My wife and I both grew up as kids with dogs, we
have been married almost 11 years now and decided
it was time to get a dog again (we both missed our
dogs from home).
We got a 9 week old yorkie/poo mix and the vet
says he's a great dog and is in good health etc.
The issues I am asking about here are most likely
very common - we have had him 2 weeks so far
btw...
I am just looking for ideas or books or websites
to read about how to properly teach/train him vs
him training me hehe.
First off he chews on everything he isn't supposed
to, I realize pups need to chew and I have
gotten him lots of toys, bones, chewsticks, a
small ball, even tied up a few of my socks into a
knot ball (he does play with that) but in general
he tends to just bypass the toys and goes for
things like the couch corner or the phone cords or
our french door sheers even goes as far as
climbing up onto the chair and trying to get the
cord from the ceiling fan (he acts like a cat at
times)...
When I catch him chewing on something I don't want
him to (the phone cord for instance) I say NO
BUDDY! as he is doing it it and immediately I
bring him a chew stick and say in a nice voice
"buddy, chew on this", using his name and giving
him the bone or chew toy etc...
I just want to train him properly as to what or
how to know what is ok to chew, maybe too many
toys has confused him and he thinks ok I can chew
on everything?
Secondly, he bites, not hard or to draw blood -
maybe just chewing more? I think it is in more of
a pup's playful manner he gets a little growl
going and tries to play tug of war or nips out of
nowhere and it hurts at times.
He only gets this way maybe 2-3 times per day
usually after a nap, and the other part of the day
(majority) he's either a loving lap dog for hours
that does nothing but lay there and roll on his back
to be touched, or he falls asleep...
I am a stay at home dad so I am here with him all
day long, so I spend most of the day with him here
at home but I want to teach him it isn't ok to chew
on people (guests etc).
What I do when he does try to put my finger or
hand into his mouth or when he lunges out to nip
is I say NO BUDDY, in a strict voice. I then put
him down and don't pay attention to him for a few
mins, eventually a few mins later I let him back up,
he seems calm again for a bit but if starts up
the hands in mouth stuff so I repeat my action (NO
BUDDY and put him down), sometimes I have also
tried to go get him a toy to play with, but he
doesn't seem to want the toy he wants back up on
my lap.
I would dismiss this as just chewing and puppy
play but recently it has gone to him wanting to
nip at our nose or ears, again once he gets them
its not a mean growling teeth showing BITE, its
almost as if he's just playing (but too rough),
and I just don't want him to develop the thought
pattern that its ok to play by biting me or anyone
else in the face or hand area.
Lastly we are trying (without success so far) to
pad train him, he is tiny 2.5lbs and expected to
be about 7lbs adult size, we want him trained on
pads 100% inside no outside use.
What we are doing now is we have his pad set out
not near his food or bed but opposite corner of his
little room just off our kitchen (sortof a breakfast
nook), he looks at it sniffs it yet goes wherever he
wants vs the pads...
When we catch him sniffing or about to go on the
carpet, we say no buddy, and take him to the pad
and say go potty in a excited voice, we praise him
bigtime if he goes on the pad, also after eating
within 10 mins or so we know he's gonna go so we
sit with him in that area by the pad and say GO
POTTY and praise him if he does go on the pad.
I was told DON'T do treats when he goes potty on the
pads cuz it will just teach him to go squat for a
treat, and I realize it will take some time for
him to learn this pad thing, but just wondering
what else I can do or what I might be doing wrong
or missing?
Thanks for all the help, it may sound like we are
complaining, actually I am not - he's a great
little dog and we have become very attached to him
even within these first few weeks, I do realize he
is a pup and will need plenty of time attention and
training, that I have (time to train being home
all day with him).
I just wanna make sure when we do train him here
we are doing it right, it frustrates me to see people
smack a dog or push his face into his poop, I know
that's not good, I just wanna know what else I can
try or if I am on target so far with what we are
currently doing/trying...
