Hi.

I'm on a mission to train my aunts dog since she can't.
His name is Govner and he's a 6 month old Coon Hound that's not yet fixed.
He's very affectionate and he seems willing to learn but i think because his hormones are raging he can't seem to listen as well as I know he can.
I just need some tips on how to teach him is boundries and to get him to sit and lay down and stay. and to not jump on new people.

Any little pointers would be a great help.

First you've got to decide which method/philosophy you want to use, and stick with just that one, and be consistent. He will catch on a lot faster if you choose one system and stick with it.

One thing that will help in choosing the system is finding what motivates him: food, toys, praise, affection, etc. And use that as his reward for doing whatever it is you want him to do.

For example, let's say you decide you want to clicker train (if you don't want to go out and specifically get a clicker, you can just use a pen that has a button that makes a clicky sound). First you want to condition the clicker by simply clicking and reward, click and reward, over and over. The pup will learn that every time he hears that clicking sound, he has done something you want, and will get a treat. Now, lets say you want him to sit. Hold the treat up above his head, and move it slowly at an angle to where he has to sit in order to keep it in view. The INSTANT he sits, click, then praise and treat. (your thumb is quicker than your tongue, that's why we click first-- he has to make the connection between sitting and the reward) Let him up, then get him to sit again the same way. Only when praising, add the word "sit" to the "good" and he will learn the name of the command. The next day, you will be able to say "sit" instead of holding the treat above his head, and he will do it-- click, praise, and treat! (Get really excited, too-- he has just won a Nobel Prize)

One more thing, and this is very important: See to it the dog gets a good walk every day. This will help to calm and slow him down a bit, so he will be able to pay better attention to your training sessions. It will also help cement his bond with you, making him more responsive.

If he tends to get hyper and out of control when you get the leash out for his walks, try this: Calmly and quietly call him to the door. Put him into a sit/stay (once he's learned how, of course). Then go pick up the leash. If he breaks his stay, drop the leash, turn your back to him, fold your arms, and just wait quietly until he sits again (you might have to glance very discreetly over your shoulder). As soon as he sits again, pick up the leash, turn around, and very quietly say, "good boy" as you snap the leash on. He won't need a food treat, because the leash, and ultimately the walk, are his reward for sitting quietly. I do this one with my dog, and let me tell you, it works! She caught on real fast, too. I learned that one from Victoria Stillwell-- it's the best tip I've gotten from her yet!

Oh, and for the jumping up: The technique I've used on my dog is to simply lean down to love on her, so that all four paws stay on the floor. I try to lean down BEFORE she has the chance to jump up, so she is rewarded (the loves are the reward, that's what she's seeking, afterall) for keeping all four paws on the floor. Another technique is to just turn around and ignore the dog, since the jumping up is an attention seeking behavior-- he has to behave appropriately (sitting calmly) to get the reward (attention). This is how Victoria Stillwell demonstrates it on her show, and it seems to work also. Another, more harsh method is to simply raise your knee every time the dog jumps up, so he gets a knee to the chest. That's pretty effective too, but a lot of people don't feel right about using it-- it's kind of harsh, as I said. You'll have to decide what you're most comfortable with, and what gets the best results.

This should be enough to get you started-- let us know when you're ready for more. There are several others who have a lot of great ideas for different behaviors.

Mydogiscute has some really good ideas. One other idea I would suggest when working on getting him to stop jumping on people, is once he's learned the sit command find someone who can help you, put his leash on him for added control and make him sit as the other person approaches. If he gets up and tries to move forward to jump on them, put him in the sit position and wait until he's calmed down some then have the person approach him again. Everytime he gets up, put him back in the sit and only have your helper pet him once he remains sitting when they get near him. That way he learns that he only gets the attention he wants if he's sitting with all four feet on the floor. Also have him sit before you give him any other attention when you first greet him.

I highly recommend the book The Canine Good Citizen: Every Dog Can Be One by by Jack & Wendy Volhard. It will teach you how to teach the dog to sit, stay, heel (walk nicely on leash), down, etc. Even if you don't want to get the CGC certification, their explanation of how to teach the basics is very very good. I also love their Rules for Being the Pack Leader.