So we have a boxer who is nearing 10 and we thought that it would be a good idea to get a puppy to ease the transition when our dear boxer finally goes to the "farm in the sky".
We got this new puppy in April. He's a mini-labradoodle. I chose that breed because I wanted a dog that doesn't shed so he could eventually become close enough to the kids that he might sleep in their bed as well has not get dog hair every where! Well our dear puppy is just too much to handle. I took him to puppy kindergarten but that didn't do a thing. He has to stay in his crate a lot because of his bad behavior. He still poops in the house and chews all the kids toys. He never seems to relax and is always chewing something, running around, or basically in someones face. He has terrible manners. Taking him on a walk is a nightmare and I can't just hop out the door to do so with a two and four year old (I know exercise would help). He also is very skittish and barks constantly. I think part of the reason he is pottying in the house is because he is so scared of being outside!
To add to my troubles my husband is always traveling for work so it's always just me and I need help!!!! Any advice?
LOL! Marley! What's really bad is that compared to our wonderfully behaved boxer he is a psycho dog! I know he needs exercise, guess I was venting a little. I think I will enroll him in doggy day care and see how that goes!
**Thanks everyone so much for the encouragement. I need to stop letting him out and leaving him. I started that in the beginning and need to go back to it! The comment about revitalizing the older dog is so true. My boxer loves to wrestle with him all though she definitely lets him know when she's had enough!
***And I can't believe how many people said to give him away! I actually really like him and his personality (he is a total goof ball) I just want him to behave!
read Cesar Milan's book. Seriously, I borrowed it from a friend and am only halfway thru and my dog (& I) are much better off!
I've heard great things about "Bark Busters" from my Vet!! I think it's about $500 with a lifetime warranty, meaning they will keep coming back if necessary....
poodles and labs - both very high energy breeds, not enough exercise = very bad dog lol.
you have to walk him more, if you cant then either get someone to walk him, or put him on a treadmill like the dog whisperer, but ideally he needs outside time, an hour a day at least
get rid of the puppy or deal with the puppy in the way you delt with raising the kids. puppies and kittens are just like kids. They need the tlc infants do. If it's too much than you may need to illimanate the problem which is the puppy.
We have just adopted a lab mix... I feel any puppy is going to require work - and I feel that our Riley requires just as much looking after as my son.
I found that Dog Whisperer has helped us a great deal, as the other dogs I have owned were outside animals, not inside.
Aside from daily walking, discipline is high on the list before getting all 'lovey-dovey' with your new puppy. Consistency, just like with our children is also important. They also pick up your emotional state easier than your child.
Keeping the puppy in the crate can lead to more bad behavior, as well as resistance to when it needs to be there. The crate is to be a 'safe haven', not a place of punishment as it can begin to feel.
For my son, I make sure his toys are up and if Riley does manage to get one, we firmly tell him "No, Drop it" and he does. Surprisingly, he is very good about it.
I recommend watching Dog Whisperer, as you may pick up a few tricks.
We adopted a very "high pray-instinct" dog. A female German Shepard. When a dog barks its their way of communicating. Ours barks to tell us there is someone coming or something is wrong. She is protecting her family. What is he trying to tell you? When our we got our dog I put her (and us) in traing classes that were a bit pricy but definately worth the price. Dan Morris out of Livonia taught us how to teach our dog bacome the best dog I have ever had. I lived on a farm and have had alot of dogs! Here are a few things to try...Fill 10 pop cans with marbles(not pennies because they make a different sound) and duct tape the top of them. If you have kids, DO NOT let them play with the cans. Your dog should only hear the sound of the can when he is doing something wrong. Anything wrong. Getting into the garbage, barking, jumping, getting on furnature, etc. When he barks outside you have to go out there to see what he is barking at. Tell him good boy! for letting you know whats going on, then give him a command like STOP or OUT. When he continues to bark, shake the can twice. If he continues to bark throw the can at his feet. ALL dogs HATE the sound of that can. Leave the cans all over the house where they are easily accessable for you to use. Keep going to check on things when he barks. At windows, outside, where ever. All he is doing is his job, protecting you. Its great to have a watch dog, but he needs to stop barking when you tell him. You are the Alpha or the Boss. My dog even lets me know when my toddler is doing something he shouldn't be if I'm not paying attention. She is like Nana dog from peter pan. LOL It may take a week or so for him to get it, and alot of getting up to see what is going on, But if you take the time to train him and parise him for a job well done, you will be a much happier dog owner. And your neighbors will be happy too! I hope you try this. All I have to do is pick up a can (which isn't very often) and Gretchen stops dead in her tracks. The can works for everything that your dog is doing wrong. But you have to make sure that the kids DO NOT play with them. It will confuse the dog. As far as potty training... keep at it! It takes some dogs alot longer than others. Make sure that your dog has a safe place to go away from the kids if she needs to. It will make her feel and act better. Good Luck! L. B.
