can my kids "screw up" our family bird dog?

[KFhunter]

Just wondering if the dog will seperate the kids from me, I want her to mind me right away when I say "Libby COME"...problem is the kids must say "Libby come" 5000 times a day!! they don't go and get her, make her mind, they just keep saying it over and over while slapping their knees.

I've had great success with treats, but I don't always have treats and she's learned this...she'll look at me when I say "Libby COME" then sprint off following some scent trail usually leading towards the dam roadway I'll chase her down and get her, or run away from her around the corner and she'll chase me then I got her lol It's getting to where I won't open the door without a leash on her.


Other then that I was just curious if I need to train my kids or the dog, or both!

oh the kids are:
boy 9, girl 6
Dog is a Brittany, whelped 08/08/08

I notice she shares some ancestry with a few other 4m members, I'll get her pedigree up soon.
Lobo's cotton candy, gunrunner something, sawtooth something and beans blaze, blazin beans stood out.

[Brittguy]

just train the dog. Dogs know the difference between people and what they can get away with.

[3Britts]

just train the dog. Dogs know the difference between people and what they can get away with.

+1

I have three Britts and they all listen to me over the kids. Probable because they know that I am the one who takes them hunting.
My girls do the same, "come" thing everyday and the dogs hunt as good as I've ever seen.

[natetnc]

ditto, my brit listens to me but my wife.... well, not so much, they know the difference.

[mudhunter]

I agree with what everyone says but you should really try to educate the rest of the family. My Fiance was the worst for telling a dog 100 times without every enforcing noncompliance, all it took was a few tips and some self control on her part and now she enjoys having the dogs listen to her. It also makes life easier for me if the dogs behave better for her

[bobman]

If the dog ignores you bear down on it hard until it doesn't.

I'm not saying beat it but you need to make it believe you mean what you say, just like kids.

My wife tells my dogs and my kids to do things repeatedly, I don't have to.

[fuess]

No different than the kids listening to "dad" and laughing at "mom". Hence, "mom" yells at "dad" to get the things she wants done, but cant, because the "kids" wont listen to "mom", but KNOW they better listen to "dad" or there is heck TO PAY.

They (dogs and kids) are smarter than we give them credit for!

Going home, have a good night!

Fuess

[kninebirddog]

Dogs know the difference between thsoe that WILL ENforce commands given and those that say a command and will let them get away with it

what will happen is expect thse dogs that are allowed to get away with stuff with one person to test you a little more every now and then ,,,it is very important that you stay on top of those times that the dog tests their parmeters

but they learn

[Bowbldr]

Dogs aren't much different than the kids. They know which parent means business and can even tell when the less dominate parent really really means it. (even if it's the 5000th time)

[AZ Brittany Guy]

"never give a command that you can't enforce"......Rick Smith

Try to get the kids to work with you and the pup on a leash, checkcord and eventually, with instruction, an ecollar. More importantly, pup needs to listen to you.

"What you allow a dog to do, you train a dog to do"..............Rick Smith

Every time the pup gets away with not complying with a command you are training it to not comply. Not such a problem for the kids but certainly something you need to be aware of.

The good news is that the pup is still very young. I would also work on training the pup to wait for you to go thru the door first. Thats an ez one.

Just be fair and don't loose you temper.

[snips]

Dogs know the difference between thsoe that WILL ENforce commands given and those that say a command and will let them get away with it

what will happen is expect thse dogs that are allowed to get away with stuff with one person to test you a little more every now and then ,,,it is very important that you stay on top of those times that the dog tests their parmeters

but they learn

Agree with Knine. Some of the worst dogs I have had in to train are those that have had the kids for teachers. They do not think they have to do anything that is asked of them. The dogs are just like the kids who are told to do something 30 times, and kids know nothing will happen..... I had a young Vizsla in for getting started once and it was a big ordeal to train him to kennel on command, as he had this attitude. Well, after a couple of weeks I had him flying to his kennel on command and getting treats. His family came to visit one day and he was in heaven visiting his buddies. It took me 3 more days to get him back where he was before they came. He thought he did not have to listen to me ever again Dogs are VERY smart in learning what they can get away with or not.

[Sharon]

Retriever trialers have one big house rule. You can do anything you want with the dog but NO RETRIEVING games

[gozz21]

I agree with what everyone else is saying. If you train a dog and keep reinforcing if they mess up, they will listen to you just fine in the field.

