Naughty puppy!

Becles

We've got an 11 week old border collie puppy that has been living with us for three weeks. I'm his main owner as I do most of the feeding, grooming, training etc., but my husband and children are involved with him too.

He's really good with me. I've housetrained him and he's dry overnight, will come to me when called and he can do a sit and give paws on command. He follows me round the house and he'll happily play with his toys when I'm working at my desk or doing uni work at the dining room table, or I was wrapping presents the other day and he was on the bedroom floor playing with a cardboard tube from the wrapping paper. He does occasionally chew something he shouldn't, but I tell him no and give him one of his toys.

The problem is when I go out and leave him with my husband. My husband says he just goes from one naughty thing to another and won't play with his toys and sometimes he wee's on the floor. Yesterday I was at work and husband was in, and he heard clattering in the hall. He went through and there was a shoe in the middle of the floor, and the puppy was just sitting looking innocent away from the shoe as if he was pretending he knew nothing about the shoe! Even when my husband says no, he just ignores him and goes back to whatever he was doing when husband turns his back. He doesn't do things when husband tells him to, but he does seem to love husband as he'll come and pester him to be petted and he likes to play with him.

When I'm home, puppy pretty much has free run of the house, but when hubby is in, he has to close room doors to contain him otherwise he's away into other rooms chewing things he shouldn't be.

I know he's very young and I didn't expect him to be perfectly behaved, but is this the start of some sort of seperation anxiety when I go out?

We also have a 4 year old collie and when the puppy gets told no, he comes and sits nicely and offers a paw as if to say "look how good I am" :rotfl:

sarabe

It sounds as if your pup is quite content to be with and interact with you but when you are out he gets bored. Men are generally less interesting to dogs and woman are far superior when it comes to training the dog.

Seriously though you just needs to make sure that the puppy doesn't have access to things you don't want him to have.

Don't rely on telling him 'NO' when he is doing him something you would rather he didn't. This doesn't teach him what you do want him to do and often it just teaches dogs to wait until your back is turned to do it.

He is very young and you need to make it very, very easy for him to get it right and very, very difficult to go wrong.

I have several Border Collies and you need to use positive reinforcement, in other words praise and reward for good behaviour because they really do want to get it right. They are bred to work for us with the added ability to think for themselves and problem solve. As a breed they can very quickly get frustrated if things aren't going well for them which is how I ended up with all of mine when the previous owners couldn't cope.

Not suggesting that you wouldn't cope but please try not to think of him as naughty and make sure that he has everything he needs in terms of mental stimulation.

When you go out it would be a good idea to give him something like a raw meaty bone and confine him to one room so that your husband can keep an eye on him but doesn't have to entertain him.

Fire_Fox

Can your husband take over some of the care of the dog while you are home - perhaps you could prepare the meals but hubby could serve ONLY after the pup has sat and given a paw? Could you maybe train the pup using a clicker which then your husband could continue using in your absence?

majicbus

I would personally get your husband to do more with the pup when you are in the house and actually do some formal training as well with him. Men need to make it fun for the pup, more high pitched sounds for doing well and 'come'.
When the pup does something he shouldn't does your hubby give him something he can play with etc?
Does your hubby actually spend time playing with him and interacting with him when you aren't there or does he leave hi to his own devices? hence getting bored and creating his own entertainment.
I would get him enroled into some puppy classes and get your hubby to handle him in those.

Raksha

He's not 'naughty', because he doesn't know it's wrong. Men are terrible for assuming children and dogs know how to behave without being told.

Because you do most of the caring, the pup is probably feeling a little 'unguided' without you around. You say OH says 'no', but when you say 'no' you follow it up with a toy the pup is allowed to play with - does OH do this?

With the shoe incident, the puppy wasn't feigning ignorance, he was picking up on your OH's annoyance, and offering appeasment signals to defuse his anger. Your older dog is doing the same when it offers a paw.

Maybe your OH needs to be a bit more structured with the house training too - setting an alarm to remind him to take the puppy out?

I think there is probably a case for a little training from your OH each time puppy wants some interaction (getting all the family to encourage him to work a little for the attention he wants too) Just practise 'leave' and 'take', maybe some hand feeding etc. will encourage the pup to exhibit some self control.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I'd consider the possibility that, whilst you keep an eye on the pup and nip any unacceptable behaviour in the bud, the OH doesn't pay a blind bit of attention until five minutes before you're due back indoors, then realises pup's been eating an inanimate object. Rather than admit he hasn't given the dog a moment's thought, it then becomes a terrorising monster that he can't possibly be expected to control...

Not saying this is definitely the case, but it is possible...

zee_2

your lucky to have pup as well ,I have lost my 2 border collies due to cancer ,having lost 1 ,2years ago ,had other checked and paid 300 for operation ,now she died 6 week ago of cancer ,11days from signs to death ,tried everything to save her ,incl blood transfusions ,was unable to have insurance due previous op. so will take months to clear bill and afford another pup , both !!!!!es were 11 and 13 years from 10 week old pups, house so empty now ,first time without dog in 58 years ,thought dog would outlive me as grandson loved her.

cyberbob

Raksha wrote: »

Men are terrible for assuming children and dogs know how to behave without being told..

What a silly assumption.

I agree a lot with what others have said that other members of your family need to get involved in training. Border Collies are very active and need a lot of exercise and stimulating.

Becles

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I'd consider the possibility that, whilst you keep an eye on the pup and nip any unacceptable behaviour in the bud, the OH doesn't pay a blind bit of attention until five minutes before you're due back indoors, then realises pup's been eating an inanimate object. Rather than admit he hasn't given the dog a moment's thought, it then becomes a terrorising monster that he can't possibly be expected to control...

Not saying this is definitely the case, but it is possible...

That does sound likely mind! Will practice training hubby rather than puppy

zee wrote: »

your lucky to have pup as well ,I have lost my 2 border collies due to cancer ,having lost 1 ,2years ago ,had other checked and paid 300 for operation ,now she died 6 week ago of cancer ,11days from signs to death ,tried everything to save her ,incl blood transfusions ,was unable to have insurance due previous op. so will take months to clear bill and afford another pup , both !!!!!es were 11 and 13 years from 10 week old pups, house so empty now ,first time without dog in 58 years ,thought dog would outlive me as grandson loved her.

awww that's really sad. I used to have two collies but lost Suzy early last year. It wasn't practical to get a pup then as my youngest child was just under a year old and I didn't want her getting knocked over by a bouncy puppy when she learned to toddle and she was too young to understand puppy's are not toys. My other collie missed the company too as Suzy mothered him and he loves playing chase with other dogs we meet when we go out.

Couple of pics of Jack (puppy) and Bob.
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs120.snc3/16763_186107927843_606412843_3122247_3688752_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs100.snc3/16763_186107942843_606412843_3122248_7100181_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs127.snc3/17474_220073872843_606412843_3287363_4662762_n.jpg

zee_2

Becles ,I had a 8week old alsatian pup ,1 year berore I was married , she was arround 17 years when she died , all my 6 children grew up with her , no problems , she was a godsend for my wife as I went into MNavy for extra money for a while ,children 5 girl - 1 boy used to dress dog up ,went swimming in river [ when older ] would walk to shop with daughter and dog carried old wicker basket home. when she died it was terrible ,children cried for days, it was bad time.

Becles

She sounds like a fab dog. You were lucky to have her.

It was sad when Suzy went as she was similar as she "mothered" all my children. In fact that last photograph of her that I have is one where I was taking pics of my then 9 month old daughter sitting on the floor. She suddenly sneezed loudly and Suzy came straight over to check she was ok!