HI
You really need to spend a LOT of time with puppies - they need attention. and remember to NEVER leave them alone (would you leave a one year old baby wandering the house alone)?? I tell my kids - if you leave your toys out - then the dog WILL get them (Helps teach the kids to pick up their toys). Regarding putting her in the crate when the dog is bad is NOT a good idea.. the crate is their "safety place" NOT their "time out place". Just remember PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE!!
Did you get this pup at a reliable breeder? I had this same problem years ago. My vet said my dog had been inner-bred(common at many places). My dog was mentally retarded as a result. I had to give him away as I didn't have the patience with little kids around and trying to take care of him. I gave him to a friend who raised him on a farm. He lived a happy life and always acted like a small pup. Hope your issue isn't the same. Good luck
Some dogs take a long time to reach social maturity, and your dog is still a puppy, so it will be a while before all the energy wears off. It is always a hard transition to have a quiet, older dog and add a puppy.
He does need exercise, but I would find another place to train him as well, someone that will give you more attention and ideas to help. I train at Canine Workshop in Clinton Township. If you are not close to there, ask your veterinarian for advise on where to train. It might seem like there is no hope of improvement, but there is. It will take time and effort, there are no quick cures for obedience training. Good luck.
M. ~
You've gotten some good advice on here, but none to help with the house training. :)
OK...you have to watch, watch, watch! LOL
1st thing when he gets up: CARRY him outside...don't walk him out, he'll get distracted and go on the way.
Tons of praise when he goes potty outside. Then right back in when he's done ~ it's potty time, not play time. He can play later.
Everytime he wakes up, eats, drinks, starts sniffing around or it's just been awhile ... outside.
If you catch him going inside, pick him up, tell him no and run outside...LOL...that way, even if he's finished, he associates outside with going potty.
My husband and I tag-teamed when we were both home...always kept an eye on the puppy. And don't count on the kids to help (obviously, they're little, but believe it or not I had a neighbor once that depended on the kids to watch out for the puppy).
Don't put him out and leave him out...then he'll just go whenever he feels like it outside, and not realize that the rules are different inside.
Does he have things of his own to chew? Nylabones are good. So are Kong Balls, you fill them with treats and they have to work to get them out. No rawhides, but you can get beefhide strips (rawhides are man-made and hard to digest, beefhide is natural).
Good luck!
Oh M.... I feel your pain. My husband thought it would be a great idea to get me a labradoodle for my 40th birthday. Keep in mind we also have another much older dog. Plus 3 kids and I work 2 different jobs part time. I guess he thought I didn't have enough to do. THis dog was a nightmare. Any small children that would come into our yard would always get knocked over and sometimes molested. She would also go into the neighbors garages and steel one or more of their shoes. My neighbor across the street (who are good friends of ours) pretty much threatened us to do something soon. We ended up getting a shock collar. The kind that has a base and just a collar. You set the boundary on the machine and put the collar on the dog. The best part of this was my husband testing it out on himself. Needless to say, it has been 3 years and she is a much better dog. We don't let her know but she doesn't even wear the shock collar anymore and still stays in her yard. She does have a huge barking problem but with a little work, we may be able to control that also. One thing I find helpful is to put a leash on her whenever anyone new comes to the door. For some reason it keeps her calmer. I just don't always have the leash on hand but need to try harder there also. It seems like it took me a long time to potty train her also but just keep taking him outside. Especially after eating. The chewing thing is normal for about a year. It will teach your kids to put their things away. I do remember our dog being skiddish but that has improved too. If you can hang in there it should get better.
