Problems!!

azcowgirl

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#1
well i have a few problems with these puppies
1. they rip up things to shreds when they see anything on the ground. they have ALOT of toys also
2. They wont stop jumping on people.. people cant even come into my house!
3. not potty trained yet eh they are soo stubborn!!
4. biting. not just nipping everyone someone trys to pet them ( like me and my boyfriend ) they bite hands. and like to jump up and try to nip at faces ( not aggressivly though )
what can i do? more exercise? or what?
 

lizzybeth727

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#2
1. they rip up things to shreds when they see anything on the ground.
1. Don't leave anything on the ground if you don't want it to get ripped up.

Also, it's good that they have a lot of toys, but you might keep all but one or two of the toys picked up all the time, and you can rotate them out as needed to keep them interesting. If you have a lot of toys all over the place, puppies have a hard time differentiating between what's theirs and what's not, because there's so much stuff that IS theirs!

2. They wont stop jumping on people.. people cant even come into my house!
If they're jumping on you, just turn around, walk away, and ignore them until they calm down or they find something else to do. They are jumping for attention, and if you give them attention (even if it's bad attention, like yelling or pushing) you're rewarding the jumping. So you have to make sure not to give them any attention. At the same time, be sure to reward them a lot when they greet you calmly - ask them for a sit and then give attention, or just give a lot of attention when they sit on their own.

Jumping on strangers - Keep them confined so that they can't get to the people, until the puppies calm down a bit. Put them in crates or on leash. Then when they calm down, you can ask the person to ask them to sit, and give them attention when they sit. You'll also have to explain to your person that if they jump, turn around and ignore them. To me, it's easier to do this if the puppies are on leash. I'd also suggest doing it one puppy at a time.

3. not potty trained yet eh they are soo stubborn!!
You'll have to give us more information about what you've done and what you're trying to do. You can also search for other threads specifically about potty training, there's at least one new one a week.

4. biting. not just nipping everyone someone trys to pet them ( like me and my boyfriend ) they bite hands. and like to jump up and try to nip at faces ( not aggressivly though )
We'll really need more info about this one, too - when do they bite, what are you doing, etc. At this point, though, I can tell you to get up and leave your puppy when he/she bites you. Give them no attention for a few minutes. Puppies usually bite out of play or excitement, so once they learn that biting ends the play, they should stop biting.

Nipping at faces is actually usually good dog/dog behavior. Dogs don't understand that it's not good dog/human behavior. Treat this one just like the jumping, and once you stop the jumping they won't be jumpping and nipping at your face.
 
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#3
awww Puppyhood

hey AZ, do you have a backyard? the reason i ask is because my babies go there, when i have to clean up after a "tear apart game" they go back there til i am done. then they come in, i also do the trade game, which means if they have something they are not too, i take it from them and say "trade me" and they start chewing on that instead.

- as for jumping on people, i would use a firm NO and "get down" and that seems to work.

-as for potty training, it also helps if you have a backyard or a fenced off area, for the first month or so we would take them out 1 hour after they ate/drank anything, and we would take them out after a nap ( yep, ALOT of long nights), pretty soon they would just go to the backdoor.. whatever you do DO NOT CRATE them, i see no sense it crating, it just makes the dog feel unloved ( i will so get crap for this but OH WELL), and crates are not good for long term training they are meant for short term, just DO NOT USE THEM.

-the biting thing is kinda concerning.. i would just use a stern NO or stop and then turn away from them, maybe google biting and see what you get, either way GOOD LUCK, they are pups and i am dealing with it now, they are potty trained and they do not chew anything, but, use TLC with them and they will be fine.
 
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#4
-as for potty training, it also helps if you have a backyard or a fenced off area, for the first month or so we would take them out 1 hour after they ate/drank anything, and we would take them out after a nap ( yep, ALOT of long nights), pretty soon they would just go to the backdoor.. whatever you do DO NOT CRATE them, i see no sense it crating, it just makes the dog feel unloved ( i will so get crap for this but OH WELL), and crates are not good for long term training they are meant for short term, just DO NOT USE THEM.
You may see no sense in crate training, but used correctly is the easiest way to potty train a puppy. My boys have been crate trained from day 1, and they, in no way, feel unloved. They are crated while we are at work (to keep them safe, and to keep us from coming home to a ripped up house), and occasionally at night. They are out the rest of the time, and they are very well adjusted, socialized and happy dogs. It was used as a training method at first, now it is a safe haven for them.

