Daft dog - what to tackle first?
Frith
Forumite 7.7K Posts
Yesterday we picked up our new dog from a rescue kennels. He is an 18 month old stb.
He's completely mad! The only time he sits still is when he's in the car (looking out of the window). He howled all night long and ate an advent calendar, the folder of info the kennels gave me, a wooden Christmas tree and a bongo... He's had a go at various other shoes and things and cleared the bookcase of books.
What should we tackle first? He is not house trained (or has forgotten about it). We have been taking him out to the same post every single hour. He waits until we get back in then wees on the floor within minutes.
He doesn't seem to know his name or notice that we are calling/shouting/whistling/jumping up and down waving at him.
His plus points are he is pretty good on a lead and not interested in other dogs.
We've got to introduce him to the cat at some point. :-/
He's completely mad! The only time he sits still is when he's in the car (looking out of the window). He howled all night long and ate an advent calendar, the folder of info the kennels gave me, a wooden Christmas tree and a bongo... He's had a go at various other shoes and things and cleared the bookcase of books.
What should we tackle first? He is not house trained (or has forgotten about it). We have been taking him out to the same post every single hour. He waits until we get back in then wees on the floor within minutes.
He doesn't seem to know his name or notice that we are calling/shouting/whistling/jumping up and down waving at him.
His plus points are he is pretty good on a lead and not interested in other dogs.
We've got to introduce him to the cat at some point. :-/
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― George Bernard Shaw
Don't come back in until he wees, even if you're out there for hours, and as soon as he does make a huge fuss and give him a treat.
You have my sympathies, house training in the middle of winter is miserable!
Don't overwhelm him, don't try too much at once, and make sure your house is thoroughly dog-proofed. Be especially careful that you never let him get any more chocolate, it's very bad for dogs, I'm assuming he's booked in at the vet tomorrow to get checked up and registered so even he seems well just mention to them that he's eaten the advent calendar.
It will be hard work, and there will be times you want to give up, but it will be worth it before you know it!
This site us a great resource for rescue dog owners, loads f knowledgable and experienced rescuers/fosterers post one forum: https://www.dogpages.org.uk
(Kabat-Zinn 2004):D:D:D
You might want to get some chewable toys such as a kong, antler and a rope type thing that he can chew on when indoors. It might help to avoid chewing random things. You might need to keep "everything" out of reach for a while until his excitement levels reduce a bit. He'll be ecstatic at finding a home that is not a kennel so this might take a while. Mine was perfect for the first two weeks and then she started showing more of her naughty side - she's clearly clever enough to know I'd fallen in love with her by then
Good luck! You'll have moments of wanting to tear your hair out but the end result will be worth it when he puts a smile on your face several times a day. He sounds like a real character who will make you howl with laughter at doing silly things. He sounds like a good candidate for a bit of agility as and when, to help with the energy levels.
ETA: He'll learn his name soon enough as long as you use it often and in a positive voice. Once he's housetrained you can do some training with that. He sits near you, you call him and if he reacts he gets a treat. He'll soon cotton on
Lots of luck with the wee weeing. I too have froze in the garden!
XX
Firstly for the house training have a read of this https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/house-training-adult-dog this method has worked for all of my fosters, although my current one is proving to be the most challenging of the lot really not helped by the weather at this time of year. Leaves blowing in the gale force winds are just so exciting, how is a dog supposed to concentrate on wee wees when there are better things to do.
Clicker training can be a godsend when it comes to teaching a new dog the basics, search for Kikopup on YouTube, she has lots of great advice and training tips.
Try not to give negative commands e.g. No when he does something wrong, he won't understand it. Instead distract him with something you do want then reward it. If he is chewing something he shouldn't have don't scold him, give him something he should chew and them make a big fuss about what a good boy he is chewing his own toys. Other unwanted behaviour just ask him to sit, lie down, roll over (any command/trick he already knows) and reward that instead of punishing the bad behaviour.
He will learn his name and respond to you soon enough, he is still a young excitable boy and you and your home are still very new and confusing for him, crate training may help as it gives him his own little safe zone if he needs to get away from something.
I have house trained my last 4 rescues as older dogs (all 2+) all brought up in kennels. Luckily they were all fairly fast learners. I would suggest taking him out in the street often rather than a garden because there will likely be loads of smells and scents so he will want to scent mark over the top!
I always use words - mine are "hurry up" and "be clean" for a poop. When the deed is done go completely daft, high voice (like talking to a baby!), laying on praise with a trowel and give a high grade treat. That way he knows he has done something amazing! As long as you are consistent it doesn't matter what words you use.
Lots of good advice has already been given here.
Try to wear him out so that he comes indoors to sleep! Running, ball games, tugger- it doesn't matter what - 'cos he's got a lot of energy!
and when the New Year arrives look for some local dog training classes which use positive reinforcement- thta's my dog's favourite time of the week!! His tail never stops wagging.
Have a wonderful time with your new furry boy!
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-Stash busting: 337 in 2022 Stash busting: 5 in 2023. £3.98 spent
Remember, everything needs to be trained, dogs don't know concepts like names or that they "should" pee outside. They just know that when you say Fido, if they look at you they tend to get attention, or that when they pee on the green stuff through that door they get rewards.
A dog's mentality is much like a toddler..there's no point trying to explain to them why they shouldn't do something, you just need to show them what they should do and praise them when they do it.
http://www.youtube.com/kikopup is a fab resource - I'd check out the puppy series as well as the ones for specific issues
If he was a stray his name will be new and he may not know it yet.
Howling at night - He is in a strange place with strangers and doesn't know what to expect. He could have been abandoned for all he knows. Maybe have someone sleep where he can see them for the first few nights to reassure him.
What you say to him is a foreign language. He doesn't know what the word mean and needs time to learn.
Keeping him safe is your first priority or he may eat something that endangers his life.
If he has been in kennels for a while he will be used to toileting in there so may associate your house with his kennel situation.
Stay out with him but ignore him so as not to distract him from the task in hand. If he does not go bring him in but keep a close watch and be ready to quickly whip him out again of he shows signs of going indoors. sniffing or circling usually signals an intention.
Make sure you clean up any accidents thoroughly as any smell left will encourage him to go there again.
You can get special cleaners at places like Pets At Home or can use a solution of biological washing powder.
Encourage calm behaviour by praising him quietly and calmly.
When we first got her we went out and came back and thought burglars had been in, she'd emptied every kitchen cupboard onto the floor, had the washing, the bin and took the lino up to boot.
She can even get out the cage she learnt how to do it. So it now has 5 padlocks on it as well.