Help with dog discipline

[Bedlam]

If it goes nuts chasing after lights, just get a disco ball.
Turn that baby on and the pooch will be busy for a few weeks!

 

[LPacker79]

As far as the getting on counters thing, there's a product out there with a collar that buzzes if the dog gets within a set range of the transmitter. It doesn't shock, just makes an uncomfortable vibrating/buzzing thing. It worked wonders when my boyfriend's Husky decided the garbage looked appetizing. We had it set for a two foot range. Poseidon disliked that buzzing so much that he actually avoided the whole kitchen for a few weeks. Me and the man both tested the collar on ourselves, and it wasn't painful, just annoying, so Poseidon wasn't getting hurt by this, just annoyed.
I've also been working a lot on just basic obedience. Poseidon's brain tends to fall out of his ear when we go outside, but after a few weeks of consistent refreshers, he's now got a very reliable sit and down command when we're out on our walks. He's 8 years old, came from a rescue, and the man has been letting this things fly for a few years. He now immediately sits on his own with no commands before he gets anything, whether that be his leash, food, treats, whatever.
My older brother has a Weimeraner and a greyhound, and both are great dogs, though Zoe (the Weim) is most definitely the higher maintenance dog. She's very good, just very very high energy. He takes her for long runs, and he attaches her leash to a bicycle attachment so he can run her faster than if he were on foot.
Like was already mentioned, Weims are hunting dogs, and as such are bred to go all day without tiring. People need to take into account what the dog was bred to do before deciding it's the right breed for them. Unfortunately, not enough people do that, and too many dogs end up in rescue situations for doing what comes naturally to them. This dog needs an outlet for that energy, maybe get him started in something like agility or flyball. Something that works the brain as well as the body. Of course, the chances of your sister continuing those activities are probably slim to none.

 

[Scylla]

I think that punishment is the wrong approach for this dog. He doesn't know that he's doing anything wrong. He probably is allowed to act this way in his own home.

This doesn't sound like a dominance issue. It just sounds like a hyper dog, not getting the exercise he needs. Someone mentioned a tired dog is a happy dog. Very true. Do you, or anyone in your family, jog? Take him for a run, or to a park to chase balls or frisbees. Does anyone in your household hunt, or is interested in tracking, agility, or some other dog oriented activity?
This is a dog with ALOT of energy (as if you didn't know!) Since he passed obedience classes, he would probably settle down and listen once he's expended some of that energy. Maybe consider re-homing him in a working home.

Since the dog is untrustworthy in your home, and difficult to control, I would suggest that the dog be crated when he can't be watched, and leashed when he is loose. You cannot administer a prompt and effective correction if you do not have the dog under your control at the time of the offense. Try a quick correction and NO! and then redirecting the dogs attention to something else.

I do not suggest the lemon juice idea. It's not easy to squirt at the face and accurately get it into the mouth every time. You don't want to chance getting that into his eyes.

Good luck.

 

[thisgal]

@ palau: Those three thing are exactly what I've been doing for the past 3 days. I've completely abandoned all other household responsibilites (except the animals!) to find a perfect schedule for his exercise. Honestly, I've already noticed a difference!


@ LPacker: Oscar was a humane society puppy....he already was in a rescue situation because ofhis behaviour, and he was only 6 weeks old! Nobody knew what breeds he had in him when my sister got him, so I can't very well blame her for falling in love with the cute little puppy, now can I?! But, geez, now that we KNOW what Weimer traits he has, I'm gonna sit my sister down and explain some things to her!


@ Scylla: As I've already mentioned more than once, both my dad and I are runners and we rotate dogs, making him the priority, of course. We don't crate our animals once they're adults, and to put him on a leash when we're home is rather silly...why would I want to further restrain an already hyper dog? He's no allowed to get away with things at his home. My sister, until now, didn't realise that his constant bugging her was because he wanted to play or walk. Her response to his being annoying was to make him go lay down. (They've got the squirt bottles there, too) As a result of the pent up energy, he got really bad skin. He'd bite himself raw, and has even bitten off a couple of his nipples!


Oscar's a sweet dog. He just doesn't know it. He's the kind of dog who is either in your face, licking it, or you've got to make him go lay down. He's improved already in the past few days, and once my sister returns to work, he'll be returning home and I'm sure, with the cause of his problems revealed, she'll take a different approach to his care. As far as the dog whisperer theory, believe me, this dog has no dominance issues. He's just dumb and bored. Combine the two and you've got destruction.:wall:

 

[Alissa]

How are his techniques harmful though? In the dog world you are either the dominante one or the submissive one. If you are not the "packleader" then that dog is not going to obey you at all. Like the dog that pulls a person down the street, thats a dominant dog.

