Cross posted from Pets- I need some Serious advice on training and disciplining a puppy

Right before I moved from Wacko TX , the neighbors who were also moving, left a tiny puppy on the porch along with other stuff they did not take with them. I took her in and became attached. I have not had a puppy before , I have had grown dogs when I was very little(mom and dad did the training) and currently have three senior cats.

She is around 3 or 4 months old and is a mini pinscher / terrier/ Red Healer mix from what we were told (we called up the assholes next door to yell at them) She is a total firecracker with a huge alpha/Napoleon complex and is totally fearless She is pretty much potty trained but has some accidents if I don't get her out in time

1) This is the one I want Answered the most: How do I discipline a puppy? I was told by family members that I should give her a bop on the nose when she does something wrong but read on the internet that could make her aggressive and should use positive reinforcement (but don't know what that means exactly). What is the best in y'alls opinion

2)She is really bad about "ankle biting" I started yelping like a puppy but now she just goes for my shoes or pants leg . Sometimes she will start barking or growling . Sometimes I think she does this when I take her away from somewhere (like a pile of chicken bones that my neighbors throw out in the green area of the Apt. Complex)\or when she just wants to play (she is not wanting for chew toys or bones)

3) How do I get her to stop barking loudly inside (we live in an apartment)

4) How do I get her to under stand the cats are not toys! The will growl hiss and sometimes swat at her but she is fearless and brazen and will continue to bark at them and try to play with them

5)I have taught her to sit ,lie down, a shake hands , Give me 5 and she is slowly but surely learning off, How do I teach Stay and Come?

6) She eats poop! gross! sometimes I feel like I am the only one that cleans up after the dogs! Is this normal?

7)I just moved back in with my mom (in Austin yay!) to help her out(she fractured a hip) . I have been unemployed for a month and have had people watch while I go looking once I find a job I was thinking about crating her. I would like to know some info on this and at what age can I stop doing this (she doesnt destroy too much just her toys its the barking and potty that i am worried about) Or some alternatives

8)Yesterday while I was waiting at red light a teenager rear ended me. My puppy was not in the car with me but if she had been she probably would have been injured.Is there any dog car safety gear out there?

9)What training books or videos would you recommend?

She is a pretty good dog and most of these problems come out during this perpetual raining we are having down here in central TX. I usually take her to the dog park every day for some exercise but the weather has not been permitting.

A big Thank You to the DU Pet community

I know nothing about dogs other than,
OMG!!! CUTE PUPPY PUPPY PUPPY!!!!!1 LOOK AT THAT FACE!!!!!! OMG!!!!1!!

i see the mini pin in her, but dont really see the red heeler. The heel biting is for a sure a heeler trait, though. It is just her way of herding. It is an instinct. No need in bopping on the nose, if she nips at the heels, just stop and say NO.

but any way i don't really know for sure.What ever she is , she is perfect

1. How to discipline a puppy. You don't. You correct a puppy. Never, EVER strike unless it's a matter of safety. You don't want a dog to ever equate a hand that hurts with a hand that loves. They won't understand that.

When puppy does something wrong, you must AT THE TIME OF THE OFFENSE correct the dog, with a stern noise. Most folks choose "no!" though I prefer something that the dog won't hear from me (and others every day which might confuse them).

2. See #1
3. See #1

4. She'll learn from the cats eventually. Give her time.

5. Probably the same way you taught the other stuff, likely through positive reinfocement.

6. Dogs eat poop for a LOT of reasons. From dietary needs, to behavioral. Talk to your vet about it.

7. Crating is a perfectly reasonable means to keep a dog out of trouble when caretakers aren't around. One can use it as long as needed.

8. There are a number of doggie safety items out there. Check some of the bigger pet sites to see what suits the dog. Petsmart.com, Fosters & Smith, etc. My dane has a seatbelt harness that's pretty brilliant.

9. You'll get lots of differing opinions on this. If you've already taught her sit, lay down, etc. See #5.

Good luck with that good looking pup!

she was a pro dog trainer

it's made back in your throat almost like a cat coughing up a hairball

ackt ackt

they stop dead whatever they're doing when I use that in "the voice" :rofl:

you should take her to a professional to train. I was overly relaxed with the last kitten I brought home and now she has taught all the cats in my family how to scratch and destroy furniture. I regret not being there with her or stricter very much.

Especially with an alpha puppy. Very important. I don't know how but I think you should either get professional help or buy a serious book or two on the topic of training puppies.

