3 months ago I adopted a Malinois mixed puppy that is now 8 months old. He is named Kosmo.
Ever since I brought him home I ran an obedience training on a daily basis (nothing to do with SitStayFetch - I got it just recently) with positive reinforcement.
Just recently, when I got the SitStayFetch, I started to establish myself as an Alpha by following (He also follows it) those steps:
1. He has to hold his sit for 20-30 seconds before he is released to eat his meal.
2. He waits for me to pass the doorway and then he continues.
3. I do not allow him to get on the beds nor on the couches.
4. I take him for a long trip once a day and he always walks on a loose leash besides me, but sometimes I need to correct him.
5. I'm assertive and confident with him, talk calmly but seriously. I do not shout or let him see nervousness etc.
He is also potty trained and there are no mistakes, but he doesn't seem to learn house manners.
When he jumps on the counter I get him off and use the correction method of holding his nose firmly and saying "No!". It also happens when he grabs a shoe and runs away or when he steals food from the table.
After all, he keeps doing it. But I can see that when he jumps on the counter and I approach, he gets down and try to get his head away from me so I won't grab it.
Well, that was it about house manners.
Also, my authority doesn't seem to be valid when I have no treats or things he wants in hand, which is really makes me upset because it looks like he follows me as a leader.
The big problem with him is that he tries to eat everything, and when I say everything it's everything.
If he is outside at my yard, he eats twigs and pieces of trees, my parrot's seeds and his own poop and pee.
2 weeks ago he was in hospitalization for eating a part of a chair that caused a seal in his stomach.
When I take him for a trip, and he's on leash, he hesitate to eat junk and he just smells it and passes by, but there are some cases he tries to grab it.
Also, when I let him off leash and he grabs something, he runs away from me and ignores the recall command, which is rare.
Other problem that occur with that is when he grabs something and I can get him, he tries to bite me so I won't do the correction method. In this cases I use the Alpha rollover which helps to calm him down.
Well, to short it out:
1. How can I teach him to not eat things in any way. Like when what he picked is "better" than my treat or command, or when he's alone at the yard?
2. What can I do more to maintain myself as an Alpha, in a better way? As I mentioned above, he sometimes attempts to bite when I want to correct him. He also doesn't will to comply when I have no treats.
3. How can I improve his house manners?
[I]Thanks a lot,
Idan & Kosmo[/I]
