Help! My dog needs trained!?

Question

I got a dog from these people who basically lived like pigs. He's 70% wolf. Beautiful Dog! And supposibly 30% Malibu.
They didn't take care of there home and they let the dog do just about everything! They fed him human food all the time and now he won't eat his regular dog food. Isn't human food bad for dogs? He won't listen when I call him away from an area I don't want him around. He jumps on people and licks their faces. And he jumps on my couch and furniture. He just basically does what he wants.
My boyfriend and I rescued him because we felt he wasn't being taken care of too well. We're taking him to the vet tomorrow. He has flees but I don't think they are that bad yet. I think he may have worms because he only weighs 45.4 pounds. He should be alot more filled out and way bigger for a cross between a Wolf and Malibu! They say he's 2. Years or months? I don't know.
How can I train him properly without shouting at him?

Correction : John M has brought to my attention that my dog most likely is part Wolf and Malamute. I knew it was something with an M! (LOL)
Obviously I don't know much about dogs!

May I just add ... the dog is house trained as far as where to go to the bathroom and he is very friendly. "I" don't know much about dogs.
My bf on the other hand, collects everything that has to do with wolves and knows everything about them. He grew up around dogs at home most of his life. Everyone he knows owns a dog.
I came here for answers because he works long hours every day. I just wanted to learn something on my own. Didn't mean to give anyone the wrong impression.

Answer 1

first off a raw diet is the best food you can feed a dog.

The Basics
SIT, COME, DOWN, STAY, HEEL.




SIT

Holding a treat in your left hand just above the pup's nose, gently rest your right hand on pup's rump.
Slowly move the treat in an upward motion while applying gentle pressure to the rump. ( you dont want to push hard because if you do the dog will sit every time someone touches him and this is not good for competitive obedience)
as soon as pup sits say in a very happy excited tone "GOOD SIT" and give the treat.
Repeat excersize 7x. then take a play break and move on to something elce.
very young pups should not train for more than a half hour each day
every time you put food bowl down or give a treat give the sit command, and wait for the sit. then once pup sits give treat or food down.
DO NOT move on to something new until pup has the new command down pat.


COME

walk away from pup about 10 feet to start. say pup's name and "COME" in a happy voice. once pup comes praise it lavishly have a bit of a play and give it a treat.
Gradually increase the distance you walk away. and eventually once pup knows command only treat every 3rd come. tappering off until he comes every time with out treat using only praise.
this will take a few days to learn if you practice every day.



DOWN

Start with pup in sit. move hand with the treat between the pup's front paws on the ground.
Say "DOWN" in firm but not loud voice.
pup might try and get treat without going down, dont let him have it until he downs.
praise in happy voice "GOOD DOWN"
repeat 7x


STAY

Start pup in down possition. say "STAY" in firm voice. walk to end of leash, backwards. if the pup moves say once only "AP" in a not pleased tone. go back do not say anything. put pup in down again repeat "STAY" walk backwards to end of leash.
pup does NOT get praise or treat untill he stays for 30 seconds, then a minute, then 5 minutes. move times up each week.
after he can do a 5 minute down/stay every time. move on to a sit/stay doing exactly what you did for down/stay.
Once on leash sit and down/stays are reliable for 5 minutes each. drop the leash and walk away from your pup, your back to the pup. about 10 feet away. wait 5 min. recall your dog. with dog sitting in front of you once he reaches you. treat and praise.


HEEL

Please do NOT train with a choke collar. i recomend martin gayles.
with dog on a short leash exactly beside you on your left side say "HEEL" if the dog starts to pull give a correction snap with leash on collar. and recomand "HEEL" the second your dog complies peaise with "GOOD HEEL" in happy voice. and continue to walk , correct, and praise for 30 minutes.


Allways end training sessions on a positive note. Never get angery with your pup for not responding to a command. Praise lavishly every time pup responds to a command.
NEVER hit your dog. NO reason is an acceptable reason for physicaly abusing your pup.

