Long story short. Rescued a pit puppy, 8 months old. Great dog overall, but the guy the previous owner took him from the litter too soon, didn't get proper socialization. He nips when we plays with people, which is definitely something I need to stop him from doing. He also jumps when meeting new people, but that's less of an issue for me than the nipping.

Any recommendations of a Raleigh area trainer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Tdub.

6/8/2011 10:44:37 AM

Semi-hijack for a good trainer in Charlotte.

6/8/2011 10:45:57 AM

^This. Almost the same story, except our puppy is freaked by friends and family and not trusting of strangers in general. Great with dogs, not so great with other humans...she's very lovable of us though.

For Raleigh, there's a well known trainer at the Pet Smart in Cary who is amazing (or so I've heard). I think Samwise16 used the trainer and has an awesome dog as a result.

6/8/2011 10:54:50 AM

i sent carter to the petsmart in cary for training
it was very very good.



i didnt keep going though and she has sense reverted to a dog that jumps on people

but yeah, i liked it

6/8/2011 10:56:17 AM

your self.

halter + leash
treats
your voice
your body/legs/arms

don't be afraid to get loud or use force.

play with the dog's head and with toys that he can chew, don't purposefully stick hands in mouth. give treat occasionally when not nipping. firm tap/smack on the nose when nipping, along with saying "no" loudly.

when jumps, just say off/down, grab him by the neck fat and put him down. use a halter/leash when meeting new people to keep him on the ground; never let him lead/pull you on the leash. have him sit before doing anything (especially meeting new people). When meeting new people, tell him to sit, stay, then hold him down by the halter.

always reward wanted behavior the second it happens, not before, not after.

[Edited on June 8, 2011 at 10:57 AM. Reason : .]

[Edited on June 8, 2011 at 10:58 AM. Reason : .]

6/8/2011 10:56:46 AM

I have a pit that had severe dog aggression issues.

With pits, you really should go to a trainer that specializes in the "bully breeds", because as a pit bull, they will push you to your limits if you let them/baby them. This has become a huge problem with the breed because they are so lovable, but if you baby them and do not assert any sort of dominance, they will start to do whatever they want, whenever they want, and if they attack another dog or cause anytrouble with other people, then you may be pressured into putting them down.

I don't live in Austin, but here are some tips that worked like magic for mine:

Work the FUCK out of that dog. Luckily since I am a distance runner, I can take mine out on runs with me and push her to exhaustion. If this doesn't suit you then there are other options.

Dont, I repeat DONT try the treat game with pits. It doesn't work.

Using the dominance method of training with these dogs and I swear you will see results over night.

Bottom line:

These breeds are very trainable and intelligent if you know how to train them. Work them out hard and be very consistent with them. Do not baby them or have someone use the treat method. Assert your dominance but dont abuse them.

6/8/2011 7:53:48 PM

Jackie at the Petsmart near Crossroads is amazing.


AH-MAZ-ING.



I liked the training because it really just wasn't for Gambit - you learn a lot, and it's kind of like training yourself on what doesn't work as far as teaching basic commands the dog should know as well as what does work. Little things and big things. One of the best investments ever!

6/8/2011 9:40:51 PM

So, question: I'm not a dog owner and never have been, but if my girlfriend gets her way, I will be relatively soon.

That said, what exactly does dog training cover?

6/8/2011 9:55:10 PM

We use Jackie as well and she's great. I like that she is able to give us instant pointers that mesh with our dog's personality so we don't waste time getting frustrated

6/8/2011 9:57:18 PM

Jackie is pretty awesome.

