I know a ton about products for dogs and can also help answer behavior questions.

And so, ITT, have a dog problem? Ask me questions.
Pic related, my dog Miller.
>> Anonymous
Ok, I'll play along.

My parents adopted a chihuahua a couple of years ago, and like many small dog owners, my dad spoiled the shit out of her, and she's become ornery towards strangers and will bark non-stop if a guest is in the house. How do I teach my dad how to train the dog to stop being a jackass?
>> Anonymous
I recently (about a month and a half ago) adopted a 3 year old dog from a shelter. She was not housetrained when I got her, but she has been doing a great job when it comes to going in the house, except for when I leave. When I am out of the room, she yelps, screams, barks, and shits and pisses all over the room. Even if I am gone for 5 minutes to go to the bathroom, she will sit by the door and whimper till I come back. Any ideas for me.

P.S. Crate training doesnt work, it just makes her scream louder and step in the shit, thus covering herself and the crate in it.
>> Submissive urination Anonymous
My dog is a rescue, and when his foster picked him up he was so nervous no one could even touch him. He was abandoned, so no one really knows his history-- could be abuse, could be feral, etc.

Anyway, he's really come a long way. He's even pretty friendly now, EXCEPT for one thing... he's got a leak. He goes outside plenty, so I know it's not just that we're not letting him out enough. If anyone is yelling across the house at each other, he pees. If you drop something and it makes a loud noise, he pees. If you grab him a little hard while brushing him, he pees. Etc, etc. It's especially bad with the men in the house, characteristically.

I've been reading on it and it seems like all I can do is build up his confidence (or is there more I can do I don't know about?). How would I go about this? I am never rough with him, I don't yell, I don't punish him severely.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
What is your take on "alpha rolls" and "dominance" training?
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
Hello, Professional Dog Trainer. I just want to know, what's your accreditation? Where have you received training?

Also seconding>>206058. I like to know how much Caesar Milan you like to watch and incorporate.
>> Anonymous
>>206058
Just can't wait to stir up trouble, can you faggot?
>> le/x/bian
>>206029
If you want her to change you're gonna have to get everyone in the house to work along and do the same things you do, and for this kind of thing there are no instant fixes unfortunately. Best thing to do is simply have her in another room altogether when guests come over, give her 10-20 minutes to calm down, then let her go examine the guest and have the guest give her treats. What you're pretty much teaching her is guests are welcome and a positive occurance for her. Different things work for different dogs, though, and if that doesn't work you'll have to try different methods, though that's the one that usually works.
>> le/x/bian
>>206032
One of my dogs has seperation anxiety, but to a much less degree than what it sounds like your dog has. Your dog is probably afraid of being abandoned again and so is worried to let you out of her sight.
First things first, teach her stay. If you haven't done this at all yet, you give her the command "stay", and at first just stand right next to her for a few seconds, then give her a treat. As you practice slowly extend the time you are asking her to stay in place and start moving away from her - if she follows, say "ah-ah" or "no" and start all over again. Stay is all about babysteps so take it slow. With rescue dogs especially, it can take a long time for them to trust you. You want to extend the stay until you can leave the room and still have her sitting in the same place, so she'll start to learn that when you leave, you also come back.
Don't make your leaving a big event - if she starts getting worried and yippy, ignore her. Crates really do help in these situations so really try to get her used to it - start giving her treats in there, feeding her her food in there, etc. It might take a long time for her to calm down.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>206064
Hey, is it my fault there is a wrong answer and a right answer, and the majority of people don't know the right answer?

As I was typing and gathering links, le/x/bian posted, so I am kinda glad that we ended up giving the same advice for the most part. I am not a "professional dog trainer", nor have I gone through any kind of accreditation. I have, however, worked with thousands of animals on a rescue basis. I foster dogs, cats, and rats. I worked to save hundreds of animals in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. I have had zero complaints about the behavior of animals that come through my home, quite the opposite in fact. Of course, I am also a huge dick and troll, but while I hate you and everyone you have ever met, I don't hate your pet. Anyway, here is the advice I had written.

