New member of our family / Dog thread
- Thread starter pomi
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Andrea Gourley
New member
Aww he is gorgeous! I love how he he is surfing the boards here at the sweet shoppe. All my Haggis tries to do is chew off my keys :lol:
At the beginning, when we got Max and he was still a puppy he chewed even his (expensive) brandnew dog bed. And when I thought there wasn't anything to chew he chewed a power cable of a floor lamp, luckily for him it was unplugged.That's true, Chloé.We put a lot of things away because of our crawling baby and the rest went away when the puppy came in.
Nathalie, love your rambling! Is that a reason for you not to apologize and to carry on? LOL. My DH greets you - I told him that you wrote here that it's better to let the puppy not chew anything that's not his and he said he was so glad because he wasn't able to remember what Bodie is allowed to chew and what not. He said you're a smart girl!
Could you please add on some rambling about puppies and kids?
Col has provided you with fantastic tips and along the jumping I want to add something: Jumping on kids, licking their faces, etc. Most people think it is cute but that too is a sign of disrespect and you should not allow him to do so. You have a crawling baby, right? Well, she of course can't say anything - you have to do that. The dog has to learn to give her space = respect her.Yes they can play and cuddle together, but you have to control it. If it gets too rough, you have to tell the dog off - and like Col said - calm and assertive! And when he does something good: praise!
When you go for a walk, don't let the dog walk in front of you, you are the pack leader, so you be in front. If you go for a walk with the pram, same thing, he has to walk next to the pram or slightly behind, the baby/kids are above him in the pack.
If the kids are running around, screaming, chasing, like kids do
don't let him join to get too excited. It could trigger prey or hearding drive - biting in ankles, pinning the kids on the ground, etc. Now I don't say that every dog will do so with any things I am saying. Some dogs are the best behaved dogs right from the start, never get into trouble and always seem to do the right thing. What I do think though is, that prevention is much better then trying to fix things afterwards.I absolutely agree with Col here, those are the people that usually have some sort of uncontrollable dogs. Many of them probably tell they don't want to bark any commands or that they want the dogs to love them because they are so soft to them. If somebody is telling you that and they have kids, ask them: Do you kids have to obey rules, are they allowed to do everything? Don't you love them?
And of course you don't have to bark any commands
LOLA word to the rewards: It doesn't need to be a food reward, think of praise good boy, the bridge word, a smile, a short pet, a play with his favourite toy or going to the dog park after a walk are all rewards. I even let our dog work for his food: I let him sit, drop, stand, stay, etc. As a reward he gets his food.
I am not perfect and I don't know it all but as Col I am passionate about it and read a lot of things, also trained to become a dog trainer.
pomi
New member
Great advice about that behaving on the walk, Nathalie, thank you! I was thinking about this, let alone because walking with the pram (on the snow we now have here) can be quite tricky.
Playing with the kids - with the baby it's pretty good now, he often lies and lets the baby gently touch him (and gets praise for it). With that jumping and licking faces etc. I have to be strict, because my older DD (3 yo) is still a little bit afraid of him and so I don't allow him do anything that could frighten her. And keep telling her that there is nothing to be afraid of, of course. Luckily I can see that every day it's getting better. This is exactly the situation, when some dog owners - those without kids (because not everyone is like Col!) - have the meaning that my DD just has to get used on it, but I don't think so. One woman on a internet forum about dogs said literally, that because she doesn't have kids yet, she's on the "dog side". I think this is wrong, but many other people think like that. I guess I haven't found any good discussion yet (apart from this thread).
Playing with the kids - with the baby it's pretty good now, he often lies and lets the baby gently touch him (and gets praise for it). With that jumping and licking faces etc. I have to be strict, because my older DD (3 yo) is still a little bit afraid of him and so I don't allow him do anything that could frighten her. And keep telling her that there is nothing to be afraid of, of course. Luckily I can see that every day it's getting better. This is exactly the situation, when some dog owners - those without kids (because not everyone is like Col!) - have the meaning that my DD just has to get used on it, but I don't think so. One woman on a internet forum about dogs said literally, that because she doesn't have kids yet, she's on the "dog side". I think this is wrong, but many other people think like that. I guess I haven't found any good discussion yet (apart from this thread
).
