need help

eimearnll

hi i have loads of problems with my 6 month old dog.hes a lovely dog but i need to rehome him.i have 3 small kids that he keeps knocking over biteing and i have tried everything to try calm him down.i have him since he was 2 months old and nothing seems to be working for me.he also goes mad when we walk him.does anybody have any ideas.i would love to keep him.

delly

First off, what type of dog is he as it might give an indication of a breed related problems.

Strokesfan

That's terrible my dog is 9 months and I posted about him grabbing a terrier by the throat at the beach yesterday. I'm taking mine to be neutered today to see if that helps cos he is rampantly disobedient at the moment.
If he's a small dog - I think they're quicker to reach adulthood and you might consider ringing the vet asking is it old enough to neuter.
It's terrible when you have kids cos you have to supervise constantly when they're unpredictable.
It sounds like myself that you may need to dedicate more time to training and find a good website online to help Also try get your kids to not make a fuss of him or react with alot of noise as he might be playing with them and he might think they're lower in the pecking order than him and he is trying to exert his authority over them by nipping them.
You have to assert that you are the leader, your kids are important and he is the bottom of the pack. (I know it sounds silly but it's true I find).
Let us know what kind of dog it is?
You need to spend sometime walking your dog up and down the back garden, getting his full attention and reward him for ignoring distractions. I'm off to look for a training book like "It's me or the dog - bbc" for myself cos I've let my dogs rule the roost lately.

eimearnll

hes a wiredhaired X.a lovely dog but very wild.i cant let my kids near him and they love him i have tried everything

eimearnll

i did ask a vet he siad hes to young.he siad hed grow out of it but i feel bad because i cant let him into the house anymore because of the kids

SuzyS1972

Has he been for training classes - some basic obedience at all ?

A dog isn't just " wild "
It's all in the training - why don't you try rewarding him for sitting etc - he's only a baby at 6 months and lets be fair the fact that he's being locked out the back just means that he's going to be even more exited when he does see you.

Please re-think this situation - have a look at
www.dogtrainingireland.ie

Or call the Irish Kennell Club for details of their puppy training programme.

Ruu_Old

I think the above advice is best, proper training and putting him in the yard isn't enough. You'll have to walk him more and play ball or whatever.

eimearnll

hes walked every evening and i have been doing the treats he just seems to hate the lead he is fine with me its when the kids and other people are around he just goes mental and its the only time he dosent listen to me i bring him in when the kids are in bed or out of the house so he wouldnt be out in the yard all day the kids have never done anything on him so i dont understand why he acts this way around them and other people

FranknFurter

As a temporary measure, get him a muzzle, available in most pet stores (make sure it is one that allows him to pant & drink with it on), they are not expensive and will put your mind at rest when he is indoors.
With the muzzle on, he may calm down and listen to you a bit more, somtimes its almost an automatic response with some dogs.
Make sure it is the right size for him, if he cannot drink through it, it is too small. If he can get it off, it is either too big or not secured firmly enough.

And remember, a muzzle is not at all cruel, as long as its one he can drink through and pant through, and you take it off to feed him, or for short periods when there is no risk to children etc.
He *will* try to paw it off for the first few hours, and he *will* try every trick in the book to get you to remove it. Dont.
Only remove it when he is calm and when it suits you. You are the boss, not him.
Only removing it when he is calm is the key, that alone will eventually teach him that when he is calm he gets it taken off (which is what he will want).

Also get a harness rather than a lead, and walk him a lot.
It sounds like this puppy has a LOT of energy to burn off, when you return from the walk he should be tired, otherwise you need a longer walk or a walk combined with more play.

He needs to know that you are boss, the muzzle & harness will help with this. (I think there is a special head lead too, name escapes me right now).

Buy some good books on dog training, you might surprise yourself with what you can achieve on your own, I know its hard to see the possibilities when you are panicing like now, but the muzzle will allow you (and him) to relax and make well thought through, decisive actions and plans for the future of your relationship.