>>206029
Firstly, I hope you did not inherit the stupid genes from your father. Second, is the dog crate trained? If not, it should be. That does not mean that you should encourage your father to shove it into a box for 10 hours a day, but giving it a place to feel safe and quiet where it does not have to spend time with strangers. It may be that she is barking for attention from them, or that she feels threatened by having visitors in her space. For now, I'd suggest closing her in another room, away from where the guests will be. If you google "dog crate training", you can find out more about it. Here is a link in case you are uber lazy. http://www.sspca.org/Dogs/CrateTraining.html

>>206067
>> le/x/bian
>>206037
Well, it's good that he's come a long way, which also should show he'll continue to improve, too.
Submissive urination in a lot of the situations you're describing is all about desensitizing him and re-associating said events (yelling, noises, grabbing him, etc) with treats and praise.
If at all possible, get a recording of these sounds and play them at a low volume, one he can handle without getting scared, and once he can listen to the recording with no reaction turn up the volume little by little until he can listen to it at a regular volume without worrying.
Another method (or something you can do as well as the other one) is drop something in front of him, but drop it close to the floor so it isn't such a surprise and he won't pee. Give him a treat if he doesn't act scared - if he does act scared, ignore him. If he acted scared and you gave him a treat he would learn that being scared is the right thing to do in that situation.
Same kind of thing with brushing - brush him normally while you have treats on you, and while you are feeding him the treat, grab him a little harder than normal. Another method is to put some peanut butter on your fingers and let him lick it off while you grab (don't be too rough at first, of course).
Try and do these things as often as you can - the more he's exposed, the quicker he'll learn nothing scary is actually happening.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>206070
and the rest..

>>206032
Crate training IS important, and thank you for trying it first. It sounds like she has serious separation anxiety, something that can be incredibly common in rescued animals. Basically, she feels safe with you, when she hasn't felt safe anywhere else. Being apart from you scares the fuck out of her. Crate training should be helping, though you may not be going about it in the way that would best benefit her. Are you closing her in the kennel and leaving? You might try feeding her in the kennel or sitting down next to it with her inside. Start off slow and get her to associate the kennel with safety, so that she recognizes its a good place for her to be when you aren't around. You might also see a vet about getting her put on antidepressants (yes, there is prozac for dogs) that could help her out. The goal with such a course isn't to medicate her for life, its just to help her chill out when you aren't around.

>>206037
I must praise the various anons on selecting rescued dogs. So, thanks guys. It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what you can do to control his submissive urination. Like you said, it is basically getting him to realize he doesn't need to pee everywhere and that you actually don't like it when he does. How old is he? If he is still young, he may grow out of it (not a big comfort, I know). If he is peeing frequently and still has urine left over to squirt when he gets upset, there may be an underlying medical cause that gives him an overactive bladder, such as a bladder infection (which the rescue should definitely have picked up on), abnormal nerve endings, or hell, I dont know, I'm not a fucking vet. Anyway.. http://www.uvhs.org/behavioral_docs/submissive_urination.pdf

As for the advice le/x/bian has given.. I've found no glaring holes yet. Has /an/ finally found a so-called dog trainer that is not a moron?
>> le/x/bian
>>206061
I actually received my accreditation through Petsmart's training course, where I worked with an area trainer with her classes and handled rescue dogs with her.

Alpha rolls and dominance training...that's a tough call. I say it really doesn't have to be used for most dogs but it definitely has it's place, especially with aggresive dogs. I didn't know what to think of it until I got my dog (Miller, the one pictured up top), who is so incredibly hard headed that he really needed to be shown who was alpha. There are some aspects of dominance training I don't think I'd ever use (pinning, for example) but if a dog in class is getting aggressive or too riled up and I know the dog is headstrong, I'll take the dog and make him lie on his back, so there are some aspects I use, too.
All in all, you really have to know the dog, and like I said, there are some dogs that REALLY need to be shown who's the big guy.
>> le/x/bian
>>206070
Fostering! I respect you, fostering all those animals is hard work, but it totally pays off in the end. How many animals are you living with right now, Bitter?
>> Anonymous
I own a chihuahua. And before every other retard who owns a husky on /an/ start yapping about how chihuahuas are yappy spoilt little bastards, no she is not. I haven't even heard her bark until some random tried to steal my brother's bike one day.