A puppy is like a baby. He will relieve himself anywhere, anytime. Because a newly adopted adult dog is unfamiliar with your home, he may not understand where he should "go"! Housetraining, or teaching your dog to go outside to relieve himself, is an important lesson your dog must learn.
It is up to you, the new parent, to housetrain your new puppy or dog with patience, love and understanding.
CRATE TRAINING
In the wild, wolves live in a den or cave. It is important the entire wolf pack keep this area clean. The same idea works with your family pet. Your dog’s crate is his home, his bedroom. It is likely that your dog will not like to soil his bed. Therefore, he will wait until he is let out to do his business.
HOUSETRAINING WITH YOUR CRATE
On average, puppies can hold their bladders one hour for every month they have been alive, plus one hour. For example, if you have a three month old puppy, he can wait 3 + 1 = 4 hours. If you work longer than this, the best solution is to have someone (a neighbour, a relative, a dog walker) come in at an appropriate time to let your dog out.

100 PER CENT SUPERVISION
Supervision is the key to housetraining! While you are at home, your dog must be supervised. Whether you are watching television, making dinner, on the phone or on the computer, your puppy must be watched. While it sounds like an impossible task, it isn’t. Keeping the crate in a social part of the house makes it easier. Using a house lead – a small, thin lead with a little clip on it – also helps immensely. Outside, you put a lead on your dog so you can control him. If the lead is removed after returning home, control is lost. For example, when watching television, have the lead tied to a couch leg. Your dog can have his blanket and toys with him. He’ll feel safe and comfortable. The majority of accidents happen when your pup wanders off and you haven’t noticed. You don’t want him to sneak off into the kitchen and find a puddle a short time later. If your pup is kept from wandering, the possibility of an accident is diminished because he will not eliminate where he is sitting. 100 per cent supervision means ensuring your dog is playing with you, in his crate, outside or on his house lead.

SCHEDULING
In the morning, take your dog outside. He should urinate and possibly have a bowel movement. Spend about five to seven minutes with him and then bring him in. Do not play with him yet. Feed him breakfast, either in the crate or with the lead, and supervise it. If your pup did not have a bowel movement earlier, take him back outside about 15 minutes after he has eaten. Use the lead to keep your pup moving along while outside. Otherwise, he may start sniffing, stopping and playing to avoid the job at hand. You can say “hurry up” and your dog will begin to associate these words with the task at hand. Praise him excessively when he has eliminated. Bring him back in the house and place him in his crate if you are going to work. Continue to supervise him with the crate or the lead if you are home. When returning after being out, go directly to the crate, let him out, praise him and put him back in. Feed him his meal, take him outside 15 minutes after he has eaten, praise him after he eliminates, and bring him back in. Continue to follow the same steps consistently.

While you are home, you should take your pup outside on a regular basis. Even if your pup is in a crate or on a house lead, he still needs the opportunity to eliminate. Also, be careful what you wish for! A pup who barks to go outside may be cute and clever now. However, you must try not to fall into the habit of leaping up every time your dog wants in or out. It is a very submissive gesture on your part. Have your pup wait a moment or two.

Setting up a schedule is also a good idea. If your pup is under four months of age, take him out for five minutes every hour on the hour. If your pup is over four months old, take him out every second hour on the hour. The schedule will help you remember when to take him out. Go out for five minutes only. It provides the opportunity to eliminate even if your pup may not need to go. Take your dog out after active play and also after napping. If an accident occurs, you may have forgotten to take him out .

FEEDING TIME
Having a puppy drink a lot of water and then placing him in his crate is much more unkind than letting him be a bit thirsty for an hour or two. Adult dogs should have access to drinking water at all times. However, this is not the case for untrained pups. Most parents will not allow their children to drink a big glass of water before going to bed. Avoid setting your pup up for failure. Restrict his water intake to three or four drinks daily and make sure you remove the water dish about three hours before bedtime. This will help your dog sleep more comfortably.

If it is a hot evening, supply your pup with a few ice cubes. They will enter your dog’s system at a slower pace. When feeding your pup, provide a high-quality food that is a good source of protein. The food must be concentrated so your puppy’s body doesn’t require much of it. If you feed less, your puppy eliminates less. Food is directly related to how well puppies do in their housetraining.

