# not able to control my dog.



## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I don't know anything about them myself, but from all I've heard and read, I'd give the "gentle leader" a shot.

Also, I just talked to a guy who was walking his lab with a prong collar. He says it works great with his dog....


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## Jason Jaber (Dec 30, 2005)

My dog shadow has shown aggression towards other dogs. It really 

isnt a fun situation, and it scares the living daylight out of you! I tried the 

prong collar and it is amazing. If you dont use it right, the dog will pull, but 

not with much force because theres a prong in their neck! some people think 

they are cruel but, Shadow doesnt yelp or act in pain at all. And also, you 

have to be really self confident when walking your dog, if you arent i really 

think they pick up on and ive heard that before. I am still weary of walking by 

other dogs, but the prong collar has helped him tremendously on walks. I 

hope this helps you. If i were you, i would talk to Sashac, she has gone 

through this and shes pretty educated about it.


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## sashac (Mar 13, 2006)

I'm wondering why you call him aggressive - has he actually gotten into fights with other dogs/people? Bitten them? Drawn blood? Or, does he just get really excited and difficult to control? 

It sounds like he is going through his puppy stage and starting his adolescence, and since he was recently neutered, things like the marking and even some aggression might be par for the course. 

His behavior with smaller dogs, birds, etc just seems overly playful, unless he's actually done some harm to them. He might just outgrow this stage. 

As far as being able to control him - I find the head halter very helpful (I have some of the same issues with my Charles). I'm glad you're using it! I find it helps to walk very fast, my head high up, with my hand on the very beginning of the leash, sometimes, right where it clips on to his head halter. And be very firm. Very Very Firm! When Charlie pulls or tries to turn, I say NO! really loudly ( can be embarrassing) and say "THIS WAY" loudly. It is a start to reinforcing with your dog who is in charge and it should never be him! This might be a start. 

I think the rolling on the grass is totally normal - they love rolling around and scratching their back on the grass! If it is really extreme, maybe look into whether or not he has allergies that could be causing him itchiness - maybe his food? But, I think dogs and GRs especially just love rolling around in the grass, and eating it!! It's okay!

The ball/fetch thing is interesting. If he just wants to be chased, one way to train him out of it is to trade the ball for a treat, or something else he values, so that he drops the ball. Then you can give him the treat and throw the ball, and he'll run after it and come back again. You might have to try this quite a few times. 

Charlie does the same thing with his tennis balls, but in his case, he is extremely toy possessive. He's very ambivalent about returning the ball back to me, but he knows he can't play the "fetch" game unless he does. Usually he'll do it a few times then grab the ball and run to one of his hiding spots, and lie down on top of it. If Rocky has a very hard time learning fetch, you might want to consider how possessive he is about his toys. But at his age, he just needs to learn how to play fetch, most likely. 

Good luck - he really does seem like a typical, fun loving, playful GR!


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## jenhys (Jan 9, 2006)

thank you for all the replies

yes rocky is super playful. many people say they want a playful dog instead of a lazy one. i don't know. i wish rocky get fat and be lazy. i am very scare that he will not outgrow his exciting behaviour, as myself really cannot control him, he is just too powerful. and also i do not notice any difference before and after neutering.

i said he's aggressive toward dogs because he growls and bark at most of the dogs. no he never bite any dogs, but his face looks very very aggressive, his teeth shown and his face wrinkle. 

i don't want to use any harsh collar because rocky has breathing problem. when he goes swimming, he chokes. I'm guessing the damage is caused by the pulling when we leash him with the regular neck collar before. we changed to the head halter 2 months ago. but rocky tries to bite it off (with teeth shown, face wrinkle) when he sees strangers or dogs (because i usually tell people that he is an excited dog and so i try to pull him away). 

i will try the treat along with the fetch. cookies don't attract him anymore, maybe sausages..


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## Baileysmom (Aug 5, 2006)

I had the pulling issue with my other golden (Angel Boomer). We solved the problem with the prong collar. I got the size for small dogs and added extra links. It feels light a light bite of another dog on his neck and it definitely won't hurt if used correctly. It worked so well for me that the 3 year old next door could walk him (an 80 lbs. golden).

The exchanging the ball for the treat (liver training treats worked best for me) is a great idea. At first he got a small treat every time, then every other time and then every third time and soon he didn't need it at all.