You can CHOOSE to crate train, or not, but you shouldn't TELL someone not to do something because you don't like it. It is up to AZ to decide whether SHE agrees with it or not.
 

Maxy24

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#5
Well luckily this is all normal puppy stuff :)

1. they rip up things to shreds when they see anything on the ground. they have ALOT of toys also
Like Lizzy said go through your house and put up anything you don't want them to get their teeth on. Put stuff on shelves, in cabinets, cloths in a closed hamper etc. Start teaching them drop it. To teach that you use many different objects give one to the dog, show him a treat, when he drops the object he has take the object off the ground as you give the treat to the dog. When the dog is finished with the treat give him the object back (so use stuff he can have for now, later we'll work on non-dog items). Do this over and over and once he drops the object quickly start saying the command "drop it" when you present the treat. Later he should respond just to the drop it command. You can also start using non-dog items to practice. Set him up by leaving an object on the floor and let the dog into the room. He will grab it so you can walk over (be prepared and have a treat in your hand and a dog toy on a table near you) and ask him to "drop it" once he does give the treat, take the object put it up where the toy is and take the toy down and play with the puppy using the toy. This will teach him that although you are taking his stuff it's ok because really good things happen when you do. This command will help is you miss something when puppy proofing and the dog grabs it. If you try to take it from him it is seen as VERY rude in the dogs mind and can cause him to guard the toy. By teaching the dog to drop it you are not invading his space or being forceful, you are being polite and respecting him so he will willingly give the toy to you once he learns only good things happen when he does.

Now if before you can teach drop it you catch them with something still grab a treat and trade them for it. Then as quickly as possible give them a toy to replace the lost item and play with him. Do not punish or he could learn to associate you taking toys with punishment which could lead to toy/food/possession guarding.


2. They wont stop jumping on people.. people cant even come into my house!
Think about why the pups jump. It's probably for attention, that's why most dogs jump. They need to learn that jumping fails to get them what they want and that being calm and keeping all "four on the floor" gets them what they want. so you can train them not to jump by walking in your front door and when he (only do it with one puppy at a time, put the other one away) jumps quickly turn around, cross your ams and look up at the ceiling. Don't look at, talk to or touch the puppy. Once he stops jumping for three second turn around and turn on the happy! Get down and pet him and talk to him gently. Then stand back up. If he jumps again then repeat as you did before. Do this a few times a day. also have others help you. Ask your friends if they want to help train your pup and tell them what to do. If you are having friends over that do not want to help hen put the pups away until your friends are settled into your house so the dogs won't jump. Later you can work with both pups together but not until they are 100% when they are by themselves. also any time you or anybody walks in the door and the pups don't jump on them or you praise the hell out of them!! (without getting them so excited they7 will jump) when they do this for the first time they are making sure that this is the new behavior they are supposed to do for attention. If they don't get praised for it then they may think they chose the wrong behavior. They might learn that in order to get the attention they must first jump THEN stop.



3. not potty trained yet eh they are soo stubborn!!
How old are they? they are still young so it will be a while. but you should be working hard to prevent accidents. this means well preventing accidents. the only ways to do that are through supervision and crating (if they are not crated and unsupervised then they have no reason not to pee). Crating not only prevents them from peeing it teaches them how to hold it, they can't go as soon as they feel it but might have to wait a little bit (don't over do it though if they mess their crates too much you could be in for trouble). Without prevention you'd have to use punishment which is NEVER advisable for housebreaking. When you are able to watch your pup make sure you know what signs to look for. If he paces, sniffs, walks in circles or any other behavior yours do before going potty then rush him outside even if that means picking him up asap. Make sure you bring treats so he can get a lot of praise when he goes outside. Since you have two try and bring both out since the other probably will have to go soon since they are on the same schedule I assume. Make sure you load them with praise as soon as they finish. when you can't be watching them crate them. When you can watch them but don't want to be following them all around the house and the room has no door them tie their leashes to your wrist, belt or waist. it will take time so don't be discouraged. Make sure you clean up any accidents with an enzymatic stain cleaner.



