From: sloan@cis.uab.edu (Kenneth Sloan)
Subject: Re: troublesome puppy
Keywords: puppy, behavior, problems
Organization: CIS, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 20:48:50 GMT

In article <16084@borg.cs.unc.edu> whitaker@verdi.cs.unc.edu (Ross Whitaker) writes:
>I own 6 1/2 month old chocolate labrador retriever.
>...
>1) Biting.  We have discouraged this since we have owned him and have
>seen very little improvement (except his teeth aren't as deadly).  We 
>have used a strong "NO!" to discourage him.  Currently he will put his 
>teeth on a limb and apply minimal pressure, but he will as do very rapid,
>painful, "nips" with his front teeth.  
>Recently, we have resorted to administering
>short smacks under the snout for biting, with only a little improvement.

Biting cannot be tolerated - but your dog doesn't know that, yet.
Biting hurts you - but your dog doesn't know that, yet.

Anytime your dog even puts his mouth around a hand, arm, etc.
*immediately* YELP as if in pain.  If you have enough control - shove
your hand *in* his mouth and make it mildly uncomfortable for him.
A strong *NO* and a clip under the chin for repeated nips.

>
>2) Stealing things.  When he was young he seemed to very quickly develop a 
>sense for which things were his and which were not. 

I think you're giving him too much credit for knowing what is his and
what is yours.  I also think that you are allowing him too much freedom
to wander about.  If you can't directly supervise him, and can't trust
him to stay put, then you need to restrain him.  A crate, for example.

Also, he now needs to chew.  Anything and everything.  Whenever you take
somthing away from him, immediately replace it with somthing that he is
allowed to chew.

>...But as he gets older he seems to be fighting back more.

He's trying to figure out where he is in the pecking order.  Don't allow
him to even get a hint that he's anywhere but on the bottom.

>...
>3) Come.  In the house, he generally comes when called.  He knows his
>name quite well, and mentioning his name will often bring him prancing
>into the room to see you.  Outside is a different story.  If he is
>distracted, he ignores you.  Sometimes he knows you are calling, he will
>defy you.  He will run around if you come after him, making a game out
>of it.

Do not give a formal command unless you are prepared to *immeidately*
correct any attempt to disobey.  Once he discovers how much fun it is to
disobey and play "keep the dog away from the owner", every command that
you cannot enforce becomes an invitation to play.  For "come" - simply
do not take him outside unless he is on lead.  Use a very long lead to
train "come", and don't say "come" if, for example, he's loose in a
fenced yard.  Use some other, informal way of calling him - but don't
use the word "come".

I made the mistake (I'll wager that everyone has...once) of trying to
work my dog off lead too early.  Fortunately, it only took one session
with a long lead to remind my dog that "come" means "come - and sit",
instead of "come at extremely high speed - surge past, and run circles
around frantic owner"

>
>4) Tantrums.  He seems to get into moods where he is purposely defiant.

Of course - he's challenging for your spot in the pack.

>...For
>instance, while on lead, he may start grabing the lead, trearing at it and
>pulling at it.

Simply stop, and make him "sit".  Don't attempt to move forward while
he's doing this.  If he won't "sit" - work on that.  Discipline as
needed. Discipline *early* and *lightly* so that the episode doesn't
escalate to the point that *late* *intense* discipline is necessary.  If
you have to use extreme measures, it was probably your fault, for
condoning minor offenses.

>...  Or while at home, he starts running around the house, grabbing
>or biting everything in site, barking.  These usually last some minutes, and
>then he slowly calms down and returns to his normal, more mellow, self.  
>During these moods, I used to ignore him, but as they become more prevelant
>I have taken to correcting him, by turning him over on his back and
>holding him there until he calms down.  This has had very limited 
>success.  These tantrums can be dangerous, because he sometimes bites
>if you attampt to touch or pet him when he is in one of these moods.

"pet him"?  In this mood?  No wonder he misbehaves.  Go back to the
basics, and work on "sit" and "down".  Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat as
part of your daily routine - until he performs these automatically.
Train when he's in a docile mood - so that the commands are there when
he's excited.

As above, biting cannot be tolerated.  Again - don't even tolerate
"benign" nipping or biting.  Your intolerance of biting must be
absolute.  

>
>Finally, if someone could recommend a good book on such things I would
>be thankful.  

The Art of Raising a Puppy, and
How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend - both by the Monks of New Skete.



-- 
Kenneth Sloan                   Computer and Information Sciences
sloan@cis.uab.edu               University of Alabama at Birmingham
(205) 934-2213                  115A Campbell Hall, UAB Station 
(205) 934-5473 FAX              Birmingham, AL 35294-1170
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs