Problems

Question

Hey there,

Its Heidi again from Cairo.. Well my puppy is now 9 weeks old and there a few problems im facing which i dont know how to deal with.
the biting ofcourse is an issue..he always bites when he plays with us and he pretty much destroyed my hand with his bites.He isnt house broken fully yet..when he pees somewhere and i yell at him and put him where i want him to pee he just looks at me and wags his tail, i dont think he feels that he is being punished and i dont know what to do about that either. Finally, he cries all the time..he never stops.Every morning at 6 a.m he has to get up on my bed (he doesnt sleep there ofcourse) but he gets up and jumps up at me and starts biting hard for me to play.EVERY MORNING!!! he drives me crazy. And when he is left in the room for 10 min he doesnt stop crying. He always wants to be wandering around the house and when he isnt even if i am with him in my room he still cries and cries non stop till he gets out.He is such a nag and its really killing us.
PLZZZZ HELP!!
Thanx alot

Answer
Once I have a question open, it is not easy to go back and find old ones.  As I may have said, the biting takes a while to correct.  

Young Labs, which I know best, and other puppies tend to very bad about
biting.  You see a litter of them, and all the ones that are awake are biting
another one or themselves.  I am not even sure they realize that when they are
alone, if they quit biting, they would quit being bitten.  At 3 to 4 months
they are getting their adult teeth, and it seems they spend every waking
moment biting or chewing.  I maintain a Lab's favorite chew toy is another
Lab.  Otherwise they settle for any person they can.  They keep hoping to find
one that won't yelp and jerk their hand away, or growl "Bad dog." and clamp
their mouth shut.  Then offer a chew toy.  They keep trying despite hundreds
of corrections.   Another good technique is to quit playing and go away.   Be
sure to praise them when they are playing nice and not biting.

You just have to keep on correcting them, hundreds of times, not dozens.
Provide sturdy, safe toys such as Kongs and Nylabones.  Avoid things they can
chew pieces off and choke on them.  Keep them away from electrical cords.
Crates are essential for most young Labs and other dogs.

The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into
pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages.  If you are not
there to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs.  Keep a
close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in
pieces.  Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed.
These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive
chewers such as Labs.

Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds.   Ones I made
lasted much better.   Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the
foot.  Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope.   Melt the ends, and tie  knots in it.   Get
them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer.  Watch
carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.

I did give you my method on housebreaking?  Follow the parts about recognizing when he should need to go, taking him to the spot, using a command, and praising him if he does anything.  At 9 weeks, there will still be accidents at times.  

The whining is more difficult.  Goldens are known for loving attention.  How old was he when you got him?  If he was taken away from his mother and litter before 6 weeks, it may be worse.  A good book would be a big help.  I think I already suggested the Monks of New Skete and their The Art of Raising a Puppy, ISBN 0-316-57839-8.  It may not be easily available for you.  Here is a list of books the dog guide school recommends.

The Cultural Clash by Jean Donaldson, 1996

Excel-crated Learning by Pamela Reid, 1996

Don't Shoot the Dog, by Karen Pryor, 1996

Surviving Your Dog's Adolescence, by Carol Lea Benjamin, 1993

Second Hand dog, by Carol Lea Benjamin, 1988

Dog Problems, by Carol Lea Benjamin, 1989

Super Puppy, by Peter J. Vollmer, 1988

HELP, Mt dog Has an Attitude, by Gwen Bohnenkamp, 1994

Owners' Guide Better Behavior in Dogs and Cats, by William Campbell, 1989

What All Good dogs Should Know, By Wendy Vollmer, 1991

Successful Dog Breeding, by Chris Walkowicz, DMV, 1994

How to Raise a Dog When Nobody is Home, Jerry Kilmer, 1991

Through Otis' Eyes-Lessons from a Guide Dog Puppy, by Patricia Berlin Kennedy and Robert Christie, 1998

Puppy Primer, by Brenda K Skidmore and Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., 1996

Beginning Family Dog Training, by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., 1996

Planet of the Blind-A Memoir, by Steven Kuusisto, 1998

The Other end of the Leash, by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.