4. biting. not just nipping everyone someone trys to pet them ( like me and my boyfriend ) they bite hands. and like to jump up and try to nip at faces ( not aggressivly though )
what can i do? more exercise? or what?
More exercise might help since they are a HIGH energy breed. but they need to learn hands are not play things to be chewed. start playing with him using a toy and as soon as you feel the puppy bite you stand up quickly and ignore the pup, back turned towards him, ignoring like I told you to with the jumping. Wait 30 seconds or so then sit back down and play with him using the toy again. Repeat this over and over until he learns that biting ends the fun. As for petting do the same unless he is showing signs that he is bothered by your touching. Does him biting look playful or angry? Is his tail wagging and body bouncy or is he stiff? he may just think you are a chew thing or he could possibly be bothered by petting. If he thinks you are a chew thing then do that same thing I said to do during playing with a toy. if he is bothered by your petting then it will take longer and you'll need to desensitize him to being pet. It's probably just all in good fun though.


I hope this helps, remember to be consistent. Are you crating yet? And how old are they? Remember that after 8-12 weeks they need to start being separated for crating and for a good part of the day so that you can have personal time with them and they won't become too attached to each other and not you.
 

bcmoffatt

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#6
whatever you do DO NOT CRATE them, i see no sense it crating, it just makes the dog feel unloved ( i will so get crap for this but OH WELL), and crates are not good for long term training they are meant for short term, just DO NOT USE THEM.
Seriously? That's pretty bold to tell someone NOT to use them like that. Not using a crate is your choice. Many people use them with great success. Most dogs love their crates.
Crates are an invaluable tool. My dogs have all been crate trained, and I'm pretty sure they never felt unloved. :rolleyes:
Now that they are older, and don't necessarily need the crates, They still use them because they like them. It's also good to keeps them acclimated to the crate in case you suddenly need to use one someday, like if your dog is injured, or needs to be transported.

I like the security of knowing my puppy is safe in a crate, not wandering around getting into potentially dangerous situations, like ingesting objects or chewing electrical wires, not to mention undoing any progress I've made in potty training.

They are extremely useful in puppy hood and in the long term.
 

Dekka

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#7
IMO not crate training is silly and dangerous. What if you dog needs to spend time at the vet..now it will stressed from being away AND being confined. What if something happens and you are in the hospital..others need to take your dogs etc etc. What if they get injured and need months of crate rest. That is not the time to teach it. And saying that crating makes a dog feel unloved just shows you don't really understand how dogs view dens. Does a child hate its bed? Many of my dog will chose to chill in their (or others) crates even when they can chill on the couch. They LIKE their crates, and if you wish to be anthropomorphic probably feel loved because their person gives them their very own den, with toys and blankies.
 

Babyblue5290

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#8
***OP, not advising against using a crate, might help you, but it's your decision.***

IMO not crate training is silly and dangerous..
Woah there! Now that is just as bad as saying "Crate training is silly and abusive!" Just because most people opt for crate training, and I'm not saying it's cruel to crate train, but it doesn't mean those who DON"T crate train are doing anything wrong. You can raise a puppy perfectly fine without crate training to be a healthy dog that lives a long life without the need to be in a crate.

What if you dog needs to spend time at the vet..now it will stressed from being away AND being confined. What if something happens and you are in the hospital..others need to take your dogs etc etc. What if they get injured and need months of crate rest. That is not the time to teach it.
All of the vet's I've been to, with my very large dog, don't have crate type kennels for the dogs. They have RUNS. larger kennels. Ya know?

Others can take care of my dog fine without a kennel. And it's not necesarily "crate" rest a dog would need if it's injured, it needs to not be active, but you don't NEED a crate to do that.

So it is NOT silly or dangerous to NOT use a crate or crate train. Just like it is NOT silly or abusive to use a crate and crate train.

You can CHOOSE to crate train, or not, but you shouldn't TELL someone not to do something because you don't like it. It is up to AZ to decide whether SHE agrees with it or not.
Exactly.
 
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Dekka

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#9
I had an injury that required 2 months of CRATE rest. A client of mine's dog after surgery needed 4 months of CRATE rest. IMO it is silly not to have the crate trained. After they are used to a crate..I am not saying you have to use it. Its like some of my friends farm dogs, they teach them wear a collar and walk on a leash..even though they never use them. But it is a great skill to have if there is ever an emergency. Honestly I have heard of enough stories about people who are in car accidents and what happens to their dogs. If the dogs are crate trained, its a lot easier to find people to look after them.

And not all vets have runs. Mine has very large crates..as they don't want the dogs moving around too much post op.

I still say in today's society its an important skill to for a dog to have. Not saying people must crate their dogs regularly..just make sure the dog is comfortable in a crate. So I stand by my post..IMO it is important to crate train.
 

