Dog training advice, Please Help

[ThePapaTX]

yeah that’s a mutt, but I wouldn’t necessarily say a good breeder won’t cross breed because if you know what you’re doing, you can create a good dog by cross breeding. I’d say dogs are pretty much as close as man has come to actually creating something from scratch- they are all but man made. there’s no such thing as a wild poodle or retriever.

 

[purplesunshine]

Use a prong collar, not a choker, chokers can break the dog’s windpipe. And don’t use one of those halty-leaders or whatever they are called, unless you want a dog with a snapped neck.

Using a choke collar correctly will not harm the dog.

And I don’t know anyone who’s ever had a neck injury from a dog with a halty leader. I am still trying to figure out how a dog (even a frantic one) could hurt themselves with a head harness, much less break its own neck.

 

[ThePapaTX]

I’ve just got to disagree with you there… whatever works for you though. Google around for the problems associated with choke chains and to a lesser extent those head halters. Prong collars are pretty much the best but people don’t understand how they work, and they see what they think are “spikes” so they don’t use them.

 

[Guitar]

You may also try a bark collar, the ones that shock.

I know, it sounds cruel, but you can get an idea right away if the dog figures it out or not. I have seen dogs bark a few times with it on, get the idea, and never bark again. Most people take the batteries out after that, simply having it on is enough! Goldendoodles are not dumb dogs, she should figure it out!

If she can’t bark, she might calm down some of the other behaviors as well. Its kinda like kids. If they can’t cry/moan/complain, they don’t bother as much with the physical tantrum either. Whats the fun if you can’t make a bunch of racket at the same time!

Shock collars are illegal in a lot of places. And you may end up with a dog with two phobias rather than one. You might not too, but IMO it would be better to fix the cause rather than suppress one of the symptoms and hope that fixed the problem. If it is an over-excitement thing rather than a fear thing then yes, this might work, but geez I’d want to be sure before I tried it and I’d want experienced/professional (name removed by moderator)ut from someone who’d seen the dog exhibiting the behaviour first. Otherwise I’d be worried I’d be doing the equivalent of smacking a child that cried out in fear thinking that would fix the fear. And how do you get the dog to differentiate between barking in that circumstance, and barking any other time, in order for the barking “suppression” to have the desired effect on this particular problem? Is it really practical to only put the “training” collar on the dog when there are likely to be cars around? You might be spot on with this advice, but I would reaaallly have to be convinced it was the last resort before I’d put a shock collar on an animal. Even with a citronella collar it is possible the dog would begin to associate the citronella with cars instead of with her own fuss, compounding the issue.

 

[mkipp]

My dog is my pal, and my wife and I treated her as our child (now we have a child.) I know that much of the dog’s actions is our fault, but just want her to be able to go on car rides and walk next to cars without freaking out. We have tried the prong collar, and I think that it is time to go back to using it. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Mickey_Finn]

Hmm. Lots of stuff here.

First off. Goldendoodles are hybreds. Not mutts. While the practice of combining hunting dogs to produce a non-shedding ,non hunting pet dog is questionable. Bred this way. The dog should exhibit the better qualities of both breeds while leaving out the undesirable traits. “hybred vigor”. But like with pure breeds, another questionable pracitce. High breeding standards must be maintained.

Cesar Milan makes a nice living because people treat their dogs as though they were people. They are dogs. They understand gratification and fear of death (pain). Training that doesn’t make use of these traits will generally be un effective with many dogs. Hunting and protection breeds for example. You do have to be harder than your dog. If you are not, the dog will win. So, with a softer dog, you don’t have to be all that hard. Sometimes just a look will suffice. People (ladies mostly) that can use a look to correct their dog have done a very good job of socializing that dog. But harder dogs require harder corrections. The real key is not to be too hard. You don’t want your dog to be “cowed”. You want them happy, bold, and obedient.

Prong collars are better than choke collars though many professional trainers still prefer chokers. Prongs are better because when they are properly fitted the dog corrects itself.
But the dog has to have had the prior training to understand what is expected before a correction of any sort can be useful. Not quite sure how a prong collar will help with the OPs problem. But I wish him and his family luck.

 

[horselvr]

The definition of a Purebred Dog is a dog that is registered with the Canadian or American Kennel Club.

The Labradoodle, while cute as a button, is in fact a mutt.

Hybrid is a name given for any designer dog coined by backyard breeders to sell mixed breeds of dogs. If they are rejected by AKC, then they are in fact mutts.

I take great issue with these “breeders” because they have spent years breeding and produced hundreds of unwanted dogs which ultimately are euthenized, trying to get what they perceive as a “new breed”. Some of the dogs produced by these "breeders are absolutely hideous and are born with terrible defects. The dogs suffer greatly while the “breeders” pockets are lined.

Having said that, the Labradoole is still a work in progress and does have some good qualities. Unfortunately these good qualities will take generations of breeding to refine and make consistant. How many dogs will be born in that time is questionable. And it will take a considerable amount before the Standard can be written. We already have far too many dogs about.

OP, I’m sure your dog is a wonderful companion and you will need to do your homework to solve the barking problem. I did work with one dog with this same problem and started with teaching the dog to bark on command and then teaching him to “be quiet”. Once they make the connection, they will retain it as long as you are consistant in your training.

