A naughty puppy help needed

[josaphine32]

My sisters boys have wanted a puppy for the last year, My sister who is not an animal person what so ever told me in october that they were going to get one, I was devestated as I knew that she would not be able to cope, Her boys are at Boarding school but she was convinced that she would be fine, I offered her my dog for the day to see how she would get on but NO she was adament on getting one, She paid £750.00 for a cockapoo, And to cut along story short 7 days later, we were right she couldnt cope, the poor puppy was pushed to piller to post with no structure or correction what so ever and has now established a bad attitude, (she is 9 weeks old tomorrow) my sister has now asked me to take her on as she thinks she has issues.

We have had the puppy since saturday and she can be really good, she sits when told, and nearly masted the down, we have bought her Kongs, kong balls, rubber toys, puppy nylabones,

She sleeps fine through the night in her crate seperated form My three dogs, we do not pick her up but play with her constantly. If she does not get her own way she can get really stroppy and growls and bites, If she bites as in not playfully then we end the game. we are praising good behaviour and a short sharp NO to bad but that sometimes does not work, so I have been laying her on her side until she is calm and then release her which she hates.
but it is the only thing that i can think of and it does stop her

Anyone got some really good advice on how to stop her lunging barking and biting, she is only little still and she is having her second vaccination next, I have booked her in for a puppy party and training the week after her injection
but thats not for another 2 weeks and need some more help, My 3 dogs are models compared to this little horror but she is beautiful and we do really love her already.

Thanks
Jo

http://s909.photobuck...¤t=IMG_6439.jpg

[bednobs]

i think you are probably worrying unnecessarily. 9wo is really young still, and puppies do misbehave! puppy classes will be good for her hopefully. What we found really really helpful is when she is lying down and drowsy or behaving herself, treat her and use a word like "settle" or "quiet" (we use settle down, said in a soothing voice) when she has got it that it's good behaviour to be lying down quietly, you can use your word when you want her to settle.
Regarding biting - biting or teeth on skin on clothes is unnacceptable imho, but dont blame them for being confused - humans have changed the rules without telling them (when she was with her litter, they probably used teeth biting for all sorts of things) You need to stop all biting, not just to non playful stuff

[lovewilson9]

God help that pup that your stupid Sister got! I wish to god that people would STOP getting pups when they clearly CANNOT and DO NOT look after them!!!!!!! No doubt this pup will end up on the streets next week exactly like thousands of others!!!!!
DO NOT GET ANY ANIMALS-IT IS DOWNRIGHT CRUEL!!!!!!

[bednobs]

ps how old was she when your sister got her? 9wo seems awfully young to have already been pushed from pillar to post and to have had a bad attitude set in

[bednobs]

well that was a helpful, considered answer. You clearly read the question carefully and paid great attention to the detail!

[Nosha123]

lovewilson I think thats a little harsh.. This poster clearly loves dogs and has her own already so I doubt she is about to abandon a 9wk old pup.

you need to get puppy training classes going. A friend of ours had a dog that was quite aggresive (and BIG!) and despite some trainers telling them to get rid of it - they persevered and the dog is now lovely.. So you will get out what you put in... If you have the time and effort to train the dog then you will end up with a lovely pet.
Seek professional Dog training advice as soon as you can!

[Nosha123]

Our friends with the aggessive dog were told to pin the dog to the floor when it tried to bite them... thus you are showing them you are the pack leader.. Its sounded cruel but it did eventually work...
Patience and determination (and importantly.. consistency!)
Good luck! (and ignore the unhelpful poster above!)

[LoftyLottie]

Agree with Bednobs, at 9 weeks she should only just have left her Mum. Too young for a "bad attitude", and I really don't like the idea of holding her down laying on her side. When she bites and growls a firm 'no' and put her back into her cage until she settles would be better.

However, I think you are doing well and are very kind to have taken her on. She is simply beautiful.

And whoever lovewilson9 is, they ought to learn to read questions properly and not be so rude.

[LoftyLottie]

Perhaps I am wrong then about holding her down. It's not something I have heard of before.

[craft1948]

The world has gone mad...............£750 for a mongrel.

[NOX]

9 weeks old is too young to label a puppy as having 'issues' or indeed being a ' little horror'. Just relax- puppies need calm, firm, reassurance, continuity and lots of praise and affection- but they can be easily overloaded by too much too soon, and this seems to me to be the thing which might be happening here as she won't even be settled in yet. Keep things simple, get her well socialised and take it slowly- she's very little yet so just be patient. She's not a little horror just a puppy, barking, lunging etc is all perfectly normal at that age, just ease her out of it gently by positive reinforcement of good behaviour and negative reinforcement of bad- but above all be gentle and patient.

[Nosha123]

Hi Lofty!

Our friends dog was a lot older when they pinned it down though.... that might be why! Plus it was a big dog and they were at their wits end...
I'm not a dog enough expert to know - but maybe on Dog Language thats what the pack leader would do to the naughty younger dogs...
Jo - you could watch some episodes of the Dog Whisperer!!! He knows his stuff!

[bednobs]

my husband sometimes used to hold our dogs down if they were really hyper I hated seeing it but it did work

[LoftyLottie]

Hi Nosh. x Yes 9 weeks seems rather little to be held down.

Agree with Nox up there ^

[josaphine32]

My sister refused to take her home and went to stay at my mums, Which I said No you need to go home from the very beginning, and start from scratch, after 5 days at mums and a big fall out with my mum, she then took her home to her house and the sitaution then got worse, and then I went and got her and she WILL stay here for life.

[rockyracoon]

I think you are making a grand effort. When you have older dogs and a pup comes along it scares you half to death, I have a 5 year old cross and he is so well behaved indoors, my brother has a 4 month old doberman and my god she is wild...or is she? I think once your dogs are adults and calmed down, you forget what they were like as pups. Good luck to you.

[josaphine32]

Nosha I have been watching dog whisperer for ages, Maybe then I should not be dooing the holding down bit, But she wont give up.

[josaphine32]

She is getting loads of affection, Maybe I did not word my post right, and I am sorry for that, All I would like is some helpfull tips, She races around the garden like a looney with one of my other dogs, And I can truthfully say that she will be well and truely loved.

[barb1314]

It sounds like she has left her mum and littermates at a very young age but I can't quite work out when. She would have learnt bite inhibition if she'd still been there a little longer but still..I wouldn't think the holding down thing would work but I may be wrong. A lot of what CM teaches is by fear which I don't agree with. I'd agree with Lottie and if she bites,make a yelp noise (like her mum or littermates would) and pop her in her crate to calm down. Ignore her and she'll soon cotton on.Often they start to misbehave because they are tired and over excited.
Well done for taking on this puppy. I've forgotten what hard work puppies are. It sounds like this one will have a lot of fun with your 3. Take care.

[barb1314]

I found this when my lab was a pup
http://www.understandinganimals.com/article/1

[woofgang]

here is how to teach bite inhibition. Big feisty adult dogs might OCCASIONALLY need to be held down if they havent been properly brought up but its a risky strategy and if your need to do it more than once ver then out hasn't worked and you need a new strategy.Never ever do it to a pup, it will either scare them or if they are that way inclined, will stimulate rougher play.
If she can sit when told at 9 weeks and getting well on with down, she's not a bad pup, neither does she have a bad attitude, she just hasn't been taught right. Well done you for rescuing her now please please treat her like the baby she is and be gentle!
link
http://www.dogstardai...ching-bite-inhibition

How long is it since you have had a pup? if its been a few years you can "forget" how wild and lively they can be. It was 20 years for me between pups and I can still remember the shock. My pups are 4 years old now, gentle and loving.