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## mblondetoo (Jan 9, 2006)

Our dog Tabitha is about the same age. She does many of the things Rocky does. She rolls like crazy in the grass biting and grabbing chunks. She doesn't retrieve very well and has invented other games. She barks snarls and acts like a killer if she sees another dog. In daycare she was tested by a few bullies and stood up for herself when they wouldn't leave her alone. As long as she's not threatened though she's a playbaby. We also had a hard time with her pulling so we also used a gentle leader type. She hates it but will walk better. We won't use a choke collar anymore because our other dog Abbey hurt her neck also pulling. We started with a harness that didn't put pressure on her neck. It took several months for the choking to completely go away, but it was well worth it. Tabitha now walks with a harness.

Honestly Rocky sounds like a typical golden who is learning he can get his own way and needs to be a bit more socialized. You may want to find a good training facility and invest some time going to classes. This way you can have someone to watch and help correct some of the bad behaviour.


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## sashac (Mar 13, 2006)

Definitely try some more high-value treats that he only gets during training. They may not be healthy, but with dogs like this, it may be the only thing that will get their attention, or that they will "trade" for. 

I used to take regular dog biscuits on our walks and Charlie could have cared less - at home, he'd go nuts for them, but on walks, there were just plenty more interesting things to look at. 

I would take the treats (cut up into small bits) along on your walks. Try to practice getting his attention (meaing he has to physically look at you) when you see something coming that will set him off - another dog, a bird, a squirrel. Some things might be too tempting (especially squirrels) but he should get used to looking at you and focusing on you, or at least being aware that you are there right by him, when he starts to get distracted. In this way, you can train him to think that other things are just not that important - only you matter, because you've got the treats. 

I don't know if that works for everyone, especially since he is young and so playful. But it's worth a try. Charlie and I still don't have it down perfectly, but I know that I can distract him long enough to get him away from a potentially bad situation, which is all I can ask for!


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## sashac (Mar 13, 2006)

PS. Charlie does the same thing with his head halter, when he sees squirrels. He gets so visibly frustrated because he knows that I control him when that thing is on, and he can't do ANYTHING unless I tell him to, especially chase squirrels. I think it's annoying that he does it, but it's a sign that he can be controlled, and you should take advantage of that. Remember to yell "NO" at him when he tries to bite it off, and maybe even make him sit/stay until he calms down. 

Another tip that people have suggested is to make him sit and not resume the walk again until he has calmed down and is ready to listen. This can take a loooong time, depending on your dog, but can work, if he really likes his walks. He'll want the walk so badly, he'll eventually just do what you ask (or something close to it).


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

1. Get mad
2. Take over..your gonna do it MY WAY, by gosh
3. He WILL know that YOU are in charge..
4. Do not overdo the praise when things go good.. 

I personally like the high energy ones, but that is me. It just takes a little more dedication to convince them that they are going to do things accoding to your rules. Go out with the specific goal of training. Take him out in the back yard and walk him and set up distractions. I would teach heel.. make him walk right beside you and no tolerance for anything else.. 
now i said get mad, but do not..i repeat ..do not... lose your temper.. stay business like.. a calm authoritative tone of voice..he can hear you..you dont need to yell.. the trick is zero tolerance.. and be consistant.. it may take a while, but once you win this battle, you will find the others become easier.. short daily sessions.. it is very often baby steps baby steps... you have to be more stubborn than he is. 
Until you have it down in the back yard, I would not think about taking him to other places..


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Greg that "Get Mad" is really so important. But altering that to "controlled anger" might be more beneficial. God gave us anger for a reason and it seems when its at work I get the most done with Lucky.


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

yeah..i said in there.. dont lose your temper..that never works.. just be determined..


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## Tianna0423 (Mar 21, 2006)

Barkley is over excited too. In fact, a while back he started giving me a little trouble when a particular puppy would pass by us at the park. But he is over that now.
In the beginning I was hesitant to use a choke collar on Barkley, but my husband got one for him. Once he started wearing it, when he got distracted and was going nuts over another dog, I would stop and look away, and let him pull toward the other dog on his own. Well, I think he realized that he was choking himself and obviously didn't like the feeling and now he walks by my side. Yes, sometimes he tries to act up, but I think he thinks twice about it.
If you see dogs passing by, don't get nervous, he will sense it and start acting up. You should look ahead and ignore, even if he looks back, keep going forward, he will come at your side. It might take a few tries, but it works. 
Another thing I do is that I sit him down when another dog comes near to sniff him. If I see his ears come up, depending on the situation, I tug at the leash lightly to distract him.
Its true what Greg says about getting mad. I think they will learn to fear you and run from you instead. If you find yourself getting frustrated, just take a deep breath, grab him and put him in his crate (if you have one), and take a break. 
A golden retriever is very smart and might challenge you from time to time, but you have to show that its your way or no way.