6/8/2011 11:04:14 PM

i wish there was a special trainer (or maybe this jackie person would be good) for dogs that are rescued/adopted

my dog is from the pound, was abused and has some weird issues

we did the whole dog class thing with her, but it didn't really help. she already knew sit and down before going in to the class...she doesn't really chew shit up anymore or pee in the house or anything.

she just has odd behavioral issues (nipping for one, which we've tried to stop but it is really hard). she hates going on walks. she is scared of EVERYTHING. she has food aggression but only toward other animals, NOT humans so i can't do the give her food then put your hand by it then take it away kind of shit, because she only does it with other animals and only sometimes. i don't know. just a lot of odd stuff that puppy class doesn't really address. she can do all the "tricks" fine...it is other stuff that she is weird about and i've tried fixing it on my own but it isn't a simple reward/punish situation

you can't really "punish" her by spanking or yelling. it terrifies her and she'll pee. i know you reward the good behavior but with the food aggression it isn't something that happens often. once a month or once every few months, so it is hard to change that behavior. blah.

6/8/2011 11:07:17 PM

Quote :

"Using the dominance method of training with these dogs and I swear you will see results over night. "

That's good to know, the underlying methodology/theory behind the training is definitely a factor for me. The dominance theory, which is what Cesar Millan uses has become increasingly controversial as it's apparently a very dated approach to dog training rooted in some serious misinformation about the similarities between domestic dogs and wolves. I've personally met some dogs that are incredibly well behaved, well-balanced and generally happy that were trained using dominance theory, comments like the above reinforce the suspicion I've had that the critics of the method are just full of shit.

[Edited on June 8, 2011 at 11:37 PM. Reason : .]

6/8/2011 11:29:59 PM

kadwackle... go to Jackie


a mastiff that was in the time slot before our class was soooo fucked up when he went there - by the end of their training he was sweet and pretty well trained

6/8/2011 11:37:04 PM

Quote :

"That said, what exactly does dog training cover?"

Dog training should be an enlightening process where you can learn more about what it takes to control your dog (in terms of activity), what kind of breed that you are dealing with, and more importantly, it should cover how you should treat your dog to keep it under control.

6/8/2011 11:56:25 PM

I always trained my dogs growing up. I think I did a pretty damn good job considering I was between the ages of 6 and 12. Now I got this dog that is socially retarded and it looks like she needs a trainer. Makes me feel like a failure of an owner. Which I think I could fix her if we had friends here for her to be around, but we don't

6/9/2011 12:08:32 AM

Dog training also helps your dog get socialization in a controlled setting. Our dog is less nervous around big dogs since she's in class with big ones every week.

6/9/2011 8:22:11 AM

+1 for Jackie

6/9/2011 8:58:20 AM

I will be taking my GSD to one of these two places, just havent narrowed it down to which one. Obey and protect is in Bahama and K9 Solutions is here in Raleigh.


http://www.obeyandprotect.com/

http://www.nck9solutions.com/

6/9/2011 9:21:29 AM

dog park?

6/9/2011 12:07:05 PM

I've heard good things from my vet about K9 Solutions. Seems to be a good value for the money too.

Quote :

" The Committed Owner Package Ages 3.5 mos and above. This package provides you the flexibility to join ongoing classes as often as needed until basic and advanced goals are met all the way to the AKC Canine Good Citizen certification! Start your class immediately--no waiting time. Ongoing so if you miss a class, show up the next week! Keep coming until your goals are met. Flexible to your busy schedule. Go past the basics to a well-mannered dog at home and in public. Get your dog all the way to the top in one easy, flexible, ongoing package! The package includes the following: Leadership/Behavior Workshop: Learn the proper way to educate your dog so he does respond to your commands. Also covers behavior issues such as nipping, housetraining, chewing, jumping, and any out of control behaviors. Wait Safely: Teach your dog to not lunge out of cars or doors unsafely and even to stay out of certain rooms/areas. Settle Down: Teach your dog to stay in a down command while you cook, eat, have a conversation, enjoy your coffee at Starbuck, etc. Sit Happens: Teach your dog to stay in a polite sit whenever needed. Off my Stuff: Teach your dog to stay off road kill, poop, remote controls, socks, kids toys, etc. Come: Teaching your dog a reliable come command. Distractions: Adding distractions to your Stay command. Real Life Advanced Manners: Teach your dog to walk properly on a leash, come, and strengthen your stay. Includes working on the AKC CGC certification. Empowering Dog Owners Workshop: Close up the loopholes on your training with your dog. Valued at $425, this package fee is only $295! Why such a generous discount? Because we want our clients to succeed and we love to reward our committed owners. This package is not appropriate for aggressive dogs. Please call us so we can help you find the right fit for your need. "

http://www.nck9solutions.com/upcoming-classes.html

6/9/2011 12:10:23 PM

do it yourself

or...

