savingdogs
Queen Filksinger
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2009
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Well I'll give you my answer and we'll see what OFG comes up with, she is really a master dog trainer and doesn't realize it.
Food begging: Your bed idea is awesome. It is kind of a version of what we call "the long down". It is when you make your dog lay down for a long period of time. Nothing fancy. But if you do this with a willful dog, it understands that you are the boss. Your dog is obviously a good ol' boy, so he probably already knows a "lay down and stay" command. I'd just keep him laying down and on that bed during the entire meal, every time. He will eventually get the point. He will think to himself, holy cow, she is bossy, I better go lay down on this dang bed before she makes me. But at his age, he will be hard to train not to give you those sad looks. And any self respecting dog is gonna eat the mac and cheese the kid sneaks him, be REAL!
Barking at the door: Hard to change an ingrained habit, but YOU would have to stop opening the door whenever he barks. He probably does it because nine times outta ten, you open the door when he does it. I find myself letting barking dogs in because they remind me that I forgot them outside! But if you don't like a behavior never reward it. You have let him in before when he barked, now admit it, haven't you?
I would think it doubtful that you will be able to untrain him about this though. At his age, he will remember to bark forevermore and it really doesn't bother dogs to bark, they don't mind a bit. Personally, I'd work on the laying down to eat one, but unless OFG has an idea up her sleeve that I don't, I can't see the old guy stopping barking at the door.
Food begging: Your bed idea is awesome. It is kind of a version of what we call "the long down". It is when you make your dog lay down for a long period of time. Nothing fancy. But if you do this with a willful dog, it understands that you are the boss. Your dog is obviously a good ol' boy, so he probably already knows a "lay down and stay" command. I'd just keep him laying down and on that bed during the entire meal, every time. He will eventually get the point. He will think to himself, holy cow, she is bossy, I better go lay down on this dang bed before she makes me. But at his age, he will be hard to train not to give you those sad looks. And any self respecting dog is gonna eat the mac and cheese the kid sneaks him, be REAL!
Barking at the door: Hard to change an ingrained habit, but YOU would have to stop opening the door whenever he barks. He probably does it because nine times outta ten, you open the door when he does it. I find myself letting barking dogs in because they remind me that I forgot them outside! But if you don't like a behavior never reward it. You have let him in before when he barked, now admit it, haven't you?
I would think it doubtful that you will be able to untrain him about this though. At his age, he will remember to bark forevermore and it really doesn't bother dogs to bark, they don't mind a bit. Personally, I'd work on the laying down to eat one, but unless OFG has an idea up her sleeve that I don't, I can't see the old guy stopping barking at the door.
Remember I'm pretty much deaf.
