What do you use to train a 1yr pup for the first time.

[2nd Chance]

I have rescued and taken on for a forever home, a 1yr Dogue de Bordeaux.
He does not know the word sit.
Has been chained in a bark yard for his first year.
(seriously spooked when faced with grass field on arrival)

Its day 9. Im considering his training. But low key direction and gaining his trust right now. I have a lot of encouraging signs. He's settled in well with my other 2 dogs. A male GSD of 5yrs, and a desexed rottie x bordeaux girl, both of who'm are high octaine dogs. I know i dont have one of those in Brian

He pulls like mad on a leash currently.

here is what he needs to learn fast!
Dont chase chickens, ducks, geese
dont disturb above at all
dont bully other dogs that visit: a 12wk girl, and a 1yr desexed boy, medium sized mutt (son's dogs that stay here when he works, or when they visit
dont pee/poo indoors, but do it where i say to
dont resource gaurd me

He's finished his toilet training, and can now be left indoors or out, his choice.
He can focus on loose leash walking for 3 steps, with no distractions, in a training room.
He can walk past wildlife, without lunging at it and making a din. But he's very interested still

 

[musicdeb]

Your list of training commands will take a little bit to train Brian and may not be as fast as you want. One tip about mastiffs, especially DDB's, they are extremely stubborn and they will shut down on you if you yell, hit them or become frustrated with them. I learned this the hard way with Titan because I didn't know he could feel my frustration and shut down. If you become frustrated, stop training for a few minutes and take a break.

When he starts to pull on the leash, stop and make him sit. Then start again. If he continues to pull, turn around and go the other way. Titan did this when I first got him and it took us about an hour to walk about 1/8 of a mile. I became frustrated and he stopped listening.

If his prey drive is high, he will continue to chase the smaller animals. I do not believe much can be done regarding high prey drive. I'm sure others will post re: high prey drive.

Bully other dogs? I'm not sure exactly it is that you want Brian to do.

Resource guarding can be a long and difficult process to correct the behavior. I, too, had that with Titan. It took about 4 months to correct. Search the forum for resource guarding and food aggression. There are a lot of posts about the behavior. Again, it's a long and difficult process.

Potty where you say to. When you take him out to potty or whatever you want to call it, tell him to potty and stop and wait. When he does his business, tell him good potty and reward. This will show him that this is a good behavior and good behavior deserves a reward.

Teach Brian what you want him to do and reward him accordingly to the behavior.

I'm not going to lie to you, you have a long, hard road ahead of you due to Brian's history. Hang in there because once you pass the year to year and half mark, Brian will reward you with loyalty and love.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Prey drive's not going to be a quick fix. That one's going to take ALOT of time (weeks to months, possibly longer) unless its not really prey drive and he's just bored.

1: Keep him on a leash at all times when something small and chase-able is around, just let him drag it if you don't want to hold it or tether him to you. It gives you an extra handle to grab for control. This will require extra supervision so that he doesn't get hung up on something.

2: When he shows interest in something chase-able redirect him to a toy or something suitable

3: if he starts to chase either grab the leash, or stomp it with your foot, with a firm "no!". When he comes around re-direct.

4: I know his leash skills aren't up to snuff yet, but find a way to make sure he's getting plenty of exercise. Prey drive is less of an issue when the dog is tired, and if its simple bordem getting him not bored will fix it pretty quick.

 

[DennasMom]

How's his focus work?
If you say his name, will he look at you?
I'd work on that, too... constantly. We still do that with Denna. She gets a treat just for looking at me when I say her name.

Have you ever used clicker/marker training?
It might help him to start using his brain in different ways then he's had to before. It's a different method, which teaches the dog to think differently. It's worked really well with Denna - yes, she's always looking for the treat bag to determine if she should do a command or not... but she's getting better about looking for the treat AFTER she's done as asked.

 

[2nd Chance]

thankyou for these suggestions!
Just tried a clicker sit. Brian sits on command for food only at the moment.
He offered the sit, (could smell chicken on me) i marked it, then rewarded.
I walked off a little, he came over offered a sit, i marked it, then rewarded. and repeat. He did 5 times.

"Make sure he gets plenty of exercise"
Ive read so much about dont strain the skeleton, no hard exercise, not too long, not too far, no jumping etc etc
I have thin dogs, they get so much exercise here. I am more worried about giving too much, not too little.

Its a active life here, is it safe for him to be allowed to be the judge of when he wants to stop. If he's off leash? OR should i stop him joining in the others. Maybe leave him at home for the hard stuff in mornings?
i dont want to break him!

 

[2nd Chance]

And this is a little er delicate. But can i ask a question about his boy bits?
Brian looks like a human. A circumcised well endowed human male.
IS this normal? Coz its rather gross to be honest. He is hairless around his penis, so i guess more noticeable than your average long haired GSD's. equipment.

 

[Mooshi's Mummy]

Hi...for what its worth I would allow free exercise as he is over 12 months of age off lead playing with the other dogs, as long as he plays nicely. This is the best way for him to learn his doggy manners and where he fits in within the pack. Assuming of course you are happy and confident to allow free (supervised) play and interaction? There may be a couple of grumbles and growls whilst they all figure each other out. Personally I am a big fan of exercise and socialisation, a tired puppy/dog is a happy one, one with less worries and one looking for less trouble to get themselves in to. His boy bits....do you mean his rocket is always sticking out or that he doesn't have enough skin to keep it covered when its not making a show? Its normal that he doesn't have much in the way of fur coverage and it will be very noticeable compared to a long haired breed but do you think there is a medical problem with the actual penis itself? Does it not retract?

