oh boy not sure i can do this..(crating and gentle leader)?

My dogs love their crates,though most of the doors have been taken off of them.

Think of it as a job to raise your dog with manners,as an owner you need to be responsible to keep the dog and the public safe.That includes the dog being under control when on the leash.

I understand the aggression issue. We're dealing with it ourselves after rescuing a dog who spent the first 3 years of her life tied outside within reach of fighting dogs.

The first thing you have to realize is the natural behavior of dogs. you must establish pack order. Dogs see their families as a pack, and if you don't behave as pack leader, the dog is more than willing to take over the role. This is the biggest problem most dog owners face. If the dog sees itself as the alpha, no amount of training, or anything else, is going to help. Cesar Millan (The dog Whisperer) has a book out that shows you how to establish yourself as the leader.

Crating your dog is not a bad thing, so please don't feel bad about doing it. Sometimes urinating and defecating indoors is a dog's way of marking or claiming a spot as their's. Having a crate allows the dog to have a space that is completely his. It also helps show the dog that you are the pack leader, and in charge. The dog may whine and throw a tantrum the first few times you crate it. It's completely normal, I promise. It's like telling a child who wants to play outside that it's raining and they can't. You're going to get a tantrum. If the whining bothers you, step outside for a few minutes, run an errand, etc. If you feel like you're somehow hurting the dog by crating it (and I promise, you're NOT) try filling a kong with peanut butter and putting it in there with the dog. They'll be so busy playing with that, they'll rarely notice they're crated.

Establish 'crate times'. These are specific times when the dog is crated. Our's is crated at night, while we're at work, and during our meals times. Some people do not crate their dogs when they're home. We crate her during meal times as a part of 'pack order' training. Alphas in the pack eat first. It also helps stop begging for food.

If you search 'crate training', you can find all kinds of great information for helping with the training.

As far as the gentle leader, I recommend you use it. Regular collars, choke collars, and harnesses rarely (if ever) work for behavior issues like pulling, lunging, etc. And they can be physically harmful for the dog. Choke collars and prong collars are the worst. You're basically strangling your dog. A gentle Leader stops pulling and lunging by turning the dog's head to the side- much like a horse bridle works. There's minimal pressure applied to the dog's snout- but it is just enough to force their head to turn to the side.

Your trainer can be an endless source of tips and tools to help you stop the aggressive behavior. However- you MUST follow through and continue the training on your own at home. Seeing a trainer once a week doesn't help at all if the dog is allowed to continue bad behavior at home. It'd be like dieting on Tuesdays and eating Big Macs the rest of the week expecting to lose weight. It's just not going to happen.

Soo, the bottom line is:

You've taken the first step to getting your dog back to a normal, non aggressive state. Sometimes acknowledging the problem is the hardest part.

Now what you need to do is follow through, work with your dog every single day, and follow the trainer's advice and suggestions exactly.

Best of Luck!

I don't know about the leader, I'm sure the trainer will help you with that; but, I can tell you that crate training is great! It will be difficult in the beginning, but just stick to your guns. As long as the crate is the right size, the dog will be very comfortable. Put a pad or folded towels in the bottom for comfort and give him a favorite toy and always praise him when he goes in and when he comes out. As soon as he comes out of the crate make a potty run!!! As a rule, a dog will not soil their bedding in a crate, unless they are sick. In order for you to really enjoy your baby, you need to assert yourself as Alpha of the pack.

Good luck!

Dogs need to have a safe space all their own and most will get used to being in a crate as long as it is not used as punishment. Make sure it is big enough for him to turn around and lay down but not so big that he can poop in one corner and lay in the other. If he has a blankie or favorite toy set that in there as a comfort for him. Leave the crate door open during the day and encourage him to go with a treat and lots of praise. When you put him in at night don't make a huge deal out of it-just put him in and say good night. You will have to ignore his cries and yelps which will stop after a few nights. In the morning wake him with a giant good boy,lots of praise a treat and a trip outside. I don't have any personal experience with the gentle leader so I can't help you out there.

Relatively interesting article. I have certainly not visible a prong collar in use so cannot remark on it. Nonetheless in 17 years of veterinary nursing i have seen a lot of haltis and tender leaders. Smooth leaders are not worth even bringing up to be sincere. I certainly not noticed them work on a canine that pulled. Halti's i've seen working though and the place you had been speaking to an proprietor who had undoubtedly NO intention of getting their canine trained competently they have been the one way they might preserve their dog below some style of control. Bully breeds nevertheless we at all times encouraged harnesses for. Certainly a accurately good knowledgeable dog would not want both. I would now not say whether or not or no longer they intent vertebrae issues or not as at no time have they ever been related with any special injuries visible in surgery.

You're anthromorphizing. You need to take a step back and look at it from the outside. You're looking at the situation from how *you* would feel, not how *he* would feel. It's hard to do, I know!

But, people who give up on training methods because they feel it's "cruel"- end up with more problems. Your little guy has some serious issues. You have to think about this- what will you do when he gets worse? Is it worth it then?

These training methods are not cruel- they're very kind and necessary. You can google nothing in life is free. You can also get the book "Ruff Love". Both are great- operate on the same principle.

I have a friend who did the Ruff Love program with her cairn- made a huge difference in her dog's life.

the gentle leaders are great!! Much better than a choking dog hauling on a collar and pulling you off your feet!! They are just like a halter on a horse and help control a strong dog by moving his head rather than pulling on his neck. I use them with my two sometimes.

Crates are great too - I use crate training as pups and now when they are sick or when kids come round I have somewhere to lock them safely (the dogs not the kids!)

dogs will get used to anything if you are strong!! stay firm. Good luck.

I haven't had the necessity to use a gentle leader, thankfully, but I can tell you I haven't heard anything negative about them. As for crate training. It is a great thing to have your dog crate trained. We have GSD and first thing was the crate. He loves it. We only use it at night and if we go out of the house. We are slowly getting away from using it during the day though. We take "trips" out for a little longer each time. He's up to being in the house without having to be crated for 2 hours now. His crate is kept in my bedroom at the foot of the bed. Sometimes during the day he'll go back there and climg in and take a nap. It was important to me to have him trained for his safety but also because we are military and moving will be emminent. I wanted him use to being in a crate for when we have to fly. I'd rather him be used to it his whole life, than place the added stress on him when having to fly. It's going to take sometime for your dogs to become used to them since they are so old, but you must stay firm. It's not going to kill them. Try placing them in the living room with you and keep their toys in them and place "treats" in every once in a while. See if they will go in them without having to "put" them in. Slowly get them to stay in longer and longer. I promise you it will be fine.

Gentle leaders are in no way cruel. - I've heard that persistance is the key with them. It's new, so weird to him....he'll get used to it!

I think you know what the problem is :) you're too soft on the dog. BTW if thats your dog in the pic you're talking about....he's GORGEOUS! there's no wonder you're a sap! :)

I have no idea about crate training......only when I came on here did I even hear about it (i'm from australia)

I think the only thing a crate should be used for is potting training when you are not at home. I did use the crate at night when my youngest was in potty training but I pulled it next to my bed so she could see me because she cried when I put her in it. As soon as you take him out of the crate, take him outside to potty and then praise, praise, praise and they learn fast. If he has aggression issues, check with your vet because they can prescribe calming medication if needed. But under no circumstances should a dog/puppy stay in a crate for longer than absolutely necessary, a time period which you can logically figure out to suit your needs for him.