# Accidental training



## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

I am raising my first baby puppy in almost 12 years and watching him grow up, getting to influence his future, and shaping him has been a true adventure. But I realized, with some if the behavior he is giving me, that I have accidentally trained him to do things that I don't like and some that I do. Then I got to really thinking about my other dogs, and with all of them, there is a behavior I did not intentionally train, but apparently rewarded enough that it became a part if them. 

My RIP boy Ike, would move off trails when we were hiking and lay down if another hiker was approaching. Even if he was far in front of me off leash. The first time he did I was so confused because I could not see the approaching hiker. But when we first started hiking, and he was on leash, I would step off the trail and place him in a down to let others pass. So it became a trained behavior. 

Lena, if she us bugging the cats, I say " leave it" and she turns around and jumps on the couch and lays her head down. I have no idea how I trained that. Probably by saying " leave it" grabbing her collar and putting her in the couch. 

With my new puppy, Nix, when I was potty training him, and he started jumping on the back door to go out, I would get up and praise him him. He would run over to me and jump on me. Now that's his routine. I hate it. And now have to retrain him. Also, he scratches at the door of his crate when I go to let him out. I must have let him out when he was doing it one too many times, now it's a battle to get him to sit quietly when I approach the crate door. 

So what behaviors have you inadvertently trained your dogs to do? Good or bad? 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Sit for treats. And now I'm trying to lure him. Live and learn


----------



## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

Thought it was funny that she tried to attack the broom when she was a baby (oops), now her highest value toy is a special mop that we bought just for her, it very rarely comes out to play. Sometimes when we walk down the street and people are sweeping outside of restaurants I see her light up and stare at the broom and think to myself "oh no!" and usually tell the people sweeping that they are holding her favorite toy, everyone finds it amusing though :wub:


----------



## skier16 (Feb 21, 2013)

my puppy is only 4 months and im having a REALLY having a hard time training her to like tennis balls and other similar small balls. The first 15 or so times we went to the park i only had a soccer ball for her to push around then later on carry and fetch. Now that is all she wants to play with. She will absolutely not chase a tennis ball and will barely even pick one up. If she can see kids playing soccer she goes absolutely crazy trying to get after it.


----------



## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Skier, that's funny. My boy Ike LOVED sports balls. He would pick them over all toys. Not really practical as a search dog!!! But once we were searching a shoreline of a river for two drowning victims, and had to cross through lots of people's backyards. Well as we crossed into one backyard he spotted a soccer ball, before I could redirect him he went and grabbed it and popped it!!!! Luckily the owner of the house was on her porch and I apologized profusely and offered to buy her a new one. She was wonderful and said not to worry, that she was glad the dogs were searching for the boys. SO EMBARRASING!!!!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

This is a unique post. 

Treats for tricks is one of mine. I use treats for training. For awhile there if I had treats Mac would come, sit quick, try to shake, high five and give me a kiss all at once


----------



## Kingsj (Sep 17, 2011)

Our family recently rescued a poodle. She is very sweet with people, but was a bit sharp with Liesl.

My favorite suggestion from Mr. Milan is to walk your dogs. I did this religiously with Liesl and it paid off big time. (don't worry, I'm getting to my point) As soon as the dogs started posturing with each other, I slapped the old "time to walk" harnesses on them, and off we went.

We walked about 15 miles that first week. Which is a lot for us. And at each intersection, I would give Liesl her "wait" command, and I would hold the poodle back. The poodle started to sit when we stopped. So now, when we're all walking through town, and I say, "wait" my GSD stops in stride and my poodle sits and waits for me to start walking again. It has worked out well.


----------



## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

One of our strangest...
The windows in the back of our house are low to the ground so anytime I leave, even in the summer, I close them. The routine is usually get ready, close windows, open the back door if Annie or Harley are outside and call them in. 
It took me a while but I started to notice that any time I close a window in the back of the house, whether I'm leaving or not, Annie wants to come in. When she figures out I'm not leaving she wants to go right back out!


----------



## readmeli (Feb 28, 2013)

We used to tell our GR that we were "going to work" whenever we'd leave.... then one day we realized, everytime we said we're "going to work" --- she'd go curl up in her crate.


----------

