I really need help training this crazy puppy! Please help me!?

xxLizzyxx

New Member
Messages
8
Location
US
Okay, so I have a puppy who is about 5-6 months old. He has all of his shots done, of course. The problem with this puppy, a Maltipoo, which I named Jake, is that he is the most hyper, craziest puppy, ever. He is very smart though. He knows a lot of tricks, however, the most important tricks, such as stay, down, and come, are very hard for me to teach him. He doesn't stay focused, even when treats are involved. Another issue with him is aggression. He is okay with most people, however, I have recently noticed he will growl at people walking by, and, in worst cases, he will yip or bark. Another issue I have with him is him calming down. He is so crazy that I can't even brush him without him biting at my hand or at the brush. Also, he likes to lunge at your face. He actually made my nose bleed once, which hurt pretty bad. Even when I yell "No!" very loud, he will stop, and eventually do it again a few minutes later. Another issue I have is Jake's potty problem. I can't potty train him. He pees everywhere, which is really annoying, and of course, disgusting! I let him outside every hour, also after he eats. I have trained him to jump up at the back door when he has to go, but sometimes, he just can't help himself and he will pee anyways. He is trained not to poop though, for the most part, so that is a plus. I walk him daily and play with him for two hours a day (I have school and other pets, so it is difficult to play with him longer than this). I brush him daily (which is a challenge) but I do anyways, obviously. I also have a gate (he has the whole kitchen to himself) and he always jumps over it... which is a big no-no... how can I get him to stop all of these issues? He has more than this, these are just all I can think of right now.

If you have any advice on what I can do to train this beast, it would be very helpful.
 

lisa127

New Member
Messages
777
Location
NE Ohio
Well, the biggest issue is that he is a baby. He is still a very young puppy and he is still learning. Perfect behavior cannot be expected at this point. It's way, way too early. That being said, a tired pup is a good pup! Does he get daily walks? Those are very important, both for wearing him out and for socialization. He can't stay focused easily because he is like a small human child....they can't stay focused either. Stay, down, and come are going to be challenges at this point. Especially stay. When you are teaching him stay, make it super quick. Release him within seconds, before he tries to move on his own. That way you are praising him before he has made a mistake. Very gradually increase the time, but not before you are positive he is ready for it. As for his "aggression" towards people, make sure you get him out and about for socialization while he is still young. Do not carry him, let him walk on a leash. As for pottytraining, you absolutely cannot expect a toy breed dog to be reliably trained before 1 year of age. It's just most likely not going to happen. Supervision is key. Supervise and confine when you can't watch him. Many toy breeds require total management their whole lives when it comes to pottytraining. And then some are very reliable as adults. So many people want these little toy breed dogs, but in all honesty they are not easy dogs. Regardless though, any dog at 5-6 months of age is a challenge. Keep patiently working with him, but in the meantime give him time to mature. Is he neutered yet?

My sister has a maltese....they are "yippers". He also did the biting at the brush and hand thing when he was a puppy.
 
Last edited:

Embrace Calamity

New Member
Messages
1,564
Location
Pennsylvania
Like lisa said, he's still a puppy. And presumably he's not fixed yet, which will really help things.

When you say you "play" with him, how exactly do you do it? That is, is it like tug-of-war or fetch? Certain methods of play are more tiring than others. The more you can get him to run, the better.

And just make sure you don't focus on the negatives, or you'll just make him nervous and less likely to behave the way you want him to. Lots of positive reinforcement is the best method for training.

EDIT: Here are some enrichment ideas: http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/enriching-your-dogs-life
You can do a quick Google search for more. Mental stimulation is as important as physical stimulation.

