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Definitely worth training camp. You can also.fond trainers that you go to weekly for an hour or two for a few months which can be helpful.

We always trained our dogs ourselves and my H even trained our first lab to duck hunting.

Our current 2, went for full training and hunting retriever champions. It's amazing to have a dog that does everything and anything you ask them to. Even know the qnd back up.

She barks very, very loudly when she wants to play with our other dog and sometimes us. If we ignore her she will continue to bark at us and also bite something she isn't supposed to.

Hi! As much as I hate crate training, we handled brilliantly our dog’s barking by putting her in the crate with the sentence "Do you want to go to bed?" (She doesn’t sleep in the crate but it is a short sentence that works). We keep her in the crate until she stops and then we praise her. Once she stops barking we release her.

It was a training recommended by a dog behaviourist I went to and she has learnt to bark very little and even in a quieter voice.

We don’t even have the crate door anymore but the sentence works perfectly. You need to be consistent. Hope it helps.

[This message edited by Fantastic at 10:37 PM, Wednesday, November 6th]

Working with a trainer is not a bad idea if I can find somebody good. I live in a rural area so there won't be a lot of choices.

She is crate trained. We use it for bed and when we aren't home. I also used it while potty training. If I couldn't have eyeballs on her in she went. She also still chews so for our sanity and her safety she can't be unsupervised yet.

I have read not to use the crate as a punishment. I'm open to using it.

Yeah, I'm sure I'm probably not doing something right with the leash pulling/lunging. I'm doing what a trainer I used with my last Boston recommended but I'm not sure it's the right way to train her. We were told to stop her and make her wait when she is pulling. Maybe I have unrealistic expectations but I feel like if that was going to work she would be doing better by now.

Thanks so much for all the input!!! I spend a lot of time with her and am committed to figuring this out.

I have read not to use the crate as a punishment. I'm open to using it.

You can see it as punishment or "I put you in a safe place but you are not to stay near me!"

I use the crate because it is the only use left, as I explained there isn't even a door anymore, I kept it because we will move again and she will be shipped by plane, so I need the crate, but she could even escape now, there is no door! As soon as we say "Do you want to go to bed?" she goes in direction of the room where we keep the crate and waits there silently that we open the door. It could be another spot of your choice, but it is a consistent approach that is needed. EVERY TIME she barks not to communicate her bowl has no water left, but to be bossy, she needs to be in another place away from you, she needs to feel refused due to her behaviour. Also if she lunges at people or dogs when on the lead, you need to stop EVERY TIME she displays an incorrect behaviour. CONSISTENTLY!!

I hope it helps.

[This message edited by Fantastic at 7:43 PM, Thursday, November 7th]

I think I will try the crate for barking.

We have been stopping her consistently. Today I tried turning her around and stopping. I waited until the leash was completely loose before letting her go forward. She seemed to understand what I wanted and was pretty willing to do it. She is a puppy so blowing leaves are a challenge for her to ignore.

She is a great dog!! I get frustrated with myself.

I am looking at the leashes that Tush suggested.

Thanks!! You all gave me some good suggestions!!

You mentioned chewing too. That's can be an indicator of unspent energy.
I would definitely get her bones and when she does the unwanted behavior put her in the crate with a bone. She will work off that energy and calm. Plus the chewing of bones keep their teeth super clean. Monitor for breaking off small pieces or get deer/elk/moose antlers. These too they love to chew and helps keep teeth clean and in turn breath good.

I come from Europe and an e-collar is simply an unacceptable way to train, in many countries it is illegal because your dog associates it with an unpleasant experience.

There are gentle ways to redirect your dog without causing any kind of discomfort. In Europe a training system that is very gentle and which is obtaining amazing results is clicker training. Unfortunately here links are prohibited but if you search, you will see that also the American Kennel Club approved it and has information available. I recommend you watch a few videos or find a specialised trainer.

You don’t even need to buy the clicker (what would you do if you lost it? ) you can simply click your tongue at the right time instead and the to tongue will always be with you!! Clicker training is ALL ABOUT POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT rather than telling your dog off for undesired behaviour, you always highlight the correct behaviour. It takes some time to learn it but it is really really effective.

[This message edited by Fantastic at 11:05 PM, Saturday, November 9th]

I think Tush was suggesting the leash that has a loop that goes up high around their neck.