Quote :

"your self. halter + leash treats your voice your body/legs/arms don't be afraid to get loud or use force. play with the dog's head and with toys that he can chew, don't purposefully stick hands in mouth. give treat occasionally when not nipping. firm tap/smack on the nose when nipping, along with saying "no" loudly. when jumps, just say off/down, grab him by the neck fat and put him down. use a halter/leash when meeting new people to keep him on the ground; never let him lead/pull you on the leash. have him sit before doing anything (especially meeting new people). When meeting new people, tell him to sit, stay, then hold him down by the halter. always reward wanted behavior the second it happens, not before, not after. "

[Edited on June 9, 2011 at 1:07 PM. Reason : ]

6/9/2011 1:07:06 PM

Quote :

"I've heard good things from my vet about K9 Solutions. Seems to be a good value for the money too."

this is the one i did. you can read my post above for why it didn't really work for us. my dog was too terrified the entire time. already knew sit and down and stay and come and stuff like that, which is basically all they teach you. it isn't good if they have like whack behavioral issues. like my dog bites in her sleep, wtf?

and it REALLY only works for puppies even though they say dogs of all ages (or have programs for dogs of all ages). i mean it might work for an older dog, but i think it is ideally done with puppies.

[Edited on June 9, 2011 at 8:43 PM. Reason : .]

6/9/2011 8:41:34 PM

That one of the things I liked about Jackie's classes. You're supposed to teach your dog stuff like sit outside of class. In class they use those basic skills as the foundation for what she teaches.

6/10/2011 7:12:51 AM

I've got a rescued pit that came from a bad environment and I've followed Ceasar Milan's training techniques and it has been a blessing. My pit was in bad shape when i got her but through his techniques she is one of the best dogs you could imagine. Daily exercise makes a HUGE difference with all dogs and i wouldn't recommend even trying to train a energetic, wound up, excited dog. The biting issue with pit puppies will go away with time if you just stop playing with it immediately when it starts nipping (don't beat your dog in the face or nose for nipping problems). The dog needs to know that play time ends when biting starts. I've had 4 pits during my life and that habit was present with all of them and it DID go away. Also, I use treats to train with and honestly I don't know how anyone trains without them. Always have some with you in your pocket so that as your pup is playing while not biting constantly give it little treats and end the treats at the first bite. I would recommend watching Ceasar's dvd seaons ( you can rent them) and also maybe read on of his books.

6/10/2011 3:12:12 PM

By the way that annoying biting habit is present with just about all puppies up until about 1 year and a few months (my pit stopped around 1 year 3 months old). Labs, goldens, jack russels are some of the worst for it its just that a pit puppy has a little bit of a stronger bite to say the least. Its really just due to the fact that their permanent teeth are coming through and their mouth is hurting 24-7 unless they are chewing on something.

6/10/2011 3:16:33 PM

I have a Weim mix, rescue, with some dog aggression issues and I've been using Cesar Milan's methods and it's been going pretty well. I tried a trainer out at Sunny Acres for a few months but I wasn't seeing results with the treat/positive reinforcement model- my Weim mix is too easily distracted by his environment and will outright ignore any treats in a high stress situation, which for him is passing other dogs on leash.

I've been seeing him calm down with lots of running and long walks, and playing with the dog we're petsitting, and our neighbors' dogs. He seems to be behaving better because he is recognizing his place in a pack, and getting socialization. I'm looking into getting a Springer for him so he can more safely run along my bike.

