Can anyone help with training?
 

I got a black and tan coonhound a couple of weeks ago, and her training seems to have hit a wall...or mine has. She is usually good in the house, but outside with distractions I cannot get her attention no matter what I try. I'm not aiming for anything advanced at this stage, just the basics (sit, down, come), but local obedience groups don't seem to have much experience with hounds and they tell me I am wasting my time trying to teach her this. She learns fast, we got sit and down in about 20 mins, but outside she gets selectively deaf and isn't interested in anything but other people, dogs and scents. I don't know how old she is, just that her last owner kept her starved andshut upso all of this is new to her. Inthe house she will not leave my side and whines and urinatesthe minute I am out of sight, which is another problem in itself. Outside though I may as well not exist. Any tips on how I might get her attention? Inside she hates to be ignored so that works well, but obviously that won't transferoutdoors. We tried a no bark collar for that problem and shewould rather bark and get shocked than keep quiet, so I am reluctant to try a remote collar on her.All I know is if she keeps this up she's headed for a lifetime on the leash, getting run over or ending up stolen.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

Sounds like some behavioral issue with the whining and urinating. She's probably not used to having a person there so she gets upset when you're not around. But it does sound like she's bonded well. You may want to try leaving her alone for half an hour someplace where it's easy to clean like a garage. She howl and bark but don't go to her until she settles down. Try this then slowly extend the time. Kinda akin to the chain gang.

I don't know about hounds but this is how we generally teach bird dogs with ecollars.

Forthe outdoors, let her get use to you. I don't really see any problems with using an ecollar as long as it's a reinforcement tool. She has to know come/herecommand. In the yard or enclosed area, let her run abit before actual training. If she's used to the bark collar then she'll easily adapt to the ecollar. Get a long leash. Use lowest setting first on the collar. Command - nick - command pull her to you. If no response from nick,wait a bit and use the next setting. Repeat until you finally get her attention. For my dog it's (4 of 8). Anything less she'll ignore.Do ituntilyou get her attention. That's all you want for now. Put the transmitter away. It's like setting a realistic goal for that day and stick with it until she's done it. Don't train more than 20-30 mins daily but break it up. Before running, after running. It may take a week, month, or months but be patient but also persistant.

Some dogs have a higher threshold for pain and will ignore the ecollar. In this case, you'll have to go to a professional or a behavior specialist. Since you got her as a rescue, you don't know what kind of conditioning it had. You don't know if it's been socialized so it may be aggressive to other people. A dog kept in a kennel most of it's life almost always tend to be strange but you can overcome this if the dog's still young.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

Thanks a lot for your suggestions, I appreciate your help. She's actually gone to the opposite extreme from being kept kennelled, and loves nearly everybody she meets, especially children,although I think certain people remind her of her last owner and she will try to bolt. She's yet to growl at anything. The only sign she seems to show of her pastis her anxiety at being left alone, almost to the point of hyperventilation.

As far as remote collars, do you have any experience of the citronella kind? The ones I have looked at claim to be 4 times as effective as the electric kind, but I don't see anything to substantiate this.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

As to bark collars, don't get any that uses vocal cords. It's the sportdog one. My setter defeated it the first day, scratched and scratched till she knocked it off center. Any quality collar will cost atleast $80 or so. Also, with sportdog collars, you have to return them to the manufacture to recharge or replace the battery. Sorry, I don't know about the spraying collars, after spending $130 on two of them (Innotek) I don't figure on spending anymore. I just use my ecollar.

Ecollar are only for reinforcement. I use it only when she's barking and with the come command. I figure I can control her when she's close. I haven't used it for a couple of days, didn't need to. The last time I went over level 6 was when she was playing stubborn a couple of weeks ago. So, you really have to take it easy with them. I may use it to teach her to be steady when shooting birds but I won't be putting it on her neck but around her belly. But, to try to use it as a training tool scares me. Some people, usually with alot of dog experience have sucessfully done it but too me there is too much room for error.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

Mite,
you are right the collar has alot of room for error. It may also do more harm than good. more dogs have been ruined with e-collars than anything else (except Diamond Dog Food)
AS LONG AS AN E-COLLAR IS USED RIGHT IT CAN BE A VALUABLE TRAINING TOOL
Dogtra makes a (NCP) nick, constant, pager
it is very effective because you can control the intensity very well and the vibrating pager sometimes gets the command down without any shock 200ncp about $199.00 2 dog unit 202ncp gold(recomended) about $319.00
the dogtra no bark collar is the best you can buy and it has intensity settings as well about $100.00

