QuestionThis little guy makes me smile all the time , hes really funny and has a great personality , but he's just breaking my heart now , scratched my arm all night , i think hes trying to hump my arm , i keep telling him to stop and moving him away and trying to be the domineering one but he just wont give in biting and scratching
I know its supposed to be how he is at that age and its a pack thing , but he getting increasingly agressive and im scratched all over.
I also cant get him on his leash , he tries to eat it and wont walk at all , i even bought a harness so he couldnt reach and now he has two two things to eat while i walk at three paces an hour :(
I brought him to be groomed and the woman said he wont let me brush him because he knows hes the alpha.. i dunno what to do
AnswerWell firstly this is all normal behaviour , however it needs to be controlled so that you both can live harmoniously forever.
All puppies need to be taught what is and is not acceptable behaviour and that SHOULD start at the breeders home, in this case that clearly did not happen which is sad as a new owner has enough to do with a new addition to the family.
We need to buy a crate first so that the dog knows and understands its boundaries , it is also an excellent tool for continual toilet training and a safe haven for the dog should you go out.
Now we need to learn a few tips, first is the word NO.
Please read the following article
When your puppy comes home, it is important
to be prepared for many training opportunities ...
Puppy training basics during the first week the puppy is home is critical. It is obvious that you need certain physical items such as a dog bed or crate, food and water bowls, puppy chow, collar, leash, toys, etc. Equally as important, all family members must decide and agree on routine, responsibility and rules.
The first few days are extremely important. Enthusiasm and emotions are up. Everyone wants to feed the puppy, play with the puppy and hold the puppy. Pre-established rules are easily broken. Everyone agreed that puppy will sleep in her crate but as soon as she's home, someone melts and insists that puppy will sleep in bed. Everyone previously agreed not to let puppy jump up on them, but in the excitement, no one even notices that puppy is jumping up.No one sleeps the first night. Puppy wins and gets to sleep in bed. The next morning we find puppy has eliminated all over the bed. So the following night puppy is banned to her crate and screams all night. No one sleeps tonight either.
Grouchiness sets in; enthusiasm is down. No one wants to get up at the pre-agreed upon early morning feeding time. How are we going to housetrainpuppy? How are we going to sleep with her constant whining?
Your new puppy has just been taken away from her mum and littermates. She is vulnerable and impressionable. What she needs now is security and routine. Set up a small room to be her very own special haven for the next couple of months. Paper the entire floor and put her food/water bowls and bed in one corner. Scatter her toys everywhere.
Play with her quietly and gently. Don't flood her with attention and activity. If she looks like she wants to sleep, leave her alone. Puppies need lots of sleep.
The reason most dogs and puppies jump on people
is because they are happy and excited to see them! Jumping, leaping and bouncing are ways your dog shows affection and receives attention. The behavior is usually learned while they are puppies. When a puppy is very young, we usually sit on the floor, let them wiggle into our laps and allow them to lick and nuzzle up close to our face. When they come bounding over to greet us, jumping and stretching up to our knees, again we bend down, pick them up and exchange hugs and kisses. All this time we are training and rewarding the puppy for jumping up. Eventually we decide we don't like this behavior anymore. What used to be cute is now obnoxious and even dangerous if the dog is jumping up on children or the elderly.
The jumping problem continues...
Our inconsistency perpetuates the problem. Some of the time we tolerate the jumping and ignore it. Other times we reward the behavior by exchanging enthusiastic greetings. But when we're dressed up and the dog's paws are muddy, it's a different story. Reprimanding the dog for jumping up usually does not work. Either the dog misunderstands the reprimand as praise or he gets even more excited and the jumping gets worse. If the reprimand is severe enough, the dog may stop jumping at that moment but it doesn't solve the problem altogether; and it certainly is not a very nice thing to do. It's very similar to a person approaching you with a big smile, arm extended to exchange a hand-shake and you bopping the person in the nose. Even if your dog learns that jumping up on you is not a good idea, he will usually get away with jumping up on everyone else.
Puppy chewing, ripping, shredding, tearing things up and
generally destroying stuff is as normal for dogs as tail-wagging. If you have a dog, expect chewing. Provide him with his own toys and teach him to use them or he will destructively chew anything available, such as your furniture, carpet, clothing or shoes.
Dogs do not chew and destroy your house and belongings because they are angry, jealous or spiteful. They do it because they are dogs. They may be lonely, bored, frustrated or anxious, but they are not malicious, vindictive or petty. Active dogs can become restless when left alonefor long periods. If you always come home at a certain time and you are late, your dog may become anxious. Your dog does not punish you for being late by destructive chewing. The dogs' chewing is a form of occupational therapy to relieve stress and release energy. If you come home and find that your dog has destroyed something, do not punish the dog.
Passive Training to Prevent Chewing Problems
Until your dog can be trusted not to destroy your home and yard, do not give him free, unsupervised run of your house. Give him a pleasant area or room of his own where he can enjoy himself and relax when you are not home or are unable to supervise him. Literally litter his room with a wide variety of toys. Since he will have no other choice of things to chew, he will learn to chew and play with his own toys. Make the toys enticing. Soak rawhide and long marrow bones in different flavored soups. Let them dry and give a different flavor to the dog each time you leave him alone. Sterilized marrow bones and Kong toys can be stuffed with liver treats or cheese. The dog will be entertained for hours trying to extricate the treats from the toy. Bury these toys in the dog's digging pit
Puppy Humping
The old theories of dominance simply do not pad out and it simply is how your dog is releasing its energy instinctively. So its important to recognise this and react in a manner that distracts the dog. Suggestions :
Buy a squeeky toy and when he starts this get the toy squeek it and then throw it away for him to retrieve it, when he does say good boy and congratulate him.
Use sit stay commands to make sure the dog knows he is NOT the leader of his new social group (your family)
Bored dogs use any manner of ways to release energy and that can also prove troublesome so it is important to stimulate the puppy throughout his development stages. Treat balls, squeeky toys, and chews are a great way for new pups to use up that extra energy.
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