Bill
have been married almost 11 years now and decided
it was time to get a dog again (we both missed our
dogs from home).
We got a 9 week old yorkie/poo mix and the vet
says he's a great dog and is in good health etc.
The issues I am asking about here are most likely
very common - we have had him 2 weeks so far
btw...
I am just looking for ideas or books or websites
to read about how to properly teach/train him vs
him training me hehe.
First off he chews on everything he isn't supposed
to, I realize pups need to chew and I have
gotten him lots of toys, bones, chewsticks, a
small ball, even tied up a few of my socks into a
knot ball (he does play with that) but in general
he tends to just bypass the toys and goes for
things like the couch corner or the phone cords or
our french door sheers even goes as far as
climbing up onto the chair and trying to get the
cord from the ceiling fan (he acts like a cat at
times)...
When I catch him chewing on something I don't want
him to (the phone cord for instance) I say NO
BUDDY! as he is doing it it and immediately I
bring him a chew stick and say in a nice voice
"buddy, chew on this", using his name and giving
him the bone or chew toy etc...
I just want to train him properly as to what or
how to know what is ok to chew, maybe too many
toys has confused him and he thinks ok I can chew
on everything?
Secondly, he bites, not hard or to draw blood -
maybe just chewing more? I think it is in more of
a pup's playful manner he gets a little growl
going and tries to play tug of war or nips out of
nowhere and it hurts at times.
He only gets this way maybe 2-3 times per day
usually after a nap, and the other part of the day
(majority) he's either a loving lap dog for hours
that does nothing but lay there and roll on his back
to be touched, or he falls asleep...
I am a stay at home dad so I am here with him all
day long, so I spend most of the day with him here
at home but I want to teach him it isn't ok to chew
on people (guests etc).
What I do when he does try to put my finger or
hand into his mouth or when he lunges out to nip
is I say NO BUDDY, in a strict voice. I then put
him down and don't pay attention to him for a few
mins, eventually a few mins later I let him back up,
he seems calm again for a bit but if starts up
the hands in mouth stuff so I repeat my action (NO
BUDDY and put him down), sometimes I have also
tried to go get him a toy to play with, but he
doesn't seem to want the toy he wants back up on
my lap.
I would dismiss this as just chewing and puppy
play but recently it has gone to him wanting to
nip at our nose or ears, again once he gets them
its not a mean growling teeth showing BITE, its
almost as if he's just playing (but too rough),
and I just don't want him to develop the thought
pattern that its ok to play by biting me or anyone
else in the face or hand area.
Lastly we are trying (without success so far) to
pad train him, he is tiny 2.5lbs and expected to
be about 7lbs adult size, we want him trained on
pads 100% inside no outside use.
What we are doing now is we have his pad set out
not near his food or bed but opposite corner of his
little room just off our kitchen (sortof a breakfast
nook), he looks at it sniffs it yet goes wherever he
wants vs the pads...
When we catch him sniffing or about to go on the
carpet, we say no buddy, and take him to the pad
and say go potty in a excited voice, we praise him
bigtime if he goes on the pad, also after eating
within 10 mins or so we know he's gonna go so we
sit with him in that area by the pad and say GO
POTTY and praise him if he does go on the pad.
I was told DON'T do treats when he goes potty on the
pads cuz it will just teach him to go squat for a
treat, and I realize it will take some time for
him to learn this pad thing, but just wondering
what else I can do or what I might be doing wrong
or missing?
Thanks for all the help, it may sound like we are
complaining, actually I am not - he's a great
little dog and we have become very attached to him
even within these first few weeks, I do realize he
is a pup and will need plenty of time attention and
training, that I have (time to train being home
all day with him).
I just wanna make sure when we do train him here
we are doing it right, it frustrates me to see people
smack a dog or push his face into his poop, I know
that's not good, I just wanna know what else I can
try or if I am on target so far with what we are
currently doing/trying...
Bill