[yungster]

It's not much... just practicing "sit." See how well Koa has done! He is just now starting to listen and obey. Now I just have to get him to lie down! We haven't worked on that enough. I'll be teaching him the rest right along with Nala.

And for the record, I do train them separately! This little exercise was just for the video. I am just posting this FOR FUN, so no harsh critics or picking apart what I've done wrong. Again, this was all in fun... their real training sessions are very different.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Wwhrj1Yok4

PS: Just had to add that Nala is just dirty from playing outside, she doesn't have spots on her.

 

[Rachel Zugg]

your pups are sooooo stinkin cute I can't stand it!

 

[vodka6483]

lol so you have a new pup aswell how old is she?
shes GORGEOUS

nice voice by the way

 

[ambull040769]

Thats not training, that is teaching your dogs to do tricks for food...wait a week and make the same video without any food and see what they do

 

[yungster]

LOL, thanks...I sound like a little kid! :lol:

Yeah I just rescued this little one, she's 11 weeks old. She's not in the best health right now, but I am fattening her up! She'll be growing like a weed before too long!

 

[yungster]

Thats not training, that is teaching your dogs to do tricks for food...wait a week and make the same video without any food and see what they do

I said it was just for FUN! And I will go out there right now with no food and they will still obey. Give me a few minutes.

 

[ambull040769]

Not right now...I said wait a week and have someone else shoot the video so we can see you dont have food in your hand and I bet they wont do it!

I am not trying to start a fight with ya I am just saying it is the wrong way to train a dog. They will learn a limited number of tricks and just go through the motions when they think they will be getting food.

 

[Lisa]

I think food is an excellent way to shape behaviour and teach new exercises. My female did not even eat food from a bowl until she was about 6 months old. She got it all from my hand, starting with simple eye contact and gradually on to different commands like sit, down, heel, etc. She is now 18 months old and very obedient of me and she will still execute commands without a food reward! If she doesn't she gets corrected because she knows better but for the most part she does what she is told. I still do use food reward to keep her motivated (I use toys also) but she gets it alot less than she used to. Without some sort of motivation other than verbal praise, you can still get an obedient dog but the dog will not work happily. A happy working dog may not be important to some, but it is to me. I want my dog to love obedience and I also want the judge to love the way my dog works also and that won't happen unless you motivate your dog. I want my dog to enjoy spending time with me and enjoy learning. I don't want a dog that works only because it is forced to. I want a happy dog and a happy LOOKING dog, not a dog that is flat like a pancake in its work. That looks like crap and most times the dog isn't all that happy to be doing what it is doing.

 

[yungster]

Not right now...I said wait a week and have someone else shoot the video so we can see you dont have food in your hand and I bet they wont do it!

I am not trying to start a fight with ya I am just saying it is the wrong way to train a dog. They will learn a limited number of tricks and just go through the motions when they think they will be getting food.

Dude, I don't lie. Do you realize how old Heaven is? She's been doing this for well over a year. She doesn't need food to listen anymore. Koa? Now he is stubborn. I have some difficulty with him because I JUST started training him recently.

And I'm not really "training" Heaven anything new. She knows all her basics, and HAS known her basics since she was 4-5 mos old. Look up my old posts if you don't believe me. It's a well known fact that she will obey whatever I command, always. Food or not. She is a good girl. I was just practicing with her for the VIDEO, again... I said it TWICE in my first post, but I will say it again. This wasn't a "real" training session. I did this for FUN, so you guys could see Nala interacting with my other 2. Thought it would be cute to show you guys how nicely I am teaching Nala and Koa to sit. Please don't take any of it seriously.

I got the video of them obeying with no treats... but if you're just going to accuse me of "cheating"... number 1, that's juvenile and just stupid. Number 2, I have no way of proving myself, so why bother. (I'll still post it right now if anyone else wants to see!) I'll try to post another video later when my son is here, and have him video tape me if you don't believe me. But ummm... you should just take my word. I don't have to lie about my dogs to make friends. Seriously. I have no one to impress, I was just doing something to entertain you, not get slammed.

Guess I should have known better!

 

[ambull040769]

I think food is an excellent way to shape behaviour and teach new exercises. My female did not even eat food from a bowl until she was about 6 months old. She got it all from my hand, starting with simple eye contact and gradually on to different commands like sit, down, heel, etc. She is now 18 months old and very obedient of me and she will still execute commands without a food reward! If she doesn't she gets corrected because she knows better but for the most part she does what she is told. I still do use food reward to keep her motivated (I use toys also) but she gets it alot less than she used to. Without some sort of motivation other than verbal praise, you can still get an obedient dog but the dog will not work happily. A happy working dog may not be important to some, but it is to me. I want my dog to love obedience and I also want the judge to love the way my dog works also and that won't happen unless you motivate your dog. I want my dog to enjoy spending time with me and enjoy learning. I don't want a dog that works only because it is forced to. I want a happy dog and a happy LOOKING dog, not a dog that is flat like a pancake in its work. That looks like crap and most times the dog isn't all that happy to be doing what it is doing.

