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[CitricFizz]

I have a 5 year old Chessie that we rescued and then adopted (she was found at my aunts house who gave her to us, we discovered she was chipped and then the owner actually gave her back to us because she was getting rid of her dogs! talk about chance) Until she was around two she was chained up to a tree and then kept in a house with a total of five dogs. So of course she's never been walked often, and I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to teach my dog to behave more when walking her. She's strong enough to pull me over and actually broke part of my cell phone the last time I walked her.

We're also having trouble teaching her tricks, and I do not subscribe to the whole "Old dogs can't learn learn tricks" mindset because I taught my other dog (who wouldn't even let you touch her feet) to shake when she was 7.

We have other issues with her, she'll jump on people even when you try to stop her. Also, whenever my dad leaves the house and no one's watching her she will go to the bathroom in the house. She knows it's bad, it just seems to be a reaction to him leaving so any tips on that will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the wall of text and thank you in advance

[Cassiepeia]

Try a bit of positive reinforcment. When she jumps up, cross your arms and turn around. When she's calm and on all fours, turn back around and give her attention. Make sure everyone does it and after a while she should understand that jumping = no attention. It'll take time though.

Have you tried clicker training? Here are a few sites to learn about it. You don't need to use a "clicker" you can use a word if you like, or a whistle, or a push-pen.
Karen Pryor Clickertraining
Mary Woodward's Clicker Training Lessons
What is Clicker Training - although there is a picture of a horse on the page it's for dogs too.

And I agree. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks. My chihuahua, Jesse (RIP), was 17 when I started clicker training him and he loved it.

[Ritz459]

Originally Posted by CitricFizz

I have a 5 year old Chessie that we rescued and then adopted (she was found at my aunts house who gave her to us, we discovered she was chipped and then the owner actually gave her back to us because she was getting rid of her dogs! talk about chance) Until she was around two she was chained up to a tree and then kept in a house with a total of five dogs. So of course she's never been walked often, and I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to teach my dog to behave more when walking her. She's strong enough to pull me over and actually broke part of my cell phone the last time I walked her.

We're also having trouble teaching her tricks, and I do not subscribe to the whole "Old dogs can't learn learn tricks" mindset because I taught my other dog (who wouldn't even let you touch her feet) to shake when she was 7.

We have other issues with her, she'll jump on people even when you try to stop her. Also, whenever my dad leaves the house and no one's watching her she will go to the bathroom in the house. She knows it's bad, it just seems to be a reaction to him leaving so any tips on that will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the wall of text and thank you in advance

Leash Walking
Although you can definitally teach a dog to walk on a loose leash with just a normal collar, if you can't control the dog it is time to give a no-pull tool a try! What you use depends on your own personal preference and your dog's preference. There are nopull harnesses (Gentle Leader Harness) that stop dogs from pulling by turning them gentley to the side when they tug. There are various types of head halters that tighten on the dog's muzzle when pressure is applied and causes discomfort to the dog until the pressure is released (aka, it is walking by your side). It also stops the dog from throwing its whole body into tugging and even if they are pulling with it on, they are much more controlable. Something else you could try would be a prong collar. They are NOT ment as no-pull devices, but they do provided a good degree of control (and I have never been pulled off my feet by a dog wearing a properly fitted prong collar before).

I've used all three on various dogs and had success with all three. Some dogs hated one tool while it worked well with others. (For example, my girl Chloe turns into a frantic, stressed, reactive mess whenever she wears a head halter. She does wonderful with a prong. A Lab I raised did wonderful with a head halter.) Try them out and decided which one you and your dog both like.

Once you have the tool to enable you to have control of your dog, that is when the training begins. Here are some articles that give you some different techniques. Again, pick which one works for both you and your dog.
Clicker Training Lessons - Loose Leash Walking
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/commands/loose-leash.pdf
Training A Puppy To Walk On A Leash - Loose Leash Walking For Young Puppies <-- This one has a video
The Pet Parade: Teaching a Dog Loose Leash Walking

Your dog won't magically start walking nicely, especially if she is used to pulling. In the beginning stages, you may want to exercise her before you walk her either by a hard game of fetch, swimming, running, or a quick jog so she doesn't have so much pent up energy that makes her want to pull-pull-pull because you aren't going fast enough.

