[Doug Crf]

My wife got a greate dane he is now 10 weeks old.We read and have been told not to spank him or jerk him around because we will hurt his feelings or even may be hurt him.
Ok then what are we suposta do then.there is just so many things I can list that he is doing that I feel like getting a low powerd BB gun and shooting him in the but.I will not do it but I sure do feel like it.
For instance he goes into this flower bed and is smashing every thing in it.
At first I could tell when I was trying to keep him out he did not understand me but now he looks at me when he goes in there and the last few times I went in there and grabed him and took him out and he will still do it.
Ok another one is he is grabbing the roses of the bushes and chewing them.
The same thing at first he did not know he was not suposta do that,well now he will look at me when he is doing that also.
It seems like the flower bed and roses could be a good thing because they could be a trainning type thing or is it way to early to teach him that kind of stuff and may be we should just rid of the plants.I think that would just be giving him his way.There are a lot of other things also.It is like when my wife first got him we could expect it but now he knows we do not want him to it or is it that he thinks we are playing with him or he knows we do not want him to do it and he is playing with us.
We picked up a shock collar the other day but on the instructions it said not to use it for making him stop doing things in other words there not for telling him NO! And they are for teaching sitting and stay and stuff like that.
So we took it back and inrolled in a class.It is only once a week but we think we need the class at least a couple times a week. We keep thinking about going back and getting the shock collar.
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks Doug

[labman]

If it is a good class, it will be the best thing possible. A good class is about you being top dog, not about the dog getting a treat if it sits. That is not to say a good class can't use treats. In addition to rewarding the dog with treats, the instructor should be teaching you how to use your voice to reward the dog and correct it too perhaps.

Even if the instructor isn't doing things the way I have found works, you may be better off doing it as your are told in class. Pick a method and stick with it. If after the class is over, and you still don't have control over him, then post back with what you are doing, and I will work with you on something else that should work better.

Even once you have the right relationship with the dog, and it will stop destroying things for you, it likely will still go right back to the flower bed when you turn your back. Punishing it unless you catch it is the act will only confuse it and weaken your bond with it. The solution to the flower beds and roses is to not give it access to them when you can't watch it. We don't try to grow much in the area we have fenced for the dogs.

The last thing you need now is more alternatives on how to train him. You have paid for the course. Work with the instructor. There is a lot of garbage around on dog training. Much of the advice I have looked at on the web stinks. It takes a lot less time and knowledge to find a link, than to read through and evaluate it. I can't take time to do that with ones others post here. Unfortunately http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ is mostly hype about their books. I would recommend buying a copy of their The Art Of Raising a Puppy.

[fredg]

Hi, Doug,
While you are waiting for your puppy to "finish" classes, he will have eaten up everything in your yard! I know, been there, done that.
One thing that works is to tie the puppy to a "runner" line, giving him freedom to move around in the back yard, but will not be long enough to get to your plants, etc. Letting the puppy destroy your plants is not an option.
I do wish you the best, and good luck.