need some tips on Crate training my puppy

    • Gold Top Dog
    Again, my most recent fosters were a very pregnant momma and her SEVEN pups......I trained each and every one of them not to chew on me with unh-uh, no bite, correct and redirect....I never laid a finger on any of them other than to love up on them.
     
    Mic is a trainer and behavioralist.  If Mic says grabbing the dogs muzle as punishment can make them handshy, I believe him. And aside from that, there is simply no need for it.  There is RARELY a need for aversives in training any pup.  I can't think of a single time that I've needed to use aversives.  And I get a lot of puppies coming through my home.
     
    In that dogs don't speak or understand human, think of it this way.  I handle every part of every pup from the day they are born.  When they go to their forever homes they are comfortable with having feet handled, nails clipped, ears cleaned, testicles touched, etc.  I can reach out and clean up morning eye boogers without a single flinch.  I can check teeth, give a pill, whatever, because these pups KNOW that my hands are never going to intentionally inflict pain.
     
    Muzle grabbing does one of two things.....it causes pain and can cause agression later on, because hands become the enemy, or it can be taken as play, rough play, but still play and serve to escalate the nipping.  I promise you that I don't ignore an entire litter chewing on me, but I disengage without touching them, without screaming at them and without aversives.
    • Puppy
    With the biting problem, I agree with some of the other posters that this dog is only 8 weeks old and it is natural for a puppy to bite.  However, I have a 10 week old border dollie and they are noted for biting and nipping.  I carry a pocket of treats with me and when he nips I generally say "no" and ignore him the best I can.  As I progress with the dog, I do a techniqued called "soft" where I extend the top of my hand to the puppies nose and say the word "soft."  as I pet him gently and if he does not bite or nip, I give in a reward.  In a few days, I have stopped the biting for the most part, and the puppy comes to me and sits and I say "soft" and he licks the top of my hand.  At this point he has the idea that if he licks my hand he gets a treat.  It might be something you might want to try.
     
    Take an umbrella with you when you go outside when it is raining.  Secondly, when a puppy is new to a crate, they will whine and carry on.  I sit at the crate and talk gently to the puppy and occasionally give him a treat when he quiets down.  I find that spending a short period of time with a puppy when they first go into the create (socialization time), that whining and carrying on tends to subside.  I may do this for 5 or 10 minutes, but once he is calmed down I leave.   
     
    You do not want your dog to become so dependent upon you that the joy of having a dog is no longer viable.  Dogs need to know who their master is, or the adult becoming the alpha to set limits and the ability to adequately train your dog.   
    • Silver
    Hey,
     
          i just took my puppy to the vet and i got something to ask but it maybe will be dumb but i wanna see if my vet is right or not, but the vet say my dog had too many toes on the back legs whatever and my dog is pitbull & chow mixed , i try finding some sites about this but didnt find anything.
     
    but my puppy is doin better now he isnt bittin me alot anymore b/c it is getting warm outside now so..i take him outside to play and stuff more
    • Gold Top Dog
    I think your vet might be talking dew claws.  (I'm not sure if I spelled it right.)  Did your vet say that it might need to be removed?
    • Silver
    So you've discovered what hard work puppies are? WHile the books the others have recomended will all be very helpful, I also suggest a website that has some really great free advice. It's run by The Denver Dumb Friend League, a great organization. Check it out [linkhttp://www.ddfl.org/tips.htm#dog]http://www.ddfl.org/tips.htm#dog[/link]  This offers one to two page information sheets on specific behaviors ( theres one on puppy nipping) good for a start, but buy one of the books listed in prior posts as well.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I don't believe that grabbing the muzzle will make the dog hand shy at all

     
    You should never cause physical pain to a PUPPY with your own hand.  If you are intent on physically correcting a PUPPY (which is abusive) at least use a training device (some bitter apple or something like that). 
     
    Some of you seem to be adverse to any kind of physical training or correction.

     
    I'm not opposed to using corrections in training, but hurting a puppy to get compliance is completely unnecessary.
    • Silver
    my puppy has 5 claws or toes whatever u wanna call it on the back legs lol, but im tryin to find info on this b/c my puppy has like 20 toes and they have to be 18 toes on my puppy but then again i think she wasnt right b/c we have 10 fingers and 10 toes so..im not goin to get him surger to remove one of his toes whatever.
     
    i got something esle to ask u think my puppy is too young to take for walks b/c he is 10 weeks old and i wanna take walks sometimes when it is nice but i dont want my puppy go to the bathroom in some1 yard and get bitch at or get call on the cops on for my dog goin bathroom in there yard lol. but he wants to go play with the cats that run around here but i dont want him killed them b/c he has a hard bite on him if he get a hold of a cat he will killed it.
     
    this site seems to be slow on loading up, any1 esle have this problem?
    • Gold Top Dog
    First off, those "toes" are dew claws.  Normally they are fine, but now and then a loose one can get ripped off, so have your vet check them and determine if they stay or go when she is spayed.

    Second, TEACH your pup where it is ok and not ok to poop.  I don't let my dogs go on someones lawn, but if they HAVE to go, they can use the outlawn...the area between the sidewalk and the street, and I immediately PICK IT UP with the bags I always carry.  Often, the exercise will stimulate their need to go, so thats pretty normal.

    • Silver
    where i live there is woods all over and houses are on the side so..if i take him for a walk i have to be on the side where the woods are so..if needs to use the bathroom i can take him into the woods so..he can use the bathroom only thing i dont care for is if he pee in some1 yard but if he poop i will take him where the woods are lol, but i been takin him for short walks to see how he does and he does good but he keeps wanna walk faster then me lol,  but i got him to sit,lay down and he will give me his paw too and he been lettin me know when he have to go outside to the bathroom too if i dont see him he will just go on the floor but when he wants to go out he will just sit at my bedroom door way and look at me kinda funny thinkin its time to take me out or i will do it on the floor or something lol but only thing i need to do is get him to stop bitein poeple then he will be one good dog but he is 11 weeks old so..i think he is still cuttin teeth but if he try bitein i just put my finger where in where he will not bite hard so..he dont bite my feet lol.
     
    i wanna ask, how did u house train your puppy or dog so..it dont go to the bathroom in the house? did u just give it food & water in diff hours whatever or did u pick a time to put away there food & water? b/c i been putting away his food & water at 6pm every night  and he been doin good about it but i dont know if that is a good way to do it or not but it seem to be working b/c he started tellin me when he have to go to the bathroom
    • Gold Top Dog
    Situate the crate somewhere in the bedroom where he can see you on the bed.
    • Silver
    my bed is really high off of the ground so..i dont have anything to put the crate up on something but he been goin in his crate on his own when it is time to go to sleep so..i dont want to put the crate up high then he cant get into it at night when it is bedtime.
     
    he is now 11 weeks old and still bitein the H*** out of me still im about getting ready to find him a new home b/c i try everything i read on the net stuff to try but  nothin works i try putting him in my bedroom,i try puttin him on his chain outside, when he is bitein i look him in the eyes say no or no bite to him that hasnt worked so..i about tryed everything so..i just started just get on my bed and just lay there so..he dont bite me but i dont wanna that everytime he try to bite me too. so..im thinkin about finding a trainer that will help me out with him or something but nothin is workin. i am just sick of it b/c nothin isnt workin [:(]