Tricks
Just what Cass said...clicker training! Make her think. "What do I do to get him to click?" Keep everything upbeat and totally positive. When I teach Chloe commands (tricks or otherwise), I try my hardest to make her figure it out and try things (this is called "shaping"). It keeps her engaged and thinking and it keeps me amused and on my toes! I recentally started to teach her "settle" (dead dog). I was able to lure her on her side, but I wanted her to lay her head down on the ground and act dead, not keep her neck craned to look at me. After she was in the settle position I didn't mark it. She stared at me for a few seconds waiting for the affirmation that she did it right. No mark. She stared at me a little bit longer, then slowly started to lower her head. "YES!!!!" and lots of treats soon followed. Now when she settles she starts off looking at me, but then plops her head all the way to the ground and stays there until I realease her. We're still fine tuning it, but she's getting it!

I'd check out this package for info on Clicker training commands and tricks:
Dog Training Kit

As for the jumping, that is a hard behavior to nip in the bud because EVERY time someone gives her any form of attention when she jumps she is reinforced. Like Cass said, ignoring her 100% of the time and only petting her when she has four on the floor is the way to combat it, but good luck trying to get guests/John Q. Public to comply. My girl Chloe STILL jumps because every other person rewards her for it even if I tell them, "She needs to sit first!" *shakes head*

I'll let someone else give you advice about her pooping in the house. That is probably due to seperation anxiety and I have never dealt with it before. I do know to not scold her for it, as that will just make it worse. What does she do if she is crated or confined to small room when your dad is gone? Have you tried giving her a chew bone or kong stuffed with yummy things (like frozen peanut butter)? Does she still act up if she is heavily exercised before you leave?

[qingcong]

Originally Posted by CitricFizz

We're also having trouble teaching her tricks, and I do not subscribe to the whole "Old dogs can't learn learn tricks" mindset because I taught my other dog (who wouldn't even let you touch her feet) to shake when she was 7.

We have other issues with her, she'll jump on people even when you try to stop her. Also, whenever my dad leaves the house and no one's watching her she will go to the bathroom in the house. She knows it's bad, it just seems to be a reaction to him leaving so any tips on that will be greatly appreciated.

What sort of problems are you having when you try to teach her tricks? Is it lack of attention? Incorrect behaviors?

Unless you have a lot of people to help you out with it, discouraging jumping takes a long time. Even if 1 out of 20 people gives her attention when she jumps, the behavior stays alive and well. People try to use their hands to push the dog down, but that doesn't help because the dog thinks it's a game. If the dog is not being completely ignored, she is being rewarded for jumping. Every hard working owner's nemesis is the idiot who says, "Oh it's okay if she jumps, I love dogs!"

She doesn't know it's bad to poop on the floor. Remember, dogs do not differentiate between good or bad, only what's safe or dangerous for themselves. Most likely, she has learned that it's safe to poop on the floor when nobody is around because nobody is there to punish her. She may be pooping due to anxiety issues. Could you confine her to a place like the kitchen where it's easier to manage her?

[flyndog]

Also see the article "Loose Leash Walking" here: Training Tips | MARFa Dog Training Training Tips | MARFa Dog Training
Clicker training without the clicker.

[Dogsareme]

Sounds like everyone has the other topics covered but I wanted to touch on the training of tricks topic.

Most dogs when they have never been trained before they first have to go through the processing of understanding HOW to learn before they can start to be taught tricks. Start simple, Do sit, down and stay. Once she has learned those it means she is starting to figure out HOW to learn and you can introduce more complicated learning tricks. But right now she is a clean slate with no prior experience and to learn more she needs to be given the experience first.

As others have mentioned Clicker training is the way to go! Very friendly and it is scientifically proven that they pick up on it much faster then with the voice alone.

As for the peeing in the house you may think she knows better, but by her doing it she does not know better and only knows that if you are around that is when she will get in trouble but she can freely do it when you are not and not get in trouble. Make sense? To stop her from peeing the house when you leave you need to go back to potty training 101 = treat her like a puppy! She has obviously never been taught. Use a kennel, block her in a small room, monitor her water. You have to start fresh with the thought that she knows nothing, because really, she doesn't. She has been neglected all her 5 years she does not have much life experience at all.