I agree with most of what you said however if the only way to get your dog motivated is using its food drive that tells me it is lacking in other drives. I had a beagle when I was a kid and she would do alot of tricks for food but when the food was gone she would walk away. I like a dog that will want to work and is self motivated and gets pleasure from doing his job. Look at chris's videos as soon as he gives the out command his dog comes running right back to him and gets attention, that is his reward and the dog loves it. I would prefer to use a toy, a ball or a tug rag, my dog I have right now realy likes the rag and I will play tug with him for a minute and then let him have it and he loves it and cant wait to do it again. Some dogs lack drive and I think they can be harder to teach because they dont care for a reward, our boxer is a good example. She is lazy and we have done alot of obdience work with her but she just dont seem happy doing what she is commanded to do. That is not a result of lack of motivation on the training part but a lack in her drive which I think plays a big part in your dog being able to learn.

 

[yungster]

Heaven is very praise motivated. She will obey just to hear the "good girl!" and get belly rubs or ear scratches. When she was a puppy, I used to carry on like an idiot every time she did something right, and she'd get that bashful, "I did good" look on her face. She is just very eager to please. Koa is so stubborn. Very food motivated. He could care less about praise. That is partially my fault.. I totally slacked off training him, and put it off till just recently... so I am going to have some obstacles. I am glad that I started with Nala right away. She is catching on after just one day. All in all.. I was trying to show you that I've got good babies. They are very well behaved, you gotta give them that. Having 3 pit bulls in the same space is not always as easy as I just made it look!

 

[ambull040769]

Heaven is very praise motivated. She will obey just to hear the "good girl!" and get belly rubs or ear scratches. When she was a puppy, I used to carry on like an idiot every time she did something right, and she'd get that bashful, "I did good" look on her face. She is just very eager to please.

Thats what I like to see in a dog!

Koa is so stubborn. Very food motivated. He could care less about praise. That is partially my fault.. I totally slacked off training him, and put it off till just recently... so I am going to have some obstacles.

I feel that the issues might go farther than just slacking in traing up till now. Old dogs can learn new tricks but some dogs are just so bull headed and stuborn they just dont want to do anything! You said He could care less about praise. Thats the same problem we have with our boxer nothing motivates her and it is difficult at best to get her to do anything and that is genetics. My wife bought her from a breader who just bread for show dogs no working ability.

They are very well behaved, you gotta give them that. Having 3 pit bulls in the same space is not always as easy as I just made it look!

I give ya credit here good job :lol:

 

[i love remy]

That was such a cute video. Your dogs are absolutely precious! They all look so sweet. Heaven's lazy sit cracks me up.

 

[sajoseph]

Awwwwe, how cute. Heaven knows what she is doing and I can see her laying and waiting, and dontcha just love how them puppies are always trying to take others treats???She is so cute, Chocy sits too. beautiful dogs. Yeah, whats up with that lazy sit???lol too cute!

 

[HausMommy]

Trina, that was SOOOO cute!!!! A few of Koa's expressions reminded me so much of Haus. Also, I see nothing wrong with using food as a motivator, especially in pet dogs. Keep up the good work!! It took Justice a few days to catch onto sit.

 

[nanniesrock]

Thanks for sharing the video. The last I read, the dogs hadn't been together much, so it was fun to see how they're getting along. (Couldn't get out of it w/out having to defend yourself at least once, unfortunatley; disclaimer and all.) Your dogs are well behaved by the way. I don't really know anyone with a multi-dog household except my sister, and her dogs are totally OUT OF CONTROL. They're completely unfit for company. No one in my family has ever done any obediance with their dogs, Harley has learned more than any other dog (and she doesn't know much)

This is Harley with my sister's dogs, AB Millie, and Lab, Chloe

BTW, these dogs are classic examples of "going through the repetoire(sp?)" trying to get the treat- which consists of like 2 commands, and I can tell you, even over the internet, there is a HUGE difference between these dogs and yours. I think you're doing great.

 

[yungster]

Thanks you guys!!! I was happy to come home and find positive posts. And ambull's post was not bad, I just thought with my disclaimer...well you know. I get huffy over my dogs getting laughed at, LOL. But thank you all, I am trying very hard to get these dogs to behave and obey. I am proud of their progress.

 

[yungster]

Oh by the way, about Heaven's lazy sit.. :lol: That's because she knows I'm gonna ask her to lie down next, so she just "assumes the position." :lol: They are so funny, aren't they!?

 

[LifeIsDaPits]

Ha I love the way she sits down, and it's good to see them behaving so well around the baby

Do you use hand signals aswell or just vocal commands?

 

[yungster]

Ha I love the way she sits down, and it's good to see them behaving so well around the baby

Do you use hand signals aswell or just vocal commands?

I guess I do, but only because I'm naturally one of those people who talks with their hands. I hold my hand out like "Stop" when I say "Off." I wave my hand downward for "sit." And I point to the ground when I want her to lie down, but she still knows the voice commands as well. Only problem is, usually when she lies down, Koa tramples over her and they end up playing... then the lesson is over! Koa's like that annoying little brother who won't stop pulling his sister's braids.