~Maggot
 
Last edited:

katie_

Wonder Reptiles
Messages
2,645
Location
Ontario
1. Neuter him. ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Socialize him. Take him to the pet store, take him to the park. Let him walk on his leash. Please dont carry him. Holding the dog will give the dog a false sense of confidence. He will think he "owns" you can anyone who comes to pet him can get nipped at. By walking on the ground, he wont feel the need to dominate people. I HIGHLY recommend you get him into obedience training. You will be taught the correct ways to train him to pay attention to you and ignore distractions, sit/stay/come/heel/leave it, and socialize him with other dogs and people. Have him meet anyone and everyone. If hes nervous of people, have them give him a treat when he shows interest in him. Never have someone pet him if hes scared, they'll get bit.

3. He doesnt respect you. Biting at your face at 5-6 months is truely horrible dog behaviour. Yes hes still a puppy but he should know better. No more letting him on furniture unless hes invited by you (with a command), no more sitting on your lap and meal feed him. Before you feed him his meal, have him sit and do NOT give him his meal until hes calm and listening. If you do play of war, never let him win. If hes getting rough with you, or humps you, place him on his side and hold him there until he stops fighting you. All these things will assert your dominace.

4. When he shows aggression towards people, CORRECT HIM!!! If hes on his leash, you can correct him by pulling back (not too hard but hard enough to snap him out of it) or as youve probably seen Cesar Millar do it on t.v, poke him in the neck, ribs, groin with a command. This isnt suppost to hurt, but is suppost to change the way their brain thinks by inturrupting the thought. When the dogs barking at people, never pick him up. Picking him up is rewarding his bad behaviour. When you see people coming down the street, picking him up is the worst thing you could do. Keep your dog on the ground.

It is absolutely CRAZY that this person above said that you cant expect a toy breed to be house broken by a year. That is FALSE! This is why little dogs tend to get away with horrible dog behaviour, because people think its okay because theyre small. Small breeds DO have a bad reputation for being difficult to train, but that is only because the type of people who purchase small dogs do not treat them as dogs (usually). Small dogs often have no respect for their owners. I have two large dogs and a small one. The small one was right on tract with the others when it came to house breaking. I treated him like a dog. At 6 months old, ANY dog should be able to hold its bladder for 8 hours.

Crate your dog. Dont give him a whole room to himself, youre only setting him up for failure. He'll cry and whine at first, but he'll learn to love it. Crate him when you cant watch him, like when youre at school. This will also help him with his potty training issue. Dogs do not pee in their crates unless they are left too long.

Brushing will become easier when he gains respect for you. If he goes to bite the brush, put him on his side and dominate him. Try brushing again. Continue this process until you can brush him a few times without him biting. Praise him for not biting. Keep the sessions short, until you can work your way up to brushing his whole body without an issue.

Do you have a treadmill? Let him run on it. Literally put a leash on him, and place him on the treadmill. Start it off slow and stand above him holding the leash so he cannot jump off, only walk straight. He will freak out at first, but DO NOT let him off until hes walked calmly. Letting him off when hes freaking out will just teach him that freaking out gets him what he wants. This may take up to 20 minutes. After a few sessions he'll get used to it. My yorkie will run 3 km's everyday on the treadmill. It does wonders for his energy. Walks just arent enough, and lets be honest, we dont have time everyday.
 
Last edited:

Fatal_S

Mel's Exotics
Messages
147
Location
Winnipeg, MB
I walk him daily and play with him for two hours a day (I have school and other pets, so it is difficult to play with him longer than this). I brush him daily (which is a challenge) but I do anyways, obviously. I also have a gate (he has the whole kitchen to himself) and he always jumps over it... which is a big no-no... how can I get him to stop all of these issues? He has more than this, these are just all I can think of right now.

Are you telling us this puppy is left locked alone in the kitchen for over 20 hours of every day? And you want to know why it's having issues? Did you miss the meaning of social animal???

Give the dog to someone who can actually be part of it's pack, and get a pet rock. Dog's are not animals you only spend a couple hours with each day. Neither are kids, don't have those either. They are your family, and should be with you every possible moment of the day.

