Vet thinks pup is 'dominant'

meritaten

Personally - I would do some 'on' and 'off' training with the sofa! encourage them on with the command 'on' or 'here' or whatever you feel is best and reward. then when you want them off 'you train 'off' or 'down' and reward. jeez - I am no expert - I did have well behaved dogs and had to learn with them how to train them! I had no help at all! it wasn't easy - and what worked with First dog didn't work with Second dog! I don't think there IS a one size fits all training regime. dogs are individuals!

neveranymoney

You are both darn tootin'. That was my initial plan, once I don't have to lift her up and down off the settee, I was going to make a game out of 'up and off'. My husband was watching something on his phone with the headphones in and didn't notice the little black ball curled up behind my legs just before bed last night..... This morning when I came down and she went for my legs, she stopped herself and got a load of praise. You can tell she is a dog that needs a lot of mental diversion, she figured out a treat in a cup in about 30 seconds and other silly tricks that Scampers just couldn't or wouldn't. Then, after she's done in, she has a lovely kip and that my friends, IS BLISS!

catkins

Hi Neveranymoney, it's good to see you on here again and I am so pleased you have another dog. How old is she?

There is so much information about training puppies and so much of it is contradictory that it's difficult to know what to do and not to do. I have had 14 dogs over my married life, 3 from puppies and the rest older rescue dogs and yet still when I got my present dog as a puppy last year I was reading books and articles on line and asking for advice.

My dog goes to training and the lovely lady that does the trainer is the one I used with my previous dog. I hadn't seen her for about 9 years and in that time her attitude towards so called dominance and a lot of her training methods of changed. She used to get you to do things like make sure you walk through a door, gate etc before your dog and say "me first". She now says she thinks that is pointless. I think most behaviourists and trainers today (or certainly the good ones) don't believe dogs are trying to be dominant and need to be taught who is boss.

My dog is allowed on the settees but if I say "off" he gets off (not that I do very often!). When as a young pup he would nip I would have a toy nearby and place that in his mouth. I did say "no" but I never yelped or cried as I have heard that can make them more excited which in turn makes them bite more. It didn't take long for him to stop nipping or biting.

Humping is a different matter. He is now 15 months and is not being neutered until he is 2. He still sometimes tries to hump me or my husband. It tends to be after we have been playing with him and is really more about excitement than sexual. He is a big dog so can cause problems. We just tend to say "no" or "down" in a stern voice and push him gently away.

I am very surprised the vet talked about dominance and saddened too as I would hope that a vet would have more sense. People think vets know what they are talking about but I am not sure they always do. I raw feed my dog and I belong to a raw feeding group on facebook and it is amazing how many say their vets are totally against it, saying things like it can be dangerous, damage their health etc.

krlyr

neveranymoney wrote: »

Her bite inhibition is slightly better since her arrival but not wonderful. Ten minutes ago was a prime example of her demon behaviour. I came down the stairs in my jams, fleecy dressing gown and slippers, obviously doggy catnip, the humping, biting legs and slippers, told very loudly 'shadow, OFF' at it again, a very loud 'shadow off' and you could actually see her backing off a bit and really thinking about going in for another go!

This moment would be the perfect moment to reward - the second she's backed off, I would give praise and then redirect her onto a toy. I've seen tuggy toys with keyring clips so you can clip them to your trousers/dressing gown (belt loops would work well) to have them to hand all the time. Taking advantage of her split second decision to stop, give her praise for it, then give her the opportunity to direct her mouth onto an appropriate alternative (and tons and tons of praise for that) - far more effective than just a 'no' IMO.

pawsies

I would leave a short leash on her and when she tries to hump I would remove her from the room.

You need to work out WHY she is humping though.

Is she doing it for attention? (most likely)
Is she anxious?
Is she excitable?
Is she hormonal? (looks too young)

Once you have the answer to this then you can redirect the cause to something more appropriate.

neveranymoney

Shadow is definitely overtired or excited when the humping goes on, although her penchant for fleece garments is another one of her foibles.

