I have a cavalier king charles spaniel, almost a year.. any easy way to train?

Question

she knows how to sit, she doesn't do it alot though, And i thought we had potty trained her, she was doing fine for awhile. then she started coming inside again. I'm also thinking of getting another so she can have some small company. should i train the new one at an earlier age?

One thing I forgot to mention about the potty training is that we also have a dog door she can go freely through. She goes through it all the time when our neighbors dog barks.

I also got her when she was 2 months old. I found a site called www.megabrookfarm.com it's where i found her in Kansas.

Answer 1

I totally agree with everyone else, don't get another dog especially a puppy till you have sorted out this dogs problems! It would be a disaster.

My cavalier is 16 months and has never looked back after being toilet trained. He sits everytime i tell him, rings a bell to go outside to the toilet, gives his paw, does hi 5 and will wait to eat until i give the command ok!

I suggest having a check up at the vets to rule out anything medical and have a chat to them about these problems.

Training for dogs should start straight away! Maybe join an obeidiance club in your area. Borrow books from the library and set aside 20 mins a day for training. Only train 1 thing at a time...i would start with sit and the toileting. I used food rewards for my boy, just a piece of dry food works for him!

Good luck...but please wait at least another 12 months and get these problems sorted before you get a new one! cav's are just so adorable!!

Oh by the way what age was she when you got her??

Answer 2

1st training.
I do not talk when I train my dogs, You see people shouting sit all the time dog at there dog & half the time the dog ignores you & walks off.
When I want my dog to come back I whistle 3 times when it comes back I point to the floor & he sits & waits for the next command. I practiced this on a extendable lead. I have done this with all my dogs & the come sit & basically are very well trained dogs.
I strongly believe in NOT training dogs to attack!!!! I think this should never be done even though there is a lot of idiots still out there trying this then asking for advice about it!
It took my dogs about a week to have mastered then every time he done it I used mini jacks treats to praise him.

To fetch a ball or what ever else he must sit first, for treats or anything else no sit no treat.

lay down is flat hand pointing to the floor every time they complete what I am asking he has a treat. Slowly the treats start to go away then he does what you ask & does not bother about a treat any more.

2ed
house training.
If they start to come back in the house they have done it without you noticing & can smell it on the floors.
Wash down the areas with bi carbonate of soda (use for baking) it will remove any smell.
If I see the dog sniffing being restless etc it is telling you that it needs out.
If it has an accident on the floor then I say firmly but not shout (never shout it will only make it worse)
W ho done that???? they know they have done wrong then take out side might take couple goes but it will get there

hope this helps

Answer 3

How long have you had your dog? If she is almost a year, she should be potty trained (I am only assuming, if you have had her since she was a pup). Is she crate trained? If not, as heartbreaking as it is, at first, try that. I would not reccomend getting a paymate until she is fully trained. its the monkey see monkey do method with dogs. If she is messing in the house, chances are the other will too... not only by example, but by smell.

***edited***
If she has been trained for a while now, and is all of a sudden starting again, she may have an UTI, and you might want to take her to the vet to make sure. It is very uncomfortable for them, and harder to hold it in.

Answer 4

You have to be really consistent about training. You have to always work at it. You don't just teach them once and expect them to always behave, but reinforce the desired behaviors all the time.

As for potty training, if she is going in the house, it's time to do the potty training routine, again. Keep her in a crate when you can't watch her and attached to you with a leash when you can. That way you can immediately correct any bad behaviors and take her outside and praise good behaviors.

Also, consider going to basic obedience classes. They are fun and really help you to learn to communicate with your dog. It will be really helpful for when you get your new dog. Also, start training as soon as you get your new dog. You'd be surprised how early they can begin learning behaviors.

Always use positive reinforcement. Ignore bad behaviors and reward desired behaviors. With this method you can train any dog at any age and they learn very quickly.

Answer 5

you don't want to add another pet into your house until you get the dog you have now trained, or you'll just have twice the trouble. do you crate train for the housebreaking? if not i reccomend you get a crate and crate train, it's very effective and the dog usually will respond quiet well to it. find an obedience class near you and sign up. if she's not spayed do so, heat cycles can cause unwanted behaviors to resurface, and also you do not want to add another dog if she is not spayed. once she is trained and you are happy with the results by all means if you can afford and have the time it takes for another dog then get her a buddy. the training will be easier for the new dog because you already have been taught through your obedience class how to teach the dog, and your older dog will be a great role model for the new dog to follow. good luck.

Answer 6

You should wait until your current dog is a little better trained, and is doing well with housetraining again before getting a new pup. Dogs learn from each other, this includes good and bad habits.

Have you had her checked to make sure she doesn't have a medical condition such as a UTI that could be causing her housesoiling? You said she was doing well, and has just recently started going in the house again. This can be the sign of a medical issue. So you should start there. If she gets a clean bill of health from the vet you can then go back to square one for her training until she 'remembers'. Here is an article that will help with retraining http://www.tiaspetplace.com/housetraining.html

To teach the Sit command get out some yummy treats. They should be bite size and very easy to chew. I will use liver or in a pinch cut up hot dogs.

Have your dog on leash, show her the treat and slowly move the treat back over his head toward his rear. Her nose will follow the treat, and as her head goes back her butt will go down. Say Sit as her butt starts to go toward the floor and as soon as her butt hits the floor give her the treat and praise her. Repeat.

When she has that down, start giving her the treat every other time. Then every third, then every fourth, then mix it up. Keep her guessing as to when she'll get a treat. In this way you wean out the treats, but you also keep her response to the Sit command "fresh" as she never knows when she may get a treat. This constant guessing will keep her doing the command with enthusiasm. Even after you have weaned out the treats, and are just using verbal praise for a job well done, every now and then, give her a treat or two for sitting to reinforce the command.

Good luck


**Edit** The doggie door is your problem. You NEED to go out with her. Yes she may use the doggie door, but she hasn't made the connection with going out the door to go potty. She won't know she is supposed to go potty outside unless you go with her and tell her.

You need to go back to square one with crate training and supervision. Take her outside on a leash, and give her treats and praise her lavishly when she goes outside. If you catch her in the act of going indoors, say NO, and whisk her outside to finish. Praise and treat when she does. If you find the mess after the fact, well, to bad you should have watched closer. You can't correct the dog at this point, she'll have no clue why you are upset.

Once she has made the connection that outdoors is the place to go, then you go can go back to letting her use the doggie door. Still go out with her now and then to give her a treat and praise for going to reinforce going potty outside.

Answer 7

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/BjuMD

If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.

It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 8

Google the clicker method. This is the best training device I've found. It focuses on positive reinforcement. This method can be used at any age.

Answer 9

when you make her sit. Dont let her get away with not sitting, and dont repeat "sit, sit sit sit" until she does.

You tell her to sit ONCE- if she doesn't, make her by lifting up her chin so her bum drops to the ground. Then give her praise and treats.

Agree with cagney, train your dog first. Two dogs will be harder to handle, they'll misbehave together