Reading that "two hours a day" and "whole kitchen to himself" thing has me really cheesed off. That poor, poor puppy :(
 

Embrace Calamity

New Member
Messages
1,564
Location
Pennsylvania
Are you telling us this puppy is left locked alone in the kitchen for over 20 hours of every day? And you want to know why it's having issues? Did you miss the meaning of social animal???

Give the dog to someone who can actually be part of it's pack, and get a pet rock. Dog's are not animals you only spend a couple hours with each day. Neither are kids, don't have those either. They are your family, and should be with you every possible moment of the day.

Reading that "two hours a day" and "whole kitchen to himself" thing has me really cheesed off. That poor, poor puppy :(
Wow, I totally missed that. No wonder the poor thing is spazzing. I hope the owner does the sensible thing and gives it to a no-kill shelter.

~Maggot
 

lisa127

New Member
Messages
777
Location
NE Ohio
1. Neuter him. ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Socialize him. Take him to the pet store, take him to the park. Let him walk on his leash. Please dont carry him. Holding the dog will give the dog a false sense of confidence. He will think he "owns" you can anyone who comes to pet him can get nipped at. By walking on the ground, he wont feel the need to dominate people. I HIGHLY recommend you get him into obedience training. You will be taught the correct ways to train him to pay attention to you and ignore distractions, sit/stay/come/heel/leave it, and socialize him with other dogs and people. Have him meet anyone and everyone. If hes nervous of people, have them give him a treat when he shows interest in him. Never have someone pet him if hes scared, they'll get bit.

3. He doesnt respect you. Biting at your face at 5-6 months is truely horrible dog behaviour. Yes hes still a puppy but he should know better. No more letting him on furniture unless hes invited by you (with a command), no more sitting on your lap and meal feed him. Before you feed him his meal, have him sit and do NOT give him his meal until hes calm and listening. If you do play of war, never let him win. If hes getting rough with you, or humps you, place him on his side and hold him there until he stops fighting you. All these things will assert your dominace.

4. When he shows aggression towards people, CORRECT HIM!!! If hes on his leash, you can correct him by pulling back (not too hard but hard enough to snap him out of it) or as youve probably seen Cesar Millar do it on t.v, poke him in the neck, ribs, groin with a command. This isnt suppost to hurt, but is suppost to change the way their brain thinks by inturrupting the thought. When the dogs barking at people, never pick him up. Picking him up is rewarding his bad behaviour. When you see people coming down the street, picking him up is the worst thing you could do. Keep your dog on the ground.

It is absolutely CRAZY that this person above said that you cant expect a toy breed to be house broken by a year. That is FALSE! This is why little dogs tend to get away with horrible dog behaviour, because people think its okay because theyre small. Small breeds DO have a bad reputation for being difficult to train, but that is only because the type of people who purchase small dogs do not treat them as dogs (usually). Small dogs often have no respect for their owners. I have two large dogs and a small one. The small one was right on tract with the others when it came to house breaking. I treated him like a dog. At 6 months old, ANY dog should be able to hold its bladder for 8 hours.

Crate your dog. Dont give him a whole room to himself, youre only setting him up for failure. He'll cry and whine at first, but he'll learn to love it. Crate him when you cant watch him, like when youre at school. This will also help him with his potty training issue. Dogs do not pee in their crates unless they are left too long.

Brushing will become easier when he gains respect for you. If he goes to bite the brush, put him on his side and dominate him. Try brushing again. Continue this process until you can brush him a few times without him biting. Praise him for not biting. Keep the sessions short, until you can work your way up to brushing his whole body without an issue.

Do you have a treadmill? Let him run on it. Literally put a leash on him, and place him on the treadmill. Start it off slow and stand above him holding the leash so he cannot jump off, only walk straight. He will freak out at first, but DO NOT let him off until hes walked calmly. Letting him off when hes freaking out will just teach him that freaking out gets him what he wants. This may take up to 20 minutes. After a few sessions he'll get used to it. My yorkie will run 3 km's everyday on the treadmill. It does wonders for his energy. Walks just arent enough, and lets be honest, we dont have time everyday.

