Help

[Deb]

This site is great i am so glad i joined have found some really good advice , i have a 7 week old Staffordshire Bull Terrier , he is doing all the usual puppy stuff but i seem to be the one that stressed ! i am so worried i will get things wrong i have turned in to a stressed out wreck over night where do i start i say no when he nips chews etc , sometimes he listens sometimes not ,he will actually sit when i ask him too so what i want to know is it to early to start training and what should i start with ? i have taken him out and about in the car and also around town carried in my arms just to get used to the noises but please some one tell me just simply what i should be doing at the point in time before i go completely insane with worry ! Thank you

[GOS5379]

Deb,

Don't be so worried! The most important training you should be focusing on right now is potty training. That's the first step. Pick a housebreaking method and stick to it. You will be successful. As far as obedience training goes, I believe you should let them be a puppy as long as they are
a puppy! They grow up so fast, enjoy them when they are babies. Of course you should be correcting their mistakes now, like nipping or anything else you don't want them doing, but as far as structured training goes, he is a little young yet.
You should look into a puppy kindergarten class that introduces basic puppy obedience skills and allows your dog to interact with other dogs at an early age. The dog should be around 11 or 12 weeks old when joining the class. Interaction with other dogs is crucial, especially in the stronger, bullier breeds. You don't want an aggressive dog. Socialization is key. I have an Ol' Southern White American Bulldog who is extremely social, but you should start young. The puppy kindergarten class is good for you because it will show you the basic training commands you shold begin training with. You need to be confident and establish yourself as the Alpha, not the dog. They are mouthy as puppies because of teething..so make sure you supply LOTS of chew toys so he can relieve himself. When he nips, firmly say NO and immediately give a chew toy and praise him for chewing that instead of you! Real marrow bones work wonders for chewing. Taking him in the car is a great idea to get him used to the outside world. I also strongly recommend crate training! It keeps them safe when you are not home and instills good self control into them. Knowing he is safe when you aren't around will cause less worry for you! Good Luck!!

[Deb]

Thank you for the advice ,i have puppy classes planned when he has got all his shots and we have many chew toys ,can i ask a couple more questions sometimes i can say no many times and get no response at all is there anything else i can do to get him to take a bit more notice of me no matter how loud i make the no he takes no notice sometimes ,sometimes one No and he stops but other times he can hold on to my finger for dear life and no matter how many times i say No and offer a chew he just wont release me ,i have also squealed at hime to show him it hurts and ignored him
my other question would be concerning a food item, Chicken he goes mental when Chicken is in the house constantly searching and sniffing for it long after its gone he just goes mental for a time after any ideas on this ? i have no idea why my self Thank you

[Kerry Hill]

Hiya, I'm having the same problems with my 11 week old bulldog. He nips really hard and hangs on and completely ignore all the techniques suggested. I can't even try and ignore her in another room for a couple of minutes because she'll still be attached to my foot. I'm also going slightly mad as she's like two different dogs. I so hope that someone can offer some alternative techniques that can be used when all else seems to fail.

I can't take her to puppy class for another two weeks either...her second lot of jabs is next thursday and my vet has recommended waiting a week after that to take her out. Hope this isn't too late to socialise her effectively.

Yours eagerly.

Kerry

[Deb]

It is also the case tonight has been a nightmare with him i understand he is a puppy but my hands are a mess ,and he also growls at us when told to leave something ,if i have to remove him after saying no etc 50 times he growls at us ,is this normal i am not a very happy puppy owner at the moment and although i love him ,i am beginning to regret having him ,and belive me i am not easily phased i have a daughter with severe autism !!!!!!!!

[Tarnador]

Hi, the advice from GOS sounds great - especially the don't worry and relax part!

if you get things wrong don't think that you have made a mistake for life - dogs can re-learn very quickly. If you are anxious your dog will be anxious that's for sure.

If your dog ignores a command after the second time then you have to force them to obey - so if you call your dog twice and he doesn't come then you must go over and fetch him - otherwise he is just picking and choosing when he wants to obey.

For your type of dog I wouldn't encourage tug of war or shaking type games, which encourages the prey and kill instinct.

keep a water spray with you and if your dog gets hold of your finger, say leave firmly and squirt him with water. This just shocks them into letting go (hopefully). My water spray is a great tool for unwanted behaviour as it doesn't hurt them and is non-aggressive.

I'm sure once you start classes you will feel more relaxed - and remember if you do something wrong you can always go back and correct it.

Good luck

[stephanie Craddock]

Hi
I'm a new member, with a big 2yr old rescue dog, that I adopted 5 weeks ago, I have recently started the water squirting technique, and its working, 1 squirt and I have my dogs attention.
For you guys with puppies , just make sure you reinforce the alpha dog is you,
As long as he knows this from an early age, all will be great!