I do not think that everything he does is harmful and I am not too well versed on the Dog Whisperer, but there are a few things that I don't like about him right off the bat. I just wanted to give another perspective so his word isn't taken as gospel just because he has a show on TV.

For one thing, he has advocated alpha-rolling, an outdated technique that involves rolling a dog on its back and holding it down, because thats what wolf pack alphas do. Unfortunately, wolf pack alphas don't do that, submissive dogs will lay on their backs prone to show submission. If a wolf were to be forcibly flipped like that, it would be for one purpose only - for that wolf to be killed. Forcibly rolling a dog on it's back like that will do nothing but terrify the dog beyond belief and and potentially getting yourself (deservedly) bit in the face.
Alpha rolls are based on a misunderstanding not only of wolf-pack behavior, but the erronous notion that domesticated dogs are the same as wolfs. They aren't. I don't really think the dominance issue applies with everything and I think the whole mimicing a wolf pack thing is a carried to the point where it's a little ridiculous. I don't think a dog that drags you down the street is trying to show dominance to you and assert themselves as the leader. Leashes are not natural, walking properly on a leash is a trained behavior. The dog may simply not understand the concept of how to be walked on a leash. I also think that this particular dog is the way it is not because it is dominant but because it is a high-energy hunting breed. This is not the same thing as a dog that corrects it's owner via nipping.

I just don't think that every dog that has behavior problems has a dominance problem. I do think dogs need to be well-trained and disciplined, but I don't think they need to live in fear of some psuedo-wolf alpha. A wiemaraner is a high energy, intelligent dog and the family is doing a lot already to try and help the dog with its behavior. I can't see anything this dog does that smacks of any kind of dominance issues, and I think the people who have made suggestions such as crating more often are on the money here.

 

[WhyTeDraGon]

I do not think that everything he does is harmful and I am not too well versed on the Dog Whisperer, but there are a few things that I don't like about him right off the bat. I just wanted to give another perspective so his word isn't taken as gospel just because he has a show on TV.

For one thing, he has advocated alpha-rolling, an outdated technique that involves rolling a dog on its back and holding it down, because thats what wolf pack alphas do. Unfortunately, wolf pack alphas don't do that, submissive dogs will lay on their backs prone to show submission. If a wolf were to be forcibly flipped like that, it would be for one purpose only - for that wolf to be killed. Forcibly rolling a dog on it's back like that will do nothing but terrify the dog beyond belief and and potentially getting yourself (deservedly) bit in the face.
Alpha rolls are based on a misunderstanding not only of wolf-pack behavior, but the erronous notion that domesticated dogs are the same as wolfs. They aren't. I don't really think the dominance issue applies with everything and I think the whole mimicing a wolf pack thing is a carried to the point where it's a little ridiculous. I don't think a dog that drags you down the street is trying to show dominance to you and assert themselves as the leader. Leashes are not natural, walking properly on a leash is a trained behavior. The dog may simply not understand the concept of how to be walked on a leash. I also think that this particular dog is the way it is not because it is dominant but because it is a high-energy hunting breed. This is not the same thing as a dog that corrects it's owner via nipping.

I just don't think that every dog that has behavior problems has a dominance problem. I do think dogs need to be well-trained and disciplined, but I don't think they need to live in fear of some psuedo-wolf alpha. A wiemaraner is a high energy, intelligent dog and the family is doing a lot already to try and help the dog with its behavior. I can't see anything this dog does that smacks of any kind of dominance issues, and I think the people who have made suggestions such as crating more often are on the money here.

Im not saying you are wrong on any aspect...I wont even get into it because it's the end of the day, and im tired and dont feel like analysing. You made some very very good points.

But I have one question...have you ever observed a DOG pack? They act very similar to how a wolf pack would act

 

[thisgal]

Dog packs, wolf packs...sure. There are traits in some dogs that are similar, if not identical, to their ancestors. Personally, I think treatment of behaviour issues completely depends on the personalities of the dog and its owner. Some dogs, if forced to roll on their backs, will rip the throat out of the human who attempts this. Forcing an animal to do something against its will is just plain dumb. However, there are other animals, such as Oscar, who think this means playtime. Or rub-my-belly time. No one behaviour training technique works for every dog.