 

[Mooshi's Mummy]

PS. if you also take him with you in the mornings...not sure where you go...but it will help him bond quicker with you. The more he is with you, the more praise and learning experience he gets the better he will do all around.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Ditto what Mooshi's mummy said. In general you may want to avoid alot of JUMPING exercise, and exercise where he tends to snap the rear end around, but since he's over a year he's past the largest portion of his growth too, so if it happens its not the end of the world. As for letting him decide when he's done....yes and no, you'll have to watch him, is he lazy unless you keep him moving? Or does he run to exhustion? Somewhere in the middle is probly more appropriate.

Ditto the question on the man bits. Many dog's red-rocket will stick out, especially when they're sitting.

 

[2nd Chance]

No, not red rocket issue. I'll see if i can get a photo, you will understand the moment you see.
Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for permission to let him romp around with the others.
Yes, Brian is lazy, unless you keep him going.

But I take back that he has no prey drive.
He chased and picked up a tennis ball for the 1st time.
That my GSD had dropped to be thrown.

The look on the shepherds face was priceless. Neither of us saw that coming.

 

[Mooshi's Mummy]

Yay for Brian chasing a tennis ball, he is learning to relax and play and have fun!! Just make sure there are no squabbles over the ball - no room for arguments.

 

[2nd Chance]

having dogs come and go, is pretty normal for around here, so my dogs are taking it largely in their stride.
Brian is so obviously not aggressive toward them either yet.
but its lovely to watch him play.

 

[Mooshi's Mummy]

Glad to hear it. Im sure you know exactly what you are doing and what to look out for as Brian grows within your pack and becomes more confident and outgoing.

 

[2nd Chance]

Ive re read the original list of what Brian needed to learn fast:
Dont resource gaurd me. Still doing this.
But the rest we have completed, and now need to keep reinforced.
Dont chase chickens, ducks, geese
dont disturb above at all
dont bully other dogs that visit: a 12wk girl, and a 1yr desexed boy, medium sized mutt (son's dogs that stay here when he works, or when they visit
dont pee/poo indoors, but do it where i say to

Brian can now swim in water, and not be interested in the ducks around him.
Keep his cool as the geese come after us and not give chase as he originally wanted to (very noisy geese and aggressive and i who needs a gaurd dog, let alone 3, when you have geese)
walk through ibis birds in their masses grazing in paddock

We have one exception for birds here. IF its a magpie and it swoops, you may have it.
It is actually a rule my GSD has decided. And im ok with that. October only. As that's swooping season when they swoop and can actually be caught.

We have a feeding table for birds here. Its 8foot in the air, to prevent dogs interfering. Brian has worked out that it rains seed's on the ground around it when they feed. He vaccums all the debris up as they feed. So symbiotic relationship between him and the parrots now lol

Isnt it amazing how much learning occurrs daily? Without us humans. In 3 weeks of daily bird habits, Brian wants onto the front lawn for parrot feed times twice a day. So he can eat the mess of split seeds/nuts they drop. I guess Brian is NOT alergic to nuts from this.

 

[Iymala]

What an awesome update. You need to get done photos of him cleaning up the bird leftovers and swimming. I bet that would be awesome to see.

I agree with the geese comment. I hate the things and give then a wider berth than dogs. Foul natured fowl, they are.

 

[2nd Chance]

When Brian pulls on the lead, id like to have him sit. But he wont sit outside yet.
how can i get around this?

 

[Mooshi's Mummy]

Bring a yummy treat out with you, put him beside you and ask him to sit...then wait, once he figures it out for himself that the very second his butt hits the floor he gets the reward. Or if you don't want to wait for him to figure it out then put him beside you and gently put your hand on his rump and guide him in to a sit and then reward. When I was teaching my two door manners we would get ready to go on a walk and when we got to the front door I just stood there and waited, they looked at me like I had lost my mind for a couple of minutes and then plonked their bums down, which of course resulted in me opening the door as their reward. Now all I have to do is say the word 'manners' and they sit until the door is opened and I have walked through.

 

[2nd Chance]

Fantastic.
I have a gate, i can shut, that takes me from garden to paddock. I can start with having him sit to get out the gate.
With food i can have him sit anywhere. so i'll have to suck it up. Carrying food i mean.
I am unable to touch Brian's behind, as he either kneels down (which i dont want him doing) till vet see's it. Or he collapses with confusion and doubt.

Here are some photo's with Brian new hobby, searching for the frogs he can hear, but cant see or catch.

 

[2nd Chance]

Woo hoo! my 1 yr old pup has mastered the clicker sit in 4wks!
you gotta love the speed of the brain eh?
I had to do short, snappy happy lessons, with 5 reps. each with click/food.
then on attempt 6 yesterday, i got too big for my boots, and added the cue command "sit". A complex sound it seems to a bordeaux, and all 5 reps went to shit. lol
no sit for command.
no sit even though i had food.

Jeez its hard to train a mastiff!
Just got up, locked other dogs out, took brian into the training room with no distractions and he walked in tail wagging (indicating he knows what this room means - food?)
I wait, patiently with clicker/food in hand, and i wait, he sniffs around the floor, the corners, there is no furniture in this room cept their beds on floor. He sniffs everything else in room, and around 2min mark decides to pay attn to me.
He comes toward me, sits in front, and the moment the butt hits floor, i click and treat.
I move away to force him up out of the sit, he moves toward me places butt on floor, i click immediately, and treat.

I then move across the room, he follows but does not sit, but noses my hand that has food. I just wait it out. And i wait, he's watching me, but not offering the sit.
I call him toward me, he comes i give him a big hug and end.

My impression?
mastiff's dont do repitition!

 

[2nd Chance]

We are off out to the woods today. Maybe i should concentrate on easier tasks to train than a sit to begin with, like er, breathing, or moving his body in any way.
I feel a little disheartened and skilless.
Bring back pup rotties and GSD's, its sooo much easier lol