# Teaching a 3 year old rescue manners



## James1892 (Jan 22, 2016)

OK, so Shelby came home on Saturday, he is pretty well behaved and calm given the circumstances. I keep reading posts mentioning working on manners, this is my first dog as a adult, so he hasn't been trained by my grand parents and I've gotta do it myself! 

He sometimes jumps on the sofa or up on the kitchen tops, a quick NO and he's down, and sits by me, which is followed by a good boy, but my concern is doorways and stairs, he is allowed up stairs, but not in the bedrooms/bathroom. 

My wife is deaf so without her hearing aids, her balance is awful, he sometimes shoots past us up the stairs or through a door in excitment, although usually he does wait his turn, I'm worried incase he knocks her over. 

I'm guessing he will soon learn his place and wait his turn each time, but is there anything I should be teaching him in the mean time to ensure he stays calm?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

First, stop addressing him as a rescue. Whether you know it or not, you are attaching a stigma to him. Being a rescue is irrelevant. He's an adult dog that needs training.

He won't just learn his place, you have to teach him. When you go up the stairs or thru the door, make him sit while you go thru. Build up distance before you release him to follow you. This is a safety issue.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

This isn't going to be to hard. The first three things I would work on is wait---incorporate this with food, doorways, and going for walks, he waits until you release him. When he is up on furniture or counters use the word off--not down or no. Down will be for him to lay down and no is used more for once they know the command. Then I would work on a park it or place command, this would be him getting out of the way or going somewhere to lay down. All these things have to be taught.


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## James1892 (Jan 22, 2016)

Cool, Jax, I've been doing that, he is doing it alot of the time, I'm guessing I just stick at it each time we go through a doorway or up the stairs? its weird, because our bedroom door, and the gate to the back yard I don't need to tell him, he lays down outside the bedroom, and won't come in unless asked (after his initial investigations) and the back gate he waits for me to go first. I'll keep at it. 

llombardo, I have had him ''sit'' and ''stay'' on walks when he's been pulling (this is gradually getting better with ideas from people on the site) I'll use your advice


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Just be really consistent. I trained my dog to drop into a down on the porch until I release him. Did not even know I did it. I just have always put him in a down until I check the road for cars. One day I stepped off the porch without thinking and he had put himself in a down.

When you get to the stairs, back him up a couple feet and put him in a down. Go up a step, come back and reward. Go up 3 steps go back and reward. Release him. Repeat and work on that till you can get to the top or the bottom without him breaking.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I had to do something like this so I didn't get dragged down the stairs if he saw a cat or sometimes a refresher course is needed we are good if I catch any necessary distractions before max does. Overtime you see it connecting more and more. You just need a plan.


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## James1892 (Jan 22, 2016)

sounds good, I'll try him with it tonight, although telling him to wait whilst I enter a room/go up or down the stairs seems to be working well. the best part, he's more interested in attention than treats, so when I call him, he just wants a cuddle! I'm sure with patients and a bit of work from both parts it will work out well


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Telling him to wait is fine.  You can use whatever command you want. Just extend the time before you call him to you. And his "reward" can be whatever works for him. If it's attention, that's great.


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## James1892 (Jan 22, 2016)

yea he's doing well with it. he gets it if he's at the bottom of the stairs/doorways but he thinks from the top of the stairs down is a race ha. he's getting there though! 

thanks.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Why don't you teach him to sit after a few steps on the way down? Or walk him down the stairs with him and teach him a command like "easy" to slow him down as he's descending?

I do that with Seger. He likes to leap down steps so I hold him back until he actually walks down them. They figure it out quickly.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Why don't you also teach him hand signs at the same time so your wife can control him, too? I have a signal for Sit, for Down, for Wait (eventually that will become the Stay signal) and for Go. 

I do two different things on stairs or doorways. If I want the dog behind me, I use the word Back. That either means Back up if I am facing the dog, or get behind me if we are both going the same way. That way we can move down stairs or a hallway safely vs the dog waiting and then coming to me after the fact. The other is the Go command if it doesn't matter if they are behind me but I don't want to be tripped up. Then they are allowed and expected to run ahead. I use that in the house or yard. 

I also use Get in for the car or if we are outside and I want one to go back in while I stay outside with or without the other dog.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Try these suggestions. They say it's for a deaf dog but also works for a Deaf person. The reason I love hand signals is that one of our previous dogs lost hearing due to an illness and the hand signals were life saving. 

DDEAF Training Hand Signs


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## James1892 (Jan 22, 2016)

Ah great, we'll look at these together when I'm home from work. you're right about him catching on quickly. he only pulls on his lead a little every now and then now.


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