OUT OF CONTROL DOGS

These are extremely high strung dogs or dogs with high strung personalitites that are pretty much off the chart. Just like high strung dogs, it really doen't matter of the size of the dog either. They could range in every size and color from a small Jack Russell to a large Yellow Lab. Like any high strung dog, most of the challenges you are going to have in training are going to take place in the beginning of training. So the initial training is going to require a large amount of patience. My suggestion is to make a point to be sure the dog is calm and in control even before you attempt to start training him.

What you’re going to find is that since these dogs have such an incredibly high drive and such an upbeat personality, when you go to train them, you’re going to want to be just the opposite. You’re going to do things that involve a lot of control, because your dog is probably not going to want to stay in one place.  The example that I like to use is almost like an anchor on a boat and you being the anchor. If the current is strong, but the anchor is heavy enough, the boat isn’t going anywhere. There are a few things that you want to avoid with out of control dogs, and that is anything that will increase his excitement or get him any more animated than he already is. What you are going to find is that quite often, even introducing food or treats to high strung dogs can increase their attitude and personality. That is probably one of the biggest differences between my technique and other positive training methods.

So instead of using treats, the types of rewards that I recommend using with these types of dogs are tactile rewards which involve petting your dog and using yourself as a reward. You will also find that your voice is also an important key. If you have a lot of excitement in your voice, it senses to reason that the sound will probably get your dog more excited too. Just like being an anchor, you always want to think about being calm and in control. You will find that by using tactile rewards such as petting and stroking can actually calm your dog down too. It is also essential that you are very direct with these types of dogs.

Remember that with the right training these types dogs of dogs will calm down. Once they calm down enough to where introducing treats does not excite them and get them out of control, you can then start using treats to train them.

For information on other types of personalities, click below:

HIGH STRUNG

MELLOW AND LAID BACK

SOFT, TIMID, OR SHY

 

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