You have one small dog. It is common knowledge that while small dogs should be learning as a baby, 100% reliable housetraining is usually not expected until about a year of age. I would not trust any small breed dog when it comes to housetraining at a younger age.

I've been living with, working with, volunteering with dogs my entire life (almost twice as long as you've been alive). I think I've known more dogs than you have.

A dog that is carried around will not believe he is dominant over people. He will learn to be fearful or distrustful of people, and therefore not behave appropriately. The constant theory of dogs always trying to dominate people is a very old way of thinking. Dogs do the things they do (good or bad) usually because they are just being dogs. They are not out to rule the humans believe it or not.

I agree with keeping the dogs feet on the floor and treating him like a real dog. Rib poking and alpha rolls I do NOT agree with.

Oh and btw, "this person" does have a name ya know.
 
Last edited:

lisa127

New Member
Messages
777
Location
NE Ohio
Are you telling us this puppy is left locked alone in the kitchen for over 20 hours of every day? And you want to know why it's having issues? Did you miss the meaning of social animal???

Give the dog to someone who can actually be part of it's pack, and get a pet rock. Dog's are not animals you only spend a couple hours with each day. Neither are kids, don't have those either. They are your family, and should be with you every possible moment of the day.

Reading that "two hours a day" and "whole kitchen to himself" thing has me really cheesed off. That poor, poor puppy :(
I think that might be exaggerating the issue a bit. It is not unusual for young puppies that still are not housetrained and still chewing to have limited access to the house. Blocking off areas of a house for a dog is not dog abuse. She said "play" for two hours a day. Does she mean she only gives him human interaction for two hours a day? I may be wrong, but I don't think that's what she meant.
 

Embrace Calamity

New Member
Messages
1,564
Location
Pennsylvania
I think that might be exaggerating the issue a bit. It is not unusual for young puppies that still are not housetrained and still chewing to have limited access to the house. Blocking off areas of a house for a dog is not dog abuse. She said "play" for two hours a day. Does she mean she only gives him human interaction for two hours a day? I may be wrong, but I don't think that's what she meant.
Keeping a hyperactive dog - a puppy, no less - in one room for the vast majority of the day, even if they do get human interaction, is a recipe for disaster. I have a very hyperactive dog (Boston terrier/Jack Russell mix), and he has the entire house plus a huge yard to run around in with three dogs to play with, and he's still a bit of a spaz. If I kept him in the kitchen almost all the time, the poor thing would have a conniption.

~Maggot
 

Fatal_S

Mel's Exotics
Messages
147
Location
Winnipeg, MB
Lisa, I hope you are right and that the dog is getting a lot more activity and attention than just those 2 hours plus walk. I realize it could be that there's many people each spending a few hours with the puppy, or that the 2 hours might be dedicated playtime while the rest of the day is normal time where the dog is still part of the family. But that still set off extreme warning bells - you can't ignore a dog 20+ hours of the day and expect it to be a healthy, well-behaved family member.

I have no idea about the housebreaking, as our puppy was very smart and housetrained within days. Have puppy-pads available in the kitchen maybe? Just keep up the positive reinforcement and wait for the puppy to grow up?

But the puppy should be spending every possible moment with you. Sure, the kitchen is good for when you need to go out, just stock it with lots of toys and things for the puppy to think about and do. But at every possible moment the puppy should be by your side. Watching TV? Cleaning reptile tanks? Eating supper? Give the puppy something to chew on, show him where you want him, and praise him for behaving. Toss a ball around or engage with him every 15 minutes or so, to keep him engaged. Don't leave him locked away all the time - if you don't have the time/willingness to be with him and keep him happy, I stand by my "get a pet rock" comment. That puppy does not deserve to suffer and be locked away because the owner can't be bothered to be a good puppy-parent.
 

katie_

Wonder Reptiles
Messages
2,645
Location
Ontario
Yes I have one small dog.
I also took a vet course in Uni (a world reknowned school) and work at a clinic. Ive been training dogs for 6 years. I have numerous credentials.
Dont base my education or knowledge on my age. Thats ignorant.

