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View Full Version : Wolfgang, my 6 month old daschund, is a problematic puppy.


judayxlo
Nov 22, 2008, 11:30 AM
I'm currently in Taiwan, working and attending classes. So I can't spend every hour of every day close to my Wolfgang, my dog, and train him.

I've gone on all the puppy training websites, and even hired a dog trainer for a day.

He barks constantly when I put him in his cage, and he still poos and pees everywhere.
JUST today, he pooed AND peed on the floor. Even after I yelled at him the first time for peeing.

I've had him for three months already.

He still bites a lot and chews on anything he could get his face in.[Including my fingers and toes.]
I have already tried taking the stuff away and saying 'no' with a finger, but he has already gotten used to it and does it anyway.

I've done everything I possibly could: I tried praising him for doing the right things, but he doesn't seem to like it very much when I scratch his head, tummy, or back. He also doesn't appreciate verbal praise at all. I've given him a stern face, shaking a finger, and 'NO', but those didn't work, so I tried yelling at him, which didn't work, and I even spanked him, which worked for like 5 minutes and then he forgot about it and started barking, biting, and being annoying again. Every time I let him out of the cage he hides under the couch, he never lies still when I'm trying to get him to sleep with me on the bed. I honestly don't know what to do any more.
Anybody have any ideas?
This is him, by the way.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v217/ddong4eva/DSC01690-1.jpg

Wondergirl
Nov 22, 2008, 12:00 PM
Why did you adopt this poor dog, since you are away all the time? A dog needs an owner who is more available than you seem to be, gone all the time to work and school. Is there anyone at home to walk him, talk to him, play with him, be company for him? It sounds like this is one lonely and energetic pooch who outdoes himself when he finally is with you.

He needs consistent and regular training and human company. Is there a friend or two who will visit him while you are gone and will take him for walks and play with him? Whoever is with him must be on the same page as the trainer so he doesn't get confused.

uhhleesha
Nov 22, 2008, 05:59 PM
Make sure you're the pack leader. I suggest reading Cesar Millian's (http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/tips/basics_dogsinnature.php) website and/or books.

My suggestion:
Take him out on walks 'till he's exhausted. I have a small breed dog, a maltipoo, and for me the walks can range anywhere from 20-45 minutes depending on the day. That should help out a lot with the hyperactive qualities he has. This should be done in the morning and when you come home from training/school.

Your dog should not be leading you. He should be beside or behind you. Never in front. That will make him think he's the leader and you're just his pack mate. Another thing I found that helps is making sure the leash is short enough to where he's physically unable to be in front of me.

After the work out feed him his morning meal.

I'm not sure which way you're going, puppy pads or outside? I do a combination of both to make my day less stressful. Make sure he uses the bathroom after the walk when you take him out, not during or before. When Odin and I go outside for potty, I don't let him play. He has to understand it's potty time not I-can-do-whatever-i-want time. Maybe praise him lots [you said he doesn't seem to like that] or give him a treat? I'm not very sure on that one. If you're going with puppy pads put him on the paper and say potty. To prevent bad messes, you shouldn't let him out of sight on carpet areas.
EDIT: I forgot to mention to put the puppy pads in a layer. After two or three pees pick it up and it'll still have the pee scent and she'll be attracted to it.

With biting I put my hand on the scruff of his neck and say no in a stern voice. I forget where I saw this [discovery/animal planet?], but the leader of the pack will usually communicate with the scruff of the neck for negative things the pack mates will do. He seems to understand, but someone can correct me if I'm wrong. If he's biting on things he shouldn't be, claim it. Sit on it or grab it, and touch him on the scruff of the neck say no. If it's really bad, in conjunction with that use no bite. It's a bitter spray you can put on your items. I wouldn't recommend for furniture or drapes, though.

If you don't have time for the walk, then you don't have time for a dog. Dogs need to walk to get rid of excessive energy, and it's in their nature, regardless of how small he may be.

danielnoahsmommy
Nov 22, 2008, 06:54 PM
Poor pup wants some love and attention.. Even negative attention is better than nothing.

judayxlo
Nov 22, 2008, 07:52 PM
I never said that I had absolutely no time for him. I just said that I'm not available at all hours of the day to train him constantly. And I didn't adopt him; I bought him from a daschund breeder when he was 3 months old.

