Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[Snagglefangs]

Handsome boys!! Hope you guys have a safe move!

[eleutheromania]

Hi! So I recently got a Japanese Spitz puppy, He's around 8-9 weeks old, Hes been with me for around about a week and im currently struggling really hard to train him
He doesnt respond to his name, He doesnt respond to no 80% of the time and nothing seems to be helping?
Like ive looked up tons of tutorials but nothing seems to really be helping

SO if anyone has any tips/ tricks on how I can start training him to learn his name, tell him stop/no, sit, ect. I would really appreciate it ty ^^

Bonus pic of him

I have a american eskimo dog, which is similar in terms of being in the spitz family. Even though he is a puppy, training intervals shouldn't exceed max of 10mins. that said, you can always improve learning his name by simply reinforcing his attention on you with his food by hand feeding and marking a specific behavior. i wouldn't try stop/no as that is going to be a more difficult concept for a young puppy to learn. basics you could start on are name, recall, and sit. spitz are usually extremely eager to please in terms of the owner/handler relationship. they are an incredibly smart group so definitely be on top of training.

Here is my 6 year old eskimo.
kasper

[payno.]

Took this last night..



Reminded me of our boy we lost when our home caught fire back in December, copper.


Also we got exhibit b of familiarness

[Snagglefangs]

ooh, sweet baby ;w; dexter looks so good! and i'm so sorry about copper, he was such a handsome boy :'0

[payno.]

ooh, sweet baby ;w; dexter looks so good! and i'm so sorry about copper, he was such a handsome boy :'0

Copper was our best boy (well my boyfriends) mine was my cat tigger who died in my arms last year in October. Hardest day of my life…. I miss my boys every single day

[Snagglefangs]

aww :< right after each other like that, i'm so sorry to hear that,,,, do you have anything to remember them by?

[payno.]

aww :< right after each other like that, i'm so sorry to hear that,,,, do you have anything to remember them by?

They’re both cremated <3

[Snagglefangs]

ahh sweet!! <3 that's good. i remember when i was livin w my grandma and we lost her lhasa apso n had him cremated, it's at least a lil comfortin to know they're around

how is dexter doing? settling in with everything ok? :>

[payno.]

ahh sweet!! <3 that's good. i remember when i was livin w my grandma and we lost her lhasa apso n had him cremated, it's at least a lil comfortin to know they're around

how is dexter doing? settling in with everything ok? :>

Yeah but it’s still not the same..

He’s doing good but constantly growls at my boyfriends dad whom did absolutely nothing to him. We can’t get him to stop.. we’ve tried everything..

[Snagglefangs]

definitely not, but the tiny amount of comfort is definitely somethin to be cherished, at least ;w;

oh no i wonder why he's perceiving him as a threat? it might take a while, but you could try lots of counterconditioning and positive reinforcement. starting with them in the same room, his dad sitting in a chair w/o making any noise or trying to engage with the dog, and having dexter stand far enough away that he doesn't feel threatened but can see him, with none of his stuff in there (no toys or food or anything) if thats possible and like, rewarding him for being able too see him and not growling, etc etc, for 10 minutes a day and getting closer and closer bit by bit until he's a lil more comfortable being near him and doesn't view him as a threat / associates seeing him with the love and treats. it'd take a while, but it'd hopefully help him at least a bit

on top of that, once he seems to have come to terms with him a little more / can be closer to and in the same room as him, having him give dexter treats and praising him whenever the dad walks into a room that dexter's in and he doesn't growl, etc will help him start to associate him with good things, and don't forget to use a leash and possibly a muzzle during training jic

i am not a professional trainer tho and it might help to find a behaviorist or a trainer who can help you, tho i know that could also be a bit costly and it can be hard to find one who's certified and trustworthy. i know how frustrating behavioral issues can be, i hope you're able to help him so that he and your bf's dad can feel a little safer

edit: sorry for rambling--