ColleenSwerb
Brodo gettin her Swerb on
When I first had Tiger I lived in an apartment complex and there were a TON of kids around. It was difficult because she wasn't very well trained yet, but I tried SO HARD to make sure that she sat down when she was being pet, and she didn't jump up to lick anyone. She's a huge lover and a huge licker, but that can scare the bajeezus out of kids when she's bigger than they are.
I would NEVER say that I'm on the "dog's side" just because I don't have kids. I think that's nuts! I LOVE dogs, but there are SO MANY people out there who had 1 or 2 bad experiences with poorly trained dogs, who are terrified of them (and Tiger has it even worse a lot of the time because she's "an evil pit bull"). I never want to make a person, or a child, be afraid of dog's because of the behavior of my dog.
That being said, since Tiger isn't around kids that often, it's HARD for her. She sees a toddler at her eye level and wants to run and play and jump. The times she has been around children, we are extra attentive to her and we don't set her up to fail. She's never alone with the child, when she gets too excited she's told to go lay down on her bed, or we remove her from the situation entirely and put her in her crate or in another room.
Not setting your dog up to fail is HUGE! If you know there's going to be a problem with something, avoid the situation. I have a girlfriend with a dog that Tiger HATES. I mean, one look and it's fight time. So what do we do? We don't put the dogs together. EVER! I have another girlfriend whose dog can get REALLY rambunctious and sometimes pushes Tiger a little too far when they play. So what do I do? I'm always watching, and when I sense Tiger hitting her limits, the play is stopped and they are put in separate rooms to cool off for a bit. After a little while, they go back to playing just fine.
As he gets older, you will learn SO MUCH about your dogs personality, that all of these things can just become second nature. I don't even think about some of the things that I do to prevent Tiger from failing, because I'm just so used to it. And because of that, I have a happy, well adjusted, well behaved little girl.
Sorry for rambling on so much! Lol!
I would NEVER say that I'm on the "dog's side" just because I don't have kids. I think that's nuts! I LOVE dogs, but there are SO MANY people out there who had 1 or 2 bad experiences with poorly trained dogs, who are terrified of them (and Tiger has it even worse a lot of the time because she's "an evil pit bull"). I never want to make a person, or a child, be afraid of dog's because of the behavior of my dog.
That being said, since Tiger isn't around kids that often, it's HARD for her. She sees a toddler at her eye level and wants to run and play and jump. The times she has been around children, we are extra attentive to her and we don't set her up to fail. She's never alone with the child, when she gets too excited she's told to go lay down on her bed, or we remove her from the situation entirely and put her in her crate or in another room.
Not setting your dog up to fail is HUGE! If you know there's going to be a problem with something, avoid the situation. I have a girlfriend with a dog that Tiger HATES. I mean, one look and it's fight time. So what do we do? We don't put the dogs together. EVER! I have another girlfriend whose dog can get REALLY rambunctious and sometimes pushes Tiger a little too far when they play. So what do I do? I'm always watching, and when I sense Tiger hitting her limits, the play is stopped and they are put in separate rooms to cool off for a bit. After a little while, they go back to playing just fine.
As he gets older, you will learn SO MUCH about your dogs personality, that all of these things can just become second nature. I don't even think about some of the things that I do to prevent Tiger from failing, because I'm just so used to it. And because of that, I have a happy, well adjusted, well behaved little girl.
Sorry for rambling on so much! Lol!
misfitinmn
New member
Awww, puppy love! Lots of sweet dogs and cats in this thread...almost makes me miss having a puppy. Almost! I wish I could offer advice, but it feels like it's been centuries since I trained a puppy (we got our current dog as an adult from the shelter and miraculously he has been near perfect!)
