I'm very close to rehoming our puppy. :(

Wirenth

The problem, basically, and unfortunately, is that whilst you may be a good home for a 'finished' dog, your family is not able to consistently and repeatedly train a young dog in the required behaviours.

Animals are not humans - they won't 'get it' the first couple of times. A consistent training method, with lots and lots of repitition will usually get there in the end. Many different methods in a short space of time will work against you.

Give the puppy back to the breeder and look to rehome an older, well-behaved dog for your family pet.

Bromley86

whilst you may be a good home for a 'finished' dog, your family is not able to consistently and repeatedly train a young dog in the required behaviours.

Ridiculous. Not everyone will be able to train every puppy and the OP's experience doesn't automatically make them unsuitable to have another pup.

Wirenth

Bromley86 wrote: »

Ridiculous. Not everyone will be able to train every puppy and the OP's experience doesn't automatically make them unsuitable to have another pup.

Not ridiculous at all - the pup was taken to some early training, but no consistent training sessions have been had since then. The OP isn't experienced in training young dogs and should have been taking regular classes, for herself as well as the dog. I don't mean to be harsh, but if you know you are inexperienced in something, wouldn't you take lessons and guidance as you are going along?

Bromley86

Whether you like it or not, the vast majority of owners bumble through pet ownership, with varying degrees of success. If we raised the ownership bar to that suggested here, there wouldn't be a lot of households with dogs.

The OPs experience with this pup will, if anything, make them more suitable than the average new owner.

Laconic

MurphytheLabrador wrote: »

It is probably pointless trying to explain myself, I'm not sure why I have to. I completely understand how an owner is will effect a dog, and we knew how much work a puppy would be, this is beside the point though. When he was a young puppy he was hard work but we never once considered rehoming him. However the biting, jumping, circling, that has just developed over time and got worse. No matter we do is not stopping him.

He understands us, but he doesn't listen when he starts to go mad, panting, circling. He has a good diet (well I think so - he is on Burns), the 20 minute walk may not sound like long, but he gets a third walk during the day and in the garden for 2 hours or so, so it is not just 40 minutes a day that he is getting.

We try play games with him but he is g. enerally not interested. When he is outside and doing his own thing, the kids can not even touch him without him starting to go "funny" and start biting at them. Sorry, but no matter what anyone here is saying, this is not our fault or the kids fault. Will probably reply a few times but will just be best to let the thread slip down I think.

Rochelle

Let me give you a great big virtual hug. I feel for you.

One of the worst things most 'how to pick a dog' books and guides do is to ignore the very most important thing: a dog's energy level. This isn't an entirely breed-specific issue -- within breeds and within litters you have puppies going from very energetic to laid back. All can be playful, but the difference is in how easily their need for movement and activity is satisfied. If your dog is more of a go-go-go hound than yourself, the result is misery. Given that you had a retired greyhound, which tend to be low energy dogs, another retired greyhound would probably have been the much better option. But you didn't know that then.

Your problems aren't new and no, your dog isn't bad. I hear your frustration, but it's a very typical behaviour when you have a dog that's growing up without sufficient exercise and without sufficient discipline -- that is to say, without clear, consistent rules. It's scary, frustrating and if you find yourself unable to trust the dog, then a new home is really what beckons. It's not a crime to rehome a dog if you can't cope.

As far as the science of preventing HD goes, the only thing that been rigorously tested and actually found to work is: CUT THE RECOMMENDED DOG FOOD BY 1/3rd. It drastically reduces the incidence and severity of joint disease and prolongs dogs' lives by two years. (See this blog and be sure to download the PDF of the scientific study http://www.carolbeuchat.com/2012/07/locating-the-genes-for-hip-dysplasia-in-dogs-psssst-look-in-the-kibble-bag/ ) Give the dog the exercise it so badly needs. Pay someone if need be to take it cycling so it gets a good blow out. You'll have a much happier dog.
An exercised dog can start to listen in the way a dog paying attention only to its own need for stimulation cannot.

The second thing is discipline. Your dog has learned that it doesn't have to listen -- there are no clear, consistent rules for what it may and may not do. It's key to sit down with your family and discuss what it is you all want and expect from your dog. If everyone is on the same page, the dog learns. If not, it doesn't. Discipline starts with yourselves.

One thing I hate about current dog-training fads is the persistent refusal to recognise that adolescent dogs are not young puppies -- they *do* need to hear No as well as Yes. It kills dogs.

Find a results-based trainer who is not afraid to say 'No': once bad behaviour is established, ignoring and/or extinction simply aren't as good alternatives to addressing those issues as part of a broader suite of training. Someone who trains gun dogs would be perfect; failing that, someone who trains dogs to do a job is good. Be wary of competition trainers -- many are good, but they need and encourage a very energetic dog that can be hard to live with. The trainer needs to come to *your* house (you know, the place the dog needs to behave in. What your dog does in class is far less relevant) and talk to *you*, listen and understand what it is that you hope for.


Finally, when the way you address yourselves to the dog changes, you will be shocked at how quickly the dog can change. My parents had a lab that grew up to be utterly obnoxious: her idea of a greeting was to wrap her legs around you and chew you from wrist to elbow -- and this was a 2 year old dog. When she barked, she expected people to come running to see what she wanted -- and my parents enforced it! When I'd had enough, I got her to change completely in 24 hours... actually, it took about 1 hour of actual interaction, divided into ten minute sessions. She went from a mad weasel who'd lie down and show her teeth as soon as you put a collar on to a dog who would not only happily wear that same slip collar and LOOSE leash, but would Heel with full attention and positively wagging with joy. That's how quickly clarity works. And I'm no expert dog-trainer!
Dog training is not hard, but it does require consistency: http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/your-dogs-are-mess-and-your-kids-are-no.html

Hang in there. If you find that despite everything, you really have too much dog for yourselves, then definitely rehome him. The Crown Protection Service might even be a good place to donate him to -- they love working dogs with too much energy to settle down into a family home. But, you will probably find that your dog does settle once he's got the exercise he needs and the clarity he craves.