Any dog, small or large is able to hold its bladder for 8 hours at 6 months old unless there is a health problem. Saying little dogs take a year to house break is just plain wrong. They arent any "dumber" than a big dog, what makes it acceptable for them to "not get it". They have the ability, and they do become house broken at the same time as any other sized dog when trained properly (end of story.) Their anatomy is the same.

Little dogs that are carried that are dominate aggressive OFTEN have dominance issues by being held up high at that level, they DO feel dominate and BIGGER and often lash out. By holding them you are rewarding and helping them accomplish that bad behaviour. Some dogs that are held are truely scared and lash out for that reason. All dogs are different.

Rib poking and alpha roles arent always needed, but they have their place. I believe they are very important. I train my dogs based on their instints. Momma dog isnt going to use her words, she uses actions. One of my dogs NEEDED to be physically dominated. If this didnt happen, I believe he wouldnt be here. Thats what dogs understand.
We may have different training styles, but telling someone its okay that their little dog stills pees in the house at a year is just ridiculous. Thats unacceptable. I can dig out my books and site this scientific information if you still disagree.
Your personal experience doesnt count as fact.
 
Last edited:

Kylerbassman

New Member
Messages
332
Location
PA
I have trained pits, Boston's, jacks, and a few toy breeds here and there. Small dogs like yours are the hardest in my opinion. This dog needs no less than an hour walk a day minimum. A good walk not a slow pace.

As Katie said, you need to show this dog your dominance. Just because they are small dogs mean nothing. I see this constantly, people buy a small dog and don't realize the amount of training that is involved. Crate train ASAP, get on a daily walking routine. The minute you take the dog out of the crate, put them outside. Hopefully that will help with getting the dog going bathroom outside. Although a puppy that age is still going to have accidents. I have a 2 year old jack/Boston mix that will still have an occasional accident if I'm not paying attention.

Socialize the dog as much as possible with big dogs, small dogs, kids (supervised of course) other animals and even different environments like a dog park or on city streets with cars and so on. The more you can expose the dog to different scenarios, the better off you both will be.

Obviously going to a trainer would be ideal to stop these problems as soon as possible because they will get only worse if you don't put in place rules.

Leash training is probably the biggest thing people get wrong. Your dog should never be ahead of you on a leash. The dog should be walking next to you and watching your lead, otherwise your dog is walking you (not a good scenario when your 8lbs dog goes after a big dog.( the big dog will win)

If you can't or don't want that responsibility, the best thing you can do is give that dog a new home. Not being trying to be mean at all. I see so many people out there who think they are the best owners and baby there dogs. They are not kids or baby's, they are dogs. They understand pack mentality. I have torn apart so many fights, the last thing you want to do is pick up a dog up when they are acting out or being aggressive. When they act like that, gently pinch the neck (like a mouth) and lay them over on there side. Do not let them up or praise them until they have calmed down.

One thing I use that helps on rainy days and when we have things going on is a treadmill. I have taught all but 1 of my dogs to run on the treadmill. When I had my Pitts I would run them on the treadmill for a while even before the walk. The more tired they are, the better.


If your doing all that and your dog is still crazy, it could help to get the dog on meds. I was so against that until I got my jack/Boston mix. She was saved from an Amish farm (probably inbred) but no matter what I did with that dog, even if I ran her all day long, she was still hyper/shaking. I have raised/trained probably dozens of dogs and have only once or twice met dogs that needed meds.