This is my puppy boy, Remi
He was not pleased with the photoshoot!
This is my puppy boy, Remi
He was not pleased with the photoshoot!
pomi
New member
Awww, Remi is gorgeous!!!
Col, what a pity that I know so less people (ahem, especially women) with dogs/no kids like you are. Really, the ones I know are what I've described in my other post.
Like, they almost tell that it's the fault of the kid that he/she is afraid of the dog, because "that dog doesn't do anything to her!" or "it's only a puppy, just wants to play". And like you wrote yesterday, I don't want my dog to behave like that.
But I've heard from a few of these women, that there were big problems after they got their babies later. That the dogs simply weren't ready to accept, that the baby is above them in the pack or even accept baby's presence in the family.
Not setting him up to fail is great!
Col, what a pity that I know so less people (ahem, especially women) with dogs/no kids like you are. Really, the ones I know are what I've described in my other post.
Like, they almost tell that it's the fault of the kid that he/she is afraid of the dog, because "that dog doesn't do anything to her!" or "it's only a puppy, just wants to play". And like you wrote yesterday, I don't want my dog to behave like that.But I've heard from a few of these women, that there were big problems after they got their babies later. That the dogs simply weren't ready to accept, that the baby is above them in the pack or even accept baby's presence in the family.
Not setting him up to fail is great!
Majda, you can always pm me if you have questions and by the look of it I am sure Colleen wouldn't mind either. Now, I don't know everything but combining our sources and knowledge I am sure we can help you.
A bouncy, barking, licking puppy with sharp! little teeth can be a bit scary - and hey, she doesn't know the dog, so it is only fair. Try to keep the dog in a little distance until she gets used to him. Your DD will watch you and learn from your behaviour copying you.
A bouncy, barking, licking puppy with sharp! little teeth can be a bit scary - and hey, she doesn't know the dog, so it is only fair. Try to keep the dog in a little distance until she gets used to him. Your DD will watch you and learn from your behaviour copying you.
So many cute puppies and such great advice in this thread! We just got a 8 week old Golden Retriever 5 days ago. His name is Dega.
My girls (ages 2 & 3) dont want much to do with him because he is constantly jumping up and biting them (play biting of course but it still hurts them). What do I do about this? I tell him down and no biting over and over again. I also give him a toy that he can play with but nothing seems to work. Will it just take more time? I am feeling so overwhelmed
My girls (ages 2 & 3) dont want much to do with him because he is constantly jumping up and biting them (play biting of course but it still hurts them). What do I do about this? I tell him down and no biting over and over again. I also give him a toy that he can play with but nothing seems to work. Will it just take more time? I am feeling so overwhelmed
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pomi
New member
Laci, yes, that's how I was feeling in the first few days. Really overwhelmed. And I was thinking "OMG, I wanted my girls to have a friend and now they are going to be afraid of him" etc. I did the same what you did - telling NO, giving him his toys, over and over and over. Now, we have him 12 days and it's much better. I also try to make him tired - walks + when he can play with other dogs (same strategy as with the kids, isn't it? ).
But I really was feeling overwhelmed and confused and wasn't sure if I really should be such strict, so I started this thread and Col and Nathalie really helped me to get the attitude that's working for our family.
Thank you, girls, it was really helpful! Ahem, I think I'm going to PM you when I get into some particular situations or so, I just love your ideas and approach.
).But I really was feeling overwhelmed and confused and wasn't sure if I really should be such strict, so I started this thread and Col and Nathalie really helped me to get the attitude that's working for our family.
Thank you, girls, it was really helpful! Ahem, I think I'm going to PM you when I get into some particular situations or so, I just love your ideas and approach.