I do have a roommate, and she's home more than I am so she plays with him when I'm working. We have different class schedules so when I'm in class, she's at home, and when she's in class, I'm at home. [Unless I'm working]

And when he is home alone in his cage, as you can see in the picture, he has lots of chew toys and water.

As I've said in my previous post, he doesn't appreciate verbal praise or petting. He regards treats as something I give him if he sits [not even for 5 seconds]. So is there any other way of letting him know when he did something right besides verbal praise, petting, and treats?

Don't get me wrong, I do love my puppy. Wolfgang is the cutest little thing that ever came into my life, but it would be easier on me if I could fix these little problems of his. Then I could leave him out of his cage when nobody's at home so he could run around a bit.

ZoeMarie
Nov 22, 2008, 08:35 PM
Is it possible that he doesn't want to be pet at all because you've spanked him? It sounds like you need to regain his trust. Can you give him treats- really small ones so he's not getting too much food, but ones that smell/taste really good when he is doing something good? There are all kinds of things I'm learning in puppy classes with my puppy and a really important thing to keep in mind is to pay attention to your puppy when he's being good. If he's sitting nice, tell him good boy and give him a treat. You don't have to do this all the time, but take notice of when he's being good.

I wouldn't yell at him or spank him anymore because that leads to fear, which leads to aggression.

It also sounds to me like maybe when you and your roommate do have a bit of time together you could talk about training so that you're both consistent. What I would recommend that you both do is when you take him outside as soon as he goes potty, give him a treat, even if it's a piece of his own dog food and tell him good boy, then take him back inside. That way he knows that he's supposed to potty outside. If you catch him going in the house clap your hands or make a noise to startle him and pick him up and take him outside to finish his business. These are just a few things that came to mind after reading your post

starbuck8
Nov 23, 2008, 02:16 AM
You have an insecure dog, and insecurity can turn into aggressive behaviour which he is already exhibiting, in a defiant way. Never do anything to startle an insecure dog, and raising your voice, yelling at him or hitting him, is only going to make it harder to train him. He doesn't understand what you want from him. All he gets if that you are angry, and that is not the type of energy you want to feed him. You don't want him to be afraid of you, and that is what you are teaching him.

Also, it doesn't sound like you are taking the position of the pack leader. Right now he is trying to gain that position. Both you and your roommate need to work together to let him know that both of you are his leaders.

Have you ever done any meditation or anything like that, where you can relax and have a calm energy about you? When trying to train your dog, you need to have a calm assertive energy. The minute he feels you are frustrated, that passes right on to him, and you will have trouble.

I really think you are focusing on the housebreaking, and his other problems, when I think you should really be focusing more on his exercise. If you drain his energy, he will be much easier to housebreak, and it will take no time at all. It will also be easier to stop his other behavioural problems, if you drain pent up energy every single day. I'm sure you and your roommate can share the responsibilities, in exchange for having a more well behaved dog.

I go by the methods of Cesar Millan also. As mentioned above, I would definitely get his book 'Cesars Way'. There are three rules. Exercise, Disipline, and Affection. They go in that order. Your dog does not get affection before exercise. He needs a routine.

When you take him on a walk, just take him. Don't get him excited about the walk, just go. When you do take him, it is not playtime, or wander around and sniff time. It is focus time. The more you get him focused on just moving forward, the quicker you can drain his energy. Do you or your roommate have a bike or rollerblades? This would help him to drain the energy even faster! Do you have a treadmill available? You could also put him on the treadmill. It might take awhile to get him used to it, but it really shouldn't take long if you do it the right way. You can start the speed out slowly, with his leash on of course, and loosely tied to the side of the treadmill, and you in front with a treat to coax him forward. You can do that when you are short on time, or when the weather is bad.

I would be willing to bet that if you do those things, (and get Cesars book) 90% of his problems will go away, and you will have a much happier dog!

Good luck!. and he's very cute by the way! :)