LoveToKnow Dogs:Custom Training Dogs

I'm glad the advice on the Dalmatian helped. Now let's try to tackle your current problems with the Min Pin.

Miniature Pinschers are big dogs in a small body. They tend to have very independent, dominant personalities, and they will try to assume the alpha position in the household if they can get away with it. So as you've discovered, training them can be difficult, and you have to begin as early as possible. You sound very dedicated, so I think you can eventually succeed in training this pup, but she's probably never going to be as obedient as your Poodle puppy.

That said, here's what I recommend. First, try to locate a puppy socialization class in your area. Most dog training facilities offer these classes, and they are designed to help you begin the proper type of communication with your pup to use as a foundation for further training. I also want you to explore clicker training. You can read our article on Dog Clicker Training to get a basic understanding of the technique, but I'll just tell you now that it is a training method based on rewarding positive behaviors. Most dogs do want to please their human companions, so rewarding them for the behaviors you want is often the fastest way to instill that behavior as a regular trait. Min Pins respond very poorly to punishment, as so many dogs do really, so a positive training method reinforces the bond between you and teaches her quicker. Clicker kits are available online and in most major pet supply stores. I think this could be the best solution to all of your current training problems.

I'd also like to take a moment to caution everyone about surprising someone else with a puppy as a gift. Even if you're sure the person receiving the puppy will be thrilled, not every breed and person become the ideal match. It's far better for each prospective dog owner to pick out his or her own puppy after carefully researching various breeds and visiting breeders to find the right fit.

Thanks for your question David, and I hope the clicker method works out for you. I'd like to invite you to keep in touch with us through the training section of our Dogs forum to let us know how it's going. Good luck. :) - posted by:Kelly

First let me congratulate you on adopting these two dogs. That was a wonderful thing to do.

It's often difficult to know what a rescued dog has gone through before they come into our lives, and many come with fear issues. This can certainly make learning to use a dog door more of a challenge.

Have you tried propping the door open while you're at home? You could try doing this and then coaxing the dogs to come to you as you wait on the outside of the opening. Sometimes affection can be a great motivator. I know you've tried treats, but what about tempting them with a piece of steak or something else they find irresistible?

On the other hand, you could try leaving them outside in the morning on a nice day that you'll be home (assuming your yard is fenced), and setting up a bowl with some steak in it just inside of the dog door. The dogs may resist for a while, but after a couple of hours they may want to come inside badly enough to brave the door. If they do, be sure to praise them well, and try to repeat this exercise a couple of times so they learn that coming through that small space is nothing to fear. Once you can get the dogs to that point, the challenge will be getting them to do it when the door is not propped open. However, once they lose the fear of passing through in the first place, they should accept pushing on the flap as part of the process.

Thanks for sharing your dilemma, and I hope these suggestions help in some way. - posted by:Kelly

Your concern is a very valid one. Many well behaved dogs become totally distracted by all the interesting sights and sounds they encounter in the great outdoors, so it's critical they learn to pay attention to their people.

The first lesson in most basic obedience courses deals with training a dog to ignore distractions. Different trainers take different approaches, but one method involves walking the dog up to a potential distraction. When he directs his attention on it, the person holding his leash quickly turns and walks away in the opposite direction. This causes a sudden tug on the leash, and the dog realizes his person has moved on. The tug shouldn't be hard enough to hurt the dog, but it should be a bit of a surprise and startle him enough to put his attention back on the person leading him. The process is repeated until the dog is now looking at his person to see where they will be going next. These sessions typically only last about ten minutes, and are repeated over several days until the dog learns to keep an eye on his person.

If you've never put your dog through obedience training, I highly recommend it. Your dog will learn to watch you and respond quicker to your commands, both things that could save his life in a dangerous outdoor situation. Besides that, the classes are actually fun, and they create a deeper bond between you and your dog.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find the information useful. :) - posted by:Kelly

Well, you certainly have a high energy mix of breeds in your pet. The good news is that at two years old, your dog should naturally begin to calm down a little. However, training is still very important, and it's not too late to enroll your dog in obedience class.

Obedience training teaches your dog to look to you for leadership. One of the lessons teaches your dog that it's important to keep an eye on you. Now, your dog can't keep an eye on you while he's bounding ahead of you, so this would be the first step in solving the leash pulling problem. Your dog will learn to heel, which means walking next to you and stopping when you stop. The lessons progress on to teaching your dog to sit, stay and even lay down on command. Imagine the control this could provide at times when his behavior becomes overly boisterous.