This is the most gorgeous photo! I love the the letter blocks you've used for the pic. All of these baby pictures are so beautiful
Good luck with your pup Majda! Looks like you recieved heaps of the advice you were asking for.I don't have a dog myself, we have two kitty cats - Mischa & Tibby. I was always a 'dog person' until my boyfriend convinced me to get these girls. Now I'm hopelessly in love with them. Tibby is the one with the unconvential sleeping position, hehe.
I'm still hoping he will give in one day when we have a big house & I can have a puppy - I'm thinking a German Shepherd. I love love them. I already have a name picked out, haha. *fingers crossed*
ColleenSwerb
Brodo gettin her Swerb on
Laci, repeat after me: A tired dog is a good dog.
I've never raised a puppy on my own, but I've had lots of friends go through it. And I'm of the opinion that it's never too early to put in place the rules that you want the pup to follow when they get older. There are exceptions (puppies can only hold their business for as many months as are old - so a 2 month old puppy needs to go outside every 2 hours), but they a few (in my opinion).
Again, I got Tiger when she was an adult, so I didn't have to deal with play biting. BUT, we set in place rules that she is never to play with ppl with an open mouth. The method that I would use to prevent play biting is to ALWAYS have a chew toy ready to substitute. If the pup is playing with you and starts to chew, you grab his snout, close his mouth, tell him no in a firm voice (not yelling, dogs equate yelling to instability), and then substitute your hand/foot/shoe/whatever he's biting with the toy. Do this every. single. time. Consistency is your best friend with dogs, especially puppies.
I would take the puppy on a good walk around the neighborhood to tire him out. (Playing fetch in the backyard is NOT the same as a good 30 minute walk - dogs were roaming pack creatures before we domesticated them, and knowing their "territory" and wandering like that is a much different exercise than just playing in the backyard.) Once you get him nice and tired, sit on the floor and have the puppy on one side of you, and a daughter on the other. Just sit there for a bit and watch tv, or whatever, and just have your daughters in close proximity to the pup. You can pet him, but don't get him all riled up. Just a soft, slow pet, nice and easy. Having a calm pup near the girls might help calm their fears and show them he's not always crazy and jumpy. As they get more used to each other you can have one girl sit on your lap and pet the pup as well, again making sure he doesn't get too excited.
Jumping can be difficult, especially with a young pup. Tiger used to jump, and still does occasionally when she gets CRAZY excited. Dogs greet each other by licking each other's mouths (similar to people who give each other a kiss to say hello), so they naturally want to jump up and give you kisses when they are happy to see you. But, jumping is rude, especially when you might get visitors who are very wary of dogs (I have 1 girlfriend like this - she loves Tiger now, but was downright terrified of her in the beginning). For an adult dog, you can lift your leg and put your knee into their chest to keep them away, but a puppy is too small. I used the "turn and ignore" method with Tiger to break her habit. When I enter the house, I ignore her. If she jumps, I turn so that she gets my side and a stern "no jumping", and then I walk away from her. No hi pitched squeals of hello, no immediate petting. Once she calms down, then she gets affection. This is also difficult as the puppy is probably jumping all the time, lol.
Your girls are young, so I'm guessing they don't really understand what's going on (heck, some adults don't get it, lol). Truthfully, I'm not entirely sure how to fix the situation. If they try the "turn and ignore" method, the pup is probably just going to follow them, which can quickly escalate into a game of chase, which is not good. And it's going to take some time to work on the play biting and the jumping. I might just keep the pup separate from the girls (never leave them alone together for now - too big a chance that something will go wrong) unless you've tired him out and he is calm and relaxed.
You could have the girls help with taking him of though. Have them help feed him, fill his water bowl, etc. Once you get him trained on a leash on your walks, you can have them hold the leash. It will help them feel like they are in control.
I've never raised a puppy on my own, but I've had lots of friends go through it. And I'm of the opinion that it's never too early to put in place the rules that you want the pup to follow when they get older. There are exceptions (puppies can only hold their business for as many months as are old - so a 2 month old puppy needs to go outside every 2 hours), but they a few (in my opinion).
