My first dog

[nickeley102]

Dog stories/pictures etc???

 

Im getting a dog as a birthday present.

 

He is part border collie, part lab, golden and awesome.

 

Do you guys have any tips? I want to train him to do tricks and i want him to make toilet outside

 

Thanks

[Skeptical]

Make sure that you socialize him while he's still young, if you're getting a pup.

 

It'll be frustrating, and you'll be cleaning up stuff you don't want to, but it's worth it. Be patient, it's just a stage.

 

Should be fairly smart, so basic training shouldn't be to big of a deal. Better trainers have written articles on it, so just read around, and make sure you always read several articles on the subject, and then pick the best and most useful info from each.

 

Dogs are awesome, so have fun. :thumbsup:

[Bloodstain]

If he's part collie/lab, be prepared to give him a couple hours of exercise a day. Dog parks are great for this, and like cooldog said it's really good to get them socialized. But don't freak out if your dog and another dog start playing rough. Dog parks can be fun.

 

How old is the dog?

 

To make him go outside, just give him treats and lots of praise when he pees/poos outside, and if he's a puppy take him outside every ~45 minutes. Don't punish him for going inside, and don't hit your dog.

 

Tricks are easy, just say "sit" and maybe combine it with a hand gesture, and push his butt down so he sits, then give him a treat. Do that a few times until he does it without you pushing his butt down.

 

Border Collies and labs are really smart, so you should have fun with him!

[fastortoise]

Love him, because he will always love you until the day he dies. And if you know he had a good loving life alongside you, then when that day comes it will hurt a lot less.

 

:cry:

[stevepole]

I love dogs, the best advice I can give you is to always love him. As far as training goes I would go to your local book store and check out what they got there or google first time dog owner and see what tips come up.

[mcneilp]

The thing i was worried about the most when we first got our dog was teaching it to go to the toilet outside. My mum got a bunch of dog training books from the library with tips and stuff and it ended being quite easy in the end.

Also, pick up after your dog if it craps when you're out walking or whatever.

[Bloodstain]

Also, pick up after your dog if it craps when you're out walking or whatever.

 

Yeah. And always use a leash! For the longest time, when I got home from the dog park I'd let my dog walk the 10 feet from the car to the door without a leash. Last August he saw a squirrel, and BAM, he was gone. Ran after that squirrel down the street and got hit by a jeep. Thankfully he only had minor injuries though, but now I never let him outside without a leash unless it's in the back yard or at the dog park.

 

Oh, and reading up on dog food wouldn't be a bad idea:

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2113296

 

Where are you getting your dog from?

[Giordano]

Also, pick up after your dog if it craps when you're out walking or whatever.

Unless if it's on public grass alongside roads/streets (not parks). Cuz that's a perfect place to go. :mrgreen:

 

I don't have much advise but just love him/her. Play with it and feed it and it'll soon realize you're it's master (or one of the masters, if you have a family). Training take a while so have lots of patience. If you do it right, then it will stick for a lifetime.

[Sam]

Asserting your dominance and leadership, in a gentle way is the best way to train your dog. I'd highly recommend buying a few books on training, and on dog psychology - they'll help you understand your dog in a way better than I could explain.

[tripsis]

Try Googling something like "My first dog" or "How to train a dog." There are plenty of guides out there with great information. As previously stated, border collies are VERY active dogs and require a lot of exercise. Make sure the dog gets plenty of he could become a bit destructive :P Border Collies are my favourite dog breed though, so that's awesome (even though yours is a mix - still cool!) :) I had a dog years ago.. wish I could have another now.

[RSBDavid]

Use treats to re-enforce training. I eventually taught my boxer to use the bathroom outside. I gave it a treat when it went to the door and barked to be let out. I watched through a window and if it used the bathroom I would give my dog a treat. It took around three weeks for my dog to get it down.

 

Never use negative re-enforcement. If your dog uses the bathroom inside of the house, LEAD it outside and encourage it to use the bathroom there. Never yell or physically harm the dog.

[Bloodstain]

I've heard nothing but good things about NILIF, seems like a good thing to try

 

http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

[Star_Fox]

My first pet is a Cockapoo puppy. cutest thing I've ever had. :mrgreen:

 

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[nickeley102]

He's 7 months old. This NILIF thing sounds pretty good. I want to do things right for the start but its pretty hard not to just go pat him when he is barking because he wants attention.

 

When I went to go get him from the SPCA he didn't bark once but when I got him home he was acting bizarre and barking. I want to put him outside when he barks, is this a good idea to dissuade this behaviour?

[Bloodstain]

I wouldn't worry about being super strict right away if you don't want to, just as long as he's at the level you want him to be. As for the barking, what's he barking at/for? He might just need more exercise, being a puppy + the breeds that he is, he's going to need a couple hours of exercise a day probably. He might see going outside a reward for barking, and it won't really stop the barking, you'll just have a dog barking outside :blink: But yeah, dogs tend to act different at the shelter than when you get them home, the shelter is a scary place.

 

You could try clapping your hands loudly until he stops barking and pays attention to you, and then redirect his attention to something else

[dsavi]

Introduce him to everyone you can while he's still young. Let him meet lots, and I mean lots of other dogs and people so that he's used to it. Not doing that was part of the mistake we made with our first dog, and we payed dearly. Do it.

[Denith]

Introduce him to everyone you can while he's still young. Let him meet lots, and I mean lots of other dogs and people so that he's used to it. Not doing that was part of the mistake we made with our first dog, and we payed dearly. Do it.

 

Yeah, I know what it's like, we have this antisocial neurotic dog breed from the seed of her brother.

 

Oh yeah, she's a Schnauzer too. Loud as hell when she sees things worth barking at.