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Little nugget is DRIVING ME CRAZY!

3K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  KathrynApril 
#1 ·
I love Alvin, I really do. This is such a "welcome to owning a GSD puppy" moment. We were making huge potty breakthroughs and then boom, accidents everywhere! He is gated into our indoor patio area which connects to our room where his kennel is because he hasn't "earned" access to the rest bother house. We try to keep all training positive with a clicker and don't want to make him fearful. We also implement a little NILIF when feeding and playing. He sits and makes eye contact with us before play, training, or feeding continues. His bite inhibition is OK, but he still nips when excited. I understand he is a baby (10.5 weeks) so I do not expect a perfect dog. He is great with our 5-10 minute training sessions and lives treats and play as rewards. He will be put through an obedience program when he gets his vaccinated.

Our biggest problems:
1) accidents in the house [ we take him out then he pees inside sometimes moment later] I am talking to my vet about a possible UTI

2) chasing the cat and not stopping when told [I know it will be near impossible to curb his impulse to chase, but body blocking doesn't work every time and he has starting to nip at the cat [that herding instinct].

3) Chewing on everything. We spray a vinegar spray on things but I know this isn't a real way of curbing the behavior. Redirection with toys works OK but he will go back to it.

4) working on OFF (getting down from jumping up) and LEAVE IT ( ignoring) I need advice for this last one. Noises don't scare him.

Wasn't sure if this belonged on behavior or training.

I appreciate any advice thanks!!


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#7 ·
For "leave it" have him sit or lay down. Put something that he can't have a foot away. When he goes for it, say "LEAVE IT." firmly and push his snout away. When you get to the point where he hesitates, give him a treat. Keep doing this. We've gotten to the point where I can drop a chip or piece of chicken in front of him and say leave it and he ignores it. Practice leave it randomly throughout the day with 3-5 minutes sessions with treats also. Good luck!

*-*Summer*-*
 
#9 · (Edited)
Yes! Definitely helps!
I was told that after 18 months I will see wonderful changes and be able to enjoy the results of all the training. The person who told me this was right.

As for chewing, whatever you don't want him to have, he can't have access to it.
Expens are great. Tethering and leashing help a lot, too. Preventing bad behavior is a lot easier than fixing bad behavior.
 
#10 ·
Yes! Definitely helps!
I was told that after 18 months I will see wonderful changes and be able to enjoy the results of all the training.
That is moment you'll never forget. It is a breakthrough. You then realize that everything you worked so hard on together is finally making sense to him. You gotta earn it but it is so worth it. Feels like you just hit the jackpot.
 
#11 ·
My pup will be 10 months old on 2/3. These have been the longest months I think I've ever experienced. To think I only have ... 10 more months?????? ... to go.

Yay.

As to the potty training at that age I took him out every 30-45 minutes. If there were accidents (and there were actually very very few.. maybe 2 or 3 in the whole time I've had him), they were my fault for not watching him closely enough. Be sure to have a phrase you always say when you take him out. Mine is "take a break" (his breeder's choice and I kept it). Now I just tell him and he runs to his potty spot and also will potty on lead.

I have a cat as well. I closely watched and still do my pup and also keep a baby gate so there can be no dashes through the house. He doesn't chase the cat but boy is he all up in her business. Let your pup drag a leash around if you are having trouble catching him. Allow NO chasing. Redirect him with a toy or treat/training time if he focuses on the cat.

I kept up everything that I didn't want chewed on and keep a ton of toys and bones scattered in his play area. They have to be taught what to chew, not just what NOT to chew. Easier said than done I know!

There are some good games you can play that will teach impulse control and 'leave it' using treats. Look up "It's Yer Choice".
 
#12 · (Edited)
It's a puppy.

Everything you mentioned right there is absolutely normal for his age. Worrying about this is kind of like worrying about when your six month old baby will be potty trained.

Don't worry about NILIF right now, it's a puppy. Everything you do with the little guy should be positive.

