Dog Community

Lap Dog!!

Posted : 12/30/2006 2:34:48 PM

hi everyone.

i haven't been in a while but i've tried being patient with my puppy and hmm.. it's not getting me anywhere. i have two dogs (three if you count my brother's boxer who doesn't get along with my dogs. they have to be seperated). i have a husky mix who's 10 yrs old, Buster, and a 9mo old puggle, Roxie. she's a sweetie, she really is.. it sounds like i'm trying to convince myself! Buster's an angel but even he's starting to act out.

this is one of my problems out of many and it's happening right now! my computer is in my room and it's close to my bed. she jumps on my bed and tries to sneak her way onto my lap. if i don't let her on my lap, omg, does the torture begin. she'll attempt to jump on my lap.. and there's many attempts. she'll put her paws on the back of the chair and whine and bark in my ear.. if i continue to ignore this she'll start scratching my neck and back (i gotta admit sometimes the scratching the back feels good when my back is itchy. ha!) her nails are cut but they still break the skin. she'll try everything possible to get on my lap. i try and give her things to play with and it'll work for a few minutes. this only happens when i'm on the computer. if i'm on the couch she doesn't sit on my lap.. she'll lay at the end of the bed too.. so waht's up??

i ignore her 80% of the time while she's doing this.. i'll admit i give in once in a while and i know that's a problem. i just get so fed up.

oh my other dog is getting sick and tired of her.. i almost want to say if i were to let him run around off the lease he'd try and run away. i feel terrible. [

] his whole life had to change once she came. she's been here at the house since the beginning of june and he's still very unhappy.

lizzie

janetmichel3009

Posted : 12/30/2006 2:47:23 PM

there will probably be people with better advice, but i'll start for now..

it looks like some adolescence acting out... teenagers... tsss... [

]
my suggestions:
1) obedience classes
2) more training sessions (teach new tricks perhaps?)
3) more exercise (tired dog=good dog)
4) a sit-stay (or down-stay), for when she is doing the behaviour....

that was just off the top of my head... good luck[

]

Chuffy

Posted : 12/30/2006 4:33:08 PM

OK, this is what I would do:

First, nothing that could be perceived as a reward by the dog. So; no touching, no petting, no shoving her down, no telling her "Off", no instructing her to sit, no eye contact. Nothing.

Second; stop what you are doing and go very very still without looking at her. Wait a moment and if she is still doing it, grunt, like a guttaral "humph!" If she is STILL doing it, get up, lead her out of the room and shut the door, again without looking at her or saying anything. Be quick, decisive and calm.

If she is unhousetrained or you think this will make her throw a "tantrum", have a prepared dog proof area nearby where you can leave her in safety.

Don't let her back in until she is quiet and repeat if she acts up. If at any point it looks like she has got worse, not better, it means she's about to give up. This should teach her these actions get her the opposite of what she wants most (your attention), but I think its a good idea to teach her something you WANT her to do, to replace the thing you DON'T want.

So, teach her a signal that means, OK, settle by yourself for a while now, Mums just going to be off limits for a little bit. This could be the word "settle". One thing (which I haven't tried but friends with airedale have and said worked) is to find an unusual and distinctive ornament that your dog hasn't seen before. Bring it out and put it on display somewhere prominent, turn your back on the dog and look away for a few moments. Put the item out of sight and then turn around and greet the dog as if you haven't seen them in a year. Repeat several times a day and make the time you spend with the ornament out gradually longer. Make sure everyone understands what the ornament means - the dog is now invisible, or doesn't even exist. Once it is COMPLETELY out of sight, OK to pet the dog again.

If you have a comfy doggy bed you can put near the computer, great. Leave a stuffed kong or similar on the bed for her so she has something enjoyable to do by herself, then get the ornament out to signal to her "I'm off limits for a bit" and use the PC (hopefully in peace, fingers crossed)

espencer

Posted : 12/30/2006 8:33:50 PM

The answer is easy, you have to mean what you want her to realize, if you do it with a "please baby not now" attitude then she wont take you seriously, they sense the attitude you are sending, the "vibe" of your actions, if you stand up, put your hands in your weist and you say something like "hey" with an attitude of "that hurts and you have to respect that" then the dog will sense that "vibe" and get what you want really to communicate, of course it will take more than one ocasion the first time, you have to do exactly the same every time she does it so she can relate the excersice and realize that everytime you do that it means she is doing something you dont want and needs to stop

I'm telling you this not becuase i think it is that way, i have seen trainers doing it and done it myself and the dog really stops, you have to address the behavior, if you ignore it the dog would not know that what she is doing is right or wrong

DPU

Posted : 12/30/2006 9:20:02 PM

Espencer, I am sure your advise will work because lillizzierae will be immediately responding or correcting an unwanted behavior. Your description reminded me of the last scene in the 1989 movie Turner and Hooch where Tom Hanks is disciplining Hooch#%92s puppy by talking stern and going through a laundry list of NO#%92s. I actually go through that same routine each morning with my SA dog Marvin when he has to be alone in his kennel. No barking! No pacing! No spilling your water! No throwing your cloth comfort! Etc! Etc! Etc! After a few times the routine became a game for Marvin and fun for me to do. The good thing is that it calms him down. Not important to the OP but your post reminded me of this.