Dog training help - She will not listen to me when she sees another dog!

[Moochie]

I have a 4 month old Queensland heeler puppy who is good for the most part, but if she sees another dog she goes crazy. She wants to play with whatever dog and will not listen to me when I say come, whistle, call her name, clap, etc etc. If there is no dog around she will come to me when I do those things.. It happened today, I let her out while I was getting mail, she usually does not wander off but she saw this little dog loose on the street [it belongs to a neighbor] and she chased after it. I called "Clementine!" and she would not listen. The first time she stopped, looked at me, then focused on the little dog. After that she ignored all my calls and whistles and insisted on playing/chasing/bothering this small dog who did not want to play because it was running away.
I got her and put her back in the yard and I was really frustrated that she would not listen to me. What if she ran and got hit by a car? My neighborhood is rural but still you never know..
At the vet she goes crazy when she sees other dogs too. The only way for me to control her is to be firm and a little loud.. But I'm embarrassed to do so because I don't want anyone thinking I'm being mean, I need to make her stop pulling on the leash and jumping around! I don't want people to think I'm being cruel because everyone I see treats their dogs like babies. And the vets are kinda.. Well I don't like them. They try to make decisions for me when it's my dog and it gets annoying.. [A little off topic but they were like demanding that she gets spayed at 6 months, they don't know this but I'm going to let her have her first heat and then she can get spayed. She'll be in an empty chicken coop/run, fully covered, and we will go on leashed walks so no pesky unaltered male dogs will bother her. I read that a lot of vets do what's standard because of population control, not what's good for the dog.]

She's never aggressive with other dogs, but she will get too playful and they snap at her. I understand she's still a puppy. Any help with having her listen to me when I say "COME" when there are other dogs around would be great. I am close to a dog park, I will keep her on leash at those until she learns not to go koo-koo with the other dogs.
I've never had this problem with puppies I've had in the past... Is it normal with Australian Cattle Dogs to be a little more independent?

 

[Chickenfan4life]

I cannot help you with this, but I hope someone can. Just bumping thus up for you so you'll get help.

 

[noahsmom]

This is 100% normal, heelers are known to want to please their masters but also are very independent thinkers! They are naturally herding dogs and if she is not getting the proper amount og exercise each day that these dogs need she can become destructive and more so unresponsiver to you in times like this when she hasn't got out all of her excitement/excess energy. You need to start training now.

What you can do is have her on a long lead and let her run around on this lead while you are holding the other end, just at different times have some treats on you and either call her name or use your "come" phrase. When she come to you offer her a TON of praise and immediately give her the treat. You do this over and over, you can do it while in your home and she is loose and call her name, out in public and at the dog park you need to be trying this all the time. You might even just work your way up to such BIG distractions and start with smaller distractions having her come to you with praise/treat! Eventually, you can lose the treat and she will come out of habit and wanting to please you. After she learns to come to you since it sounds like she is let loose a lot, then start training her to HEEL if she already doesn't know how.

Unfortunately some dogs will ALWAYS be independent thinkers and that is just their personality, you won't train it out of them, may get better but not be completely fixed. Heelers are the type of breed like my Boston Terrier that are known to chase after things without warning and leave you helpless calling them back, which has fallen on deaf ears.
Just start working on her training now and have the whole family pitch in.

We use NILF (Nothing in life is free)...We make our Boston sit before he gets his food bowl and wait, we walk out of the door first, we do trainings several times per week still at 1year old even though he knows all the basic commands +more...I think this not only builds our bond and trust it just over all gives him some mental challenge that he needs (like heelers) and help him respect that we "the humans" are the pack leaders and he is not.
Hopefully all this has made sense, What I said above is what I have always done with all of my dogs and I've always had pleasant dogs that listened.

 

[donrae]

To start with, she's a baby. All babies would rather play then mind, are quite distractable and have short attention spans. It's very normal. You just have to continue to teach her to mind you, and that teaching usually takes several months and some mental maturity. Like with a human toddler, you often have to physically gain their attention to get them to focus on you. So if she is paying attention to another dog, you need to physically redirect her attention back to you. Sometimes that's a loud sound, like a sharp word or clap, sometime it's a light snap from a leash. Depends on the situation.

I wouldn't keep her on a leash in a dog park, in fact ours doesn't allow the dogs to be leashed as it causes more problems. I'd just let her interact with the other dogs freely, they'll tell her if she's overstepping her bounds. I wouldn't try keep her from the other dogs there, that should be the place she gets to interact freely.

I would look for a friend or someone with a dog she doesn't know well to help you train her. Keep her on a long leash and have the other dog walk back and forth while you redirect her attention to you. Don't expect a lot right away, remember she's a baby!