Pressed for time right now, helpfully this is better than nothing.

General rule: Dog responds to your reinforcement/positive attention best. Reinforce with treats/praise when dog is attentive to you, when dog turns to listen when called, when dog is doing positive things (chewing appropriate things, etc.)

1) This is the one I want Answered the most: How do I discipline a puppy? I was told by family members that I should give her a bop on the nose when she does something wrong but read on the internet that could make her aggressive and should use positive reinforcement (but don't know what that means exactly). What is the best in y'alls opinion.

Do not hit/yell. Reinforce positive things. Redirect/distract from negative behaviour, then praise the positive. Think of it like a 2-year-old. You don't want a dog who is afraid/angry at you, you want a dog who wants to earn your praise and admiration, as you are the leader of the pack.

2)She is really bad about "ankle biting" I started yelping like a puppy but now she just goes for my shoes or pants leg . Sometimes she will start barking or growling . Sometimes I think she does this when I take her away from somewhere (like a pile of chicken bones that my neighbors throw out in the green area of the Apt. Complex)\or when she just wants to play (she is not wanting for chew toys or bones)

Turn away from her and ignore her. Say "ow" loudly and in a low tone and turn away.

3) How do I get her to stop barking loudly inside (we live in an apartment)

Can't help ya there, sorry.

4) How do I get her to under stand the cats are not toys! The will growl hiss and sometimes swat at her but she is fearless and brazen and will continue to bark at them and try to play with them

Is she actually *hurting* them? If not, let them sort it out :)

5)I have taught her to sit ,lie down, a shake hands , Give me 5 and she is slowly but surely learning off, How do I teach Stay and Come?

Teach stay by standing right in front of her. Bring her to sit. Sweep hand down toward her nose with open palm (do not touch) while saying "stay, stay, stay.... " low voice and firm. Back up one step, continuing to say. If she stays, step back to her and give treat. Repeat, increasing number of steps each day.

6) She eats poop! gross! sometimes I feel like I am the only one that cleans up after the dogs! Is this normal?

Iiiew. I don't know? I think so, dogs are gross, lol.

7)I just moved back in with my mom (in Austin yay!) to help her out(she fractured a hip) . I have been unemployed for a month and have had people watch while I go looking once I find a job I was thinking about crating her. I would like to know some info on this and at what age can I stop doing this (she doesnt destroy too much just her toys its the barking and potty that i am worried about) Or some alternatives.

Generally you can crate for #hours = #age in months+1

8)Yesterday while I was waiting at red light a teenager rear ended me. My puppy was not in the car with me but if she had been she probably would have been injured.Is there any dog car safety gear out there?

Yep, there are harnesses for the car. Don't have any recs, though. Ask at your local pet supply?

9)What training books or videos would you recommend?
Don't have any recs, other than the guy who taught the class we took, in Ct.

Good luck! :hi:

There is a lot to know about raising a dog. They cover lots of different things in puppy class and your dog will have fun. The people who teach these classes can answer a lot of your questions.

There are lots of good books about training dogs. The positive reinforcement is good advice - praise when she does something you want her to keep doing. Dogs really want to please you.

That said, I'm dealing with a stray puppy tonight. We already have too many pets (2 cats and a dog) and she can't stay, but it's going to be hard not to get attached.

if you're the only female in the house. Guys seem to wimp out on this one. :shrug:

Cute puupy. How anyone could leave her is beyond me.

It works on cats and it works on dogs too, in my experience. It doesn't hurt them, but they do not like it. So, they will stop what they are doing if you say, "No!" (firmly) and spritz a little water on them. Eventually, you won't need the water bottle, because they will associate the "No" with the unpleasant sensation of water.

And, no, it does not necessarily seem like punishment when bath time comes.

There is no need to hit them.

When you figure out the poop eating one, let me know. Agatha is a wonderful dog, extremely well trained, but she is unable to resist any kind of poop, hers, deer poop, goose poop, turkey poop, it doesn't matter, it is all DELICIOUS!! Since she is now 2.5, I am resigned. I have tried every trick in the book.

the mothers would eat their babies' poop to keep predators from finding them. There are other reasons as well. In any case, it is something that just stuck with the species through the years.

