How To Train A Dog

Question: How to train a dog that is too affectionate?

(Posted by: Adora-Bull on 2009-10-16 08:14:56)

I got my boxer about a month ago. She is over two years old but adjusted and meshed with my family from day one. The problem is, she won't give me any space when i am at home. She creeps up very slowly and tries to get in my lap. I put her in a down- stay, and 30 seconds later she is already trying to sneak back up on me. I give her lots of attention and exercise. But when i am trying to work or just relax, i can't get her to stay. I don't want to have to crate her when we are home. Does anyone have any training tips to get her to stay put? Ok, I have not spoiled her. I have had her only a month. I am trying to break bad habbits that she already has. I don't know if this makes a difference but she was used for breeding before i got her. I was told that she had 2 littlers and in my opinion, was thrown out after she didn't want to breed her anymore. I had her spayed 3 days after i brought her home. I do correct her, and i do ignore her. She is just so damn stubborn. She will not quit. I do correct her, and i do ignore her. She is just so damn stubborn. She will not quit. She isn't really a rescue. We had a heart worm clinic a while back and her owner brought her in to have her tested. She got all her shots and was negative for heart worms. When she was leaving she said she was looking for a home for her dog. She is a "breeder " and had several littlers on the way. M.J. was in heat and she couldn't keep her from breeding. So i told her i wanted her. I have been looking to adopt a boxer for some time.

Posted by: Greek God AKA Greekman on 2009-10-16, 08:30:28

Yup..treat her like a dog. Teach her real OB and then proof that Ob. One command, one correction. The dog is not affectionate, she is just spoiled, she knows she can get away with it because YOU ALLOW that behavior. If she was corrected with her prong collar hard enough, she would never try that BS again, would she? Hope I helped!

Posted by: Eddie101 on 2009-10-16, 08:31:19

Is your boxer a rescue dog? She may have been through something traumatic in her past where she was abandoned and is now in fear that she will be abandoned again so she wants to stay close ever chance she gets. What you should do (it will be hard) is to ignore her for parts of the day. This may mean closing your door and doing your own stuff without her in there, or begin in the same room and not talking or looking at her. Even eye contact means attention! When you come home after leaving her alone, ignore her the first few minutes and then give her attention. If worse comes to worse, you should crate her for a few minutes every day, but you shouldn't feel bad. Just make sure she has some toys to keep her occupied. Good luck!

Posted by: JAG on 2009-10-16, 08:34:01

Crating her would be good for her to teach her separation. But honestly, if you do not reward the behavior by allowing it or paying attention to it, it will diminish. Regular obediance training (even if she knows the commands) will help her with the bond with you and to build her confidence.

Posted by: UHaveToBeKiddingMe on 2009-10-16, 08:35:00

At this time I would probably utilize the crate. You have only had the dog for a month. She has a long road ahead of her before she becomes stable. You will find that training her will give her more and more confidence. Sticking to traditional training methods work the best with a dog like this, as they do not bond with food, they bond with you. My Pom comes from a documented case of neglect and abuse (physically taken by Animal Control for those reasons). The dog was terrified of everyone, extremely skittish. After being with me a couple months to adjust, I enrolled her in dog training class. The more we worked the better she got. Not long after class was over she went out and titled in Obedience. She had that much confidence in me and herself. She continued to be a work in progress, and after two years she became a therapy dog. I would have never believe it had I not seen it myself. Now she is a dog who has never met a stranger, immediately sucking up to anyone she meets. Make your life easier now and use the crate so she does not annoy you and so she can learn that she can be on her own. I can not stress enough how training builds confidence. Please visit this site, I guarantee this type of training will transform your dog. koehlerdogtraining.com Good luck with her.

Posted by: BJB on 2009-10-16, 08:37:04

Think about how and when you give her attention. If she comes over to you when you enter the house and you make a fuss of her, then you are reinforcing that behaviour. Ignore her when she does this - walk past her and put your stuff down. Wait until she is calm and not bothering you before turning to praise her. This will go a long way to changing her behaviour. Rather than crating her, why not just tie her to something in the same room as you and give her a chew toy to keep her occupied. Practice leaving the room and coming back, while not making eye-contact with her, but when HER attention is not on YOU, then go over and tell her she's a good girl. If she's loose and she bothers you, don't make eye-contact with her and push her way, but as soon as she leaves you alone and looks away from you, stroke her and tell her she's good. This should help her to understand that she can't dictate when she gets attention from you, that YOU decide about that, and that her behaving quietly and leaving you alone will get her more attention than her crawling all over you. Basically you need to really examine your own methods and the timing of your responses, because otherwise SHE is training YOU to do what SHE wants! LOL She's obviously insecure, but she should get over it with time and your help.

Posted by: ? on 2009-10-16, 08:43:39

I'd suggest getting some Kong toys and stuff like that, such as footballs you can put treats in. You can stick them together with peanut butter and let her work out how to play with them herself. This'll help to teach her to play on her own. Just keep at it - a firm NO. when she tries to sit on your lap. If she's invited? Fine, completely. But its when YOU ask her to, not when she feels like it. Congrats on rescuing her (: