i am looking after (long term) my best friends dog for about a year or two, he h

1. 50

   chin4gpposted 14 years ago

   i am looking after (long term) my best friends dog for about a year or two, he has no respect...
   
   for me or my house & turns into a monster, im here most of the time he's fed, lots of toys long walks but still has zero respect for me to the point i really want to give him back, how can i make him understand that serious behaviour modifications are needed or a bleak alternative. i have a large garden and live a road away from the beach?he infuriates me to the point where i really want to beat him(TO DEATH)!!! that he ends up getting punished(walk ending, shunned to outside, no attention for a long time2-3hrs) i end up lecturing him like he understands and that makes it worse cos he dosen't
   
   

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2. 60

   HannahRileyposted 14 years ago

   I would speak to your friend and ask how they handle such situations. Maybe this dog was never taught how he/she should act, or any training for that matter. Surely, your friend would be understanding and willing to help in any way since you are doing such a big favor for them. Also, animals are like kids....you have to remove yourself from them if they are frustrating you. Don't allow yourself to get so frustrated that you want to beat the dog. Remind yourself that they don't understand you to a point and must be taught. Training dogs takes alot of patience, and often when dogs are placed in unknown locations, additional training must be done to orient them to the new place. Be patient, and good luck!

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3. 50

   chin4gpposted 14 years ago

   he(zulu) is so well behaved for his momy and shes a tyrant she shouts almost all the time hates walking him ive even seen her smack him once i am the opposite but how can i reward him when hes naughty like this and only for me? maybe i could take him to his for a few days and see if he dosent realize whats hes going to be missing? maybe im not authoritative enough or dont know how to be?maybe i am too accomodating..i have never had a indoor how do i set boundaries that he'll get without looking at me like i burnt down london bridge?he's definatley got guilt down to a T.

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4. 71

   Aiden Robertsposted 14 years ago

   Hi; Sorry it;s taken so long to answer your question.
   
   It really does sound like you have your hands full, don't despair all is not lost.
   
   My first question would be, what was the dog's behaviour like with your friend? If it was acceptable then the dog needs to learn who is the master in your home. If the dog simply ran riot with his owner then it was unfair to ask you to look after the dog. Even the most highly trained dog will play up for humans that it sees as lower down in the pack.
   
   All dogs need to know the ground rules but sadly they do not learn them overnight, it takes time, patience and committment. Another thing I would say is that a dog will mirror your mood, stressed human equals stressed dog, they do not speak english, respond to punishment or know what they are mean't to be doing without you showing them.
   
   Start with the basics, create a calm environment and teach the dog to relax by doing simple training exercises followed by a reward. Repetition is the key here, this is how bonding takes place. We can't get into a full training program here but I and many others have written some very useful training hubs that might help.
   
   Stay calm and keep at it, if this dog is trainable it will respond, if it has never been trained or trained to do what it likes then I would seriously consider asking your friend to make alternative arrangements unless you are an experienced dog trainer.

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