[CitricFizz]

She already knows how to sit she's actually very well trained when it comes to sit and come, as for the peeing in the house, I guess I didn't mention this, but she really only poo's in the house, while she does pee sometimes she's in something like menopause so it's involuntary (we have her on medication for that), and she definitely knows it's wrong, she hides from us, definitely knows to go outside, it just kind of seems to be her way of dealing with my father leaving the house. We've definitely started with basic house training with her though and it's going really well

I'm definitely going to try out loose leash walking, that's pretty much exactly how I'd love her to act when I take her out, I'm just waiting for the snow to clear out so we can practice in the garage

[qingcong]

I know it's hard to see it this way since we are humans, but in the animal world, there is no such thing as right or wrong/good or bad. Dogs are amoral. She doesn't hide because she knows she did something wrong, she hides because she is used to being punished when people come home and see poop on the floor.

Look at it this way - dogs have no idea that the rug is worth $2000 and that pooping on the $2000 is "bad". Most dogs are intrigued by poop anyways, so poop on something is more "good" than it is "bad" to them. She poops because she has learned that it is safe to poop when nobody is around. Then, she hides when people come home because people are always angry when they come home. She doesn't make the connection that it is the poop causing people to be angry at her.

Here is a housetraining link that explains a little bit about how dogs do not understand punishment after the fact - PAWS: Resources and Fact Sheets

[Carrie]

Originally Posted by qingcong

I know it's hard to see it this way since we are humans, but in the animal world, there is no such thing as right or wrong/good or bad. Dogs are amoral. She doesn't hide because she knows she did something wrong, she hides because she is used to being punished when people come home and see poop on the floor.

Look at it this way - dogs have no idea that the rug is worth $2000 and that pooping on the $2000 is "bad". Most dogs are intrigued by poop anyways, so poop on something is more "good" than it is "bad" to them. She poops because she has learned that it is safe to poop when nobody is around. However, it is dangerous when people come home. She doesn't understand that it is the poop causing people to be angry at her.

Exactly. Just go back to basic potty training like you would a puppy. Supervision, treat immediately when finished going (go out with her every time) and make a fuss over her. Prevent inside mistakes. If she goes inside, it's not her fault. Notice when she needs to go in relation to eating, napping, playing...whatever. After she eats, give her about 10 minutes and take her out. Take her out often and don't forget to watch her constantly while loose in the house. If she goes inside, tell yourself, "naughty mommy! I forgot to watch her closer." LOL.

Dogs do not "know" they did "wrong." Everything to an animal comes in two "brands:" safe or dangerous. It's how they survived over thousands of years. They do things with safe or dangerous in mind. That's all the further it goes in their minds. They do what works....for them, not for us. (believe it or not) If it works to go inside, why not? Animals in the wild aren't particular about where they go and certainly don't have an innate appreciation for our human value system. So, she does not share our morality about OUR kind of "right" and "wrong." Not at all. Punishment will cause a dog to hide it because it's safer that way, not because she's being sneaky, as a human would. Punishment also can make a dog not go in front of you when on a leash walk....scary to go in front of humans. Safer to hold it until you finish your walk and come back inside...until she can't hold it anymore. Then she goes behind the furniture where it is safe. This can happen and I see it a lot. Punishment can associate a scary time with the human and can confuse the dog. It doesn't tell the dog not to go on the rug. It just tells the dog that pottying (period) in front of humans is scary. They're pretty darn smart animals, but they're still animals and not that smart.

[!dogbreeds]

that is kind of common things dogs used to do, even my dog does things like that, pushing me all the time.few days back he almost broke my specs, but now i know how to control..

[dogtrainer1507]

You may also need to look at it from an anxiety point of view the pooping in the house. From the sounds of it she was not used to being with humans all the time she was with other dogs. Now you guys are her pack and some dogs will do that when they are left because they are stressed. I doubt the other dogs left do being by herself may actually be uncomfortable for her. In conjunction with all other advice try getting ready to leave and then don't go anywhere. Ya know put on your shoes grab your keys and then go watch tv insteading of leaving. Dogs notice patterns and try not to give any verbals when you leave or when you come back.

[Dirky47]

Another option is, look for an accurate trainer for your dog.