[fuzznut]

Boy, this would be a great time to get your kids involved with the dog and it's training! They are young, and they don't have the attention span to spend a lot of time at it, and it will take you being very involved.

Spend the time with the kids and the dog, show them the right way, have them help you train the dog. Who knows? Maybe one of them will really enjoy it. I started my life in dogs when I was in 7th grade when my parents bought me an Irish Setter. We took him to obedience classes, I was the handler/trainer, and here I am ( a whole lot older) still at it. Thank goodness they let me do it all myself. I even showed him in obedience trials,I still have his first trophy for a 4th place.

Let the kids know why they shouldn't call the dog 47 times, teach them why.

Hey, we need those youngsters to grow up and enjoy the dogs and the sport of dogs!

Fuzz

[brotherbill3]

...Let the kids know why they shouldn't call the dog 47 times, teach them why.

Hey, we need those youngsters to grow up and enjoy the dogs and the sport of dogs!

Fuzz

Do you think there might be side effect to this too??
They (meaning the kids) may even get a little of the lesson on that themselves: meaning they'll understand why YOU don't want to / shouldn't have to - repeat things to them 47 times either?
seems like they might.

I told my family a few of the specific commands I was using w/ my Golden when we started about 2 months ago; just so they wouldn't use same ones the wrong way (or repeat them 47 times) but 1. most of these weren't used anyway by anyone but me and 2. but my kids are older ... although I do need my son (-in-law) to know the commands and what to expect since he's my "OTHER" hunting partner (besides the Wilson the retriever.)

Good Luck.

[Rick Hall]

Dogs know the difference between thsoe that WILL ENforce commands given and those that say a command and will let them get away with it

what will happen is expect thse dogs that are allowed to get away with stuff with one person to test you a little more every now and then ,,,it is very important that you stay on top of those times that the dog tests their parmeters

but they learn

Agree with Knine. Some of the worst dogs I have had in to train are those that have had the kids for teachers. They do not think they have to do anything that is asked of them. The dogs are just like the kids who are told to do something 30 times, and kids know nothing will happen..... I had a young Vizsla in for getting started once and it was a big ordeal to train him to kennel on command, as he had this attitude. Well, after a couple of weeks I had him flying to his kennel on command and getting treats. His family came to visit one day and he was in heaven visiting his buddies. It took me 3 more days to get him back where he was before they came. He thought he did not have to listen to me ever again Dogs are VERY smart in learning what they can get away with or not.

I suspect the problem wasn't so much having the kids for teachers as having no real teachers in the family to make it clear that some people meant what they said...

(I gave up on controling my grandkids' interactions with my pups years ago - and learned they made no discernable difference in my relationships with the pups.)

[KFhunter]

Awesome advice!

I think I've had some breakthroughs with my family understanding the puppy training, they were basically talking to the pup as if she were a small human...ended that. and instructed them to use simple commands AND ENFORCE THEM

no more "Libby COME" 5000 times, now they understand they can't do that because she'll ignore them.

I think the wife is benefiting from this more than anyone, she's taking the puppy training and applying it to the kids HAHA


The pup is much more restricted to the crate now, as her 'accident' rate was on the increase as my kids and wife would let her roam the house unattended....no more of that!
now they take her out of the crate...make her wait instead of bolting out the door, then leash her and take her outside to "come on lets go potty" and have her potty in a specific spot.

I've been having the pup drag the leash around the house, it's easier to enforce commands if one can grab a leash or step on it as she plays "keep away" lol

[A/C Guy]

Yes and no. Depends on how you handle it. But most importantly

what will happen is expect thse dogs that are allowed to get away with stuff with one person to test you a little more every now and then ,,,it is very important that you stay on top of those times that the dog tests their parameters

They will test you repeatedly. Mine do all the time. I am constantly telling my kids to stop repeating commands that they aren't willing to enforce because it makes the dogs test me to see if I will make them (the dogs) obey. I gave up on the kids, they're harder to train.

[gonehuntin']

Kids will never, never, screw up a dog. They are the dog's therapist. When he's had a bad day with Dad, the kids are there to dress him in doll clothes, pamper, and give him snacks.

Every dog needs a "Master and Commander". They thrive on it, they're happier when they know what to expect on a consistant basis. They may have fun with the kids, but they work for dad.

[Rick Hall]

I am constantly telling my kids to stop repeating commands...

Hmm... Don't suppose similar "consistency" with the pup is why:

(Pup) will test you repeatedly. Mine do all the time.

"Just a thot..."