Strange Question

Hello!
My husband is a quadriplegic. You may need to find a helper to help you train your new pup, but my husband and I found these books and videos very helpful when training our Lab. They actually show disabled people how to train their own service dogs. I don't know if you're looking to train this dog as a service dog, but they may have some good ideas for you and your limited mobility.
http://www.topdogusa.org/teamwork.html

Hope that helps.

Clicker training.  I find my basenjis don't like to be physically manipulated anyway. 

Good idea agilebasenji, but I don't think he can use the clicker! My husband tried it at first and he couldn't make the clicker work (because his hands don't work very well)...we went with a word instead of the clicker like "Yes." So it is the same premise as clicker training, but using a word instead of a click...that may help too [].

able to snatch him up or put him down if I had too but now I'm confined to wheelchair and can't actually put my hands on him. Now please don't get me wrong I don't plan to beat my dog in any way. I'm just trying to figure out a way to make him understand I'm the Alpha or else I'm afraid he will walk all over me.

 
no need to ever snatch up or grab a dog. Implement a Nothing in Life is Free program instead.

Thanks Marley, those books are exactly what I've been looking for.  You're right about clickers I think I will use an upbeat word like "yes" followed up with a treat just like you suggested.  His crate is going to be a bit tricky too, I still have the use of my biceps but not my triceps, I can still tig weld so I'm actually toying with the idea of building the door myself.  I also still paint and airbrush quite a bit so I imagine his crate will be pretty wild(on the outside).  I have a bad habit of painting any thing that stands still long enough[8D].

When I said "snatch him up" I meant that when he's in the act of peeing and quickly getting him outside.  It actually makes my blood boil when I see a man smack a dog or any other animal. I don't think that teaches any thing but fear. I mentioned this in another forum, a friend and I were out letting his pit bull run in what we thought was a safe area miles from town when out of nowhere we heard a gunshot and found someone shot her down for no reason.  Anyway I could go on and on about abuse and neglect but I think I made my point. Well  I should go "got some reading to do."

Thanks and I hope everyone has a great day!

Fear not.  I have a student who used "marker" training with her Akita, just as you plan to, and never put a hand on her dog either.  If your pup has a good, stable temperament, you should be able to train him using this method.  Ignore behavior that you don't want, and reward behavior that you want him to repeat.  Plus, before you give him anything, ask him to perform for you (NILIF).  Let's say he has been taught to sit.  Example: He wants dinner.  You ask him to sit, he gets dinner if he sits.  If not, dinner disappears for 15 minutes.  You ask for sit again.  He sits, he gets dinner.  If not, dinner is served the next afternoon at 5.  See what I mean?  It is the insistence on the dog performing a requested task that makes you the leader, not being able to physically manipulate him.
Do find a way to expose him to many different people, locations, substrates, buildings, cars, etc. while he is between 8-12 weeks of age.  He needs to be well socialized in case you need help handling some of his needs.  Also, make sure that you provide him with an overnight kennel experience or two once he's had his vaccinations - that tells him that others might be caring for him, but you will always come for him.  It helps prevent separation anxiety (so long as he isn't in a fear period) and confidence.

Teamwork I has all of the basic training stuff in it and Teamwork II has the service excercises. That might give you an idea of which book you want! Glad to help...and let me know if you have other questions about the dog training stuff. We've been through a lot of trial and error training Marley!

Great Dane puppies get big and heavy fast, and carrying them anywhere, or physically forcing them to do anything, is difficult if not impossible. Let me reassure you it is very possible to housetrain and obedience train a dog without ever needing to touch it.

Man, you guys are outstanding!!!  I've never come across a group of people so willing to help complete strangers.  You all already have been extremely helpful and I haven't even gotten him home yet.  As you suggested, Marley, I have already ordered Teamwork I and II and can't wait for them to arrive.  Spirit and Mudpuppy you guys are just a fountain of knowledge.  I wish there was a way to get all of us together, especially Marley's husband, and just B.S. about dogs over a bottle of wine, or two[]. Anyway thank you very much and believe me you haven't heard the last of Mako and I. Oh yeah, Mako is what  I think I'm going to name him. What you guys think?

Have a great day everybody!

Hey there. [] I'm planning on an akita puppy sometime in the near future as well. I'm planning on training him with clicker training and am determined to do the whole thing without physically manipulating him. I've decided on this way partly because I don't really like pushing animals around anyway, partly because I understand akitas can take exception to that kind of treatment, and partly because I've never had a dog that's going to be so big before. I consider it a good exercise to train such a big dog as if I were training something that's bigger and stronger than me, like a horse. It's going to be hard for me to remember the dog is going to get very big very fast and will soon be too big for me to manhandle, so I think it best that I train with that in mind at all times.

I don't have much to say in the way of answering the OP, but I do want to say that my family had an akita.  To those of you that earn the trust and loyalty of an akita, I say that there is no other breed that will more gladly lay it's life down for you.  Nor is there a breed that takes it's role in the pack more seriously.  These are wonderful dogs with a spirit and love for life that is larger than they are.  It's true they are considered a "dominant" breed, but more than anything else, they just need clear signals from a leader so that they can relax and enjoy life as a companion.

Congratulations on your decision Corvus, maybe the two of us will be able to work together and help each other through some of the tougher times.  Xerxes is right they are absolutely AMAZING animals, personally, I wouldn't own any thing but an Akita. (I don't mean to offend anybody that's just my opinion.)  He's also correct about them needing to know their place in "the pack".  With my first dog I ran into that problem and almost gave up on him. Then my vet explained to me how the pack works and dogs need to know where they fit in.  After learning that his behaviors changed almost overnight.  I know we've gotten way off topic here but I have another "strange question" for you guys.  I've been looking around for a crate and I don't understand why they're so expensive in the store but online they're almost dirt cheap?  Also I know you should wait until your dog is about a year and a half old before having them carry any weight or do any strength training but, is it OK to put one on him that's empty so he can get use to the feel and sound of the pack?

Thanks guys have a great day!!!

I don't see why not...Marley has worn his service dog vest since he was 4 months. We took him everywhere so he could get used to going into different places. Now that vest goes on and he knows...TIME TO WORK! But I think and empty backpack would be the same thing, right?

In 1980, I brought a little Beagle home - we named her Mako.  She lived to be 16, and was a great family dog, wonderful companion to my Dobe, and all around good girl.  I don't know about anyone else, but I think it's a great name. []