Dog trainers HELP!

[Emily_loveschickens]

Hi Everyone,
I have a dog named Maggie who is a very well behaved dog inside house...
She knows lots of tricks, sit, sit pretty, speak, quiet speak, roll over, crawl, kiss, high five shake, lay down, focus. and she does not beg at the table unlike our other dog) and I even do some agility with her (just for fun.)
But she is a different dog outside... when she sees a dog on walks she goes crazy barking, growling, Though she is nice to most dogs and very friendly to humans. she also pulls so much we have a good harness for her but she still pulls so much she has now turned 3 and I have tried to train her ever since. any advice on how I can train her? Thanks!
Info about her
age: 3
name: Maggie
breed: Golden doodle

 

[NatJ]

I have a dog named Maggie who is a very well behaved dog inside house...
She knows lots of tricks....
... pulls so much we have a good harness for her but she still pulls so much ...

You might practice walking on leash IN the house, where there are few distractions and where she is used to behaving well.

You might also go outdoors and practice the things that she usually does indoors, so she gets used to obeying commands outdoors as well.

If you have a yard, especially if it is fenced, you can work with her there (fewer distractions) and then progress to the areas with more dogs and where she has more problems.

 

[Weeg]

Do you have any trainers that work with a check chain near you? We've used this method for every one of our dogs, and are always getting compliments on how well behaved they are. They know all basic obedience, and off lead.
The check chain method works by being used as a correction. When you ask for a command, and start teaching it, if they don't listen you quickly give them a snap on the chain. The chain tightens and rattles as it does, the sound and pressure of the chain create a correction. Some people believe that this chokes the dog, but the chain is weighted and releases almost instantly. As long as the collar is placed on properly, this can't happen. It works wonders! A friend of ours took her very naughty Husky to the class, and trained him on a basic check chain. In 8 weeks he's almost a perfect angel! The training really works wonders.
Also note that initiating a correcting in this manner is not harmful or cruel to the dog, it just shows them what you don't want, and your praise shows them what you do want. Dogs catch on very quickly, and usually strive to please. Its just another way of communicating, and showing boundaries if that makes sense.

 

[sourland]

Is there any possibility of enrolling in a basic dog training class. We have obedience trained all of our dogs including Maggie - she is now ready for advanced training.

 

[Folly's place]

Start in your back yard! And consider a better collar, as a chain slip collar, at least.
The leash should always be loose, no tensing on it at all. When she gets out of position, next to you, pop it sharply, no pulling. It's about timing, and learning new behaviors yourself. Practice doing 'about turns' and turning left and right, fairly fast, without her, before you add her to the mix.
Having her lead you around makes her the actual leader, not a good thing.
Classes! Call some trainers, ask your vet clinic for opinions about trainers, and watch some classes. Then, sign up somewhere, and see how it goes. If the first choice isn't helping, try another.
This is a very solvable problem, but it takes effort.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

We've had three dogs who needed a prong collar, but I've never met a poodle mix that tough! A chain slip collar is a good choice.
Consistency is the key here too; one command, once, and enforce it every time. Don't let her do it her way sometimes, you'll never win, or be the leader you should be. I never tell one of our dogs to do something unless I'm prepared to make it happen! I am the queen!
Mary

 

[Weeg]

A good way to start training with a slip collar, is to put your dog on a 20ft lead line and do the following.
Start walking with your dog around your yard. If she runs ahead of you, (distractions are key) swiftly turn around and eventually your dog will hit the end of the leash. The chain will tighten and initiate a correction. The dog will spin around confused as to what happened, likely run back towards you, and ahead again. Every time she runs ahead, swiftly turn around and she will eventually hit the end of the lead. Praise her with pets when she is at you side, showing her what you want. If she is lagging, do a 180 turn and meet her at your side, then praise her even though you put her there.
Always put your dog in a kennel or room by herself with no toys or anything to do for 15 minutes before and after training. The before makes them excited to go out, and open to learning. Putting them in afterwards makes them think over everything they learned, otherwise it slips their mind.

 

[Weeg]

and for the pulling she pulled a little but there was some slack in the line, but was always infront of me

so i took her on a walk... and she was okay we saw two dogs both times she did not bark but she was jumping up and down on the leash and growling. we also saw a rabbit which is her biggest weakness.

Edit: Looks like your on the right track!

Tips-
Never repeat a command, unless you want your command in teh end to be, "Sit, sit, sit, May.... Sit, Sit". Once you've taught the dog what you want them to do, say the command once, then correct. Correct 3 times, then resort to placing them in the position.

Be conisitant. You need to practice ever day if you want to get anywhere fast. In elude distractions in your daily training sessions. Go to the bakery, the dog park, or just walk down the street. The only un fair distractions are someone calling her by name, or baiting with food.

Keep sessions short and always end on a good note. For an adult dog, each session should only be 5-10 minuets, and keep watch for when their attention starts wavering. If you go on a long walk, bring the long lead, and after 5-10 minuets put her on teh long lead, and pick a release command. I use "Free to go". Then, she can run around, sniff, potty, her only job is to stay within 20 ft.

 

[littledog]

Do you have any neighbors with well-trained dogs living nearby? Or friends with well-trained dogs who are willing to come by and help you?
After Maggie is good at loose-leash walking in the backyard and seems to understand she is expected to stay by your side, you could get neighbors to help you, by walking their dogs by you while you walk Maggie down the block. You could start by walking in opposite directions on the opposite side of the street, and as she gets better at not reacting too much, progress to walking in the same direction on opposite sides, passing each other nearby, and eventually walking together. If you can, try this with a variety of different dogs.

 

[Folly's place]

Try the 'trick' of walking calmly on lead, much better all around.
Smart dogs pick up behaviors really fast, good and bad, and she's learned that obedience is only for the house, not out in public.
Working with a trainer would be good, especially if it's not a 'cookies first' type of trainer.
At least she's small! Easier to catch her attention, and not pull you over as easily.
Mary