Oli: Our puppy is making my family miserable?
I regret to say this but our deerhound puupy is making my family incredibly miserable and my parents are considering taking him back. We have another dog too, she's very well behaved, but feels quite stressed and upset by this puppy.
This is due to him biting us and our other dog, and eating our food during mealtimes, and numerous other factors. He is going to obidience classes and dog training but none of the advice we have been given actually works which is a problem.
He is very strong and dosen't stop until he gets what he wants. We try to firmly push him away when he tries to eat the food off our plates but he will continue to attempt to eat it and this causes massive stress at dinner times.
It usually results in us eating in seperate rooms away from this puppy, my dad shouting a lot to him but the puppy still dosen't obey him. In all, the bad outweighs the good ever since we have had him. This has turned us into a stressful family. Our other dog is no problem at all.
When my parents said to me what do you think about getting a new puppy I said "I'm really happy at the moment with Millie" (the dog before our puppy) and that I wasn't sure introducing another dog would be a good idea. My parents then said "we will do what we want and your decision dosen't matter, it's what we think"
Well now look what's happend..
So please could anyone who's had experience in training demanding puppies pass on to me advice so hopefully by the end of all this we will have a well-behaved puppy?
Thank you.
Oh yeah, we do have a crate for him. But he's getting very big, he might be to big for it soon imo.
Oh yeah, we do have a crate for him. But he's getting very big, he might be to big for it soon imo.
Answers and Views:
Answer by ScumbagChikoski
i know it's hard to train a puppy but in time when it get's a little older you can teach that little pup some manners. puppies are like kids hard to train but the learning and teaching experience are just memorable.
Answer by Nora
Why don't you just buy a crate? Keep it in a room you DON'T eat in, say " crate ", " house ", " bed ", whatever you want, then put him in there. Do that every time you eat. When he bites the other dog or you guys, tap him on the nose ( LIGHTLY. BE GENTLE. ), say " no. ", and put him in the crate.
EDIT: You should've started right away though, as dogs learn better when they're young ( like people ).
Answer by Modern Day Hippy
if you dont have the time for the dog then you should give it away.
if you do and you want to keep it you need to exercise that dog to the point it can barely move (that was a exaggeration just get it tired from a long day) then work on your training. use a squirt bottle set to stream and a nice squirt right on the nose accompanied by a firm voice will get attention. (do not over use the squirt bottle of it will start not to work) tyr first useing a firm voice ( no hitting) then wisk him away to a kennel for a 5 min time out. hound dogs are dumb. i've never met a smart one its hard to get their attention and its very important to have everyone on the same page disciplining the same way.
also try teaching him tricks and tracking games he can do. that alone with exercise
will make him happier and take away energy
Answer by Tyler
When I first got my dog, he loved to bite, too. Consider getting a King Kong dog toy. You can put treats or peanut butter in it and it is sure to occupy your dog. They also come in many types and sizes. Just don't give up on your dog, you'll regret it if you do! Also, make you take him on walks and let him outside to play often. Puppies need a lot of exercise, plus it would tire him out and maybe stop his biting habit!
Answer by Rachel
You need to start training him as soon as possible. Every time he does something bad, say no, and put him in a crate. If he whines, ignore it.
Know better? Give your own answer to this question!
Jesse Lopshire says
Modern Day Hippie, hounds aren’t dumb at all. That is a common misconception due to their huge stubborn streak. My Bluetick Coonhound could outsmart the pants off of any Border Collie. You just have to know how to make obedience worth their while.
This puppy needs a firm hand. Shouting at the dog isn’t going to accomplish anything. There isn’t anything wrong with removing him from the room when you eat. I do that with any dog who decides they are going to be pushy around food.
You cannot let him bite. When he bites stand up and walk away. Remove him from the room for a few minutes if you need to. Millie is stressed from him biting her because you are not doing your part to keep him from biting her. That is your responsibility. She didn’t want this puppy. Her humans did.
I also advise keeping him leashed to your belt at all times. Family members can alternate. This way he is always next to you so that you can correct bad behaviours immediately. He won’t be able to get into anything because he is attached to you.
If the obedience classes aren’t working then you need to find a different trainer. You also clearly resent this puppy. That is going to affect how effectively you are able to train this puppy. He is a baby. He needs to be taught manners in a way he understands.
Zippy says
I hate to burst your bubble, but this is NORMAL puppy antics! It also doesn’t sound like anyone is bothering to train him properly, (yes, you DO need to do work outside of obedience class!) which could be a big reason he’s acting this way. Really hope you can prove me wrong here, but it sounds like your parents got a puppy WITHOUT considering the huge amount of time and effort it takes to properly train and socialize a puppy. Is everyone in the house putting forth a GOOD effort into training him proper behavior? Puppies do not come into this world knowing how to act properly…that’s what we humans are for! :)
I’m also curious as to what kind of exercise you give to your puppy…a walk or two a day won’t cut it with a puppy of such energy. You haven’t told us your puppy’s age, so I don’t know if recommending agility classes is a good idea…but taking your puppy to a gated in area of a park (like the baseball diamonds or soccer field if they aren’t being used) and literally letting him run around until he’s too tired to continue is a GREAT way to tire him out. When my parents take their dobie to the park and let her do this, she literally sleeps all day after that because she’s so pooped out!
edit: I totally forgot to mention this. You NEED to get him puppy toys that are designed to keep him occupied enough to NOT bother you. Like kongs filled with treats, a tippy toy you can also fill with treats, and even those jack shaped orka puppy toys that will probably bounce all over the floor and keep your puppy VERY occupied for a while.
ZachFair says
every one in the family need to be consistent about punishment for the dog. if eats your food (im guessing its a big breed) slap its nose and put in another room forcefully. do not raise your voice or yell at it. don’t even talk to the dog, just keep correcting it. i know hitting your pet is frowned upon but the dog thinks its the alpha in the family. you need or your father needs to put it on its back and teach it who the boss is. hold it on its back with your hand on its neck and the other on its crotch until it stops fighting while looking into its eyes. do not do with other dog in room at first (don’t put so much pressure it passes out) you need to show the dog your dominance. keep doing this until it listens to what its told. just don’t get angry or shout. that hurts the situation. also so it will stop picking on other dog, hold it down on its back the same way as before and let the older dog sniff it. hope this helps!
Chelsea Lately says
This is all normal puppy behavior. I don’t think your family was ready or prepared for raising a puppy. You need to stay calm and consistent in his training. You can’t yell and shut him in another room or he will NEVER learn the appropriate behavior. He will learn with time and effort but it doesn’t seem like your family is wiling to put in either. Training a puppy takes a ton of work. It’s a non stop 24 hour 7 days a week thing. There is no break time.
I think the best thing to do for the puppy is to return him. You’ve stated “the bad outweighs the good” and the puppy is the one suffering here. Your family isn’t willing to put in the effort and time to train him. Take him back where you got him. It will be better for him in the long run.