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## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Hi Jenhys,

We recently acquired a pup, so I've been reading various books on animal behavior and obedience in order to nip any potential problems in the bud right from the beginning. One of the overriding messages seems to be that unwanted behaviors in our dogs are our own fault (assuming, of course, that the behaviors weren't there when we acquired the dog). Dogs are dogs--they aren't "bad," they don't have agendas, they don't plot. They look to us for guidance and discipline, and if they don't get it, they do what they want. It's not really that different from teaching a child what we require of him or her--if we don't teach our children manners, for example, we shouldn't be surprised when they act rudely.

To me, Rocky sounds like a normal, playful, exuberant dog who wasn't told what was expected of him at various times. He wasn't made not to jump on visitors, or to walk nicely on a leash... so he doesn't. (Before I sound like a know-it-all, our first dog jumped all over people her whole life and was a notorious counter surfer. Our fault!) 

It also sounds like he has a lot of pent-up energy, so he goes berserk when he goes to the dog park. The "Dog Whisperer" suggests never taking this type of dog to a dog park without draining his energy first, via a long walk, or other activity. Perhaps that would work for you.

Another idea might be "going back to basics" with Rocky. This could be leashing him up and walking him around the backyard with you, until he walks in the way you want. Don't give him free reign to walk wherever he wants; he walks where you tell him to. Keep the leash short, walk fast, and keep his focus on you... not on sniffing around or spraying.

Some of the other things you mentioned--rolling in grass, digging, sniffing other dogs' butts--are normal behaviors, especially for an adolescent dog. 

Good luck in figuring out what to do!


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## DevonTT (Aug 5, 2006)

You didn't mention whether you've taken Rocky for obedience training, but that's a good place to start. He needs to learn that you're in charge and that it's fun to obey! If you treat him with sausages (or something else he really likes), he'll quickly learn that something good will happen for him when he does what you tell him to.

Even after 7 months of off-leash dog park visits, I still bring treats to reward Chaz after every recall. It really helps when I can call him away from a play situation that looks like it might turn ugly.

Training is largely a matter of getting your dog into good habits.Once your dog is trained to sit and lie down on command, you can give him those commands when he's excited (jumping up on people and such) and he's much easier to control.


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## Samwise (May 15, 2006)

I'm with DevonTT on this one - it sounds like you need to get Rocky into an obedience class where the instructor can teach you how to get control. Clicker training is great for high-energy dogs if that type of class is available in your area.


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

treats work up to a point..they teach vocabulary and the dog responds to treats till the diversion is a bigger attraction than the cookie... 
I use treats to first teach a pup what sit, down, stay, etc means.. but then at about 7 months I get hard nosed about it.. I dont mean i hurt the dog, but I do get in their face and let it be known it is a command, not a request.. but then that is just me and my opinon..


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

One thing I'd like to note among all the rest that everyone has mentioned is....if you are getting leash burn, your collar or tool isn't working...or it isn't being used correctly. This can harm your dog! 

If I were you, I would seriously consider bringing in a trainer. They will help show you how to use your tool of choice and work on some OB work, you will see a totally different dog once you get a handle on him with a trainers help. It will be well worth your money spent, it is a small price for you to pay in the long run.

He sounds like he's a bit out of control, he's not a bad dog! You and him just need some guidance. I'm bringing in a private trainer next week myself for getting Kode ready to move into an e-collar. 

Good luck, and I wish you and golden the very best. But please consider a certified trainer to help you with your fella. You will be glad you did.


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

I didnt want to bring up the ecollar..but since goldndust did, I will... If you learn how to use one and use it properly, they work miracles... some are going to run out of here screaming, but believe me..they are more humane than the prong collar and a lot of other stuff.. you dont have to turn them up a lot to get the attention you want and you have control at a distance.. and once you get the idea across, you dont need it any more..


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## Baileysmom (Aug 5, 2006)

My first golden was trained on our invisible fence and I am counting the days until my little Bailey is old enough to be trained on it. I was amazed at how quickly Angel Boomer responded to my voice if he thought he was going to get zapped by the fence. 

I agree with the idea of obedience training or a private trainer.


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