Ok, we are so in to looking how dogs would treat each other in the wild. Well, puppies are pretty much allowed to pull their dam's ears, and tail and anything else, eat out of any dog's food, no discipline whatsoever. They lose that puppy license around 4-5 months old, and then the dam and others will put a pup in its place, but generally, there is no violence in this.

Proponents of prong collars discuss how this is how a dam will reprimand her pup. But I have seen dams raise pups up through a year old -- unrestricted, together 24/7 and they do not correct their puppies by biting their necks, at least I have never seen this. I have seen a bitch close a pup's muzzle -- this is gentle. Think tiger cubs, being transferred by their mother. These critters with huge teeth can be so gentle, and a good GSD bitch is extremely gentle with her puppies.

There are bitches out there that are all too glad to be removed from their pups at 6-8 weeks old, and weaning can be completed by then, these bitches might be a bit rough when the pups try to nurse, but if the dogs aren't artificially weaned, meaning humans separated the bitch in order to get her to dry up, this doesn't necessarily happen. I think that by getting her to dry up while failing to trim wicked puppy toenails properly, they actually hurt her trying to drink what isn't there. This worries the bitch and makes her irritable.

Back to your situation. Because they are living in our homes, we do not want a critter peeing all over the place. And definitely you can get them trained. Do not get frustrated. Use treats, ring a bell on the back door as you take your puppy out. Learn how they go -- some will pee some, and then nose about for a bit, and then pee again. They do not all just squat and pee the whole amount all at once. So yes, your puppy might pee again once you get them inside.

The thing is, if you lose your mind on your puppy for this, you will frighten him so that he cannot pee when it is appropriate, but back when he is inside, his bladder is only so big, so eventually, it has to come out.

So what you do, is to go out to the toilet area ON LEAD. Do not play with the dog. Use your happy potty words. Go Potty. Go Pee Pee. Go poo poo too? WAIT for the dog to potty, and then praise, "Good pee pee Outside. What a good girl you are!" Pet and treat. If your pup needs to go twice, wait for him to do so. Treat and praise.

When you are inside, keep a leash on, or baby gate in the same room, only out when you are paying attention. Get on a schedule. After he wakes up, eats or plays hard, out to potty. If he hasn't been out for 2 hours, out to potty. Ring that bell and out the door.

One day you will hear that bell sound, and you will be like, "what's that?" And then it will dawn on you -- puppy outside! And your puppy will have managed to train you to get him outside when he needs to go.

If there is an accident. Your fault. Place the puppy in a safe loctation/crate/x-pen, and clean it properly using an enzyme based cleaner. Renew your vow to supervise your puppy.

If you catch him starting to squat, Say "EH! Outside we need to go Outside to potty," and without grabbing a coat, pick the puppy up and get him to his potty spot. If he produces even a molecule -- praise him and treat.

You want him OFF, then only praise when you have four on the floor. Do not praise when he jumps up for pets.

Teach him HUPP, and OFF as a game. Then transfer it to not jumping on inappropriate objects. Eh! OFF. Then praise the action of getting off of whatever he was up on.

It doesn't happen overnight. He needs to learn what he can and can't chew on, what he shall not chase, where he can pee, where he can be. And during all of it, it is your choice, you can make this a bond-building time, or you can punish punish punish.

Teach him what to do, correct when you must. Correct by redirecting him, "Eh! My shoe -- here's Your chewy." Eh! my Kitty! Leave the kitty, let's go out and chase the ball. Let's go for a walk. Let's get some good exercise that will tire your butt out.

Teach him, the GENTLE command. Then you can transfer that to objects like babies and kitties -- GENTLE with the Kitty. But you have to teach him it first. Do this with a treat -- taking a treat from your hand. Tell him Gentle and open your palm and offer it in the palm of your hand. He will take it gently, and praise Good Gentle. Use that word. Use that word for days. Work with treats and use that word. It's like loading a clicker. Make it harder, put your thumb on the treat and offer it, say Gentle and if he tries to take it gently let him have it, if he tries to snatch, Eh! Gentle, and only give it to him when he is gently trying to take it. Make it harder put it in your closed fist, and when he licks your fist and remains Gentle open and give it too him, Good Gentle.

