Doghouse UK

Problems

No close family relationship is without a few problems and living with a dog is no exception.
Very often problems first arise when a much loved dog begins to take advantage of his doting master, often during doggy adolescence. The master should be firm and consistent with his dog training, never giving in to the dog. The dog will then realise that master is 'alpha' - leader of the pack, a leader who will tolerate no nonsense. This does not of course stop the problem arising, but it should make it easier to control.

This is a long, but important section if harmony in the home needs to be restored. I will illustrate a few of the more common problems and habits that dogs taunt their human families with, explain why they happen, and hopefully offer a 'cure' for them. Scroll down the page to view different problems which may interest you.

Doggy Adolescence.
As the puppy reaches sexual maturity (between 6 - 12 months of age) he begins a phase of doggy adolescence which is similar to that experienced by a human teenager. Some dogs go through this phase relatively easily, as do humans, but others become a little rebellious and naughty. The rebel dog challenges your alpha status. This does not mean that he will become an aggressive adult, but care must be taken at this time to reinforce the training you did with him in order to keep him obedient. Now more than ever you must not let him get away with anything. Your commands must be obeyed. He has to realise that he cannot run rings around you and that you are the boss. There might be times you may wonder why you spent all those hours patiently training him, but he has not forgotten his lessons, he is simply trying it on with you. You taught him valuable lessons, just like teaching your small children. Those lessons were the foundation of his adulthood and and the rules must be upheld. The better he was trained as a puppy, and the stronger the bond you have with your dog, the easier his adolescence period will be, for both of you.

Reprimanding the adolescent dog.
Adolescent dogs play much more roughly than the young puppy. They have their adult teeth and can bite very hard as they grab your hand each time you try to stroke them. It is perfectly natural for the young dog to do this, although painful for his human playmate. If you are able to observe 2 dogs playing a rough and tumble game together you will notice that they constantly bite each other's legs, faces, necks, in fact anything they can grab hold of. Dogs have thick protective fur and often don't even feel the sharpness of those teeth. If one bites a little too hard however the other retaliates with a sharp nip back of his own, or a stern growl. If you play rough with your young dog and the bite becomes too hard, growl meanly at him, at the same time grabbing his neck with one hand and firmly grasping his nose with the other. Holding him in this way force his nose onto his chest and hold it there for a few seconds, growling, "No biting!" or "No!" whatever words you choose to enhance this action. Do not cover his nostrils and inhibit his breathing as you hold his nose. The dog will quickly submit. Repeat this whenever necessary. Thankfully this 'biting' phase does come to end, usually without you even realising it.

If the adolescent dog misbehaves and a good scolding is necessary rather than a telling off, grasp him by the neck as with the young puppy. Shake him, then bowl him over onto his back, growling whatever are your chosen words at him. Hold him there for a few seconds. Occasionally you may have to release one hand from his neck and force his nose to his chest. Do not cover his nostrils and inhibit his breathing as you hold his nose. The dog will quickly submit. Repeat this whenever necessary.

Jumping up.
It is natural for a dog to jump up and try to lick your face. His ancestors were wolves, and wolves greet each other by face licking. It is an action stemming from wolf puppyhood. When the older pack members return from a successful hunt they regurgitate chewed food for the youngsters. A wolf puppy licks at the faces of his elders in order to encourage regurgitation. Your puppy is simply greeting you in a manner natural to him, but as he cannot reach your face he has to jump up at you, or any visitors he is welcoming.
Jumping up should be discouraged as a boisterous or large dog can very easily knock a person off balance, sometimes causing hurt or frightening children and elderly people.Yourself and any visitors would not be amused by a pair of muddy paws dirtying their clothing, or sharp claws tearing garments.
Jumping up should be discouraged from puppyhood as the habit is difficult to break in an older dog.

When returning home or entering a room, anticipate the lurch forward of your dog. Place your hand firmly on his neck and push him down, saying, "Down," or "No," (a word he should understand) in a firm voice.
Alternatively, anticipate the lurch forward and quickly turn around. Do not speak to the dog. This 'about turn' is rejection to the dog and he will be confused. Whichever method you choose, ignore him until all 4 feet are planted firmly on the ground and he has stopped fussing around you, even if this takes several minutes. Take off your coat, unpack your shopping. Do not speak to him at all until he is calm. He will soon realise that jumping up does not give him the reaction he desires from you, but calmness does.
Your family and regular visitors should also be told of the new rules and abide by them or the lesson is lost.

