PAKI´s problem new

Hi Paki,
I´ve put your problem under it´s own 'thread' ( you find that at the bottom of the main page called 'new thread' ) and then you have your own page....
Your situation sounds difficult. It´s really hard balancing kids and a wild dog
I think it´s great that you have read the Alpha techniques. These really worked for us. What concerns me is that you 'tried applying techniques' and they didn´t work so good. You and your familly need to really commit to these techniques and continue for a length of time ( like a month) It seems perfectly logical that a dog who has been bossing everybody around and disrupting the house will find this new regime distressing and resent it all!

I feel it´s totally normal that when starting a new style that you feel you make a little progress...and then take some major steps backwards....keep going. The techniques really worked for me...you just have to stick with it till you make some baby steps forward It´s a bit like changing a kids routine, giving them more chores. Of course they resist, but you need to continue and be confident in what you are doing.

The other problem is that she is only 1 and this can be a difficult time as she is like a teenager ( but a very important time to set borders) She is from a lovely breed and should become a calm and loving member of the family. On the positive side, I see that she is good natured and full of happy energy ( however annoying) and this will make a great dog when she has some borders.....
Get tough.
Work out what is the most annoying problem, list them all on a bit of paper and see which ones are OK for now and which ones must stop. Choose a couple to work on now.
The jumping and biting sounds the worst to me. I´m not sure how old your kids are, so maybe it is just the grownups doing this, but she must learn to never jump on a person. This means that you need to have a zero tollerance attitude to her behaviour. When she jumps ( everytime) you turn around, or knee her in the chest, push her away and use your body language and voice to clearly say this is NOT OK. Combine this with basic training of sit down stay etc. Is she food orientated? Use lots of good treats for training ( but never use treats for distracting her or rewarding her for stopping a negative action)

The stay command is very important to learn and she will probably need to be on a leash at first. When the kids come home, when you are eating dinner, visitors etc she needs to back off and sit and stay. Are you at home with her a lot? Another idea is to have her on a leash with you most of the day. This will be exhausting for you ( and for her) but you are showing her step by step what is expected of her. On the telephone, she must sit and wait, going to the post box, she must walk and wait, the kids come home she must sit and wait etc etc. Ask the kids and visitors to TOTALLY IGNORE her while this is happening for possibly many days. A guide dog for the blind, in training, is ignored by everybody. The trainer asks that we all respect that the dog must concentrate and learn the correct way of behaviour....not as everybodies cuddle toy. She is working and needs to be respected.
You are quite clearly showing her that she is your friend and assistent, but not the director of this little company!
It is incredibly important that this stressful time is combined with something fun and stimulating. If she can sit and wait, hide a small treat behind the sofa etc and then ask her to find it, ask her to drop toys for a yummy reward, and most importantly give her lots of exercise.

We humans are often talking about endorphins that make us feel good after exercise. This is even more important to a dog. We say here that a dog is not in her 'middle' unless she is happy-tierd. Run, swim, throw balls everything. I understand this is hard to find so much time , but she is only 1 and at full energy levels.

If you can follow the Alpha techniques ( and really DO THEM EVERY TIME!) work out which are the problem areas and focus on a couple of them ( and do them every time!)....and give her lots of exercise...then, you will have a new dog by easter. She will have respect, calmness, fun and be so willing to please you.....
of course later there will be time to work on the rest of the list, like stealing etc but you may find that many of these other problems melt away Keep the list stuck on the wall and enjoy crossing things off!
Please write more ideas or problems and I´ll try to think of more tips,
Don´t give up. Nobody said it would be easy but we all said it would be worth it
Annie