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

I took my dogs to pro's right from pups and the first thing we trained them to do was come.They tell you to cut hot dogs up into tiny pieces and the best place to keep them is in your mouth, so the dog doesn't know you have them(can't smell them).First start by clapping your hands quickly and say come, the moment they come to youwhip a piece of hot dog out and at the same time as you give it to them give enthusiasticpraise" good "!You need them on a leash wait for them to get to the end and repeat,20 min's each training session so they don't get board. When theycome right away every time, drop off the treats and just give praise and patting.After they learn it with no treats next when you say come raise your hand high in the air,eventually you will be able to raise your hand in the Field and when they see it they will come.Strait from the pro's and this guy is very big around here.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

Thanks for your tips. The problem i'm having is more a case of her being distracted or ignoring me than not knowing what she is supposed to do. She'll come every time I call her in the house, but the minute I get outside I could call her until I was blue in the face. I've been trying to get her used to distractions but it's not helping that other dog owners often let theirs leap all over her and she just can't ignore it. I think i'm going to have to invest in some kind of remote collar when I have the money, she seems too smart and stubborn for anything else, including a 20ft leash.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

I don't know if this is a rescue dog or not, but it sounds as if it suffers from seperation anxiety. This takes a while to work through but can be done, if the dog was starved before, it should be very food oriented and you should use treats in alot of the training inside or out. Start by taking short trips outside (2-3 min.)and coming back in and giving treat for good behavior it's supposed to let the dog know you are coming back. This seperation problem if coupled with pooping or peeing can be a very serious problem. Obedience training does not help improve this condition. Is the dog male or female (marking territory)?Also does the dog have a safe place to go such as a crate or kennel, that should be theirs and theirs alone. If trainers are saying they can't help you because it's a hound then they can't be trainers, because it's dog behavior not hound behavior. Last but not least check with a vet and they may be able to recommend someone to help you. An electronic collar may not be the best thing to use since this dog is probably seriously stressed. Check amazon.com for rescue dog books.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

Unfortunately the separation anxiety finished my dog off. I left her at a friend's house, and his roommate let her escape. We found her 2 miles away heading home by the side of the highway, with a broken back so I had to put her to sleep :(

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

I'm sorry to hear that. My wife and I put one of our dogs down 3 years ago. I know no one feels exactly how you feel right now, but I've been there. It helps to think of all the good times you had together.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

My wife and I had to get a blacklab to sleep and we feel
saddened for your experience.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

Oh my god ! I am so sorry to hear that. Hopefully she's at peace now, I know it is very difficult to lose or give up on a dog. When your heart heals get right out there and get another, lots of dogs need loving homes.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

I'm very sorry to hear about your dog. Atleast yougave her a loving home. God bless.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

Thanks for all your condolences. Today I came home to a bundle of fluff my roommates had got me from the pound - a 10 week old black lab/golden retriever mix. She seemsdetermined to keep me busy and smiling, I just wishScarlett was still with us to play with her. I'll be far more selective about whoI let watch my dog in future.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

She looks like a sweatheart. Just the type of dog everyone needs in their life.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

Yes, definitely a cute pup. We like to think our Weimaraner, Belle, is Tahoe reincarnated (the dog we put down) because she acts so similar.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

It's funny that you should say that. I got a phone call yesterday from the pound where I got my coonhound saying that they had her. I told them that they didn't, but they were so convinced that they told me I needed to send them proof that she had been euthanized. Out of curiosity I went in to take a look at the dog, and if I hadn't found Scarlett with her collar on I would have sworn it was her too. The markings are identical, as is the temperament. She must either be a litter mate or perhaps I got a second chance with my dog. Either way, now I have to figure out a way to bail her out as they are planning on euthanizing her.

RE: Can anyone help with training?
 

Our lab was put to rest three years ago, she was seventeen
years old. My wife just brought her home as the people who had
her had just had a baby. She shed so much that they were afraid
the baby would get into the hair when she was crawling around.
So we became lab owners and the old owners would stop by and
see her from time to time. But on her last year in Janurary with the
cold weather she could barley get around. So we had decided to
let the vet euthanize her [:o]we still feel bad about it. But, we knew it
was the best thing for her. Then she wanted another lab but, I knew
that another couldn't be the same as the one we had. So now we own
Irish Setter field dogs. And we surely hope that the coonhound gets to find a good home. It's alwayssad when
a good pet ends up being in these types of situations.