 

[dainerra]

honestly, if you talk to a lot of dog people, they will tell you that they HATE dog parks.
I only go with people that I know or if it is completely empty. Also, if your park doesn't have a small dog side and a large dog side, I wouldn't go either. I go because it's a HUGE fenced area where I can play with Singe. I don't want him to play with other dogs. I want him to be focused on me.
As donrae said, she is a baby and playing is going to be a lot more fun. NEVER call her unless you can insure that she will come to you. Otherwise, you are teaching her that she is able to ignore you.
Get her attention and then run AWAY from her. However, with the incentive of another dog, this might not work. When all else fails, simply go and get her. NEVER let her off-leash outside. Even for a second. If she was a toddler would you turn her loose in an unfenced yard by the street? Well, she is a toddler who can run a lot faster than you.

As for keeping her in the empty coop/run, I wouldn't unless it has solid walls. Dogs mating through chain link is NOT a myth. You need to keep her indoors. And don't underestimate her desire to mate. My friend had a female yorkie climb out of a 6foot kennel go down to the other end of the building and climb into another 6 foot kennel where the stud dog was kept.

Keep in mind that she is a baby. when all else fails, just remove her from the situation. Tell the receptionist at the vet that you will be standing outside. Think of it like a "time out"

Also, never keep a dog leashed at the dog park. This invites many more problems than it will ever solve.

 

[Peaches Lee]

I would keep her leashed at all times. Is she the only dog in your household? I suggest finding a puppy class. This would give her the opportunity to play and socialize with like minded individuals instead of a grumpy senior that wants to chew her face off. LOL! Usually the puppy classes do some basic obedience, I think it would be great for both of you.

It's a shame that people nowadays have to worry about disciplining their dogs for fear of backlash and being accused of "abuse". I have noticed that this whole movement away from what I call "old school" training has not made better dogs--if anything, you have lots of out of control dogs with problems. Anyway, that was a ramble. Good luck to you and enjoy your pup!!

 

[Fly 2006]

Totally agree with Donrae, she will learn, it just takes time and of course as a pup she will want to go to another dog than to you! You have to make yourself more appealing, you have yet to create that bond and respect, she will learn that to follow your direction is a good thing and makes her a happy dog, so lots of positive interaction and lots of praise when she gets it right, I believe very much in positive training but if you have an independent dog ( which I do) you do sometimes have to let them know you mean what you say and if that means harsh words then thats better than being run over as they are running off in the other direction...... Mine finds deer very hard to resist, I know when she sees one then I have to call her in my deepest I bloody mean it voice, she will have a look of " I think I better do as she says"

Then boy does she get praised, I know how hard that has been for her! Just one more thing that I learned the hard way, do not stop her playing and interacting with other dogs, you do not want to turn her the other way and make her see other dogs as a bad thing, encourage play but only when you give permission and she must come back to you when asked......... Good luck X

 

[Moochie]

honestly, if you talk to a lot of dog people, they will tell you that they HATE dog parks.
I only go with people that I know or if it is completely empty. Also, if your park doesn't have a small dog side and a large dog side, I wouldn't go either. I go because it's a HUGE fenced area where I can play with Singe. I don't want him to play with other dogs. I want him to be focused on me.
As donrae said, she is a baby and playing is going to be a lot more fun. NEVER call her unless you can insure that she will come to you. Otherwise, you are teaching her that she is able to ignore you.
Get her attention and then run AWAY from her. However, with the incentive of another dog, this might not work. When all else fails, simply go and get her. NEVER let her off-leash outside. Even for a second. If she was a toddler would you turn her loose in an unfenced yard by the street? Well, she is a toddler who can run a lot faster than you.

As for keeping her in the empty coop/run, I wouldn't unless it has solid walls. Dogs mating through chain link is NOT a myth. You need to keep her indoors. And don't underestimate her desire to mate. My friend had a female yorkie climb out of a 6foot kennel go down to the other end of the building and climb into another 6 foot kennel where the stud dog was kept.

Keep in mind that she is a baby. when all else fails, just remove her from the situation. Tell the receptionist at the vet that you will be standing outside. Think of it like a "time out"

Also, never keep a dog leashed at the dog park. This invites many more problems than it will ever solve.

My property is fenced in, if I put her in the chicken coop she won't be able to get out, it's also fully covered. Unless the dogs can mate through a wooden fence [main fence, I do like my privacy] I wouldn't worry too much. I've had a dog in heat before and she had no problems. The dog park does have separate sections, one for big dogs and one for small dogs, I take her on the small dog side usually when I want to play fetch with her. I do like the big dog side but the dogs there are too rough with her and it's always siberian huskies that are the rough ones.
Okay well, I don't keep her on leash anyways at dog parks so I'll just keep it that way. She goes potty in the front yard, which is fenced, and usually sleeps in my bed but because I have a baby chick in my room she sleeps in the garage. I don't trust her with it, if I'm sleeping and she gets up... well bye bye chick.

