New puppy, Murray

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shazbot

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We went back and forth over pure bred vs. mixed. We both decided that a rescue/rehome was the way to go. So, we got this little guy from a military family who's getting ready to PCS over seas. They wanted to find him a good home while he was still young, we couldn't pass him up. He's such a sweetie, very well behaved already, and knows sit, stay, down and come and is crate trained also, he loves his crate. They said he's a 3 mo old lab/shepherd mix. He's a bouncy boy and very inquisitive. Here's a few pics of him.

One thing is, he's very submissive, to the point where he flops on his back and urinates when we go to pet him or even put a collar on...any ideas on how to boost his confidence and help with his submissive urination?

sorry about the big pics, I'm not sure how to resize them using photobucket.







 
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Upendi&Mina

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He's cute. :) You can see if you can get him to play tug with you and let him win every time, it's a good confidence builder.
 
MicksMom

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Oh, gosh is he cute! Our friends had a Lab that first jumped all over you, then rolled over and peed when you came in the house. I started making her sit, then crouched down and scratched her chest when I walked in. It didn't take long before she not only didn't pee when I came in, but also didn't jump on me.
 
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Thank you guys for the advice. He does the rolling on the floor and peeing on himself. If I catch him in time I make him sit, then give chest scratches or scratch under his chin, I try not come over the top of him when I give him loves. We just got him starting to tug. He had no toys at his old home, so he's just learning what toys are and what he's supposed to do with them.
 
MericoX

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OMG He's so cute! The white around the nose *dies*.
Charlie was very submissive/fearful about everything when I first got her. I had to take things very slow, make everything into a fun game, etc.
It took me about three months to finally get Charlie to stop urinating when she thought I would possibly hurt or yell at her, a lot of clicker work and desensitizing her to stuff.
 
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So adorable. Patience is key also. A new home, a new environment, and a new family to adjust to.
 
Dizzy

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OMG how cute :D

I am sure confidence will build up just right in the right home.
 
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Thanks again for the advice. He does seem to be getting a little more confidence. We've been playing tug with him, he's realized how much fun it can be. He's such a good puppy. We're still going slow on the introductions with my other 3 pups. It's been over 10 years since I've had a puppy and completely forgot how curious they are, lol. He really looks up to his new siblings here for guidance.
 
Fran101

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He is such a cute pup :) congrats!

You've gotten some great advice! My only advice is..take plenty of pictures!! Puppy days are gone before you know it
 
Doberluv

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shazbot said:
Thank you guys for the advice. He does the rolling on the floor and peeing on himself. If I catch him in time I make him sit, then give chest scratches or scratch under his chin, I try not come over the top of him when I give him loves. We just got him starting to tug. He had no toys at his old home, so he's just learning what toys are and what he's supposed to do with them.
Click to expand...
Tug is good. You can also look online for other confidence building games.

He's really, really cute. I bet he'll come right around as he gets use to his new environment and all. Good luck. Kudos for giving him a good home.

Actually, I wouldn't do anything if he rolls on his back and urinates...no fuss, no attention, no commands.
 
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BeachBum said:
He's adorable! Reminds me of Murray from "Mad about you", is that who you named him after?
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We didn't even put 2 and 2 together about Mad About You until a friend asked the same thing. We just thought it was a good name and he looked like a Murray. His original name was Cinnamon.

What kind of interactive toys would help build his confidence? Something like treat toys where he has to work for them or something else?

Thank you all for the advice and comments on his cuteness...He's got the puppy look down, and manages to melt me every time he does it.
 
ihartgonzo

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Omg he's adorable! :eek: Murray is such a good name for him. Congrats on the new baby!!!

To remedy the submissive urination... I suggest not approaching him. Call him to you, give him a treat, and give him slow, calm petting and attention. No baby talk or squealing or anything. When you first see him or let him out of his crate, ignore him and wait until he's calm. Crouch next to him, try to be as emotionless as possible and distract him by dropping a treat when you need to put his leash or collar on. NEVER give him any attention if he rolls over, just walk away.

Tug-a-jugs are fun & reqire tugging, tossing and rolling to get the kibble out! Stuffed kongs are also essential with puppies. I'd clicker train him, hand feed him and capture good behavior like sitting and coming as often as possible. I wouldn't give him ANY harsh verbal corrections or physical corrections, as he sounds like a really sensitive guy. Ignoring bad behavior, occasional "ah-ah"s, and rewarding good behavior should teach him what you want from him quickly.
 
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shazbot

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ihartgonzo said:
Omg he's adorable! :eek: Murray is such a good name for him. Congrats on the new baby!!!

To remedy the submissive urination... I suggest not approaching him. Call him to you, give him a treat, and give him slow, calm petting and attention. No baby talk or squealing or anything. When you first see him or let him out of his crate, ignore him and wait until he's calm. Crouch next to him, try to be as emotionless as possible and distract him by dropping a treat when you need to put his leash or collar on. NEVER give him any attention if he rolls over, just walk away.

Tug-a-jugs are fun & reqire tugging, tossing and rolling to get the kibble out! Stuffed kongs are also essential with puppies. I'd clicker train him, hand feed him and capture good behavior like sitting and coming as often as possible. I wouldn't give him ANY harsh verbal corrections or physical corrections, as he sounds like a really sensitive guy. Ignoring bad behavior, occasional "ah-ah"s, and rewarding good behavior should teach him what you want from him quickly.
Click to expand...
Awesome, Thank you for the toy advice. We'll get a tug a jug for him and try that. We do have kongs that he likes. He's very sensitive, and wants nothing more than to please us. He comes to a sliding sit when we call him to us, almost like some one sliding into base. He's really smart and has learned really quickly.
 
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