Puppy Training

Question: I have a puppy training problem?

(Posted by: on 2010-08-26 10:14:46)

We've had my puppy Luna for about a week, and 2 days ago she had her first puppy class. There was a grown chihuahua there (i don't know why since it's a puppy class), but it barked none stop and then Luna started barking (she's never barked before unless she had to go out)! Now WHENEVER she wants something she barks. She can't get up on the couch and she barks if she sees people up there, even though we pet her while she is at our feet. I say "ah ah " when she barks but that makes her bark more. I just realized that she could be thinking of "ah ah " as me barking, so how do I get her to stop? I don't think I can teach her the "quiet " command at the moment because her puppy class already has her learning a ton of stuff and if I teach her anymore this week, I think she'll get really confused. She also mouths on our hands a LOT. I have tried giving her a toy in exchange for my hands but she just grabs onto it, drops it, and goes for my hands again. I have tried saying "ow " loudly and ignoring her for 30 seconds, but that doesnt work, ive tried pushing my hand further into her mouth, ive tried putting butter on my hands, and bitter spray and she still bites. She also mouths on the floor and tears up carpets. I've tried bitter spray, but she is immune to it! I really don't know what to do! I've done everything the dog book has said and none of it works. I also need some help with leash training. All of the things I've read about it have to do with if your puppy pulls ahead too much, but she doesn't pull ahead, she pulles EVERYWHERE! She'll lunge at the road, dig her heels in and sit down, and then other times she will walk perfectly by my side! Any suggestions would be great! I said she's been barking since the class, she's been doing all the other stuff since we got her which was like 1- 2 weeks ago

Posted by: Jess on 2010-08-26, 10:23:24

Okay, you say she started all this after her first lesson 2 days ago...i realise i'/ m not an expert on dogs, but training one takes a while. You can't overcrowd it with instructions as you've stated already. You are most likely confusing the poor thing. In 2 days' you've tried all the tricks in the book. Give it a chance. Persistence is the key to training. Pick one method and persist with it for a few days. For example, tell her NO when she bites you and give her the toy. Don't give her a fuss. If she tries it again, tell her NO again and give her the toy back. Keep repeating it every time she bites you. If, after a few days, she still isn't getting the idea, try another method. But i'm sure if you show her you're not happy with her behavior, she will get the message. Dogs are like little children, if you keep changing your instructions/ methods/ tone of voice they'll get confused and think you're messing around. Just be consistent and repeat repeat repeat. Good luck :)

Posted by: heb b on 2010-08-27, 08:48:14

Hi laura, So many people think housetraining your puppy at home is a difficult task to embark upon that is why they find it so difficult to carry it out efficiently. There are many methods that you can apply, but the major problem is where to start from. But I will have to tell you that, it is not all that difficult the way you see it, only if you can put on a little work and be determine. Puppy house training can be a good thing to start with; this is if you want to show of your well behaving puppy to your friends and also be proud of them. The first thing to do when trying this method is to establish a ground rules. Make him understand where to stay, to poop, urinate and so on. These are the 3 main methods to apply: 1. 1. Establish a routine- make sure you have a working routine to apply. Make an appropriate time for feeding him, taking him out to where he is suppose to do his thing within a particular time frame, taking him out for a walk everyday at a particular time also. This will make him to understand the time. 2. 2. Crate Training Him- this should be your favorite because its work effectively for every age of a dog. It helps your puppy to learn potty training. But remember not to leave him there for too long, say like an hour. I use this method a lot when training my client puppies. 3. Puppy padding- this puppy pad are absorbent and disposable pad. They are drop in the floor where you want your puppy to do his thing. They are also good and effective. You must apply all this method to be able to get a better result. Be patient ok, cos you will not see the result on the day you start but for like 2 to 3 week with constant training. Make sure you apply this puppy housetraining method.