 

[Moochie]

I would keep her leashed at all times. Is she the only dog in your household? I suggest finding a puppy class. This would give her the opportunity to play and socialize with like minded individuals instead of a grumpy senior that wants to chew her face off. LOL! Usually the puppy classes do some basic obedience, I think it would be great for both of you.

It's a shame that people nowadays have to worry about disciplining their dogs for fear of backlash and being accused of "abuse". I have noticed that this whole movement away from what I call "old school" training has not made better dogs--if anything, you have lots of out of control dogs with problems. Anyway, that was a ramble. Good luck to you and enjoy your pup!!

I have older smaller dogs that don't like her.. She wants to play play play when I let them socialize and they ignore her usually. If they start growling or snapping I put them back in the backyard. I always supervise because they're dachshunds and not as big as her. My oldest one is 8 years old and she's supposed to be Clementines big sister in a family sense. I would keep them together if Clemmy wasn't so rough and the dachshunds want to kill my birds, I don't want them influencing Clementine. I know that sounds weird but she acts a lot different with the chickens when she's around the dachshunds.

 

[Moochie]

This is 100% normal, heelers are known to want to please their masters but also are very independent thinkers! They are naturally herding dogs and if she is not getting the proper amount og exercise each day that these dogs need she can become destructive and more so unresponsiver to you in times like this when she hasn't got out all of her excitement/excess energy. You need to start training now.

What you can do is have her on a long lead and let her run around on this lead while you are holding the other end, just at different times have some treats on you and either call her name or use your "come" phrase. When she come to you offer her a TON of praise and immediately give her the treat. You do this over and over, you can do it while in your home and she is loose and call her name, out in public and at the dog park you need to be trying this all the time. You might even just work your way up to such BIG distractions and start with smaller distractions having her come to you with praise/treat! Eventually, you can lose the treat and she will come out of habit and wanting to please you. After she learns to come to you since it sounds like she is let loose a lot, then start training her to HEEL if she already doesn't know how.

Unfortunately some dogs will ALWAYS be independent thinkers and that is just their personality, you won't train it out of them, may get better but not be completely fixed. Heelers are the type of breed like my Boston Terrier that are known to chase after things without warning and leave you helpless calling them back, which has fallen on deaf ears.
Just start working on her training now and have the whole family pitch in.

We use NILF (Nothing in life is free)...We make our Boston sit before he gets his food bowl and wait, we walk out of the door first, we do trainings several times per week still at 1year old even though he knows all the basic commands +more...I think this not only builds our bond and trust it just over all gives him some mental challenge that he needs (like heelers) and help him respect that we "the humans" are the pack leaders and he is not.
Hopefully all this has made sense, What I said above is what I have always done with all of my dogs and I've always had pleasant dogs that listened.

I do let her loose in a fenced yard. I take her on a walk everyday and I'll take her on car rides to places. Mom is teaching her to heel right now and she says heel pretty loud. Thank you for this..
I will admit I am bothered at how my mom's step son and his wife spoil Clementine and always baby talk her. I feel like I'm doing something wrong because they always sweet talk her and I sweet talk her when I'm either training/praising her or when it's bed time and I rub her belly. I also noticed when they're around Clementine wants to walk next to them, follow them, and ignore me... -__- Am I really doing something wrong? Or does she just like them because they spoil her? I spoil her too! I bought her a bunch of toys and nice chewy stuff from the feed store. I don't see anyone else with pig ears readily available in their car... I think her smallest distractions are leaves blowing in the wind and biggest is other dogs.
He has two dogs who are really well-behaved [and much older than any of my dogs]. I asked him how do I get Clemmy like that and he gave me a book.. A Ceezar Milan book.. He said the stuff actually works. I'm used to old school training methods, not making a "shh" noise, the real "DOWN" "SIT" "HEEL" stuff. The regular pet dogs we had in the past were all trained old school and came out good. Mom took them walking just on our block and taught them heel, sit, gimme your paw, and wait. Wait was for when she had a treat and the dogs would jump or not sit long enough. Anyways this Ceezar Milan stuff is alien to me.
Does it matter that my mom trains old school? Why do some people think it's mean? I'm not saying "shush" to my dogs. When my brother does it Clemmy kind of listens, he points his finger at her and all that. When I do it she thinks my finger is a toy and tries to bite..

I used to watch Ceezar Milan when I was a kid. I thought it was the best thing ever except it didn't work on my mutt because he was trained old school. I don't know which training method is generally better.. Who here uses the Milan "shhh" ? How does the dog know what "shh" means what, one shh means sit and another means heel? Or gimme your paw?