I'm not sure what an e collar is?

I don't put collars on my dogs. I use harnesses.

I don't use harsh training methods.

Slip leads and prong collars are good tools but the slip lead is a good starting place for a small dog.
I'm used to working breeds that are big and strong so they are not harmed by the e collars. Again I never have shocked a dog on a level I have tried on myself. It's a tool to get their attention and when the dog is 2 football fields away and you give a command there's no other way to correct a behavior and that is what is needed to train for Waterfowl and upland work

Tushnurse how is a prong collar EVER a good tool to train dogs? That is animal cruelty!!! 😱🤬 I only ever owned giant breeds and the e-collar or prongs are not training tools. In fact in some countries are forbidden by law as they are deemed CRUEL.

[This message edited by Fantastic at 11:08 PM, Saturday, November 9th]

Fantastic you are entitled to your opinion. However there is no one and aiean absolutely NO ONE that treats their animals.better than I do.
You clearly have never worked with an e collar. They do not hurt. I have always tested the collars on myself.
Hard headed dogs retrieving ducks and pheasants sometimes go deaf to voice because they are so focused on retrieving.

I believe when I first mentioned the use of an e collar there would be strong opinions. But if you have never worked with one you don't have the knowledge to understand how they work. Period. I would encourage anyone to attend a HRC test to see the amazing things retrievers can be taught to do.

Fantastic you are entitled to your opinion. However there is no one and aiean absolutely NO ONE that treats their animals.better than I do.
You clearly have never worked with an e collar. They do not hurt. I have always tested the collars on myself.
Hard headed dogs retrieving ducks and pheasants sometimes go deaf to voice because they are so focused on retrieving.

I believe when I first mentioned the use of an e collar there would be strong opinions. But if you have never worked with one you don't have the knowledge to understand how they work. Period. I would encourage anyone to attend a HRC test to see the amazing things retrievers can be taught to do.

Tusnurse in Europe prong collars and e-collars, as well as tails docking or ears mutilations or keeping a dog on a chain are forbidden practices and rightly so.

No other comments are needed.

I think spray collars can be just as effective.
They spray a lemon-scented vapor under the dog’s chin. It’s mainly the surprise that get’s them, plus they don’t really like the smell, but causes no pain. I have seen it work on stopping dogs barking in only a couple of hours.

Bigger why is everybody choosing a training that goes through negative experiences, be they smells, electric shocks or prongs into the neck? Is that a good way you would use to parent your children?

I remember reading that a dog has the equivalent of the brain comparable to a three years old human. Why can’t they learn via pleasure and praise? I was part of different Newfoundland dogs training groups in different countries, we did obedience, water rescue and draught. We engaged the dogs in the activities, we made them bond with their owner, we made them learn and enhance their natural skills but none of us has ever suggested to scare the dogs or make them uncomfortable: they are a giant breed and need a firm trainer who is fair and whom they can trust.
I also went to obedience class with other breeds and it was always about praise and make the dogs want to be with their owners.

Please provide pleasant experiences for your dogs.

Just to be clear: I personally would not use pain to train a dog. I have the most fantastic black lab and we got the very best behavior out of him solely using positive reinforcements... EXCEPT for his puppy years when we used the same negative reinforcements that dogs use amongst themselves.
A puppy that nips at you – say ouch, place him away from the fun (his pack of people) and ignore him for a minute or two. This is probably what his mom would do. He’s desperate for attention and acceptance, and learns quickly that negative behavior is rewarded with a lack of attention and acceptance.
With older dogs – change the stimuli and get the attention away from the activity leading to the bad behavior. This has worked wonders for me. My dog does something I don’t like – I call out the command for "if you do your trick-routine I will give you a boatload of treats", and lo and behold he changes his behavior.

Having said that – I had a friend whose 5-year-old golden would bark constantly when in a car. In all other aspects the dog was ideal, but no matter what the owner tried the dog barked. This was dealt with using a citrus-spray on a bark-activated dispenser. After a couple of barks the dog connected the activity to the spray and quit barking. He spent maybe 2-3 days with the collar, then the collar was in the car for maybe a week and after that it was removed.
I personally wouldn’t use spikes or shock-collars, but find the citrus-spray acceptable if all else fails.