Again, I got Tiger when she was an adult, so I didn't have to deal with play biting. BUT, we set in place rules that she is never to play with ppl with an open mouth. The method that I would use to prevent play biting is to ALWAYS have a chew toy ready to substitute. If the pup is playing with you and starts to chew, you grab his snout, close his mouth, tell him no in a firm voice (not yelling, dogs equate yelling to instability), and then substitute your hand/foot/shoe/whatever he's biting with the toy. Do this every. single. time. Consistency is your best friend with dogs, especially puppies.
I would take the puppy on a good walk around the neighborhood to tire him out. (Playing fetch in the backyard is NOT the same as a good 30 minute walk - dogs were roaming pack creatures before we domesticated them, and knowing their "territory" and wandering like that is a much different exercise than just playing in the backyard.) Once you get him nice and tired, sit on the floor and have the puppy on one side of you, and a daughter on the other. Just sit there for a bit and watch tv, or whatever, and just have your daughters in close proximity to the pup. You can pet him, but don't get him all riled up. Just a soft, slow pet, nice and easy. Having a calm pup near the girls might help calm their fears and show them he's not always crazy and jumpy. As they get more used to each other you can have one girl sit on your lap and pet the pup as well, again making sure he doesn't get too excited.
Jumping can be difficult, especially with a young pup. Tiger used to jump, and still does occasionally when she gets CRAZY excited. Dogs greet each other by licking each other's mouths (similar to people who give each other a kiss to say hello), so they naturally want to jump up and give you kisses when they are happy to see you. But, jumping is rude, especially when you might get visitors who are very wary of dogs (I have 1 girlfriend like this - she loves Tiger now, but was downright terrified of her in the beginning). For an adult dog, you can lift your leg and put your knee into their chest to keep them away, but a puppy is too small. I used the "turn and ignore" method with Tiger to break her habit. When I enter the house, I ignore her. If she jumps, I turn so that she gets my side and a stern "no jumping", and then I walk away from her. No hi pitched squeals of hello, no immediate petting. Once she calms down, then she gets affection. This is also difficult as the puppy is probably jumping all the time, lol.
Your girls are young, so I'm guessing they don't really understand what's going on (heck, some adults don't get it, lol). Truthfully, I'm not entirely sure how to fix the situation. If they try the "turn and ignore" method, the pup is probably just going to follow them, which can quickly escalate into a game of chase, which is not good. And it's going to take some time to work on the play biting and the jumping. I might just keep the pup separate from the girls (never leave them alone together for now - too big a chance that something will go wrong) unless you've tired him out and he is calm and relaxed.
You could have the girls help with taking him of though. Have them help feed him, fill his water bowl, etc. Once you get him trained on a leash on your walks, you can have them hold the leash. It will help them feel like they are in control.
ColleenSwerb
Brodo gettin her Swerb on
And yes, please feel free to PM me at anytime with any questions. That goes for everyone!
chloe
Active member
I agree with Col about the techniques against jumping. Ignoring my doggie is the most effective one, even though I realise it's not easy for kids. Anyway, with that as with everything else, the key is consistency, consistency and more consistency!
By the way, a 8 weeks old puppy is still a "children", so you have to teach him very often but for very short amount of time. We took dog training lessons with our doggie (not for a long time, which is why she still jumps, even if it's getting better) and the coach told us to practice for max 5 minutes several times a day at that age. Then you can progressively make longer but less sessions.
Good luck!
By the way, a 8 weeks old puppy is still a "children", so you have to teach him very often but for very short amount of time. We took dog training lessons with our doggie (not for a long time, which is why she still jumps, even if it's getting better) and the coach told us to practice for max 5 minutes several times a day at that age. Then you can progressively make longer but less sessions.
Good luck!
