Dog Community

Did I get a 'Lemon' Puppy?

Posted : 6/9/2006 8:49:29 AM

OK. I have an 8 week old Lab/Coonhund mix. He is not what I expected, but that's ok. I am willing to do anything to get this puppy on the right track

Here are some problems I am concerned about. Hopefully you all can help me realize that my puppy is not 'cursed' and I didn't get 'a bad one'. From what I have heard, there are no 'bad dogs', just bad owners.

1. He bites us constantly. Even if we say 'ow' and give him a chew toy, he still lunges at us and wants to bite our hands and feet. We have tried the ignore method (put in his area and walk away', but when we pay attention to him again 1 minute later, he still wants to bite. Sometimes it is VERY vicsious. Like he is out for blood....
2. He shows us NO affection. All he wants to do is bite, sleep and play. Even when he has a toy, he doesn't want to be anywhere near us. He does follow us around to some extant, but usually would just rather be left alone.
3. He will not go for a walk in our neighborhood. Now i'm thinking he may be a little young, but this is very frustrating. All he wants to do is run back home. Last night we took him for a brief car ride away from home and he walked. We only take him on 10 min. mini walks, as I read you should not walk a pup much longer (5 min for every month).
4. He is pretty good about doing his business outside, but still has 1-2 accidents a day in the house. I am assuming this is normal. But he only does this when he is out of his crate for play time and it is always after we had JUST taken him out. Sometime it just seems like he needs to go again, especially if he had driken some water in the half hour prior. I can live with the occaisonal accident, but the biting and general meaness has to stop.
5. He doesn;t seem to understand the word 'OFF'. He is constanly biuting things he shouldn't. As we have tried to puppy proof our house, you cant remove your furniture and carpeting. he devours everything.

I understand he is a very young puppy, but I was just hoping he would be a little better. I am not giving up and he is starting to learn commands like sit, down and come. But he only does these if there are NO distractions. I am very frustrated and could use any guidance you can offer. We are going to sign him up for puppy obiedience classes next week.

I have read many books and plowed through the internet to prepare me for this dog, but I feel like I am overmatched.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Johnathon Spiro

Posted : 6/9/2006 8:51:54 AM

Here is a picture of the little devil....
[linkhttp://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b250/gbjork50/DSCN1627.jpg]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b250/gbjork50/DSCN1627.jpg[/link]

loveukaykay

Posted : 6/9/2006 10:19:37 AM

Dont take this the wrong way please... but I dont think you realize what a baby you have. It is WAY too early to even be thinking thoughts like wondering if you got a bad one or something. A lot of dogs do have behavioral isuues, but not an 8 week old baby. I have a 5 month old baby, who ate my BRAND new shoe yesterday, I didnt even get to wear it yet! AH! Its MY fault, I left my shoe on the ground (although everytime I see her going for a shoe I redirect and correct her, BUT shes a puppy and anything on the ground is fair game even though I have corrected her about it, I do not expect a young pup to know the difference between my shoe and her toy)...see, when you have a puppy, you have to teach them everything from scratch.... not only that but you have to give them time to realize they are staying with you and build a relationship.... you cant expect much from an 8 week old pup than for it to be a baby. Slowly work on things such as sit, down... one at a time for 5 or so minutes a few times a day. Continue redirecting with a "no bite" if he mouths on you....

Im sorry you feeling overmatched, your not, you just have a little baby, and these things dont happen overnight... in fact you have puppy behavior to look forward to for a very long time... and you have accidents in the house to look forward to for a while, and chewed up things too.. Puppies are a ton of work, but they are also very cute and fun.

Hes not mean or out for blood, trust me. Hes just a young puppy, I think any young happy puppy you got would be doing the same thing. Good luck! I know its a lot, but they do grow out of it, they do learn... enjoy him, hes absolutely adorable!

agilebcs

Posted : 6/9/2006 10:23:10 AM

He's very cute and sounds like a typical puppy! How long have you had him? If he's only 8 weeks old he should be just now leaving his littermates. If you've had him more than a week I would say he was taken from them too young.

On the biting - totally normal especially if he left his litter to early and didn't learn any bite inhibition. When you say "ow" do you sort of yelp like another dog would do? That's what means something to them. I use that method and I also will put my hand over their snout and say "no bite".

Regarding affection, I would recommend tethering him to you and hand feeding him his kibble for awhile. That will help build a bond with him. This is a really important time in his development and lots of time with you is what will build your relationship with him.