But yeah..I can't agree more with whoever said to run the shit out of your large breed. 4 miles running, or an hour long walk (in 90 degree heat, longer times and distances if it's colder), seems to be the minimum before I've hit that happy point where I can start working on downs, stays, and leave its.

6/10/2011 4:35:32 PM

^ Yes !

Basically, all of the "bully breeds" are going to respond well to heavy exercise and dominance training.

6/10/2011 5:07:12 PM

heard great things about Teamworks, I think they have a few locations with some specialized classes.

6/10/2011 7:30:30 PM

Quote :

"But yeah..I can't agree more with whoever said to run the shit out of your large breed. 4 miles running, or an hour long walk (in 90 degree heat, longer times and distances if it's colder), seems to be the minimum before I've hit that happy point where I can start working on downs, stays, and leave its."

But never force them to run, if they get tired and need to walk or rest, allow them too. Also run them in the grass or dirt, running them on hard surfaces like concrete is bad for their growth plates.

6/11/2011 6:20:55 PM

Definitely seeing some solid progress with DIY dominance training. What type of collars do you guys use? I'm going the martingale route, curious to here what you guys use though.

6/12/2011 10:26:13 PM

are you looking for a training collar or just and every day collar?

Training I would go with a prong collar, this way you can give quick corrections when on leash and it wont choke the dog. The martingale is good if your dog already behaves well on leash. They arent really correction collars, they are made for dogs with smaller heads than necks so they dont slip off.... ie greyhound.

6/13/2011 8:37:43 AM

Quote :

"Definitely seeing some solid progress with DIY dominance training. What type of collars do you guys use? I'm going the martingale route, curious to here what you guys use though."

The german prong collars. They look like torture devices but there a better option than a choker.

6/14/2011 12:33:35 AM

Both an every day collar and a training collar I suppose. Oddly enough, when I first got the dog he pulled like a son of a bitch on the choker collar, put him on a harness, immediate and drastic improvement. I've got him to the point where he's pretty good on the leash, only real issues are intermittent pulling and jumping to meet new people. The pulling only comes in spurts, for 85%-90% of our hour plus walks, he's beside me with 0 tension on the leash. Interestingly enough, the only people he jumps on are the people that greet him improperly with the crazy petting and overly-zealous affection without allowing him to make with the sniffing routine first. I've gotta get him to the point that my verbal correction > new person's batshit craziness.

Surprisingly enough, his off-leash discipline is incredible. We've been doing the off-leash walks during off-hours @ the nature park. This AM we encountered another off-leash dog and some jogger broad who greeted my dog improperly. On both occasions he didn't jump at all and returned immediately when called. Little dude's quite the enigma, but things are definitely going well.

6/14/2011 1:12:42 AM

bttt

my dog just jumped a fence and tried to eat my neighbors dog

has anyone tried Darwin K9? i just emailed them like 'WTF HELP'

2/29/2012 7:08:58 PM

Damn, is the other dog okay?

2/29/2012 7:37:38 PM

yea i stopped it pretty quickly it was over in like 30 seconds but she definitely bit the dog. the owner said her dog was ok but I'm still really upset about it. I'm still shocked she jumped that fence. no more off leash dog park time :/

2/29/2012 8:03:04 PM

I know they're controversial, but I got my Weim mix an e-collar in late fall and our relationship has improved 1000% because of it.

We did a big hike at Hanging Rock this past weekend and he spent pretty much all of it off-leash, running his brains up and down mountains for 8 miles carrying a pack. Off-leash, he greets dogs appropriately- no barking, no biting, just general friendliness.

I use the beep and pulse settings 90% of the time. Timing is key with correction.

2/29/2012 8:06:43 PM

this is an e-collar...

2/29/2012 8:16:30 PM

I'm going to talk to a professional and see what method they think is best. she has done really well with crate/housebreaking/leash training I just haven't had an aggressive dog before and I need to learn how to properly handle the situation

if she needs a shock collar I'll get her one, but that's going to be a last resort kind of thing

2/29/2012 9:33:19 PM