Short answer,
get your dog into training classes ASAP. If your not willing to do that, then find the dog an owner that will. Good luck and I really hope you can find the time and recourses to help you train this dog because it is so rewarding to have a good dog. It also is the best case scenario for your pet as they love to be challenged and told what to do.
 

katie_

Wonder Reptiles
Messages
2,645
Location
Ontario
Yes, I forgot to mention about walks. Your dog needs to walk beside you, NEVER infront.

Also, if your dog already has his BMS outside, he may only be peeing inside to mark his territory. 5-6 months of age is around the time dogs start to become mature, and little dogs mature FASTER than big dogs. Neuter him. Tomorrow!

If after his neuter he still has a naughty habit of marking your things, buy a belly band. Its a piece of fabric that goes around his penis and back. He will not want to pee in it.
 
Last edited:

Kylerbassman

New Member
Messages
332
Location
PA
You're right on Katie. I think most of the accidents will stop after getting him neutered also and you are right in that a dog that age can be house trained. I have seen dogs that have a harder time with house training, but it has a lot to do with training and or the age they started house training. My Boston terrier was 6 months old when we saved him. He was kept in a kennel and they went everywhere throughout the enclosure they had. It was a good 4-5 months of training until I was able to get him completely house broken. I would wipe up the pee and take out poop to the location outside where I wanted him to go. When he started smelling his sent outside, it was a game changer and really helped big time. You could try that also
 

katie_

Wonder Reptiles
Messages
2,645
Location
Ontario
You're right on Katie. I think most of the accidents will stop after getting him neutered also and you are right in that a dog that age can be house trained. I have seen dogs that have a harder time with house training, but it has a lot to do with training and or the age they started house training. My Boston terrier was 6 months old when we saved him. He was kept in a kennel and they went everywhere throughout the enclosure they had. It was a good 4-5 months of training until I was able to get him completely house broken. I would wipe up the pee and take out poop to the location outside where I wanted him to go. When he started smelling his sent outside, it was a game changer and really helped big time. You could try that also


I could have wrote this. My yorkie was a mill rescue and I received him at 6 months of age. Teaching a dog that lived in a cage his whole life not to pee in a cage when thats all he knew what hard work.
My parents have two small dogs. Both were on track with any dog when it came to house breaking. Almost completely trained at 4 months with the occasional accident up to about 8 months.
 

Kylerbassman

New Member
Messages
332
Location
PA
Honestly the easiest dogs I have ever had to potty train was my Pitts. I loved my girls, unfortunately they are no longer here, but they trained my jack russel/Boston mix for me lol, and now my jack russel/Boston mix is training my male Boston terrier lol. I personally don't like just 1 dog in the house, but that's just me.
 

katie_

Wonder Reptiles
Messages
2,645
Location
Ontario
Honestly the easiest dogs I have ever had to potty train was my Pitts. I loved my girls, unfortunately they are no longer here, but they trained my jack russel/Boston mix for me lol, and now my jack russel/Boston mix is training my male Boston terrier lol. I personally don't like just 1 dog in the house, but that's just me.

Same here. We have three. My first dog was a hound x and he had maybe a total of three accidents in the house. I was also on him 24/7 because I just bought new hardwood floors lol. With my boxer I was a little more relaxed and she had a few more lol.
 

Kylerbassman

New Member
Messages
332
Location
PA
Haha, I love boxers, not a big fan of hounds, but that's just cause I get annoyed with the howling and all the sniffing lol. Taking a hound on a walk can be quite a task if they aren't trained well.

In any case, I hope we can help xxlizzyxx out. There are so many dogs and owners out there like this. Your not a bad owner xxLizzyxx but it's important to stop these behaviors and poor routines sooner than later for you and your pups sanity. Im sure your both probably at your breaking point.

I almost think people should own a big dog first as in most cases it requires you to train correctly, but a lot of people just use excuses for there little dogs bad behavior. I know at least 5 people who are like this, and I have tried again and again to explain to them that your dog being hyper/stressed means they are not happy and not getting the correct stimulation. Some dogs need a "job" or work to feel that anxiety go away, and if we are not pushing them to be like that, nobody is happy.