Make it harder, put it between your thumb and index finger, only let him have it if he takes it gently. If he gets finger, hang on and remind him, gentle. Treat him with Gentle.

Continue to use the word every time. And once he is taking that treat every time, gently out of your finger and thumb, it is time to apply this to other things, like, "Gentle with the baby." Gentle with my fingers. Gentle with my leash. Gentle with the kitty.

Train him first, train him to do what you want, then transfer the words to a bigger meaning, and continue to praise for Gentle behavior.

Build the trust between you and the pup by being patient and consistent; by teaching him what you want, being realistic with your expectations; keep it positive praise, and if you must correct, follow through with what you want, and then praise him for doing what you want.
 
#13 ·
We never blame him for chewing/accidents because it's our fault. I will try the lead. We though about using a bell but he was doing so good we said "our boy doesn't need that!" Lol wrong! Great advice all around, I in no way expect him to stop being a puppy, just looking for ways to make this time a bit easier. We learned early on that showing him we are frustrated just make it worse so we give human time-outs to keep sane.

I can't say I've thought of flushing him down the toilet when he's at his worst lol jk we will get through this!

JUST KEEP SWIMMING...


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#16 ·
Just wanted to tell you there is light at the end of the tunnel. :) I wish I would of found this forum when my now 9 month old was a puppy. There were times I thought I just couldn't get through her puppyhood. All my friends were sick of me complaining. But now, looking back, it was well worth it! We still have a lot of work to do but all the things I thought she would never understand as a puppy (the whole potty training thing, chewing on everything, waking me up at all hours, etc etc etc) she/we have worked through.

The only advise I could give you would be what NOT to do so I'll let the more experienced owners help you. Just wanted to say that it gets better-way better!:) :)
 
#18 ·
I would put mine on a lead while in the house with me. If he tried to chase the cat I could stop it instantly. It also kept him from chewing things without me seeing. Chewing...if he has something that he is not suppose to I would just take it away with a firm "Leave it" command then I would replace it quickly with one of his toys/chews and in a happy voice initiate play. He learned so fast what was his and a happy toy and what was not his. There was never any yelling or scolding just a fast switch to a good option.
 
#19 ·
On potty training, you must dedicate few days to do what others said, go as oftern as possible (day or night) and use associated word i.e. good pee with a lot of enthusiasm so puppy will know that this makes you happy. It took me 4 days of camping on the sofa near puppy and going out in the middle of the night when puppy was either making sound in the kennel or when became active (it was middle of winter and temp were in -15to -20C). It took two days to get her to go to bathroom on command (go pee) but to reniforece I stick withthe routine going out very hour or so for couple of days. Afterwards I slept on the sofa for another 3 days to pay attention to schedule. After a week she was very good and after taking her out at around 11:30 PM she would last till about 5:30 Am. Sure the accidents would ahppen time to time but very infrequently. I was zombie for a week to ten days but it was worth the sacriface in the end as she was full potty trained after that period.
Good luck, it is only begining, it gets much better with time but must be diligent with training and reading your dog. One more note make sure that kennel is absolutely cleaned up after accidents, I mean clean and deodorized as well.
 
#20 ·
Update!

So I have implemented a lot of your suggestions and I am pleased to announce that Alvin is doing great and my patience has been restored. :happyboogie:
we have been 90% accident free for 3 days. Thats a big deal for us! the only 2 accidents have been tiny puddles by the back door (totally our fault). Chewing has also reduced tremendously! :thumbup:
 
#21 ·
So I have implemented a lot of your suggestions and I am pleased to announce that Alvin is doing great and my patience has been restored. :happyboogie:
we have been 90% accident free for 3 days. Thats a big deal for us! the only 2 accidents have been tiny puddles by the back door (totally our fault). Chewing has also reduced tremendously! :thumbup:
/cheers!!! :D
 
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