 

[Mickey_Finn]

The definition of a Purebred Dog is a dog that is registered with the Canadian or American Kennel Club.

The Labradoodle, while cute as a button, is in fact a mutt.

Hybrid is a name given for any designer dog coined by backyard breeders to sell mixed breeds of dogs. If they are rejected by AKC, then they are in fact mutts.

I take great issue with these “breeders” because they have spent years breeding and produced hundreds of unwanted dogs which ultimately are euthenized, trying to get what they perceive as a “new breed”. Some of the dogs produced by these "breeders are absolutely hideous and are born with terrible defects. The dogs suffer greatly while the “breeders” pockets are lined.

Having said that, the Labradoole is still a work in progress and does have some good qualities. Unfortunately these good qualities will take generations of breeding to refine and make consistant. How many dogs will be born in that time is questionable. And it will take a considerable amount before the Standard can be written. We already have far too many dogs about.

OP, I’m sure your dog is a wonderful companion and you will need to do your homework to solve the barking problem. I did work with one dog with this same problem and started with teaching the dog to bark on command and then teaching him to “be quiet”. Once they make the connection, they will retain it as long as you are consistant in your training.

Many “pure breeds” are registered with other organisazions. While smaller than the AKC. They are much more deserving of respect. The AKC has ruined a number of previously valuable working breeds. Golden retrievers, GSD, Any versatile hunting dog for that matter. Reading your post. I get the feeling they can’t wait to get their hands on and ruin another breed.

For the purpose of dogs. A hybred is a cross of two pure bred dogs. This practice is recognized world wide. It’s popular because it produces valuable working dogs. The benefits I stated in my earlier post apply to this breeding. If you breed two Golden-doodles. They are no longer hybreds. No longer protected by “hybred vigor”. So, many of the genetic flaws that plague pure breed dogs have an oportunity to reemerge. Things like hip dysplasia. Your right about the number of culls required to make a pure breed. Why bother? Popular hybreds are popular because they consistantly through true to type litters.
When things like hip dysplasia show up. Generally it’s related to spaying or neutering a pup before it’s finished developing.

The practice of “pure breeding” introduces something nature would never allow. A limiting factor. When the designers of golden doodles and Labrodoodles combined the two. They seem to have inadvertantly re awakened the high drive hunting dogs of canine history. It’s nice to see it back. I hope the owners find a way to harness and enjoy it.

ATB

 

[horselvr]

Mickey:

I agree with much of what you say but still I cannot in good conscience agree that backyard breeding is a good thing. As for the smaller associations that register dogs, I’m sorry I’ll stick with the AKC. Here at least there is a standard that is strictly followed by true breeders. This is their business and their reputation as a breeder is on the line to produce quality if not outstanding conformation (according to the AKC standard) and temperment in their dogs. If they do not, they don’t get far. They cannot breed their AKC registered IG to a Pom and have it registered with AKC as that is considered a mutt until AKC considers it as registerable and that does not happen in a few generations of breeding.

True breeders do their homework to ensure there is not a genetic defect in their breeding program. They have a standard they must follow.

Not so in the backyards of America.

If you have gotten the feeling that I feel backyard “breeders” are not up to standard, need to be stopped, and for the most part breed trash and add more unwanted dogs with many defects—you are correct.

This same problem of indiscriminate breeding also exists in horses and until you witness
the brutality of the slaughter houses and the transport of these unfortunate beasts in double decker cattle cars this problem much like the indiscriminate breeding of
dogs largely will find it’s way under the doormat of the general public.

I urge you to spend some time at your local shelter to witness the number of dogs being euthenized largely because of these backyard “breeding” experiments.

 

[gh4]

I still say that the OP will be served best by a professional dog behaviorist or a professional trainer. If you find one who has good credentials you will pay very little for what they can do for you. Often it takes only one session to figure out what the problem is and to get you started on fixing that problem.
A prong collar is probably not going to fix your problems and if not used properly can hurt your dog. I am not against prong collars, it’s just that they need to be used in the proper way.
I have to agree that the AKC the last word on standards for dogs here in the US.
The smaller organizations tend to have very VERY lax rules about breed standards and seem to allow most anyone to register a dog without real proof of the breeding of said dogs.
The large kennel clubs and shows all use AKC standards. Anything less is simply that, less and not really of use for showing or breeding dogs.
When two pure breed dogs are bred together, there is absolutely NO guarantee that the good traits of the two breeds will be what you end up with. A breeder who KNOWS what the standards are can help to bred out problems, but that takes many many years, and lots of puppies, many of which will have all the bad issues in them. So while it’s possible that the goldendoodles will become AKC dogs in the future, it’s probably so far in the future that we probably won’t see it until we are all very old and gray. (oh what am I saying, I’m already old and gray!)
And I’m not saying that Mutts are bad dogs. Some of my very best dogs have been mixes and some just plain Heinz 57’s!
I think it’s Germany who has such a tight handle on dogs who are bred there and you need permission and proof of good breeding in the parents before you can breed them and you have to have the pups inspected before they can be registered… great system! We need some of that here in the US, there would be millions less dogs euthanized in shelters every year.