That said, she cries. Yes, as in looks up at you with big big droplets of tears plopping all over the place.

She cries when someone does something especially nice for her, like heating her food up warm on a cold day.

She cries when she tries to crawl into someone's lap and that person pushes her away.

The other day, I gave her half a t-bone steak, and she started crying again.

She doesn't appear to have any eye infections, and she was given an all-clear from a vet 3 months ago. She's been like this since we got her a year ago.

... Why does she cry and is there any way to stop it? Do dogs even cry?
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
     File :-(, x)
>>206074
Petsmart courses = puppy socialization and people training. I wouldn't call a person teaching obedience at a pet store a professional dog trainer.

Dominance training is about fear, not respect. One should teach the dog its actions have consequences, not that it will lose some sort of arbitrary rank within the fictional pack. Dogs are not wolves, they do not organize themselves into structured packs, though they do form loose mobs. That is the flaw with dominance training.

Your dog should see you as friend, family, and equal. It obeys you by sitting and staying and fetching, and you in return feed and walk and play with him. As you said, there are some strongheaded dogs, and it takes more to earn their friendship and trust than other dogs. Some dominance-oriented techniques have merit, but the theory behind them is wrong.

Thank you for admitting and recognizing this. I officially hate you less.

I currently have two kittens I'm fostering. They were given away as Christmas presents, and the novelty wore off, so they were dumped in a walmart parking lot. Pretty little black smokes though.
>> le/x/bian
>>206081
It sounds like your dog has rampant tear ducts. I recommend giving it a good hard beating every day until that soft heart hardens up.

>>206083
I'm not a behaviorialist, if that's what you mean. It's true that Petsmart is mostly about socialization and basic obediance, and that we're training the owners WAY more than the dogs, but the course also covers common problems owners run into and we do work with aggressive/fearful dogs too. The Petsmart accreditation allows me to work in dog handling in most other training facilities, and outside of Petsmart's official training I have done plenty of other work with dogs, not just my own, so I'm in no way inexperienced.
I know the big corporate label of Petsmart kind of diminishes the meaning of the job, but I do my best.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>206081
When you say 'crying', you mean just tears right, and not yowling and whimpering?
Does she have long "eyelashes"? Because their eyes are so freaking huge and disturbing, they are very prone to getting things in them. It could be an eyelash or whisker is poking her in the eye, or she might have dust in them, or she could just have shitty genetics and have overactive tear glands. Not a whole lot you can do for her, besides try and keep dust around the house to a minimum. To clean up the crap her eyes are leaving behind on her face, just dip a washcloth in some warm water and gently wipe it away, don't pick it off like a scab.
>> Anonymous
>>206083

Fostering must be so wonderful to do, and I have the utmost respect for those who choose to do it. Isn't it always really difficult to let them go though? I imagine if I started fostering kittens, I'd end up like one of those crazy Russian cat ladies because I couldn't bear to give them away.
>> Anonymous
>>206087

Yes, I just mean tears, not the yowling and whimpering. I'll check if she gets things stuck in her eyes regularly from now on, but it's entirely possible that she ... knows "tears" bring a positive reaction from people, and is able to manipulate them at will.

She used to be an indoor dog, but she's pretty much an outdoor dog now because she's taken a shine to guarding the bike.

>>206085

lol wut.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>206090
In some ways, yeah it is hard. In others, its incredibly easy. The ones you raise or bond closely to can really hurt to give up, but sometimes you get an animal that you just cannot wait to get rid of. Just like teachers are supposed to teach kids things and then send them off to the next grade, my job with these animals is to make them great pets and keep them healthy and happy and then give them to a good home. Every dog that I teach to "drop it", every kitten that learns how to use a scratching post, is one more pet that won't be killed because it bites or claws up the furniture. If I keep them, then I cant help any more. If you look at it like that, its easier to give them up.

I also have an advantage: someone is here 24 hours a day. My partner is agoraphobic, and she pretty much has nothing to do except spend time with them. She provides moral support and affection, and I give them everything else. If she could, she would keep them all, but I can take them away easy.. after all, its not like she can drive off to get them back or chase me down, right? Fucking cripples.