Again, good luck and I hope you can find time to get a good routine down for your pup. It's good exercise for you anyways, and you will bring sanity back into the house.
 

cassicat4

Member
Messages
151
Location
Alberta, Canada
Being from a family that has always had Poms or Puggles with the occasional large breed thrown in for variety, I can attest that small dogs do require a specific level of care and interaction that's different from larger dogs. However, it also depends on the dog.

I've seen Poms that were very well trained and used in shows and demonstrations. Then I've seen others that have such terrible behavior and absolutely no concept of obedience. If you really looked at how dogs in both situations were raised though, it becomes immediately apparent where the differences stem from.

When I was in school, we studied a bit on Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs. It was a good read as it really helps you to understand why one person can easily train their dog and yours may be more difficult. Here's a summation of the book: The Intelligence of Dogs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Basically, the lower your dog is on the "intelligence" scale (in terms of obedience and understanding of new commands), the more frequent and rigorous the training that's required. While obedience school is excellent for all dog breeds, it's strongly recommended for those on the lower end of the scale.

With cross-breeds, it depends on the breeds of the parents as to whether they inherit traits that tend to favor the one breed over the other. Maltese dogs are considered one of the more difficult breeds to work with, while poodles are considered quite intelligent. It's possible you have a dog with more Maltese characteristics, which means it's imperative you devote as much time as possible to working with your dog in order to properly socialize and train it to be obedient and respond to commands.

That being said, a neglected dog or one that isn't frequently interacted with/trained will still regress to difficult and unwanted behaviors regardless of intelligence.

Pit bulls, for example, quite often have a very negative rep simply because inexperienced owners who don't have the time or patience to properly work with them end up with aggressive, untrained dogs. Properly socialized, these are amazingly sweet animals, however, so many people don't understand the level of commitment these dogs require in order to become such great dogs.

Puppies of all intelligence are high maintenance. You need to be prepared to invest the time and effort (and find time if you currently don't have much) to be with and work with your dog. It is much harder to train an adult dog that was not properly socialized as a puppy than it is to correct a puppy with poor behaviors while it is still young.

Even myself - I've given away a dog to a better home before because I found myself in a situation where I couldn't spend enough time with it. It was a hard decision, but it was in the best interests of the dog, and keeping in touch with the new owners, it was definitely the best decision as this dog is well-cared for, much better than I could have done. It's not a judgment of your character if you can't give the dog the time and attention it deserves; sometimes it happens, and sometimes we get in over our heads. What you do when you find yourself in that situation is what matters.
 

katie_

Wonder Reptiles
Messages
2,645
Location
Ontario
Haha, I love boxers, not a big fan of hounds, but that's just cause I get annoyed with the howling and all the sniffing lol. Taking a hound on a walk can be quite a task if they aren't trained well.

In any case, I hope we can help xxlizzyxx out. There are so many dogs and owners out there like this. Your not a bad owner xxLizzyxx but it's important to stop these behaviors and poor routines sooner than later for you and your pups sanity. Im sure your both probably at your breaking point.

I almost think people should own a big dog first as in most cases it requires you to train correctly, but a lot of people just use excuses for there little dogs bad behavior. I know at least 5 people who are like this, and I have tried again and again to explain to them that your dog being hyper/stressed means they are not happy and not getting the correct stimulation. Some dogs need a "job" or work to feel that anxiety go away, and if we are not pushing them to be like that, nobody is happy.

Again, good luck and I hope you can find time to get a good routine down for your pup. It's good exercise for you anyways, and you will bring sanity back into the house.

When we walk,we walk.
My dogs outweigh me, so there is NO pulling or sniffing allowed.
Thank god he didnt inherit the hound call. He has a normal bark but is a quiet dog :)
The yorkie however...yap machine
 

Visit our friends

Top