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I thought I would create this thread in order to shed some light on the ideas that come along with force free/ R+ training. Maybe debunk some common myths and misconceptions. Curious how many trainers here consider themselves R+? When you think of that phrase, what comes to your mind? What does it mean to truly live with dogs in a way that does not rely on correction as a form of communication? Any questions/ thoughts welcome here!! This is not meant to divide the people of this forum ... R+ Training -a general place to discuss a variety of topics ..read more

For the last month I've been trying to keep my pup off the couch as she has no couch manners yet. I have a long sectional sofa so it's hard to prevent her when I'm sitting on one end she'll just go and jump up on the far end. I tell her "off" and she'll ignore me unless I have a treat (understandable) but when I reward her for getting down she jumps right back up and it's non-stop until I give up and decide to go sit outside with her for some peace. I've been marking and treating everytime... Having a really hard time keeping my 4.5 month old off the couch ..read more

I will mention that I train Dobermans, and not a rookie with dogs, but this one I am studying a bit. I live in a very rural area. No fences. neighbor has a pair of GPs, one male, one female. They are 100% working dogs. I don't know how much human interaction they get, but they never leave the farm and not socialized with other dogs. However, they have both met my dog countless times and never had any concern, though I will mention that their personality is very "stoic". They don't... Studying an attack of a Great Pyrenees on my Dobie ..read more

Today at nose work, we had a party for one of the girls who is moving to the east coast. We all pitched in and brought things to surprise her with: mimosas, bundt cakes, egg bites, fruit, etc. I made tuna fudge and gave some out to each dog in class. We wore fun hats and glasses and just had a blast. As we all stood around talking, we realized that yes, trials and titles are perhaps what bring us to training, but the bonds we form during training are what keep us there. I am a stereotypical... Training & community ..read more

Hello As recommended by some of you here, I decided to give the slip lead a try. This is what I purchased. Slip Lead I find this 1/2 inch thick slip lead very bulky for him. It is very strong but too bulky. Also it does not stay put - keeps sliding down his neck. I do not want to over tighten either. Has a stopper that works but it keeps slipping. I have it right under the ears as per the... Halti head collar and slip lead ..read more

I have seen a lot of negative feelings surrounding luring. Such as people saying "my dog wont work without food in my hand" or "my dog hyper focuses on the lure hand". Luring is not meant to be permanent though it is a valuable training technique, it is simply a way of guiding the dogs into positions initially, so they get the hang of the behavior, but meant to fade into a more subtle hand signal and/ or verbal cue later on. To prevent some of these problems- 1. take a reward... Luring done properly ..read more

Well, I felt that I should help the community by tapping my knowledge of training Military Working Dogs, Specialized Search Dogs, Law Enforcement Patrol Dogs, etc. and writing about some methods to help you get your four-legged child to be an effective member of your team. I thought this would be a very tough task indeed as there are hundreds of methods that one can use to make Fido into a machine. You MUST remember this as I write these articles. I am trying to take a systematic approach to... Dog Training basics (SERIES ..read more

I have a 4-month-old dobie pup, and the last week she's been ignoring simpler commands indoors, which is normally where she thrives with training. She's been testing more boundaries. I figured I wouldn't have to deal with the setbacks until she was in adolescence, but it seems they've started already -- maybe not adolescence, but the setbacks. She used to go from lay to sit and back, no problem. But now if I say sit, she will lay down. When I wait for her to get into a sit, she doesn't, she... How soon does adolescence start in dobies? I'm having issues with training already ..read more

Here’s the backstory. I live in Central America. I am a dog lover and dog rescuer half my life. I have experience with rescue dogs and dogs with behavior problems. I like to say I “speak dog”, and have rehabilitated many dogs. I also have experience with tough breeds like pitbulls. But no Doberman experience. Fast forward to December. After a slew of breakins in our village in expats homes, we decided we needed a k9 that could act as a family dog as well... Rescue Doberman Attacked me After a Hug ..read more