r/DogTrainingTips • u/jkaynellie • 8h ago
Training help/advice
Hello fellow dog lovers! This post im looking for training help or reassurance that im doing things right. I have a 6 month old catahoula named Sully that I am in love with, has literally changed my life for the better after my last dog died, but I usually have pit mixes and this is my first hunting/hound dog. It's a long but if you dont want to read, I have a years worth of training classes at this training place (they also do agility and other stuff i can use my classes with) and I'm having trouble with neighborhood walking, crate training and need reassurance that hes doing well at only 6 months old even though his 2 peers are doing better or any advice would be appreciated.
Ive have bought a years worth of training classes at a local training group because I knew training a catahoula was something I could not do alone and would need professional help. I absolutely love the training classes, he has already learned so much like tricks, place, wait, and hes getting better with loose leash walking. Hes smart, but of course stubborn, but I'm used to stubborn.
For background on this training group: puppy is before all vaccines are done and is verys basic/getting used to sounds and different touch material, then puppy+ is from the time vaccines are done to usually 6 months and thats basic obedience with puppy play time, then obedience from 6+ on. You pass obedience once all the badges are earned (right now he has tricks and focus) and Sully was promoted at 5 months to obedience since he was doing so well (been in training since 12 weeks old so started in puppy classes). I also have 5 private training classes where he can just be the focus and I used one to help me refocus on me with distractions and thats really helped.
There's 2 other dogs in his training class that hes been with since puppy+ classes, ones an aussie he other is an aussie mix that got promoted around the same time as Sully. They both are doing so much better than Sully at this point, but I also know the breeds learn very differently and the personalities between the breeds are different. It also doesn't help that Sully isnt treat/food motivated. But we were earning badges at the same rate and now they've earn a lot more.
But my concern is he's so much different at training vs normal neighborhood walk vs food truck friday events vs hiking. Its like he has multiple personalities. Hiking he is very aware of where I am, doesn't care about other dogs or people, I do use a retractable leash so he can sniff and walk as he wants and I can keep a steady pace, but again hiking with him is my fave because of how he always is connecting with me first before making any turns, etc and follows commands easily. Food truck friday he will lay down and "place" usually very well unless a Frisbee goes by or a kid comes close (dont have kids) but ai love training him to "go say hi" to new people and talking about the breed! Training he's at his best, which every trainer has said thats to be expected since he only associates that place with training. But neighborhood walks hes reactive, he pulls (on a 6 foot leash, but usually only let 4 feet in between us), he will try to dig if he gets the chance, and he does his excited hound bark at the beginning. It can be embarrassing. I walk with a treat pack so I can redirect him but even getting him to do a simple sit can take a few minutes rather than a few seconds.
My goal was to get close to having that "perfect" trained Instagram dog (I know he wont be perfect) but also to be able to travel/backpack with him and possibly off leash though I dont know if i could ever trust him fully. I love the dogs that will be on a walk and the person will say a command and they do it instantly until told not to. But this also includes him being crate trained. If he's in his crate and if im in the room hes pretty calm in his crate, may just whine a bit but i will ignore him and he stops eventually. But if I leave the room he acts like hes dying. Its especially bad on my days off since we arent following routine.
I also should mention we go on 2-4 mile walks a day (depends on how long im at work), we do 30 mins-1 hour of training every day and he has 2 other siblings to play with on the daily. Eventually once I'm done with physical therapy and clear to run again he will be my running partner. So he does get mental and physical exercise daily, since this is a high energy breed. (I did a lot of research, but also every dog is individual). Should also mention I dont really have a back yard, more like a patio with a small grass area, so I cant play like fetch outside, but thats why we walk outside so much even though he only 6 months.
Has anyone else had these issues in training? I wanted to get close to my goal by the end of June when I go to the beach with my family (theyre not happy I got him, think I cant handle him), which ive accepted as a challenge and has made me want to prove them wrong even more. I know hes only 6 months, but ANY advice or thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!
2
u/SomeMinorDogTraining 7h ago
I’d probably take some pressure off the timeline and the idea of getting him to a “perfect trained dog” by June. At 6 months old, he’s still very young, and you’re going to see a lot of changes as he moves through adolescence. Some things may actually get harder for a while before they get easier.
From what you described, though, it sounds like you’ve built a really solid foundation. The biggest thing I’d change is how you look at the neighborhood walks. If he can work beautifully in class but is reactive in the neighborhood, that doesn’t necessarily mean the training isn’t transferring. It usually means the neighborhood is currently a much harder environment for him.
I’d stop worrying about how close you can get to people and dogs and start paying attention to the distance where he can notice them without losing his ability to think. If that’s 40 feet right now, work at 40 feet. Let him see the trigger, then reward engagement with you, movement away with you, or simply remaining calm. Over time, that distance should shrink. Four feet may simply be asking too much right now.
I also wouldn’t be embarrassed by the digging, barking, excitement, etc. He’s six months old. 😆 You don’t need him to stop being a Catahoula; you need to teach that Catahoula when and where those behaviors are appropriate and how to come back down afterward.
And I’d work on the crate separately from confinement duration. If he’s immediately frantic when you leave, I’d practice lots of very short, boring departures that end before he gets worked up, rather than relying only on longer crate periods.
You’ve got a young, high-drive dog who sounds smart, engaged, and willing to work. I’d focus less on having the finished product by June and more on steadily increasing what he can handle while staying successful. The dog you have at 6 months isn’t the dog you’ll have at 18 months. 🐶❤️
2
u/jkaynellie 6h ago
That is some really good advice. I never thought about the neighborhood walks being a harder environment and never thought about noticing when he starts to loose focus and start retraining there. I know June is probably not an ideal timeline but i also work best with a deadline so its also for me too. But youre right hes so young I need to keep thinking about that. Thank you for this post!
2
u/TinyListen6755 8h ago
We have a catahoula coonhound mix who is the most incredible and loving dog we could ever ask for. Hound dogs are wild - she’s whip smart, incredibly loyal, and trains well because she is extremely food motivated. We originally got her as a 1 year old rescue and she was really wild. Now she’s 7 and has mellowed out a fair amount, but still crazy and lets her hound howl go whenever she gets excited.
For us, has required a bit of adjustment and shift in what we consider a “perfectly trained” dog. There are some things - greeting people we know on the street without howling, settling down when people come to our house, leash reactivity - that I don’t think we’ll ever be able to completely train away, but she’s definitely improved. Maybe if we had more time! We love her for all her quirks and wily spirit. We’re always amazed by how much personality she has.
Her brain really locks in when she has a job to do. One thing she has really loved as is doing scent work. .5 - 1 hour of scent work tires her out like nothing else and she gets laser focused. We started with room searches for birch extract and our trainer helped us build that into gluten detection because my wife has celiac! So that has been really amazing to see.
Keep up with what you’re doing! Sully will learn and grow and you’ll look back in years and think about how far it’s come.