The best part of all this is that the training classes are fun, and the training actually creates a closer bond between the two of you. I really think you should give it a try.

Thanks for your question. :) - posted by:Kelly

In most cases, I refrain from recommending a shock collar. In experienced hands, this type of collar can be a useful and humane training aid. That said, it's not a suitable tool for the average dog owner who has never been properly trained how to use one. You can actually wind up creating more behavior problems.

All of that said, standard obedience training would be the most beneficial way to address your dog's bolting and help you gain more control over him. The first exercise teaches the dog to pay attention to you, not to other distractions that draw his attention away. Additionally, you'll want to ask your instructor to show you the stay command exercise so you can teach it to your dog right away. Every trainer develops their own techiniques, but the "stay" usually involves moving your dog into a sitting position, giving him the one word stay command, and reiterating the command and making him sit down again if he moves before given the permission to do so. It takes some practice, but it works like a charm once your dog learns it. I honestly think that the combined result of these two exercises will work if you use them consistently. You can have a friend help you practice them at your door while your dog is on leash.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find this information useful. - posted by:Kelly

Here is a two-pronged suggestion for you to try. Take your dog for his usual walk, and scoop up his poop in a zip-loc bag. When you return home, deposit the poop from the bag to the area of your backyard you'd like your dog to use. Leave it there as a way to attract your dog to go in that spot on his own. The second part of this suggestion is to put your dog on lead and walk him around your yard only, leading him to the area where you deposited his previous stool. Being on lead may inspire him to poop there, just as he would if he were out and about for a regular walk.

It may not seem like it, but your dog will poop in the backyard if that is his only alternative. You just need to give it more time and not give in to your dog's preferred habits.

Good luck! - posted by:Kelly

The best way to address this is by working with your dog on a grooming table at home or at a dog training/socialization class. Basically, what you need to do is teach her to stand still in the stacked position. Support under her chin with your hand, and beneath her behind as well. Have friends practice approaching her slowly and then lightly run their hands over her head, calmly telling your dog what a good girl she is. Have them gently open her lips to get a brief look at the teeth. They can then progress to running their hands down her chest and front legs, across the back and down the back legs. The entire idea is to emulate the judge's touch and make it a pleasant experience for your dog. If she attempts to wiggle away and crawl into you arms, you must tell her no, and firmly but gently restack her on the table where she belongs.

This takes time, but if you are patient and persistant, you should be able to train your dog to stand still for the judge.

Best wishes. :) - posted by:Kelly

Dog training can be a very satisfying career. Here are some links to dog training schools in Minnesota. Some of these establishments may offer trainer certification courses on a limited basis, but if not, at least you can ask where they received their own certification. This will hopefully narrow your search. You might also want to check with local colleges to find out if any animal behavior courses are offered.

• USCity.net
• K9 Training Center
• Elk River K9
• DogGeek.com

Thanks for your question, and good luck! - posted by:Kelly

The average family pet is normally not very aggressive at all, nor would you really want him to be. Any person your dog does not know is an intruder in his eyes. He won't be able to distinguish an extended family member from a house breaker, so you wouldn't him to respond aggressively and possiblly hurt an innocent party. A dog also stands a good chance of being seriously injured in an altercation with an intruder, so this is something else to take into consideration.

Dogs known as "protection dogs" are typically raised and carefully trained by professionals to respond in a predictable way to intruders and aggressors. In many cases, the dog needs to receive a direct command from his master before he is allowed to advance beyond barking.

My best advice is to accept your dog as he is now, and if you're truly interested in a protection dog, contact a training facility directly. A local trainer in your area may be able to direct you to a protection service if he/she doesn't actually offer that service.

Thanks for your question. - posted by:Kelly

You may want to begin with a basic socialization class. How old are your dogs? Many socialization classes are geared for puppies, but your local dog training school may offer classes for adults as well. This would expose your dogs to other dogs and people in a less formal structure than an obedience class.

Your next step would be obedience, and the first lesson is actually teaching your dog to pay attention to you and to tune out other distractions. This would be ideal for your needs.

As for Petsmart, I haven't experienced one of their training courses. However, in my opinion, you might be better off finding a class through your local kennel club or a full-time dog training facility. The instructors you'll find in these situations are full-time dog people. Training is not a sideline to selling products. You can check out all of these venues to see which will best suit your needs.

Thanks for your questions. :) - posted by:Kelly