Hi from North Carolina!

[threefco]

Hi! I'm Judy and I'm currently owned by two wonderful pugs: Lady Jordan (Jordan) and Blackjack (Jackie).

I am working very hard on the "who owns who" issue but this is soooo hard with pugs as mine (as all pugs) are:

1. Extremely manipulative

2. Extremely stubborn

and most of all

3. EXTREMELY CUTE!

My husband recently passed away and he was always the one to handle their wildness and all I had to do was give them lots of love. Now I'm alone and I really have to work on getting them to obey a little better as they are always pulling me (hard) on their walks and they bark a LOT at other dogs and in the house at any noise.

They really are very smart but right now they know that I am a big sucker and that they are the bosses.

Ohhhh, it's SO hard to train a pug when they look at you with those beautiful eyes.

BTW, I only use positive reinforcement!! It works well, actually much better than discipline.

I would be so interested in hearing any tips on training, especially for heel and barking. I've got the sit and stay pretty well down.

You know, I thought that I would ruin my babies' personality by training them but it has only made them sweeter!

Jordan is 3 yrs 10 months fawn and Jackie is 3 yrs 1 month black.

I WOULD LOVE TO POST A PIC BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW. I HAVE PICS ON MY COMPUTER BUT NOT ONLINE SO THEY DON'T HAVE URL'S :(

[threefco]

Oh I think I may have figured it out. Here's a pic from photobucket!

[Tinker's mom]

Hello & to the village! I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband. Your pugs are beautiful and I'm glad you found us. Where in NC are you? I'm in Manteo.

[Lu Ci and Ri Ki]

Hello and to PugVillage. I am so sorry about the loss of your husband. Thank you for posting a photo of your Puggies - they are adorable and I'm sure they are a lot of company for you.

[Rugbysmom]

Hi & I, too, am so sorry to hear about the loss of your dear husband! That must be very hard....I wonder if the Pugs are barking more because they think they have to protect you....We have noticed that both our dogs throw a fit whenever they hear a noise outside (even if it's dh getting home from work) if I am in the house with them. But, when I come home from work, or if he does & I'm not here, the dogs don't bark & they look like they just woke up from a good nap! Don't worry--you won't ruin their personalities by training them! I'm glad you have found this site--it is great for friendly tips & advice if you have questions, and for support whenever you may need it. I hope you will enjoy visiting on here as much as I do!

[shaynapug]

Welcome to the Village!!

I'm so very sorry for your loss of your husband! So glad that you have those two to keep you busy and feeling loved!

[Hellas]

Welcome to PV! I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm glad you have those two litte cuties to brighten up your day.

I don't have a magic solution for barking. What I'm aiming for is mostly prevention. First of all, I've taught them a 'no' command. Also, I've learned to anticipate when they will bark. For instance, I know that they will bark when the neighbour's dog barks. Winston will raise his head and take a deep breath before he starts barking at them, so what I'll do is say 'no' in that moment. If he looks at me and doesn't start barking, I immediately reward. This has worked fairly well.

On walks, neither of mine are great barkers. If one of them barks, it seems to be because they want to protect me/the pack from strange (usually large) dogs. I think the way I would work with this would be to show them, calmly, that you are responsible for protecting them and not the other way around. Put yourself between your dogs and the other dog and don't allow the other dog to come close or sniff your dog. If you have a friend with dogs, you can do this as an excercise. Another thing you can try is to make your dogs connect other dogs with good things, i.e. food. When passing other dogs, you can throw a handful of super tasty treats on the ground and ask them to search for it. That way they will know that other dog equals tasty treats. You might combine the two things described.

I've taught heel by using a treat in my hand. As soon as the dog is next to me, I'll give the treat. Then I'll take a step. If the dog follows, I immediately praise and treat. This is easiest to do using a clicker. That way you can click the exact second your dog gives you the behavour you're looking for.

[CSollers]

Welcomto PV, I am so sorry for your loss. Hopefully your beautiful babies can offer you some little solace in your grief

[Fla. Pugs]

Welcome from another N.C. pug owner. Your pugs are gorgeous!

[Lola's Mum]

Hi fellow North Carolina lady! I'm in Charlotte.

Welcome and your pugs are beeeeautiful!