Out Of Control Puppy

[mindlessvw]

We had a dog that peed on the bed regularly and come to find out she had a thyroid disorder...also another one would pee on my dads pillow if he got onto her for anything they can be pretty funny!!! one tool we used for housebreaking was installing a doggy door...we have a greyhound so its a large one but what criminal is going to go through a dog door that big...it really helped them go on their own instead of us trying to figure out when they needed to go

 

[Vys]

We have a cat, and a miniature chihuahua for him to play with...they are more interested in following our every foot step.

A mini chiuahua? Watch your step Sorry, couldn't really help myself :/

I really hope training will help the puppy. I know big puppies can be stubborn..my parents have a St Bernard roughly the age of your Thor. It doesn't pee everywhere but it eats everything, including shrews :/ It has a Newfoundland that plays with it though.

I'm not entirely up to speed on the neutering process, but I thought that was done post-maturity?

 

[Mr Short Radius]

This dog thread is driving me nuts. First off, I have a rottwieler who is extremely obidient and listens to every command flawlessly. She has been trained since she was 7 weeks by me and me alone. By the 8th week she would sit, lay down, stay till I told her otherwise (free) and heel almost perfectly with no leash. The worst thing you can do is comapre your dog to a kid of any age, your dog is a dog, not a kid. They function completely different. Just because your 3 year old acts a certian way, doesnt mean that your dog should. All you're doing is giving it excuses to not listen to you (alpha leader of your pack) and become its own leader. Look at your training exercises like a computer program that sees no exceptions to the rules, it is what it is. Your rules, NOT THE DOGS. Don't ever justify why anything your dog does against your (alpha leader of your pack) rules are ok. It's very simple as long as you keep it simple. Don't get me wrong, I love my dog and she loves me back. We are the best of friends and we have been for the past 6 years. I don't ever hit my dog, but you do need him to understand your dominance. Your dog doesnt listen to you because he doesnt respect you. He has options, listen or.... don't. One of the first things I've done with my dog in the beginning was to grab her by the scruff of the neck and pin her to the ground, same as the alpha leader of a wolf pack or a pack of dogs. You dont hurt the dog, but he will reveal his belly to you in submission. You need to gain command, if you treat your dog like a person, you will have bad results. I've read many books on the subject and I believe that gaining alpha leadership, than, and only than, use possative reinforcement. Not only do they want to listen, its their duty.

 

[Mr Short Radius]

How long have you had your dog?
What kind of training have you done to date?
Do you get frustrated and give up?
Do you reason with your dog and give him excuses for not obeying?

Like I read in another bost by becca81, and I agree with her... you tell your dog to sit, he sits, than.....:?

You need to tell your dog to sit, (once you gave the command, its too late, he must sit) than you tell him to stay, than you can give him the command to be free or give him a different command. Never let him give himself his own commands unless he is in "free" mode.

You will never gain control of your dog untill you change your methods. He is a product of sequences to date so its obvious the tecniques need to be altered.

I believe the best thing to do is either research dog training, there is alot of conflicting material on the matter, so the best thing to do is collect what works for you and use it and adjust.

I dissagree with useing a training school unless you're there to learn and be the actual one training your dog. The trainer trains you, than you train your dog.

I had a great dane. He was a great dog. I got him from someone who was abusing him which made him much harder to train at times. He was about 8 months also. He became a great dog and we were great companions.

 

[brandi]

Hi all...

Ok, first off, you have already stated what the problem is, and it's not your dog.

"I am seriously in the mood to explode right now."

You also mentioned that you aren't spending the time with him that you should.

Danes are very intelligent, loyal, pack oriented animals. Your dog is also still young, and will continue to behave like a puppy probably until he is 2 or 3 years old.

It is your decision as the "pack leader" whether you see that puppy as a challenge, or as a creature which you love and for which you are responsible.

He obviously isn't trying to challenge you, as his submissive urination shows. If you want the urination to stop, you will have to learn to be a gentle, confident leader. Not agressive, not overbearing, just confident and not to be challenged.

If you want to have that relationship with your dog, you will have to spend time with him. Remember he's a puppy. You're the pack leader. He needs to be near you to feel safe and confirmed in his position as a member of the pack. (even the dog at the bottom of the pack is protected and nurtured by the pack leader.)

A couple specific tips which may help you:
1) don't use the crate as punishment. Make it his safe happy place. Remember this animal has a deep denning instinct, they need a den to feel secure. All our dogs are fed in their crates, and are trained that that is a "good" place to be. That way, when you need him to take a nap or have some down time, putting him in the crate is not traumatic for him.

2) Take him for walks, AM and PM. Doesn't have to be long. So you get up 10 minutes early and walk him 100 yards. You spent time with him, culturing that bond.

3) Do some basic obedience training. Keep the sessions very short, and start simple. "Sit." Praise. "Free." That's it. Its a 10 second operation, repeated several times a day. Once he does it perfectly every time, then work on "Down." Praise."Free." Once he can do that, *then* work on "stay." If he can only hold for 3 seconds, keep it to 3 seconds. better to cut it short than let him be miserable because he failed a command. Work up to 5 seconds, then 10.

He will get there, but it will take time and patience from you. LOTS of it. It will also take confidence, gentleness, and understanding.

There's a great refference I highly recommend, please check out this site: http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/

You don't know me from Adam, and there is no reason for you to listen to any of this. But I sincerely hope you will, for you and your dog. By way of explanation, my family and I have been breeding and training German Shepherds for many years. Our puppies go on to be companions, search and rescue dogs, and seeing eye dogs. It is not easy and not every dog is right for every family. But with love and training, even tough cases can be amended. I sincerely hope you and your dog are able to overcome these challenges.