Babyblue5290

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I had an injury that required 2 months of CRATE rest. A client of mine's dog after surgery needed 4 months of CRATE rest. IMO it is silly not to have the crate trained. After they are used to a crate..I am not saying you have to use it. Its like some of my friends farm dogs, they teach them wear a collar and walk on a leash..even though they never use them. But it is a great skill to have if there is ever an emergency. Honestly I have heard of enough stories about people who are in car accidents and what happens to their dogs. If the dogs are crate trained, its a lot easier to find people to look after them.

And not all vets have runs. Mine has very large crates..as they don't want the dogs moving around too much post op.

I still say in today's society its an important skill to for a dog to have. Not saying people must crate their dogs regularly..just make sure the dog is comfortable in a crate. So I stand by my post..IMO it is important to crate train.
Ok, the injuries for you, you're hard time into (agility?) some kind of dog sport where injuries happen pretty often. I'm talking about a normal, household dog. Sports add to the chance of injury, especially when you're hard core into them like you are. (which I'm not saying is bad in anyway!) So though injuries happen, they just aren't as often and frequent as your dogs would or your clients dogs would get injured.

Ok, now. Yes, crate training can be useful. It is a nice little "extra" bit of training that can make things easier on the dog, god forbid, something happened to you or your dog. But it's not a necesary that will determine your dogs placement for someone watching them while your ill, or if they will be overly stressed. Like I said, I've never seen a vet around here that used small kennels. So that would depend on where you lived.

I'm just saying, it's not a MUST training. And I did take offense to your statement that it was silly dangerous not to train it. I'm sure you believe that though, guess that's where you're at, your type of dogs, their sports, for you it is silly not to. But for people here, who aren't hard core dog sports people, who don't have vet's with these small crates, then it's not that silly. It's not a necesaty.

**I'm having a hard time putting my words together today, I'll come back to this later**
 

lizzybeth727

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#11
My family had a dog about 10 years ago who was certainly not in any athletic or competitive activities (this was before we knew any better) and she was chasing a tennis ball in the backyard when she tore her ACL. We opted not to do surgery, partially because of her age (she was 7, and a large-breed), but also because she had never been crate trained and she'd have to do crate rest. We figured that would be more stressful than living out the rest of her life with three good legs.

I also have a good friend whose chihuahua had luxating patella, which required surgery and crate rest. This was a genetic condition, he was not particularly active when it happened.

My point is, it doesn't matter how active you or your dog is, your dog could quite possibly need to go to crate rest at some point in his life.
 

Babyblue5290

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My family had a dog about 10 years ago who was certainly not in any athletic or competitive activities (this was before we knew any better) and she was chasing a tennis ball in the backyard when she tore her ACL. We opted not to do surgery, partially because of her age (she was 7, and a large-breed), but also because she had never been crate trained and she'd have to do crate rest. We figured that would be more stressful than living out the rest of her life with three good legs.

I also have a good friend whose chihuahua had luxating patella, which required surgery and crate rest. This was a genetic condition, he was not particularly active when it happened.

My point is, it doesn't matter how active you or your dog is, your dog could quite possibly need to go to crate rest at some point in his life.
I'm not saying at some point pet dogs don't get hurt. It's obvious that they will likely get hurt doing anything possible. BUT you don't NEED a crate to keep a dog down and from moving around a lot. It's not absolutely necesary. My point about the sports things is her dogs get hurt a lot more often then a pet dog would.

I've heard of very few cases with people around here needing to crate their dogs. Friends I've known, none. Not yet have had to ***CRATE*** their dogs. Not one. All have lived happy lives, some have gotten hurt and needed to lessen the activity. Which they did. Lucas, at one point, I had to keep him from moving much, no crate needed.

I'm NOT saying they aren't helpful, they are. If you can't keep your dog staying still without them, they are REALLY helpful. I'm just saying, don't act like crates are the ONLY method.

It does kinda bother me, how much everyone seems to think crates are the only way to do it right these days. I mean, what would we have done all those years before crates! What did people do with all the dogs that got sick and needed bed rest? needed confinement? hmm.....
 

Dekka

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#13
Back before crates, farmers and working ppl often just shot dogs who were in such bad shape. It is really only in today's society where people spend such money on vet stuff. Really how do you keep a dog from moving at all, let a lone trying to get up on a couch, or do a stair or forgetting for a moment and running a step. Esp if you aren't home?
 