Hope that helps and good luck!

b

(P.S. A tip from personal experience, always remember a firm loud "NO!" is much easier for a dog to learn than "stop it your ruining my dinner!" )

Arcadian

I think you need to enrol in some training classes, he just sounds like a typical hyper puppy. Keeping him in isolation in the garden isn't going to help him and if that's all you're willing to do then perhaps you should rehome him. Keeping him locked out of the family isn't going to teach him to live in it.

Training, training, training is what you need. Stop-gap measures such as muzzles etc aren't going to help.

eimearnll

to me at the moment the muzzle sounds like the best idea ive been given.some of you dont seem to understand i have 3 small children and cant take the chance with him around them as i have siad already the kids love him and i really want to keep him but if he is biteing the children what can i do ill try anything to calm him i love the dog myself and anything else ive tried has not worked the dog is not locked away from us as i have siad he comes in when there not around and he is fine when its just me in the house

SuzyS1972

The muzzle sounds ok but the easiest option
Please don't ignore the advice on taking him training - it's the only way to go
Re-homing him is only passing on his bad habits to someone else.

A firm " No " and a loud noise could stop him in his tracks - beleive me it does work.
All this advise and more can be had from any good trainer who beleives in rewarding the dog in a calm way for good behaviour.
Seriously the dog ain't going to learn a thing.

The most dogs we get returned to the sanctuary I help at are for being " wild "
Statistically these dogs sleep out the back - get walked in the evening - i.e pent up energy all day long - have not been given any formal or professional or even basic training and then get accused of being wild.

Seriously he's only a baby and really needs some guidance from you to learn what is acceptable and whats not.
The muzzle will only prevent him from nipping - it won't stop him so no ,matter when you take it off the learnt behaviour will still be there only he'ss have bigger teeth :mad:

Gordon Gekko

You basically have four hyper children - as said above, your dog is only a baby, and will naturally get excited and hyper when there's a lot going on - the same way I'm sure your kids get excited and hyper. His excitement etc. is feeding off theirs to an extent.

Training him as recommended above is the best long-term solution. Equally important though, and an often-neglected piece of advice, is to train your children to act properly around him.

You need to teach them not to be swinging out of him, poking at him, pulling his ears/tail, wrapping themselves around his neck etc. (maybe they don't do this, but I've seen it so often that I'm constantly surprised at how well behaved dogs are!). They need to respect him and to understand that he is not simply a furry teddy-bear, but an animal that feels pain etc.

FranknFurter

Arcadian wrote:

Training, training, training is what you need. Stop-gap measures such as muzzles etc aren't going to help.

Definitely not recommended as a long term solution.
Simply a basic beginners training aid when there are children around.
Lets the dog socialise with the children too while the children are being taught how to do the same properly with their dog.
I agree training is the only real way, and *if* you can afford to hire a trainer, by all means do.
Personally Id rather a dog have to wear a muzzle from time to time until its trained and trusted, then than be left outside all day or rehomed or pts.

If you cannot afford to hire a trainer, get good books and start learning asap, lots of usefull sites online too.

I would say though, a a side note, its all well and good to tell somone to "hire a trainer" or "go to puppy classes" but I discovered last year the cost of a lot of these just is'nt possible for everyone, so personally I would say if its not an option for you, self-education is the alternative.
It would of course have been better to have done it before getting the dog but whats done is done.

b

artieanna

Use the muzzle for awhile until he settles down. He is young giddy and gets excited, when the kids are buzzing with excitment. Try and encourage the kids to take part in training him by also saying no when he gets over excited and praising and awarding him a treat when he's good. Make them a part of it as it's no good you training him or even a professional, if he comes home to a riot of excitement. Dogs do settle down quite a bit with age also.

good luck!!! and be firm with him when you need to be.