Anyway!

>>206085
You are exactly right when you say "training the owners WAY more than the dogs". Petsmart classes are good for that, because the things you actually teach the dogs are things that a good owner should be able to do themselves. Some people though, just cant get it together to teach their dog sit and stay and the like, and the class helps with that. It does provide something that people need, and it can be a good first step on to "real" obedience and serious training.

>>206091
Uhh you have a chi as an outdoor dog? Bring the fucking bike inside. I'm pretty sure le/x/bian was just kidding with the beating it thing, but that WOULD solve the problem, wouldn't it? It cant cry if its dead.. (Also there may be some form of eye drops you can give her when her eyes get dry/gunk in them, but I don't know, I fucking hate bug eyed dogs and don't work with them)
>> Anonymous
>>206070
Owner of the submissive urinator here; I have fostered dogs in the past. Huge kudos to you for doing that. It's seriously hard work; financially, emotionally and sometimes even physically. Mostly emotionally, though, for me. You are now no longer a mere troll to me. I'm going to continue fostering once I have my dog all "straightened out," I think.

>>206072
He just recently turned 1. Is that still young enough that he might outgrow it? I certainly hope so, because currently, I have to mop the floor twice a day thanks to his issue. He's a border collie mix, and I know herding breeds can be pretty sensitive and high-strung, so I'm kind of worried he's always going to be this way.

>>206071
I like these ideas a lot. They hadn't occurred to me. Thanks!

>>206081
I've heard some dogs can have an issue where their nose doesn't drain correctly so they cry a lot instead or... something. My parent's min-pin had the issue, but I hated the damn thing so I only half-listened. Either way, it's probably just a cosmetic issue if the vet's ruled out infections and allergies. if it really bothers you, you can get a surgery done to correct it. If it's just the stains that the tears leave that you don't like, there's wipes that can take care of that. and if you're just worried your chi is constantly in hysterics, it's not. Dogs don't cry tears to show sadness.
>> le/x/bian
>>206091
lol, sorry. I thought you were joking about the tears ("giving a chihuahua a t-bone? No way"). I completely agree with>>206087
and
>>206138
Chihuahua's have a lot of messed up genes now they're so genetically far away from the "original dog", I'd say it's probably something to do with how they have a tiny muzzle and bulging eyes. I've heard of how, if Chihuahua's eyes are bigger than normal, it'll start to pres against their tear ducts, so maybe that's it?
In any case, if he doesn't seem in pain, I wouldn't worry too much.
>>206138
Border Collies are notorious for being high-strung, but since he's still young and they can also typically learn really fast I'd say you have a good chance of teaching him how to cope.
>> Anonymous
My Welsh Corgi has a licking fetish. He walks around the house and licks the tile floor for about ten to fifteen minutes a day. He doesn't touch anything that would poison or be dangerous to him, but he really enjoys tasting everything else.

He is approximately eight years old, extremely stubborn with things he doesn't enjoy, but when push comes to shove he learns quickly. Did I mention that he enjoys hot sauce?
>> Anonymous
>>206244
He is licking the floor because it's filthy with spilled food. Clean your disgusting house.
>> Anonymous
oh shit I must have accidently clicked on /ego/ instead of /an/...
>> Anonymous
>>206248

Golly-jee-whiz, aren't you smart?!

Idiot.
>> Anonymous
>>206244
He's probably bored out of his mind. Lots of dogs pick up licking habits out of boredom.
>> Anonymous
>>206252
Yeah, offering help obviously = ego.
>> Anonymous
>>206264

Hmm... I don't necessarily think he is. He has been licking things every since he was pup, and even used to chew on the tile and rocks from outside until he cracked a tooth and realized he probably shouldn't do that. The dog is kept entertained and played with, and as he follows us around, he tends to lick all around the flo has our 'scent' on it, but then he goes around or . Sometimes I think he is licking it because it has our scent. Then he starts licking the door, or the grass, or upholstery at random -- So I'm not entirely sure what to think.

He also licks... us, his paws, us, pillows, us, and everything else as if he were a living mop. Whenever we do something that stops him he stops for a few minutes and then picks up back where he left off.
>> Anonymous
>>206269
Regard it like human nail biting. Maybe it had its roots in boredom or nervousness, and now it's just habit. Scold him when he does it, and then redirect his attention to something positive (a really good chew, ball, etc) when he's doing it. Also, excessive paw chewing/licking can be a sign of allergies.
>> Anonymous
Do you have any advice on how to stop my puppy from being such a faggot? Yes, i'm serious.

I adopted a pomeranian X Terrier mix a month or so ago and he's developed this.. habit of going up to my other dog and licking his private bits. He does this to other male dogs aswell.

I've tried smacking him(gently), spraying him with water, saying "No", etc. etc. but he just won't stop.

Is he doing this because he's too short to sniff the dog's ass or something?
>> Anonymous
>>206276
Nope, he's doing it because he's a faggot. Talk about safe sex with him, and let him know that you still love him, no matter what he does.
>> Anonymous
My parents are, honestly, terrible pet owners. Their dog is overweight, has skin problems, has a terrible diet, regularly gets fleas, and sleeps most of the day and all night. I'm pretty sure he's depressed too. He gets really gassy too and they just kick him out of the house when he does. I don't live with them and only visit about once every couple of weeks, so I can't do much. When I try to give them advice about how to take care of the dog, they get really defensive and make the excuse that "he's an old dog". We had a St. Bernard that they put down because he got to be too much trouble to take care of and they made the same excuse for him. I don't want to see our dog neglected until he's so miserable that they put him down. But they get angry when I talk about it. How can I help them be better pet owners without getting into a fight? I really love this dog and hate seeing him like this. I can't take him because I live in an apartment.
>> Anonymous
>>206284
I understand your frustration, but some people really can't be changed. Do they listen to rationality at all? As in, straight facts as to why what they're doing is wrong/what they're doing is causing his issues? That's really the only way I can think of getting through to them. When people are too stupid to think, do the thinking for them.
>> le/x/bian
>>206244
>>206269
I agree with
>>206264
and
>>206271
Dogs will do a LOT of things out of boredom, and excessive licking is one of them. It also might be a comfort activity (like a baby sucking it's thumb) that has just become a habit now.
How much do you walk/excersize/play with him every day? Step up how much you do that and see if it affects his licking at all. As another anon said, redirect his attention every time he starts doing it - kongs with a bit of low-fat peanut butter inside are a great way to keep a dog occupied.
>> Anonymous
>>206291
Also recommending bully sticks to the list of awesome things to distract the lick-fetishist. Regular rawhides are nothing by comparison.
>> le/x/bian
>>206276
Maybe your other dog's privates just taste good.
A lot of dogs don't react to sprays of water (some dogs love it), have a high pain tolerance so smacking doesn't bother them, and can't be bothered to listen to you when they're doing something more interesting. Give him a time out - either put him in a playpen, empty room, or tie his leash to a door where he can't get into trouble for a while - and leave him there just for a half a minute to a minute, then let him go play again, and the second he starts at it give him another time-out. You're teaching him that licking the other dog's balls earns him some quiet time, which puppies (especially social puppies) tend to hate.
>> Anonymous
>>206290
Well, that's the problem. They immediately become defensive before I can even start to make any sense. They seem to think my concerns are frivolous or something. Like I'm over-reacting. I think they just don't take pet ownership seriously. The two dogs they have now were both dumped on them by my aunt who got tired of them when they were puppies. My fiance and his family are great dog owners and they are really the reason why I see that my parents' dogs are being neglected. But my parents don't have that comparison to make. It's tough because I don't want to see this dog, who has been my friend for years, neglected. I also don't want to constantly fight with my parents. Isn't there any way to teach them without making them feel like they are being scolded?
>> le/x/bian
>>206284
Unfortunately it sounds like there's really nothing you can do unless you want to give him to a shelter. If the gas and fleas haven't hinted to your parents already, and since this has happened with your old dog too, I suspect there's little you can do except pay extra attention to the dog when you are there.