At 8 weeks I'd be careful about taking him on walks around the neighborhood. He hasn't been vaccinated, right? You do want to start getting him used to seeing the world though so maybe play with him in the front yard where he can see cars and people go by. I'd wait until he'd had 2 rounds of puppy shots before taking him very far. Also, puppies go thru various fear periods and you should be careful about what you expose him to right now.

Totally normal about the accidents in the house. Take him out frequently when he's been playing and when he's been drinking water. If he's going just after he's been taken out and when he's playing, then start to take him out 5 mins after he starts playing. You're using a crate which is a great thing and it sounds like you're doing just fine with the housetraining.

At 8 weeks old you can't expect him to understand "off". In biting things he shouldn't he's just being a puppy - it's what they do!! The key is to keep an eye on him at all times to stop/redirect him before he gets into something he shouldn't and if you can't be watching him put him in his crate. What sort of chew toys do you have for him?

You're not overmatched at all. I've raised many puppies and there is always a period where I think that I just can't handle it. You'll get over it!

glenmar

Posted : 6/9/2006 10:48:14 AM

At 8 weeks any shots this pup may have had are pretty much worthless. Pups loose momma's natural immunity somewhere between 8 and 15 weeks. Any shots given while they still have it are worthless, and tax the immune system.

8 weeks is very young. I don't place pups until 10 weeks. 9 weeks is mimimum BUT they enter a fear stage about then so I like to keep them with me a bit longer.

Everything you are describing is normal puppy behavior. No, he hasn't a clue what off means at this point. Nor anything else. He has to learn this along with everything else.

KC

Posted : 6/9/2006 2:00:49 PM

It is way too early to start thinking there is a problem. My pup is 9 months old and she STILL bites, pees and generally does stuff we would like her not to. This is the nature of young dog ownership, I'm afraid. It can really try your last nerve.

You pup is just being a pup. Patience and consistency is the only answer.

Kelly McGuire

Posted : 6/9/2006 2:19:32 PM

He is a such a cute little thing. But you have to remember that you have a little puppy. I have a 6 month old puppy and she still bites and chews and has acidents. These are all things that come with having a puppy. He's not going to be perfect right off and if you think he is, you are expecting way too much too early in his life. You have to work with him. He is going to want to play and romp and bite and carry on. Remember is only 8 weeks old. He'll learn eventually. Keep working on the potty outside thing. Everytime he eats take him outside. It's usually a general rule that as soon as a puppy is done eating they generally have to go poop. Same thing with peeing. The key to haveing a puppy is time and patience.

cakana

Posted : 6/9/2006 3:28:34 PM

He's an adorable little guy! As others said, hang in there. It'll get better, but it will take some time. He's honestly doing everything a normal puppy does. Puppy obedience class will help both of you too.

jones

Posted : 6/9/2006 4:32:10 PM

I'm sorry, no offense meant, but I laughed a little at "he doesn't understand OFF." Dogs aren't born understanding a single human word. You might as well tell him SPAGHETTI. But I totally can relate to what you're feeling. I was a first time puppy owner last summer and I had no idea what I was doing - at times I felt like I suddenly had this strange creature from another planet in my house who didn't understand anything, I didn't know how to communicate with him, he didn't know how to communicate with me, we didn't understand each other's strange customs, boy was it confusing. I can tell you with utmost confidence that everything you've described is 100% normal puppy behavior. I suggest you take a Puppy Kindegarten class with him to help demystify dog behavior & training and to help you bond better with him. Have fun, a year from now you'll miss these crazy puppy days!

Jody Kinney

Posted : 6/9/2006 4:41:47 PM

Too young to worry too much about that...I have schipperkees they are some of the most stubborn dogs around, by the two year mark they gained a good sense of right and wrong and it is all in accordance to what I want out of a dog. I have four of them and I could not ask for any better. Your baby is just that still ababy...give him time

JK

Johnathon Spiro

Posted : 6/9/2006 4:42:35 PM

Thanks to all the replies.

This is my FIRST experience with a pup and from things I read from other people, it just seems like I have the 'worst one.'

I am by no means giving up, I just wanted to make sure this is normal. Sometimes the Internet can be a bad thing (making me believe that all puppies are cute and cuddly).

I thank everyone of you for making me feel a lot better. My wife and I work from home, so we are very dedicated to making sure this dog has a wonderful, fulfilling life. I just want to make sure I get off on the right foot.