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#15
While I agree that consistent use of a crate isn't necessary, I have to agree with Dekka that it is in a dogs best interest to be introduced to a crate. If you would have asked me a year ago I would have said that it was very unlikely that my dog would end up swallowing a toy and needing it surgically removed and near impossible that he'd then have a reaction to the pain shots that required him to spend a MONTH in the vet hospital. Throughout that entire month he was kept in a crate sized cage. The fact is, sh*t happens sometimes and often when you least expect it. I'm glad that he was already comfortable with his crate sized cage because he had enough problems to deal with. The extra stress of being locked up in a kennel when he wasn't used to it probably wouldn't have helped his recovery. Granted, my experience isn't common and I'm glad of that. But introducing a dog to a crate really doesn't have any downsides. So I figure its worth it even though the absolute necessity of it is relatively slim.
 

ihartgonzo

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Crates are awesome. They really are. Both of my dogs love their crates (yes, LOVE). Fozzie refuses to sleep on any kind of dog bed, but he will choose his comfy crate over anything. Crates are convenient for life, in countless situations, and enable you to bring your dog many more places! Crates are useful for travelling, car rides in general, hotels, camping, any kind of dog sports including conformation, injuries, spay/neuter and other surgeries, feeding, fostering, unexpected guests, crazy parties (LAWLS)... and most of all, puppies!

Crates are essential in raising a puppy, for the typical owner, unless you plan on watching them like a hawk 24/7 for the first 6 months to 1 year (maybe even more) of their life. To discourage an owner of two sibling puppies not to use crates, is just insane. They keep your puppy SAFE. They relieve you of a LOT of stress and worry. No, a dog should not spend his "life" in a crate, but dogs learn to enjoy their down-time in their crate... and it is much safer than the risks of an unsupervised puppy. A puppy can literally find and ingest something harmful to them if you look away for an instant... they're sneaky little monsters! Not only do they keep your pups safe when you cannot be glued to them, they also keep your puppy from sneaking off and peeing when you cannot be glued to them.

There are so many pros to crate training - and absolutely no cons. Seriously. Name one. Thanks primarily to crating and diligence, Fozzie was house trained at 12 weeks and had one single accident in the house.
 

ihartgonzo

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It does kinda bother me, how much everyone seems to think crates are the only way to do it right these days. I mean, what would we have done all those years before crates! What did people do with all the dogs that got sick and needed bed rest? needed confinement? hmm.....
Crates aren't the beginning and end of raising/training/owning dogs, of course! They aren't a necessity. But they ARE a big help to dog owners who cannot trust their dogs unsupervised. And they ARE actually a comfort to the dogs themselves.

Crates have actually been used for many, many years. My Mom crate trained her dogs... God knows how many years ago. And, not as much was really known about canine psychology 100's of years ago. A lot of dogs roamed around outside. For confinement, a lot of people chained or kept dogs caged. And, as Dekka said, only recently have advances in animal medicine been made; most people would put a dog down, who had a serious injury.

My "normal, household" dog has had injuries. Gonzo broke a toe last year, and had to be crated when I wasn't watching him, because he was totally stoic about his injury. He still wanted to play Frisbee, the day after. Crazy fool. :rolleyes:
 

lizzybeth727

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#18
I'm not saying at some point pet dogs don't get hurt. It's obvious that they will likely get hurt doing anything possible. BUT you don't NEED a crate to keep a dog down and from moving around a lot. It's not absolutely necesary.
Ok, but my point is that it IS absolutely necessary for most of us to keep a dog from moving around a lot. I guess you could lock them in a closet or something, but even that would be too big for my chihuahua.

I mean, what would we have done all those years before crates! What did people do with all the dogs that got sick and needed bed rest? needed confinement? hmm.....
Yes, many more dogs were euthanized when they got sick or hurt. Also, back even 20 or 30 years ago (when my parents were kids) dogs didn't live in houses, in general. The vast majority of dogs were "outside dogs," and even those who did live in the house were still probably outside when nobody was home. And more parents stayed home all day, so even if the dog was inside, someone was home to supervise.
 

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#19
I never crated any of my Goldens , but had a crate for my whelped pups to get them used to them for their future homes and to transport them to vet checks . Ollie was rehomed once before I got him ....after 2 weeks he was returned . Family worked and he wrecked the home when left alone . I really don't know who crate trained him , but I praise who ever did !!! He's usually with me wherever I go , but if I can't take him he's very happy in his huge cage , He knows when he can't come and will go into his kennel before I ask .....his favorite toys and a couple of cookies and he's a happy camper . Never barks and is usually laying down when I get home . Whether it's one hour or 5 hours .....
 

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