Teaching Basic Commands To A 7 Year Old?

[Guest GreyRabbit]

We just brought a 7 year old male into our house (my first former racer) and are shocked at how little he knows of basic commands. He had lived with another family for the last 4 years so he is generally well behaved, but doesn't know "down" when we want him to lie down on his bed, "out" when he is mooching at the table or any other basic commands. He is good about letting me pick up his feet to inspect them, walks like a dream on lead but these basic commands are very important to us because we also have a 3 year old boxer/lab mix (adopted six months ago) who we feel we have just mastered commands with.

I'm doing all of the things I've been told- calm/stern voice, standing my ground, working with cookies, praising him when he takes even a step in the right direction but I wonder if anyone has any suggestions or pointers to help the process along?

[rschultz]

I would just keep up with the repetition like 20 times a day. He will pick it up. For the down command, maybe he has trouble laying down. If u want him out of the kitchen when you are eating maybe try"out of the kitchen" instead of "out" maybe he associates "out" with going outside. I find repetion repeatedly over two weeks should work.

[Fruitycake]

Maybe his prior family didn't use the same language you are using, or there is the possibility that they never used any commands for him. You'd be dismayed if you had Monty enter your house too - he knows no commands but those I use on walks (and then he's just following our other dog, Allie, I'm pretty sure).

 

You're going to have to pretend that he has no language, and start from the basics. Clicker or "marker" training can be really good. There is information on marker training (like clicker training but using voice instead of a clicker) and an excellent video at Leerburg's Dog Training Website. There is a pretty nice essay on the page for the video (over 3 hours!) called The Power of Training Dogs with Markers.

 

I have to say that my favorite part of the video was watching the people training other people. The first person on there acted very much like what I expect Monty to do. A whole-lotta "hunh? wha? duhhhh" and freezing and being afraid to move.

[GeorgeofNE]

Suggest you buy ANY basic training book and just treat him as if he's a pup!

 

He may know other commands (I surely don't use the command "out" myself!), or they may not have taught him any!

 

Don't let his age be a barrier to teaching him the things YOU want him to know! Dogs also learn from watching other dogs obey commands, so he'll probably pick them up quickly!

[Guest MyBoys]

If he was not taught any basic commands in his former home then he is starting from scratch, these dogs are pretty smart and can learn very quick but you need to be patient and give him time to understand what you expect from him. He was in a home for 4 years then uprooted so his world is a bit confusing right now. Patience and gentleness IMO is the key to trust, once he trust you he will want to please you.

[Batmom]

Don't forget, you'll have to show him -- gently and with much praise -- what you want with each word you want to use. If I want a dog to "go lie down," until they learn that command, I guide them to their bed and encourage them to lie down. That may need to happen many times before they know the words. If I want a dog "outta the kitchen!", same thing -- they don't automatically know what any of that means, so I have to say my words/gestures, exactly the same way every time, then guide the dog out of the kitchen, then praise praise praise and treat. Repeat repeat repeat.

 

 

[cleptogrey]

sounds like the positive reinforcement that he will obtain thru clicker training will get things going. it's an excellent opener for many dogs. check out karen prior who has written a ton about clicker training.

 

when emily came off the track at 4.5 yrs she was non-responsive to traditional training. one session of clicker and boy was she engaged, the light bulb went on! we started her on that and she opened up and was soooo responsive no one could believe it was the same dog.

 

look for an experienced trainer/club and make sure training is fun.

[jetcitywoman]

 

when emily came off the track at 4.5 yrs she was non-responsive to traditional training. one session of clicker and boy was she engaged, the light bulb went on! we started her on that and she opened up and was soooo responsive no one could believe it was the same dog.

 

 

Same for Capri. We got her just short of her 5th birthday, a week off the track. We gave her two months to settle in and then started basic training with a clicker. She positively bloomed when she learned we could communicate with each other.

 

I have noticed that she often has her own opinion of whether she wants to do what I'm asking her. Unlike some dogs who act entirely for the reward of making mommy happy, greyhounds often have "what's in it for me" attitudes. So just be patient and figure out what the best motivation for your dog is.

[Guest NeverSayNever]

Here is info about training sits and downs to greyhounds. Make sure you aren't using the cue word "down" until he understands a hand signal.... otherwise you are just wasting your breath and teaching him that the word doesn't mean anything. The link below explains further.

 

http://neversaynevergreyhounds.blogspot.com/search/label/Sits%20and%20Downs

 

With "out", you just have to be consistant and insist. Might take 15 times the first time, but only 8 the next. 5 and then once. Tell him "out", then make it happen, by standing up and using your body and attitude to move him out of the space.... again you might jump up 15 times, but eventually he will learn that he is just not going to win. His prior family may have fed him from the table so he might be extra persistant about it.

[Guest GreyRabbit]

Thanks to EVERYONE for their tips and kind words! It is very helpful to remember that it is as if I'm speaking a foreign language to him, and that repetetion is the key!

It's been one full week so far and I already see that he is realizing things. He now knows that it's NOT okay to just charge into the bedroom and leap onto the bed; that it's NOT okay to bark at us while we are sitting at the kitchen table eating and, most importantly, it IS okay to walk onto the hardwood floor when there is not towel/rug trail there for him

 

All of this advice is greatly appreciated, thank you from Cosmo and me!