Training Information
Basic Training
Dogue's are very intelligent and eager to please, this makes training them relatively easy providing you k now what your doing.
Dominance can be an issue with any dog and particularly large breeds. The size and strength of the dogue dictate it can be a defiant dog if you do not show them who is boss.
Food agreesion amongst males in particular can be an issue but we personally go to great effort to train this out of our dogs and spend each feeding time with the dogs ensuring they know who is pack leader.
below is an extract from Ceasar Milans Website:
Love is one of the greatest gifts we can share with our dogs. Dogs are affectionate animals. Touch means a lot to them, both in their natural world and when they live with us. However, affection that hasn’t been earned and is shared at the wrong time can be detrimental to a dog. Here are a few of Cesar's thoughts on sharing affection.
Give affection – but at the right time! Remember anytime you give affection, you reinforce the behavior preceding it. Reward stability. Share your love when your dog is in a calm-submissive state.
Share affection after a dog has… exercised and eaten, changed an unwanted behavior into a behavior you asked for, responded to a rule or command, or entered a calm-submissive state.
Don’t share affection when your dog is… fearful, anxious, possessive, dominant, aggressive, whining, begging, barking, or breaking a household rule.
Don’t forget exercise and discipline. Prove your love by giving your dog what he or she needs: Long walks; Rules, boundaries, and limitations.
Give your dogs as much love as you have! Give as much love as your heart can handle and then some! But please give it at the right time.
Food Agression
Food aggression is potentially dangerous behavior that occurs when your dog becomes territorial regarding its food dish or any other source of food. Aggressive behavior can be shown in growling, snapping, or even biting another dog or human who attempts to go near the food bowl. Since any form of aggression in a dog is inappropriate, this behavior should be immediately addressed and modified to allow your dog to be a healthy and happy member of your household. Furthermore, aggressive dogs are more likely to become violent dogs, so you should take steps to curb this behavior in order to avoid painful injuries.
First of all, if your dog if showing signs of food aggression, you should move the dog's feeding area. If you have more that one dog in your home, completely separate the two animals during feeding time. Many dog owners choose to leave food available to their dogs throughout the day. This is an excellent idea, especially if you are away during the day but still want to allow your dog a source of food. However, if your dog is experiencing food aggression, this practice should be stopped and your dog should be fed on a schedule. If you are unsure of a proper feeding schedule, contact your veterinarian.
Second, work to establish yourself as the "alpha male" of your group. Your dog needs to recognize you as the one who provides food and sees you above him on the pecking order of your home. Once this order is recognized, your dog will be less likely to display aggression towards you when you approach his food dish. To establish this order, let your dog know immediately that you can provide him with food if he acts properly, and you can take the food away when improper behavior is shown. This also goes with treats, as dogs often show aggression over food items that are given as treats.
This method will allow to dog to make the connection between proper behavior and his ability to eat. Keep in mind that you may need to maintain the feeding schedule or even keep your dogs separated while eating so your dog does not revert back to his aggressive behavior. Also, if you see your dog transferring his aggression to other triggers, such as toys, bedding, or territory, be sure to immediately begin working to curb this behavior.
Advice About Your Dog Chewing Furniture
One of the concerns for many dog owners is the destruction a dog can wreak on their furniture and other items. Yet, there is hope. There is an immense amount of advice about stopping or preventing your dog chewing on the furniture that is available from a variety of sources. There are also dozens of ways to take that advice about your dog chewing on furniture and make it work for your particular dog.
Start Young.
First, most advice about dogs chewing furniture will tell you that it is best to begin deterring the behavior at a younger age. Part of the reason for starting early is that chewing tends to be a product of teething, and when left unchecked, transfers into even more damaging adult chewing of our furniture. Still, if you have adult dogs, advice to stop or prevent your dog chewing on your furniture is just as applicable.
Re-Direct the Behavior
One great piece of advice to stop your dog from chewing furniture is to re-direct your dog's chewing. As you find your dog chewing on your furniture, you should take a toy and re-direct his or her attention on the toy. When they turn their attention away from the furniture, you need to praise them greatly and give them the toy to continue chewing. Soon your dog will learn to enjoy the praise from chewing appropriately.
Understand that Chewing Is Normal
One thing that many people need to learn about dog chewing is that chewing is a very normal dog behavior. Some people believe that you need to deter all chewing to keep your dog from ruining the furniture, but most advice about your dog chewing will tell you that you are better off providing appropriate chewing activities to deter chewing on furniture or other items. This means that your dog needs to have his or her own toys, and the more active the toys the better. For the most part, dogs chew out of boredom, frustration, loneliness, and anxiety. By having active toys, dogs find other things to do besides chew on your furniture.
What are Active Toys?
When reading or listening to advice about how to keep your dog from chewing furniture, you will hear the term "active toys" over and over. Plush toys, tennis balls, and more are all good toys, but active toys are ones that stimulate your dog and allow him or her to play alone. There are great active toys available like The Amazing GoDogGo that allows your dog to play fetch on his own. Also, the infamous Kong and snack activity balls or squares allow your dog to seek out food in an active way. Finally, there are hide-a-toy plush toys where smaller toys are hidden inside one larger toy. Keeping your dog busy by using these toys will often prevent chewing on your furniture
Anxiously Waiting Your Return
Allowing your dog to remain busy when you are gone is also a key way to keep your dog from chewing on your furniture. Most of this chewing occurs right before you get home. Therefore, you will need to give your dog a new activity right before you get home, like seeking out a toy. You will need to teach your dog to greet you at the door with a specific toy in his or her mouth before you will greet your dog. This training begins by helping your dog seek out the toy, and not greeting your dog until he or she has it in his or her mouth. After a few days your dog will learn to bring the toy to the door, meaning he or she will spend time right before you get home seeking out the toy rather than chewing.
No Punishment Allowed
Most advice on keeping your dog from chewing on furniture will remind you that punishment will not deter chewing, but can actually increase the behavior. Redirecting and conditioning will always be more effective. You may need to keep your dog confined with toys for a while to discourage chewing while you are not there. Also, many experts recommend that you spray your furniture with chewing deterrents, like Bitter Apple, that you can purchase at pet stores.
No matter what advice about how to keep your dog from chewing on furniture you choose to take, you will find that changing your dogs chewing behavior will take time and patience. Eventually, though, using the advice to keep your dog from chewing on your furniture will curb the behavior and keep your furnishings looking like new.