I was annoyed at the vet too, it wasn't said nastily or anything buy I was suprised that she was such a young girl buying into that theory. I will concede Shadow is quite a wilful chancer but I would imagine all pups will give this sort of thing a crack?

We do redirect onto toys, she never gets near the settee without a tou present, if it's her beloved moo, he gets a chewing and a box with her hind legs at the same time. The problem with the kids is that they look at something else when she is gnawing said toys and you need to be looking at her continuously as that's when sneaky jaws chance their arm!

meritaten

s'ok neveranymoney - sometimes I think have posted reasonable explanations and read back - and its sort of incomplete! Brain going faster than fingers!
Sounds to me like you are doing ok!

joansgirl

NAM, I'm a bit further ahead than you. The nipping and mouthing went on until Bailie was about 4 months or so then it gradually eased off. Virtually unheard of now. Humping, well, she humps her big teddy and an old cushion occasionally but she used to do it much more when she was younger, usually when she was already in an excited state. There's only me indoors and I think she knew she wouldn't get away with it so never tried it with me. As for dominance, I do believe that some dogs will try to take charge. You just need to be firm and consistent. If telling her to stop whatever it is that she's doing wrong doesn't help then physically remove her from the situation. Give her a time out, leave her alone, don't look at her or speak to her, just ignore her, but only for a few minutes. She'll learn in the end. As for the rolled up newspaper, I will admit that I've used it on her and on previous dogs. One tap and a firm "NO" was all it took. Now (and this is very, very rare) if she goes "into one" I only have to pick it up and she stops. Most of my problems with her are outside on walks. She pulls, like a flippin' train sometimes, so I just hook the slip lead over her nose and she stops. We're getting to the point now where I only have to show it to her and she slows down. She eats EVERYTHING!!!! The only way to stop her is to keep her on the lead. Other than all that she's not doing too bad. I allow her on the sofa but only when she's calm. Any excitement and out she goes to the kitchen.

It's early days with your puppy but you must start as you mean to go on. Be firm and consistent. Repitition, repetition, repitition!

neveranymoney

The little madam is sparko as I type, my husband brought her up to collect me from the gym earlier and she behaved like an angel to all and sundry of course! One girl who has always had large breed dogs and has a German Shepard at the minute thought she was just great giving paw and sitting (my husband was bribing heavily I should add!) but she also said no settee and a smack on the bum occasionally.

I honestly don't want to start that now, she had gone to hump me twice in the past days but I distracted just before she got near enough to start and praised her to the heavens so she didn't begin to. She doesn't hump items though at all. Only a few snappy bits last night, but she was very tired, I took her an extra two minutes out of our street and she knew it was unknown territory and kept looking at my son as if she was thinking, 'we'll he's here, it must be alright then'.

I agree with being firm though, she will run away with you if you let her, I actively watch for high jinks and try and distract before it happens. It felt lovely when she saw me today and went APE to get to me.

Sometimes you meet people who suprise you, I was speaking to a lady who would be a good bit older than I am and she had said she had seen my husband with the pup. I shouldn't stereotype but she shocked me when she said she had two Rottweilers and that the boy was a soppy old dote but the girl thought she owned the place and it was her that did the humping, including the poor boy rottie!

It is a funny sort of a day here today, my children are at after school stuff so it's a 'late' day. That's when I find the antics start, from evening onwards so I am enjoying the peace while I can!

neveranymoney

Other things I forgot to add;

If anyone reading this is single, borrow a puppy for a few hours, they are babe magnets. No wonder my husband takes her to meet me....

Although 'stay' is invaluable for safely reasons etc, my favourite thing at the minute is 'watch me' I could honestly never praise a command high enough. If she is stressed or too excited by things or people and becomes deaf at her name, this (so far) has always worked and it chills her out and stops her in her tracks.

Just random ramblings whilst I am home sans children and prefer playing on my phone than housework!