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My readers typically tell me: “My pet dog is out of control and untrainable!? What do I do?”
I guess we’ve been lucky. After working with hundreds of dogs we haven’t come across one that was untrainable.
One reader says:
We have a 7 month old Bichon Maltese mix puppy…potty training is going very badly. We do everything that is recommended. We use a crate. We reward her after she does her service outside. We have her on a regular feeding schedule. She still routinely pees and poops inside including in her crate. She is showing no improvement. We have had lots of dogs and trained lots of puppies in the past. but I believe this pet dog may simply be UNTRAINABLE! –R.S.
Linus teaching Charlie not to be an “out of control” puppy.
So what do you do when your pet dog is out of control and untrainable like this reader’s Bichon/Maltese?
Sit tight, we’re going to give you a few ideas that may help you with your out-of-control, untrainable dog.
My pet dog is out of control and Untrainable!? What Do I Do?
Okay guys, so far in our experiences, we haven’t come across an untrainable dog.
Out of control? Yes!
Untrainable? No.
In this blog post, I’m going to focus specifically on my plan of action for my dog, Raven. That being said here are some of the common reasons why your pet dog may be displaying “out of control” behavior.
Lack of exercise – Raven has gotten less exercise recently. Are you exercising your pet dog regularly?
Lack of mental stimulation – Raven doesn’t get as much mental stimulation as she used to. Are you working on new things with your pet dog daily?
Sudden change in dog’s life – We recently had twins and our elder statesman, Linus passed a few months ago. Did something change in your life?
Dog Breed – Raven is a golden Retriever, an energetic sporting breed. Your dog’s breed may be predisposed to a lot more energetic behavior. understanding your breed may help you put together a better training plan for your uncontrollable dog.
Dog’s diet – Raven eats a premium pet dog food – It’s possible that a low-quality diet could be causing your pet dog to exhibit unusual behavior…think kids who had too much sugar or in Emma’s case, she gets HANGRY when she doesn’t get food.
Health – Raven is in terrific health – there could be some underlying health issues. If you think you’re having this problem contact your vet immediately.
Colby’s Life Update: We had several major life changes over the past year and a half. Our first daughter Emma was born, a little over a year later Linus passed away (he was Raven’s running buddy), and just two months ago we had twin daughters.
Our “Out Of Control” Dog, Raven
Crazy, out of control puppies!
Recently my partner and I took a holiday and left Stetson and Raven with my parents. When we returned home we were told that Stetson was a good boy, but Raven was out of control. She absolutely still has some puppy in her.
Raven is not untrainable, but she can be out of control. So how can I get my pet dog to calm down?
I’ve seen this out-of-control behavior before when new people come to our house. I made a decision to focus on how to keep Raven under control when new visitors come to the house.
Here’s my step-by-step plan of action:
Consult a certified professional pet dog trainer – Yes, I know we’re meant to be experts. regardless we consulted with a certified professional pet dog trainer and got some terrific recommendations on things we can do to control Raven’s behavior.
Teach your pet dog obedience skills – If you haven’t taught your pet dog obedience skills now is the time to work on it. Our plan is to sharpen Raven’s obedience skills by making her do basic obedience in everyday situations. Sit-Stay before eating her meals. wait patiently at doors before going in/out. Lay down nicely while we have meals.
Focus on one behavior at a time – We want to focus specifically on keeping Raven calm when guests come over to the house. We have 2-month-old twins and we have visitors all the time. The arrival of guests is Raven’s uncontrollable time. Our plan is to have her go to her mat or bed, use a tie-down, and give her a puzzle toy or bully stick for the first 10 minutes when people come over. This will give her a chance to have a calm energy when greeting new guests.
Get the energy out – Since the twins arrived (actually considering that Emma arrived) we haven’t had our regular walk and play schedule with the dogs. Time to get back into a daily exercise routine to get some of that pent-up energy out.
Make sure everyone in the house is on the same page – Training was much easier when it was just me. now we have my wife, the in-laws, and my parents over regularly. We’re not all doing the same thing and that’s my fault. In buy for this to work, we all need to be on the same page and that brings us to step 6…nullnull