Puppy trouble

[Nitro2k]

Hi,

We have a 10 year old Samoyed called Jed, who was a rescue dog and has never really got on with other dogs when we walk him, he often pulls and looks like a feral dog more then a house trained one. Last week we got a 8 week old samoyed puppy. We assumed Jed would be ok and at first he was but now we are finding that when the puppy wants to play and barks at Jed that the older dog will bare his teeth and snap and growl at the puppy.

This is not the only problem however, apart from when the puppy is asleep. He has to chew and grab at everything in sight including peoples feet and hands and clothes, and obviously furniture items. When told no and taken off and given his own toy to play with, he totally ignores it and carries on with what he was doing. In a week he has learnt to go on his puppy pads to wee and poo, and go in the garden to do the same, and has learned to sit on command and go in his cage for his dinner, so hes a bright puppy.

We think because the issue is from the breeder, when we arrived on both occasions to pick and then to pick up the puppy, her kids would be pulling on their tails and legs and picking them up and we are not starting to think his biting is because of a self defence mechanism that he had to develop to stop the kids tugging on him.

Any help would be appreciated as we just dunno what to do

 

[Doberluv]

What you describe is absolutely normal behavior. Puppies bite and chew on things for quite some time. They can be little rascals in how they play and bite on everything. It's how they learn about their world (since they don't have thumbs) and they're teething, so chewing and biting relieves that.

He's annoying your older dog by trying to get him to play... so your older dog is telling him to chill out and leave him alone. I'd supervise them when they're together and prevent the puppy from bugging your 10 month old dog. Reward your older dog with small treats when he is tolerating the little puppy. Keep the puppy separated with a baby gate. Give your 10 month old some space of his own. Make good things happen when they're near, so they both associate good times in the presence of each other.

Try to keep things you don't want him to chew on, put away. Rotating toys can help.

What have you done in the way of obedience training with the 10 month old? I'd beef up that mental stimulation they get from obedience practice and make sure he gets enough exercise, appropriate for his age and breed, of course. Has he ever been enrolled in a puppy class with other dogs? If you do, make sure you find a trainer who uses gentle methods. No harsh collar yanking or scolding....someone who knows behavior. Also, now is the time to start teaching your new puppy some basic obedience skills.

Here is a link to lots of good articles on training. I recommend you spend some time reading this and going through things. And get both dogs into a puppy class (when your baby gets his 2nd series of vaccines) with a good, positive method trainer. ClickerSolutions Training Articles Contents

 

[Nitro2k]

Hi,
Thank you for your reply.Our other dog is 10yrs old not months.He is ok with the new pup until the pup barks at him.With him being a rescue dog we do not know what went on in his past but when he sees other dogs he spits and snarls at them when they bark at him.
I have had other samoyed pups before and know what to expect but this one is unbelievable.I know it is normal to chew and test things out with their mouths but he is extreme.Nothing in the house is safe.We have what we thought was a puppy zone but now he has pulled the sealer off the door and dug the carpet up.My other pups you could distract and reward for leaving after no command but Luka just keeps going back to it straight away 20 or 30 times.We have taken him out of the room but goes back to it again as soon as he goes back in.He is so bad that he has to go in his crate while we eat.
ALy

 

[Dogs6]

Hi,
Thank you for your reply.Our other dog is 10yrs old not months.He is ok with the new pup until the pup barks at him.With him being a rescue dog we do not know what went on in his past but when he sees other dogs he spits and snarls at them when they bark at him.
I have had other samoyed pups before and know what to expect but this one is unbelievable.I know it is normal to chew and test things out with their mouths but he is extreme.Nothing in the house is safe.We have what we thought was a puppy zone but now he has pulled the sealer off the door and dug the carpet up.My other pups you could distract and reward for leaving after no command but Luka just keeps going back to it straight away 20 or 30 times.We have taken him out of the room but goes back to it again as soon as he goes back in.He is so bad that he has to go in his crate while we eat.
ALy

This just sounds like a very determined puppy . Once he has discovered that not matter how many times he tries to do something your response is consistant he will be much better. And imagine how fun he will be to train

 

[Doberluv]

How much exercise and mental stimulation is he getting? This is VERY important along with beginning obedience training. When my Doberman was a puppy, he was hell on wheels. It was so nice that he learned to sit and wait and lie down and few other little starter skills because he could be about to do some awful thing and I could intercept and ask for a sit, which he was so pleased to do. He loved learning and I made it very well worth his while, with good treats when he displayed behaviors I liked. The more he learns, the more you can ask for alternative behaviors which are incompatible with the "naughty" behaviors. He's not really naughty, just a normal puppy. Give him lots of constructive things to do. Get really involved with training and he'll turn into a nice dog. It's very tiring to have a crazy puppy but they are also often the easiest to train because they're so full of gusto and eagerness. Once that get channeled in the right direction, they're just amazing.

When he is so persistent in digging up the carpet and going after things in your house, this tells me he does not have enough to do to occupy his mind and body...physical and mental exercise.

Bite Inhibition Article

This is a way of life for my dogs and me. It is an excellent article about the whole philosophy.

26. Zen




Get your dog's attention by teaching eye contact and focus. Without his attention, it's hard to communicate with him.

Eye Contact - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!



The more you learn, the better relationship you'll have with your dogs. The more you learn about their behavior and how to teach them, the easier time you'll have. All dogs need training.

If you put more emphasis on showing the dog what TO do, rather than what not to do, he'll learn faster and happier. Try to prevent situations by setting up the environment so that he'll be more likely to succeed. Set him up by working his mind and body. The list of what not to do is much, much longer than the list of what TO do. Focus on the behaviors you like and reinforce them heavily. Not just praise.....something of more value....a favorite toy, a scrumptious treat. Learn about timing of rewards and schedules of rewards....very important. That web site, Clicker Solutions will explain a lot, as will these links.

Happy training! Be sure to ask about anything if you have questions.

p.s. LOL. Somehow, I read 10 months instead of 10 years....don't know how that happened.