Link:
http://www.professorshouse.com/pets/dogs/why-do-dogs-eat-poop.aspx

The link I prefer (because it explains it better and also covers other dog behaviors)
http://www.cracked.com/article/122_6-insane-dog-behaviors-explained-by-evolution/

To her, it just tastes GOOD. Believe me, the dog ate pineapple, brewer's yeast, meat tenderizer, coprophagia tablet additive enhanced food for a year. I pick up every turd as it is dropped. She has toys out the wazoo, she is exercised constantly, she has constant stimulation and play, she is fed an extremely expensive high end food due to her allergies, she's ri-donk-ulousy healthy, extremely well trained, etc, etc, etc.

She just loves the poo. Any poo. Doesn't have to be dog poo. Any poo will do. Doo doo is the shit in her book. Thank dawg I brush her teeth daily.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/4102/saturday-night-live-dissing-your-dog

(OK, just kidding - but it looks like you got good advice upthread...)

If I recall correctly, you named the little miscreant Kane, did you not?

Cute pup, but then, ALL pups are cute - in my opinion.

If you're having trouble with nipping now, get professional help. You have to nip this in the bud as soon as possible. One other thing, be aware that if she's a barker, when you start crate training her, she will, more likely than not, yelp and bark to the point of driving anyone in the vicinity insane.

Eating feces. Yep, deal with it. In my experience, all dogs will do it. If she hasn't discovered the tidbits in the kitty litter box, she will. Look on the bright side, if you live in an apartment, you don't have to worry about her dragging horse feces into the house. (Dogs LOVE horse feces.)

Chewing. It's been my experience that chewing is a pups 'raison d'etre' for the first year or so. After that, 'chewing accidents' may happen until the pup is almost three. I don't know why, but that seems to be the cut off point - once again, in my experience.

'Accidents in the house.' If you're home often enough to let them out frequently, you can housetrain a pup in a couple of days. If you work full time and have a long commute ensuring more than 11 hours at a time where the pup can not get outside, expect 'accidents'. For at least a year. Then, one day, like a switch flipped, no more accidents - unless they get sick or until they get older (10 years +). The fact is, a growing puppy, like a young kid, can only hold it for so long. When I'm gone longer than typical, I expect to find an accident. Most times I don't, but I expect it because, they're not machines.

Remember, it's easier to break a young pup of bad habits than an older dog. I can appreciate, however, that money may be an issue. My next piece of advice would be to call your vet and ask if they know of any techniques that could help you. And, as others have said, books can be a good source of information on dog training tips. For that matter, try running a seach engine search.

Welcome to the wonderful world of dog ownership. Why, in less than six months, that pup will have you very well trained. Dogs spend more time on us than cats and have higher expectations. With a cat, all they expect from their human is food and water. Dogs, on the other hand, expect more from us and require us to work harder for them.

Remember, from your dog's viewpoint, your primary goal in life is to be her personal trainer, nutritionist/chef, and concierge. It takes a LOT of time and effort on your behalf to acquire all the skills she expects you to have, so hang in there until you acquire them. Fortunately for us, while dogs expect more from their humans, they also have more patience with us during our training. Do something wrong with a cat and you get a look, a switch of the tail and a 'you are REALLY not worth my time' look. Do something wrong with a dog and you get this 'Oh, you Poor Dear, well, that's alright, we can't all be perfect the first time. Here, let's try again!' look, followed by a tail wag and a positive reinforcement playtime so we don't become disheartened during our training.

Welcome to the joys of being owned by a dog. And, trust me, they DO own us.

They will stay their ground and take car of the dog on their own....build boundries..

On #1- I give our Bichon Max a little bob on the butt when he is does something real bad, like dig out the flower pot in the back yard. Most of the time just a stern "Maxi!" works pretty good....don't move or do anything different when speaking to the dog like that until you know you have her attention.

It sounds like you're doing really well with her so far. As for discipline, I fully agree with flvegan (who by the way definitely knows his stuff where dogs are concerned). I used to raise Boxers and the first thing I taught them was "NO!" delivered in a stern voice while I simultaneously removed them from whatever they were doing wrong. They learn it quick and remember that dogs really want to please you. My dogs felt horrible when I reprimanded them and would do their best to behave afterward.

But also remember she is young and just learning so lapses will occur. Be consistent, offer a lot of praise for good behavior and don't belabor the bad behavior - just the reprimand and removal then move forward.

I also recommend a puppy class - you can learn a lot.

Oh, and as for poop eating, some dogs really enjoy eating poop. The best way to deal with it is to offer them little opportunity to do so. Keep the cat litter box somewhere the dog can't get to it. Pick up after her in the yard. Remove the opportunity.