FranknFurter

A good basic guide to getting started on how best to use a muzzle.
Proper Muzzel Use

b

eimearnll

hi franknfurter.thanks for your advice so far you have been great and very understanding.i also have seen the prices of dog trainers and could'nt afford it.i was on another web site and was wondering if you ever heard of the lemon and water idea.this advice was from a retired dog trainer who used to mix lemon juice and water toghter and when the dog got out of hand you spray it on his nose and say NO do you think this is worth a go or has anyone ever heard of this.i do intend on buying some books but a dog trainer is not a option.

cotton

Just a thought.
Is he actually biting or is he mouthing? Could it be that he's teething & his gums are driving him mad? If so, a muzzle will drive him bananas.

eimearnll

well he has been to the vet and he siad nothing about that surely it would have been his first thought.but you could be right if so what do i do any ideas.he has chew toys and all that kind of stuff.and he is biteing.

FranknFurter

The lemon spraying thing I dont think is a way to go.
Lemon getting into or near his eyes could cause significant damage to his eyes, and its not much better for his nose. Even watered down, it is acidic.

I would have thought your vet would have told you id he was teething but you never know, its worth checking before using a muzzle. If he is, give him LOTS of good things to chew on, so he wont have to use bad things.
And remember, just because a dog has lots of toys does'nt mean he likes them all. I've seen dogs with 10 different chew toys who wont touch any of them but one, til trial and error im fraid

b

cotton

A frozen kong or icecubes to relieve the pain would be good.
What we used to do with our lot was actually rub their gums with our fingers. It was pleasure you couldn't measure for them!
If it is teething, it's still no excuse for doing what he is towards the kids though. You can get training disks. What you do is everytime he starts, throw the disks in his direction & the loud noise should be enough to deter him.
If the dog is outside, away from you & the kids most of the time, it stands to reason that he'll be even more hyper when he's eventually allowed to join in the group.

mjffey

artieanna wrote:

Use the muzzle for awhile until he settles down. He is young giddy and gets excited, when the kids are buzzing with excitment. Try and encourage the kids to take part in training him by also saying no when he gets over excited and praising and awarding him a treat when he's good. Make them a part of it as it's no good you training him or even a professional, if he comes home to a riot of excitement.
.

I fully agree with that. It's not "only" the dog. The dog reacts to his environment.

He is fine when the children are not around, so I would definately look into that. What happens when your children come home. Are they screaming, running etc. At what point does the puppy starts his strange behaviour. And how do you/ your children react to that.

Use the muzzle and keep him with the family and the children. It's not only training the dog, it's also training the children. "It's me or the dog" is a good book for training your dog, but don't forget you have to be consistant.

If you are not willing or don't have the time to spend the time needed to train them all, then, yes, please, find a good home for your puppy with somebody who is willing to give the dog the time/training he needs.

SuzyS1972

The irish kennell club classes are only €3 or €5 euro
I do agility which is €5 but from memory the basic classes were only €3

Dogs Aid also run training classes near Swords / malahide and they are €7 per class.

Not the earth - even if you only went every 2 weeks it wouldn't break the bank.

eimearnll

another problem i have had since day one is he sprinkles even when you just pet him this has been happining since the day i got him if you look at him he wee's and wags his tail my sister also has a terrier lovely dog lovely temperment gets on great with her kids she has had him 3 years now and he does it to does anyone have any ideas on this.also i just brought him into the house he is sitting beside me now the kids are sitting watching tv i told them to ignore him and they are doing so he is sitting watching every move they make when they move he gets uneasy my 4 year old just past him and he lay down.the kids have never been alone with him so i know they have'nt done anything on him t o hurt him as i have siad before they love him and just want to sit and play with him.but back to the weeing thing anyone have any idea what this is or how to stop it.

cotton

I'm no expert but this is begginnning to sound like fear aggression.
You need to consult with an expert.

eimearnll

but my sisters dog does it to he is a great family dog

Sigma Force

Get the money together for one training session with a trainer that will come to your home, one session may be enough to give you the basics you need to start training the dog properly. If he hasn't had proper basic training since you got him then the chances of him having behavioural problems in the future was big. Just one session, by the time you spend the money on the books that would probably cost half of what one session would cost anyway, also log on to pets ireland and irishanimals, there are dog trainers on there too who answer querys sometimes.