EXERCISE
It is important that your pup gets a lot of exercise, especially while crate training. You can play fetch, chase or hide and seek in your home. You can call ‘come’ at the same time to provide further training. Anyway you do it, your pup needs to be able to run and play.

Answer 2

Consistency.
First, get rid of the fleas because even if it's a little problem, it will soon be a big problem. Also the worms. Your vet will help with these things. Your dog will put on weight once these things are taken care of.
As for the behavior: You have to be the alpha dog. This means being stern when there are infractions. You must be willing to use some sort of signal. (Sharp intake of breath, a sharp word spoken quickly and harshly, clapping your hands once...something to get their attention.) Then follow up by showing the dog what you expect.
Jumping on people? Sharp signal, then take the dog physically and move them to where they should be. Pat them on the head gently to reinforce that THIS is the good thing. Don't make a big to-do over it.
On the furniture? Same thing.
As for the food, keep all food away from this dog EXCEPT for his food. Keep it fresh and always available. The dog will eventually go to it when it is hungry enough.
I've had a lot of dogs, some that were rescued, over the years. They've all learned what I expected from them and learned the rules through this method. Don't ever overlook the bad behavior. Take the time to correct it in the same manner.

Answer 3

I think you're in trouble, gingerdrop. Most good trainers will tell you that "training a dog" requires training a person, too; per your summary, some people did train this dog - badly. I wish you good luck, and I hope you disprove the old adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
PS: I think you mean Malamute, as in Alaskan Malamute, not "Malibu." The Malamute, often confused for a Husky by the general public, is bigger and a very even-tempered dog ... although I don't know about that "wolf" part. From what I've heard, saying a dog is "part wolf" is usually an exaggeration. Hopefully your vet will she a great deal of light on the subject.
PSS: You should NAME the dog "Malibu."

Answer 4

The suggestion of an obedience class is an excellent one. It will help your dog learn to behave around other dogs, and help keep your training moving forward as you'll want to be prepared for the next class. Also, a good instructor can be a wonderful resource, someone to help you with any questions or concerns about your dog. Leash training can take a LOT of time and patience, depending upon the dog. I'm not sure what you mean by 'horrible on a leash' but my basic suggestion is that you take a lot of yummy treats with you on walks. When your dog behaves well on the leash (not pulling) praise her and give her treats. Change direction a lot so that she learns to pay attention to YOU and where you are going. It's also helpful to teach a "Watch Me" command such that whenever your dog looks at you you praise her and give her a treat. About chewing, yes a Kong is a great chew toy. Some dogs also like Nylabone brand bones. I suggest also teaching a "Leave It" command. You use this when she shows interest in chewing on something she shouldn't. Then immediately give her something she is allowed to chew, such as the Kong stuffed with somethig yummy. This same command will be helpful on walks when she wants to sniff or eat something she shouldn't. Again, when she does leave the item alone, be sure to give lots of praise. I would look into an obedience class right away. I think that you'll find that a good obedience class can help enormously! Good luck and enjoy your new dog.

Answer 5

I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND you read everything you can get your hands on on dog and wolf behavior. One of the best behaved dogs I've 'met' was wolf X malamute - VERY well behaved. They CAN be trained - it takes a lot of time and effort. More so than an "ordinary dog" your boy will need discipline. This DOES NOT mean hitting him. Raw food he'll probably eagerly take as it's a natural diet for him. jumping on people and licking faces is wolf/dog talk for "you're boss I just wanna play". He has not a clue it's considered rude in human's world. Be firm with him but - again - it doesn't mean hitting him. One of the most effective "punishments" even with stubborn dogs is grabbing the scruff of the neck and sort of shake it - pull towards you a few inches then away from you a few inches then push down and say NOOOOO!!!!. If you watch a mama dog discipline her pups she'll grab face or neck/shoulders and pin them down. Pinning down is dominance...something you need to establish. He doesn't care you're human. He WILL care if he's boss or you are - and most are content to not be boss as long as they know where they stand. Be careful what you ask - my hubby gets frustrated cause one of the dogs gets on his lap and after a little bit he says "down" and the dog lays down on his lap. I told him that's what you told her to do - she downed. If you want her off your lap (or couch etc) say OFF. Hearing that she jumped to the floor. Be consistent. Sounds like you have the prospect of a very nice animal - but DO read all you can on behavior.A well timed "NO!" or "GOOD BOY!!!!" goes a long ways!!! But with any dog and especially a wolf hybrid you will need to understand dogspeak - body language, heirarchy, pack life. You and your bf are his pack. You must be alpha and beta - he is 3rd. It will take time to teach him. But remember - a 7 year old child who has always gotten his own way would be equally off the wall. Set your boundaries, teach, balance discipline and reward.
Good luck!!

Answer 6

If this "dog" is part wolf you are only going to be able to get so much training on him. They are not easily trained and do not make the best pets as the wild sometimes can be more dominant.
All the things wolves do in the wild are thing you would not want your pet to do. For him it is just instinct and for you a potential nightmare.
Find a behavorial trainer in your area someone who works with problem dogs and can do behavior modification type training. You are not gong to have much luck in obediance type training.
You will need to be able to work one one one with someone who can or has experience teaching behaviors. This will take lots of time and work on your part. You will have to learn to follow exact routines when you do things with the dog and be consistant. Everyone in the house must be consistant with the training for it to work.
You have taken on a huge project but with time most hybrids can make good pets but it has to be a dedicated hime.
Good Luck.

Answer 7

Having a hybrid like that you definitely need to get him to obedience classes....quick. they will teach you how to train him. The fleas and worms the vet can handle. As for food you need to get him on a premium quality dog food. California Natural, Solid Gold, Innova and Merrick are some of the best ones. Put his food in a dish, leave it for twenty minutes and pick it up. Offer it again for twenty minutes at the next meal. Feed him nothing else. He will get hungry, he will eat. He should be fed 2-3 times a day.

Answer 8

You are not going to like what I have to say. I really admire you taking this dog from the conditions that it was living in but.... if this dog is really 70% wolf you need to find a new home for him. You admit you don't know much about dogs so I assume you don't know much about wolves either. This is a DANGEROUS animal. Pet dog training is not going to help you. Please find an appropriate home for him.

Answer 9

First, he should be checked by a vet for worms, fleas, etc. A healthy dog will be happy dog.
Repetitive, calm, discipline will eventually work. When he jumps on the couch, send him down, repeatedly and when he stays down, on your command, reward him with a dog treat.
You might want to confine him to a certain area, until he listens to your commands, or until he learns that bad behaviour means he will be confined. Always be firm but gentle.

Answer 10

One thing to remember. IF he is part wolf, he is quite wild. Instinctively that is. Having said that...
Dogs look at the "family" as the pack. It is imperative that he sees ya'll as the leader of the pack. This can be achieved by feeding him on your terms. Enter the room BEFORE him. If he jumps up on you push him away and ignore him by leaving the room or looking away from him. In the wild, the leader ignores the subordinate dogs.
The food issue might be solved by going the BARF route. BARF being Bones And Raw Food. Course that acronym is subject to debate, but you get the jist. There are places on line to buy it OR you can do it yourself. I feed my 12 y/o Beagle/English Setter mix AND my American Staffordshire Terrier Innova Evo. Hi protein, lo carb food and they are both doing fantastic. My Beagle mix has hip problems and when I feed her the Evo She seems to get around better and in less pain.

Answer 11

Un-experienced dog owners, should never take in mis-treated, or abused animals. It is EXTREMELY difficult, to train a dog once it already thinks the way it is behaving is the way it is supposed to be... your probably going to need proffesional help, a dog trainer, or obediance classes.... so it's going to VERY costly.... sounds like the dog is going to be difficult to work with. (you did good by saving the poor thing!!!) hopefully it's just the attitude you need to work with, hope your vet appointement goes well and the dog is otherwise healthy!!!! :) Good Luck!