Dog Training

I am in the middle of dog training - Swayze is young so I don't know how much he's going to retain. He's on and off like a light bulb; he can be amazing for an entire day and by evening, he's a terror. Or we'll have one great day, where I'm sure we made progress, and the very next day he's impossible.

I've been watching dog training videos on youtube & Animal Planet, and as much as I appreciate the advice and whatnot, there's quite a few "problems" that I don't have with Sway, so I don't know how to use the information properly. For example, I'm watching this series on how to teach your dog not to bark. A lot of the training techniques are for if your dog is barking at something they are afraid of. On the bright side, I don't think Sway is afraid of much. He had a rough first few months of life, but nothing he went through before adoption seems to have left scars - he loves playing with other dogs (particularly dogs 3-4 times his size), he doesn't fear odd things like hats or even the Christmas tree, and he's submissive & loves to be pet & held (when he isn't all riled up that is). What he barks at is entirely natural - wanting to play more, or when people / dogs walk past the window. He doesn't bark at them in real life like on a walk, but behind the window he decides to be ballsy. He loves looking out the window, it's one of the few things that calms him, so even though all of the videos say to not allow him near things like fences or windows (aka avoid a barking trigger) seems against all of my intuition. It's not like he barks nonstop. In fact, he's asleep on the back of the couch up against the window as I type.

I just feel a little stuck - he's got enough basic information down 90% of the time, and while we "train" with treats, he seems to be catching on. It's the in practice that he falls apart. He gets so distracted, I know I need to keep his attention on me, I just don't know how to get it. I just need someone to tell me where to go from here. 

We need to work on not biting and heeling. That's today's challenge. If I'm going to move forward with my future plans, he's got to be better trained. That puts both of us on a very tight schedule and short deadline. 

If anyone that reads this has tips or good links, PLEASE share!! Thanks in advance!

No time to waste.