Sounds like a typical Lab pup - you have another 3 years of this & lost of training. You must get him outside for a FEW hours of movement aday!
Once trained you will have a great dog. Good luck
Your pup sounds like it has high energy. Poodles are also smart dogs so when they get bored they find something to do and it's usually not something you want them doing :)
I agree with the person who said more exercise. If you've got a treadmill use it! A good dog is a tired dog. They are also easier to train if you let some of that energy go before you start. Also training them to do tricks gives them something to focus on. I know my pup always wants to go lay down after a quick 10 min training session. But he's a medium energy dog.
I have a book "The Power of Positive Dog Training" by Pat Miller that is really good. It's clicker training and even the kids can take part, which is great. Also read a book by the Dog Whisperer. He's got a new one out all about puppies :)
Putting him in his crate all the time is just going to compound that energy and make him explode when he does get out.
Puppies are very much like toddlers. Potty training takes scheduling - both in feeding times and potty times and you have to keep the puppy close to you in between so that you can catch the warning signs to get him out in between. You have to take puppy outside and stay out with him until he potties - no matter how long it takes. And you have to praise when he goes potty outside. You can't just put him out in the yard alone and let him back in.
All of his "bad" behaviours are puppy behaviours. It is up to you to take away things he is not allowed to chew on and give him things he is allowed to chew on. And no matter what you do, you are not going to have any improvement until you get him out of the crate and exercised. That walk with your puppy is no less important then any activity you do with your toddlers.
I highly recommend a training class - they have inexpensive ones at the Oakland County 4-H Fairgrounds in Davisburg on Tuesday nights. (You can e-mail me for further information if you like.)
If you don't have the time, then you might want to consider getting in touch with a couple of rescue groups who may be able to rehome your puppy.
M., Puppies need lots of exercise. By keeping in his crate, you are creating the problem. If you cannot take him out to exercise him, then put him on a walking machine. Cesear Milon's books are very helpful. Once all of his energy is burned off, correcting the bad behavior will be much easier. I used to breed poodles, and they are high energy dogs. Labs are also, as they are hunters. The skittish behavior is due to his confusion of what you want from him. He wants to please you, but has physical needs that are not being met. Hope this helps.
Did you name your pup "Marley"? LOL! We have 2 Boxers and one of them was just like your pup. He is 2 now and finally behaving better. Sounds like he needs alot of extra attention and training and with a 2 & 4 year old I think it would be hard for you to find time to do it?
Maybe an in home dog trainer would help?
Sounds like you have an energetic puppy, that is an adjustment compared to a 10 yr old Boxer. When we got our Cocker Spaniel he was not quite a year old and our Yellow Lab was about 10. Our new puppy revitalized our Lab and our Lab outdoor trained the puppy and they became best buds. Thanks to our puppy we discovered we had hardwood floors under our carpet, he found a little string and ran with it...oops! Lots of exercise. attention, love and patience will help and the doggie daycare idea is an awesome one. Good luck and I am sure your kids will love him (even if he chews up their toys) and he will grow up.
Do you have a fenced yard the dog can run around in? He needs to get tired. You have a high energy dog. Read some of Cesar Milans work go to his web site on puppies. Maybe a neighbor kid can dog walk him or a dog walker but that is more expensive. How calm are you and your household? It pretty normal for a young dog to chew on things they are teething. You can get something called a Kong that you can put food in (I think) that they like to chew. Worst comes to Worst he maybe a nice dog for someone else for Christmas. Kijiji.com has lots of ads. Goodluck.
