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AJ's new/old problems?

1K views 10 replies 3 participants last post by  thenewshepherd 
#1 ·
Part of the reason we aren't ready to get that second do is because AJ sprouted a few more problems after the rains ended. During the rains, which lasted two or three weeks; stairs and chewing and a few long walks when the weather was clear were his main mode of exercise, but es now, when we tried to bring him back to 10 minutes of flirtpole and 10 minutes fetch twice a day, his over excitement came back. This time his nips are far more gentle but he still stands on his hind legs and pushes me if he can. He stopped this Night night, baby night, baby a while back a couple weeks before the rains. He also barks at me loudly, non threateningly but more like repetitive barking from his chest without a snarl or wrinkled muzzle. At home he also began showing a lot of reactivity of dog and people outside walking towards or getting close to our house. He is learning to drop things on command like his flirtpole toy after he catches it but because of his excitement half my time is spent bringing him to the small space by our door, holding his leash and making him sit or lie down to help him relax.
if anyone has any suggestions or anything, really, help is appreciated~

p.s. when we bring him to his chewing bones, he'll take forever to choose one but when he does, come sit (half of him anyway will sit) in my lap and chew away for hours like he did when it used to rain.
 
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#2 ·
How old is AJ now? Drives often intensify as a puppy matures. He needs good outlets for his energy and drives - part of that is allowing him to 'possess' the prey item he has chased and caught, like the flirt pole and tug. Let him hang on to his toy until he gets tired of holding it, then you can ask him to release it. 10 minutes of play isn't enough to expand energy and satisfy his drives - stopping while he wants more will only build his drives. Play longer, let him get really good and tired. Incorporate more variety into his play and exercise. Does he get off-leash hikes?
 
#5 ·
on a normal day he gets over excited two or three times but in the last twenty four hours in which an extra ten minutes of play was introduced, he acted out five or six times
is this somethin he'll stop doing after we keep up longer play sessions or is his excitement getting worse?
 
#3 ·
well, he just turned a year old, three months ago. he always needed lots of play and exercise to keep him nice and tired but before when we used to overdose on the play till he would fall asleep right after, he'd become too playful and nip and jump and all the general overexcitement, that was why we cut down so much. in a day, he still gets somewhere between forty minute to and hour and twenty minutes of exercise but how do we increase his play without bringing him back to the old overexcitement?

the hike trails are an hour drive away and theres a strict no pets on walks policy. AJ was in quarantine during his socialization period and a while after so he never learnt not to approach other people on walks and im the only one training and handling him but it's gotten better and now a gentle tug on the leash is all it takes to bring him back to focusing on me and the walk so off leash isnt really possible yet, and leash laws and all. we also have a stray dog problem everywhere so we cant walk him too frequently without a mishap, but there is a kuchi road (i cant translate the word kuchi, its like a road thats metalled around half way but the rain and all makes it more like an unmetalled road on the higher parts) that goes up, it's a total four kilometre walk uphill and downhill that we have on every Sunday. by the end he when we're back he's completely exhausted.

thank you for your help. right now i played with him for around twenty minutes and he seemed a little happier~
 
#4 ·
Part of the reason we aren't ready to get that second do is because AJ sprouted a few more problems after the rains ended. During the rains, which lasted two or three weeks; stairs and chewing and a few long walks when the weather was clear were his main mode of exercise, but now, when we tried to bring him back to 10 minutes of flirtpole and 10 minutes fetch twice a day, his over excitement came back. This time his nips are far more gentle but he still stands on his hind legs and pushes me if he can. He stopped this behaviour a while back a couple weeks before the rains. He also barks at me loudly, non threateningly but more like repetitive barking from his chest without a snarl or wrinkled muzzle. At home he also began showing a lot of reactivity of dog and people outside walking towards or getting close to our house. He is learning to drop things on command like his flirtpole toy after he catches it but because of his excitement half my time is spent bringing him to the small space by our door, holding his leash and making him sit or lie down to help him relax.
if anyone has any suggestions or anything, really, help is appreciated~

p.s. when we bring him to his chewing bones, he'll take forever to choose one but when he does, come sit (half of him anyway will sit) in my lap and chew away for hours like he did when it used to rain.

ive been meaning to correct the random night night baby in between, autocorrect is a real pain
 
#6 ·
It is so hard to give advice over the internet when I can't see what is going on. I wish I could see what 'over excited' means. What you think of over excited may be normal playfulness, or it could hyper-drive with no self control. Either way, I would have to see what is going on and how you deal with the behaviour to be able to advise you.
 
#7 · (Edited)
its difficult to describe it too. just to clarify, he's always on a leash. we use a drag leash. when i walk backwards it's cue for him to come to me, he'll run over and lean his side against my legs and sniff my hands and ill check his fur, its a regular practice since he rolls in the grass sometimes.
sometimes, he'll sniff my hand and if i move my hand, the way i always do, he'll nip at the air and run away then run back right past me, if i dont walk towards him he'll run back and nip my hand lightly, he'll bow, if i cant get a hold of his leash then either then he'll mouth at me till i move towards him and he'll run and then repeat or if i dont move towards him he'll stand on his hind legs and push my back with his front paws till i move towards him and then he'll run again, he takes long circular paths around me and the yard. sometimes if he cant get close enough to push, he'll bark in a 'look at me, listen to me' sort of way. then he'll just stop if i sit in the corner of the yard and look at me. ill get up and tell him to go upstairs. he understands "up, up, up". he'll run upstairs and ill either lead the way or come after a second after him. up there, i can block the way downstairs and hold his leash.
then ill make him lie down, or lie on his back for a bit. then, ill make him do a command or two with praise as a reward, then ill give a quick look in his ears, his nose, teeth and eyes since i have to tell him to go up so often i practice desensitizing him to having these things checked.

sometime apparently nothing will set him off into this mindset. he'll be walking with me in the yard and sniff my hand and run. or ill toss his ball, he'll fetch it and drop it and then start running.

i really hope this helped explain what i mean. before when his bite inhibition wasnt so great, he used to bite till my hands bled, now it's just mouthing in this case.

thank you so much~
 
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