Please remeber in the future I have no experience and am looking to people like yourselves for guidance.

Thanks again....

inne

Posted : 6/9/2006 10:44:41 PM

Everyone has given you really great advice, but I just wanted to tell you that so many of these things can get better so quickly! The first week I had my puppy I was sitting there in my pants that she ripped from jumping up and biting them, sleep-deprived like I've never been before in my life, looking at my duvet that she peed on 10 minutes after peeing outside and wondering what in the world I had been thinking when deciding to get a dog. Now it's two months later and it seems like a lifetime ago.

loveukaykay

Posted : 6/10/2006 12:53:45 AM

Well, puppies ARE cute and cuddly and a ton of fun... they are also a lot of work... I guess they didnt tell you that part[

]... they are by all means worth every bit of trouble they are while young, and you most certainly do not have the worst one, you have a completely normal one... when more frustrations or things arrive, please feel free to ask us about it... puppies are very hard work, we all understand that, and being a first time puppy owner it can be a bit much.... good luck, and please feel confident with your baby and know he is just a normal silly pup.

RoyallyYours

Posted : 6/10/2006 3:48:15 AM

I'm going to do my best to answer the concerns listed. My replies are in blue.

ORIGINAL: gbjork50

1. He bites us constantly. Even if we say 'ow' and give him a chew toy, he still lunges at us and wants to bite our hands and feet. We have tried the ignore method (put in his area and walk away', but when we pay attention to him again 1 minute later, he still wants to bite. Sometimes it is VERY vicsious. Like he is out for blood....

At 8 weeks, this is how puppies play with each other. They learn bite inhibition this way with their siblings in this manner. Keep at it.

2. He shows us NO affection. All he wants to do is bite, sleep and play. Even when he has a toy, he doesn't want to be anywhere near us. He does follow us around to some extant, but usually would just rather be left alone.

At his age, this is pretty much what they want to do. You can certainly try to initiate play with him. Puppies are like babies. They may not necessarily know what we want, but they will learn.

3. He will not go for a walk in our neighborhood. Now i'm thinking he may be a little young, but this is very frustrating. All he wants to do is run back home. Last night we took him for a brief car ride away from home and he walked. We only take him on 10 min. mini walks, as I read you should not walk a pup much longer (5 min for every month).

He knows home is safe. Coax him. Show him that it's okay. You can't expect him to know that the big wide world is safe. Do you know how much time he spent outside before you got him? Maybe none at all.

4. He is pretty good about doing his business outside, but still has 1-2 accidents a day in the house. I am assuming this is normal. But he only does this when he is out of his crate for play time and it is always after we had JUST taken him out. Sometime it just seems like he needs to go again, especially if he had driken some water in the half hour prior. I can live with the occaisonal accident, but the biting and general meaness has to stop.

Again, this is his age. He is a large breed dog and may take a while. My Labrador mix wasn't fully housebroken, i.e. to the point that we could 100% trust her in the house, until she was 9 months old. He's a youngin' and will be a puppy for many months to come.

5. He doesn;t seem to understand the word 'OFF'. He is constanly biuting things he shouldn't. As we have tried to puppy proof our house, you cant remove your furniture and carpeting. he devours everything.

Have you taught him? Or are you just expecting him to know right away? Dogs want to please their alphas. You are the alpha. You have to teach him what is expected of him, but I wouldn't expect him to pick much up at 8 weeks.

For future reference, I personally would not get a dog that is any younger than 10 weeks, 12 weeks being ideal. At 8 weeks, they are still learning manners from their mother and siblings.

I understand he is a very young puppy, but I was just hoping he would be a little better. I am not giving up and he is starting to learn commands like sit, down and come. But he only does these if there are NO distractions. I am very frustrated and could use any guidance you can offer. We are going to sign him up for puppy obiedience classes next week.

I have read many books and plowed through the internet to prepare me for this dog, but I feel like I am overmatched.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I'm certainly glad to hear that you are commited to your puppy. I just think you are expecting way too much way too early. Relax, calm down, and let things rest for a bit. The puppy obedience classes are a wonderful idea and will help you learn to communicate your wishes to him.

I hope this helps.

Xerxes

Posted : 6/10/2006 11:45:25 AM

All of the advice here has been very good. The only thing I can say is this: All the hard work now and for the next 10-12 months will pay off with a lifetime of companionship. Everything you said about the puppy...perfectly normal puppy behavior.

Hey, it's way more fun
when you sign up or log in