I need some serious Puppy Training advice and pointers on discipline

[EndersDame]

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

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

[livetohike]

1. Oh we need pictures! She must be a cutie

If she is part Red Heeler, she will learn quickly. I have an ACD and he is a genius :-).

I recommend "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend" by the Monks of New Skete. I have used this book for thirty years now and with all of the dogs we have had. Basically, you need to make eye contact with your puppy and make sure she is looking at you when you talk to her. You already have taught her some commands. The monks training for Stay and Come is easy to teach. You have to get her in a Sit position first and then back away from her while saying "Stay ________(her name)" You can hold your hand up in a stop position while saying "Stay". Come is very simple. Get down on one knee with your arms outstretched and opened wide. Then just say "Come ________" in an excited voice and she will run right into your arms. Repeat all of this a few times during the day. She will catch on quick :-).

The ankle biting is the Red Heeler in her. You have to tell her No ____ in a loud voice and try to make eye contact with her while this is happening. With all discipline, you have to catch them as they are doing it. Don't try to correct a behavior after the fact. Red Heelers have to be kept busy, and they get bored quickly. If you have time to run with her or play catch, this is good exercise. Probably some of the problems you are having right now is just as you said, you haven't been able to get her outdoors to exercise.

My dogs never ate their own or each other's poop, but they liked coyote poop when we lived out West. I never could figure out how to break them of that.

Good luck and post some pics when you can. I'm sorry to hear about your Mom. I hope she heals quickly.

[EndersDame]

2. Thanks for the info and puppy pics

From when she first followed me home

[livetohike]

3. She is too cute! You're going to have a lot of fun with her

:hi: Thanks for posting them. I love the last picture - tired puppy. She looks very intelligent and you can see the wheels turning in her head, lol.

[Why Syzygy]

4. I don't know about your breed ..

but our Shih Tzu was broken of biting when I said "no" or "OUCH" and TURNED MY BACK on her.
She doesn't like being ignored at all. I also broke her of taking off with my vitamin bottles by telling her "no" once, and if she tried again, putting her in the hall and closing the door for a few minutes. Again, isolating her is her worst nightmare.

Lucky you, in Austin :applause: I miss it so much. If you like drum circles, PM me and I'll tell you about a good one.

[mopinko]

5. i love the dog whisperer, myself.

i love the show, although i found the book pretty repetitive. everything that i ever tried on my dogs worked just like he said it would. i like using his little "ch" noise. my dogs immediately got that it meant-"eyes up, you peasant, the queen is in the house"
he also recommends biting back when bitten, seriously bitten, with a pinch in the neck. just playful foot chomping should only need the "ch"

and poop eating is what dogs do. but "leave it" is another good command to teach, works for poop, or chicken bones, or cats. it means just what it says, and can easily be set up with some bait or taught as the teachable moments come along. a little pop, or bringing her front feet up off the ground while on a leash, or a "ch" and a loud step in her direction and some eye contact if not.

have fun. she is a real cutie.

[MiniMe]

6. Some of these things will work themselves out with age, some won't

Lots of help, I know. My #1 credo is a tired puppy is a good puppy. I realize that it can be a tough job tiring out a puppy, but tons of exercise is a big help, they stop doing things to get our attention.

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

I wouldn't bop them on the nose, it can make them hand shy. Say a quick no and ignore them if possible. Redirect their attention elsewhere.

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)

Again, she is looking for anything that gives her attention, and that can unfortunately mean good or bad attention. Giving her a time-out in the crate is one way. That isn't to punish her, it is to put her in a situation where she does not get attention.

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

Good luck with that one, it is one of the hardest. You don't want to pay attention when she is barking, because she wants your attention and you are rewarding her barking if you pay attention to her, even if you are yelling at her.

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

She needs something else to occupy her attention, get a toy that she can chase instead of the cats. Unfortunately, it is something that the cats will have to teach her. Sometimes they have to work things out themselves.

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?

Come is pretty easy. Put them at the end of the leash, call their name and say come, and you can reel them in, but have a treat in your hand so they come to the treat, and they get a reward. Make it fun to come to you.

Stay is pretty easy if you start early. She is pretty young, so you should start out with short stays. Put her on a down/stay by having her lay down with the leash on, and put her side of the leash under your foot, and then hold onto the leash. Tell her to stay. If she tries to get up, you can control her a bit by stepping on the leash, or by pulling on the leash which runs under your foot, it will put her down again. I would stick to a few minutes at a time in the beginning. You should be relaxed while she is in the down/stay, read the paper or a book. Lots of praise if she can complete the task.

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

Welcome to the wonderful world of dog ownership. Unfortunately, this is a pretty normal behavior, and it isn't only dog poop. Cat poop is a particular delicacy, as is deer poop, goose poop, rabbit poop, and dog poop. Usually followed by them wanting to give you a great big kiss.

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

Crating is a good idea imho, it protects them from getting themselves into trouble, and keeps them from getting hurt. Some of the possibilities are biting into electrical cords, getting into an ant trap, or something else that has poison in it, counter surfing, and just in general, from your anger when they chew up your new purse or new shoes. They will have a lot of time to fill. It will not help with barking. You can try getting a kong, and putting some peanut butter in it and sticking it in the freezer. It can be a fun activity to work on getting the peanut butter out of the kong.

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?

They make seat belt harnesses for dogs. Usually it is a harness that the dog wears, and since it is hooked into the seatbelt, it will be relatively loose unless there is an accident, and then it will keep the dog from being thrown around inside the car.

9)What training books or videos would you recommend?

Sorry, no suggestions here.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

7. A co-worker moved from CT to Austin several years ago

and started a dog training business there. It seems to be doing really well
- in case you are interested in professional training


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