Dog Community

Crying for joy?

Posted : 12/27/2006 1:27:17 AM

I have a feeling this may be a dumb question, but we've never had a dog with quite so much personality as my boy. My 3 & 1/2 month old puppy is extremely quiet. Very active, but rarely vocalizes at all. He doesn't bark & I've only heard him play growl at a ball once. Several times, he has even run head first into a wall or coffee table when traveling at full speed & never so much as yelps. However, when he goes outside to play with the other dog & comes back in the house with me or I go out with him, he whines and cries like he's suffered so much (all the while jumping all over me). He never acts like he's anything but completely joyful when he's outside playing, but you sure wouldn't know that when he runs up to me afterwards! Does this mean anything that I should be aware of, or is he just a silly, excited puppy? Does anyone else have a dog who does this?

calliecritturs

Posted : 12/27/2006 8:23:50 AM

Dogs sometimes do what they've learned -- there may have been less vocalization in the pack when he was a baby, or it may be this one's personality. He may not have heard a lot of barking ... yet.

mrv

Posted : 12/27/2006 8:50:36 AM

It may also be anxious behaviors which can be found in many herding breeds. You might find an article on teaching self control on Susan Clothier's website helpful. [linkhttp://www.flyingdogpress.com]www.flyingdogpress.com[/link]
I have two very reactive belgians who do similar things. We are working on self control at high excitement times.

TexasDaisy

Posted : 12/27/2006 12:13:53 PM

Thanks mrv! That's definately a site we could put to good use!

Nicole Wilde

Posted : 12/28/2006 1:10:41 AM

Not a dumb question at all! My GSD used to do that when I was getting ready to take her to the park. We used to joke that the neighbors would think we were killing her, judging by the sound. I never minded because it was just her way of expressing excitement, but if you find it problematic, you could just stop the activity (e.g., not open the door for your dog) until he is quiet.

spiritdogs

Posted : 12/28/2006 6:58:41 AM

Yup, it's often a herding dog thing [

]. I find it most common in GSD's. They seem to take it to new heights. As Nicole said, if you want to reduce the behavior you can. Ignore the dog till he's quiet, then wait a second, and if he's still quiet, click and treat. Then, gradually extend the length of time he must be quiet before you C/T.

snownose

Posted : 12/29/2006 8:42:23 AM

A bigtime anxiety issue[

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Yes, ignoring the dog is the best way to handle it.

TexasDaisy

Posted : 12/29/2006 4:03:21 PM

I knew herding dogs were different, but I didn't understand the extent of it! I don't think it is really an anxiety issue, though. He doesn't need any kind of encouragement to play outside other the the site of an open door & doesn't whine at any other time. As a few of you have said, it does seem more like he's just incredibly excited. Lol, it's not a problem, just an endearing quirk I was curious about. This forum has been so helpful in researching & eventually learning how to live with my dog. Thanks for all the opinions & personal experiences![

]

mrv

Posted : 12/29/2006 4:16:47 PM

Herding dogs are incredibly reactive,,, it is built into the genetically. The problem is when that reactivity is demonstrated in the manner you are describing, the excitement level builds and over time can transfer to other activities (like people coming to the door etc). Working on the calm and control is appropriate believe me. I missed that boat with the GSD and for a number of reasons escalated significantlly. I am older and wiser now, I work diligently to get that self control established. It is especially important in herding (as a hobby herder who's dogs do not get daily work), for the dogs to be calm and collected under any situation.

TexasDaisy

Posted : 12/29/2006 8:47:52 PM

I defiantely agree that self control is an important thing for us to work on with him. I don't mind the sound effects in particular, but we'd like for him to be able to control his wild impulses later on when he's much larger. Thanks again for the website! It'll give us some more stuff to work on. [

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