My large hyper dog needs training. How long will it take and what methods?

I would increase the exercise during the time you have available for your dog. A tied dog is a happy dog. Long walks, playing fetch or tug, and trick training are all fun and will tire him out. Also you both would enjoy a group obedience class so you can learn to work together and he’ll learn things that will make him a better companion so you won’t need to correct his behavior as often. He’s still a teenager so be patient. He’ll improve as he grows up and learns what you expect from him. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Harley.

Training a disobedient large breed dog with bad habits can certainly be happy. However, in the end, the use of positive reinforcement will always reign supreme. Depending on what motivates Roscoe most will need to be what you choose to make Roscoe want to listen. I think this is a perfect case for clicker training. A clicker is a device that makes a clicking noise when you press down on it. Basically you want to first teach Roscoe that the click is associated with something good happening, which is called "charging" or "priming" the clicker. Once Roscoe understands that the clicking noise is associated with food or treats, you will be able to use this tool to your advantage. You should carry the clicker with you at all times and make sure to use it any time you are rewarding Roscoe. In terms of the jumping and mouthiness, you need to be very careful not to inadvertently reward inappropriate behavior. I realize that that gut reaction to something jumping or biting at you is to yell or push away. Unfortunately, this is not going to get the picture across to Roscoe. Instead, what you want to do is simply turn away or move your hand away. Continue to do this until Roscoe stops this behavior on his own and sits calmly. It is at this point that you want to click and reward. Dogs that are extremely disobedient sometimes need to have more strict boundaries than other dogs so that they be good pets. It is possible that you may eventually have to train Roscoe so that he knows not to enter your personal space until you have given him permission. With respect to biting, obviously this is an extremely bad behavior for a large breed dog. Rather than saying no, you will want to deflect his attention to something else. I would teach him the "touch" command. Since he tends to bite, you will want to train him to touch something like a stick or a rod of sorts. As soon as he starts to do the biting thing, you will want to get him to touch the object. If he does this, click and reward. With repetition and consistency, this should resolve the issue. In regards to walking, pulling can sometimes be resolved with a change in the type of collar. Some dogs do better with different types of harnesses or gentle leaders, while others do fine with conventional collars. Some even require choke collars, though I usually reserve these as a last resort. You should be teaching your dog the heel command, and be using the clicker in this case as well to reward the appropriate behavior. However, until you figure out what type of collar / harness works best for Roscoe it will be difficult to train him appropriately. Behavior issues are often complex and somewhat difficult. Don't be afraid to go out and get a trainer or go to some obedience classes. You can even speak to a vet that has some interest in behavior that is willing to work with you. If there is anything else that I can do, don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to work with you.

A big strong dog like your Mufasa can easily become a danger, so it is absolutely mandatory that he listens to you and that he learns several basic commands such as heel, sit, lie down, come here, etc. The best way to teach him that is to become a member of a German Shepherd Dog club in your area, where they have training for obedience , etc, or consult with a dog trainer you can work with to teach the commands. It is important not to just give the dog to the trainer to train, but to have both of you , dog and owner, learn how it is done. This way your dog will not just listen to the trainer and play games with you, but will learn to respect you as well.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Usually these behaviors can be corrected but this usually requires in person training by a qualified dog trainer. I recommend you consider hiring a qualified dog trainer to work with you in person. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If the spray bottle technique does not work well, then leash training him and getting him trained with obedience commands is the next step. You need to train him to sit, stay, lie down, come, etc. This will give you better control over Blaze. I typically recommend having dogs like Blaze go to an obedience training course with a trainer to establish these commands. Once he learns these commands, you can command him to stop the behavior by distracting him with these commands. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I certainly understand and sympathize with your situation. I have a young dog. I have a few suggestions for you that have helped me. One thing that people think of first is treats that keep them busy for a longer period of time. This does seem to help. You can use long lasting treats like a Kong filled with peanut butter, yogurt, treats, etc and frozen so it takes longer for him to eat. My dog also really like Bully Sticks which I also freeze to make them last a little longer. Keep him mentally and physically busy during meal times. I love using a feeding balls like a Buster Cube or Tricky Treat ball to feed meals in. It keeps him busy for at least 5-10 minutes at each meal and requires him to work. And speaking of working. I have found that my dog is the most tired after we have done a good round of training. Even if you have done a basic obedience class, I would consider trying an advanced class, a nose work class, a tricks class, etc. And if taking a class isn't an option right now, work on training at home. When he goes on walks, make him sit at each corner before he crosses the street. It sounds simple, but additional mental stimulation can go a long way. Playing with other dogs is a great outlet for energy. If you haven't tried it yet, look into your local dog park or doggy daycare center. Sending my youngest dog to daycare once a week has made a huge difference. There are a number of interactive dog games and toys available now. Outward Hound makes a number of toys that your dog has to figure out a puzzle of some type before they get a treats. Here are some ideas for those. https://www.petco.com/category/dog/dog-toys/interactive-dog-toys/dog-puzzle-toys-and-games I have not tried the Clever Pet yet, but it is an electronic interactive toy that am intrigued about it. clever.pet So, I think the key is to vary his activities daily and include a wide range of physical and mental stimulation. Be sure to be creative to tire him out on a regular basis and help everyone keep their sanity. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

I certainly understand and sympathize with your situation. I have one younger dog that is much too high energy for my older dogs (and me sometimes). I have a few suggestions for you that have helped me. One thing that people think of first is treats that keep them busy for a longer period of time. This does seem to help. You can use long lasting treats like a Kong filled with peanut butter, yogurt, treats, etc and frozen so it takes longer for him to eat. My dog also really like Bully Sticks which I also freeze to make them last a little longer. Keep Rocky mentally and physically busy during meal times. I love using a feeding balls like a Buster Cube or Tricky Treat ball to feed meals in. It keeps him busy for at least 5-10 minutes at each meal and requires him to work. And speaking of working. I have found that my dog is the most tired after we have done a good round of training. Even though it sounds like you have done a basic obedience class, I would consider trying an advanced class, a nose work class, a tricks class, etc. And if taking a class isn't an option right now, work on training at home. When he goes on walks, make him sit at each corner before he crosses the street. Or work on teaching him a new trick. It sounds simple, but additional mental stimulation can go a long way. Playing with other dogs is a great outlet for energy. If you haven't tried it yet, look into your local dog park or doggy daycare center. Sending my youngest dog to daycare once a week has made a huge difference in his energy level. There are a number of interactive dog games and toys available now. Outward Hound makes a number of toys that your dog has to figure out a puzzle of some type before they get a treats. Here are some ideas for those. https://www.petco.com/category/dog/dog-toys/interactive-dog-toys/dog-puzzle-toys-and-games I have not tried the Clever Pet yet, but it is an electronic interactive toy that I am intrigued about. clever.pet So, I think the key is to vary his activities daily and include a wide range of physical and mental stimulation. Be sure to be creative to tire him out on a regular basis and help everyone keep their sanity. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.