Running off.
It is terribly frustrating if your dog breaks loose or does not return to you when you call him while exercising off lead. He probably runs around you in circles just out of reach of you grabbing him. The rule is: Do not chase him! This is a game to him and the more you chase, the more he will run. Try kneeling down on the floor so that you are on his level. Call his name in an excited, welcoming tone of voice. Hold your arms out towards him, clap your hands calling to him all the time. If he still does not come when called, turn your back on him and ignore him. This confuses him and he will usually come right up to you to see what is wrong. Alternatively walk away from your dog, calling his name, or run away from him if that doesn't work. The chances are he will run right after you. In future make sure that your dog is reliable off lead.
Never let him run free until you are certain he will come directly to you when called.

Begging and pestering.
It may seem cute when a cuddly young puppy begs for food from you and it is tempting to throw him a piece of your biscuit, but this quickly becomes a very annoying habit. Ignore him and give him no eye contact whatsoever. Do not speak to him at all. Continue eating, or carry on with your conversation. It may take several minutes depending on how long the problem has been going on, but eventually he will respond by going away and leaving you alone. Repeat the procedure next and every time it happens and your dog will get the message. Never give in to him hoping a treat will make him go away. It wont!
Your family and visitors should also be told of the new rules and abide by them or the lesson is lost.

It is annoying when you are sitting relaxing, watching TV or conversing with visitors and your dog is continually seeking attention by jumping around and generally making a nuisance of himself. You tell him to 'get down', or 'go away', but when this doesn't work you must again carry on quietly with what you are doing, ignore him and give no eye contact. Do not speak to him. He will eventually settle down and leave you alone. If he jumps around when you do look at him or speak to him, repeat the procedure.
Your family and visitors should also be told of the new rules and abide by them or the lesson is lost.

Chewing.
It is not always boredom that makes a puppy chew your home to shreds!
Despite a huge selection of rubber bones etc. in pet shops all puppies love to bite and 'kill' whatever they are playing with. Sofas, beds, rugs, cushions, floor coverings etc. are favourites. It is a puppy's natural instinct to rip things apart and 'kill' them as he prepares for adulthood and learns to 'hunt'. This derives from a young wolf's natural instinct to learn to hunt and kill his prey. Wolf pups catch small rodents, birds and insects, in fact anything that they can give a good shaking and rip apart. Squeaky toys may become annoying to the humans in the family, but most dogs, particularly young ones, love them. The squeak noise as the toy is being bitten simulates the squeals of the captured prey. Puppies will throw these toys around and keep 'catching' them over and over again as they chase them, recapturing and playing with the 'prey'.
If your puppy begins pulling at your furniture give him something that he can destroy instead. An old sock stuffed with newspaper is ideal for a young puppy. Shake it in front of him, encourage him to bite it, throw it around and he will chase and 'kill' it. Other such 'prey' items can be made easily and with little if any cost. Use your initiative and stuff an old coat sleeve for example with rags, securing the ends. These are excellent for older, stronger puppies. A favourite with my own dogs past and present has been the cuddly toy. They look like small animals to a puppy and he thoroughly enjoys throwing them around and biting them. Cuddly toys can be bought very cheaply from second hand shops, jumble sales and charity shops so a constant supply of them is not really out of the question. Of course if you have young children who play with their own cuddly toys you should not give this type of toy to your puppy as he does not differentiate between his own toy and little Tommy's favourite teddy. When giving a cuddly toy to a puppy please do not forget to check the eyes, nose, long hairs or any other part of it that could harm the puppy if swallowed. Always supervise him when he is playing with a cuddly toy as it is surprising what can be found inside.
The puppy does tear these toys to shreds, leaving your carpet covered with the stuffing, but I would much prefer to pick up and bin the stuffing from a teddy bear than pick up and bin the stuffing from my sofa.

Howling and barking when left alone.
It is lovely when our dogs are devoted to us, but they should also be able to cope without us when necessary. It is no fun for neighbours or the dog if he barks continually each time he his left alone, while we go shopping or have the odd evening out. He is howling to call his pack together. He dislikes being without his family and becomes distressed. All we see is the ecstatic greeting we receive on our return home, not realising the stress our trip has meant to our dog and others. He should be a little more independent.
Teach him while he is still young as old habits such as barking and howling usually die hard.
It does a puppy no harm to be left alone for short times, so do not allow him to follow you all around the house whenever he wishes. Shut him away where he has access to his box and toys for a few minutes several times a day, increasing the length of time gradually. Speak firmly to him as you close the door behind you. Say something like, "Stay, (his name), back soon."
With patience and persistence this method will also work with the older dog.

Pulling on the lead.
Details of collars and training aids are given in the section, Lead Training.

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