Puppy Blues

[Maggie2018]

Hi we've got a 18 week old pointador (German shorthaired pointer crossed with a labrador). We've had him since he was 8 weeks old and love him lots but he's so full of energy, which is only to be expected. We had our last labrador for 11 years and were ready for the challenge. But nearly every day I wonder if we've done the right thing. We go to puppy training classes. Firstly my problem is I can hardly walk with him he's so strong (already 17 kilos) secondly he demands so much attention. Our last dog was definitely not like this. I know he's intelligent and if I had a pound for every time someone has said it's because he's a Pointer cross...he barks and growls at me if he hasn't had a walk. Today he's been out 3 times already and won't stay in his dog playpen . When I let him out he puts his paws up on the kitchen work tops steals things etc . I work from home so can't have him barking all the time and because of his joints etc he can't be walked for hours . What can I do? Vet said he was too young for a dog walker as he'd be running about with a pack for an hour which would be too long we need to be careful of hip dysplasia etc when he's older. I also can't afford a dog walker every day. He has kongs and chews. Thanks

 

[JudyN]

I disagree with your vet about not being ready for a dog walker - a good dog walker should be able to keep him on lead most of the time and just let him off for short bursts.

What do you feed him? Some foods can make a dog more active, but I suspect he is simply behaving like a typical (or at least in the normal range) pup of his breed and age. Things will get MUCH better if you can survive and manage him for now. I have a few thoughts of what might help, but will come back to this later...

 

[Maggie2018]

I disagree with your vet about not being ready for a dog walker - a good dog walker should be able to keep him on lead most of the time and just let him off for short bursts.

What do you feed him? Some foods can make a dog more active, but I suspect he is simply behaving like a typical (or at least in the normal range) pup of his breed and age. Things will get MUCH better if you can survive and manage him for now. I have a few thoughts of what might help, but will come back to this later...

Hi thanks for your reply he's on Skinners Field and Trial puppy food

 

[Maggie2018]

Hi we've got a 18 week old pointador (German shorthaired pointer crossed with a labrador). We've had him since he was 8 weeks old and love him lots but he's so full of energy, which is only to be expected. We had our last labrador for 11 years and were ready for the challenge. But nearly every day I wonder if we've done the right thing. We go to puppy training classes. Firstly my problem is I can hardly walk with him he's so strong (already 17 kilos) secondly he demands so much attention. Our last dog was definitely not like this. I know he's intelligent and if I had a pound for every time someone has said it's because he's a Pointer cross...he barks and growls at me if he hasn't had a walk. Today he's been out 3 times already and won't stay in his dog playpen . When I let him out he puts his paws up on the kitchen work tops steals things etc . I work from home so can't have him barking all the time and because of his joints etc he can't be walked for hours . What can I do? Vet said he was too young for a dog walker as he'd be running about with a pack for an hour which would be too long we need to be careful of hip dysplasia etc when he's older. I also can't afford a dog walker every day. He has kongs and chews. Thanks

 

[Maggie2018]

My main problem is the barking and constant need for attention. My lab retriever cross wasn't like this. Chews used to work natural dried cow ears etc but he seems to have gone off them !

 

[JudyN]

Skinner's puppy food scores 3.6 on the All About Dog Food website: Skinner's Puppy rated 3.6 out of 5! All About Dog Food They conclude 'Conclusion: A good, natural puppy food that doesn't cost the earth.' I'd guess that changing his food wouldn't make any difference to his behaviour. So...

As far as stealing things, it's a case of having to be very tidy because it is rewarding. If it's food, this is obviously the case and if it's anything else he shouldn't have, then any attention he gets when you try to get it off him is also rewarding (and this could lead to guarding). So if he tends to steal things that are unlikely to harm him and aren't too valuable, the best thing to do is ignore him. You can of course teach him to trade, but you might then find that he presents you with sock, hankies, tissues he picked out of the bin or whatever in the hope of a treat. So get plenty of lidded boxes to pop things in. At one time I used a folding board so I could block off the dirty crockery at the back of the worktop, and of course I could never leave food unattended. Still can't, actually.

A skill to work on is a good 'settle down on your bed' and if he's lying there quietly, give him the occasional treat as a reward for 'not being naughty'. You'll have to build up slowly. Something else which is really valuable is impulse control because not only does a dog need to know that you want him to settle down quietly, he has to be able to control his frustration about not getting attention. There's a video on Youtube called 'It's Yer Choice' which will show you how to teach it, and you can develop it into different games where the dog has to wait and control his urges to get the reward.

Ideas for occupying your dog's mind (which can be just as tiring as physical exercise): There's loads of different challenging toys for dogs, both those that will hopefully occupy the dog on their own and those which are interactive games. K9 Connactables, Kong Wobbler and Nina Ottoson interactive toys spring to mind. They're not cheap, but if you hunt the internet you you'll find ideas for making your own toys. Boxes full of, say, loo roll insides with a few treats hidden amongst them can occupy a dog. Also, search for 'snuffle mats' - I've not tried them but seen them recommended. Clicker training - search for YouTube videos called '101 uses for a cardboard box'. Or a nice meaty bone which he might be happy to chew on for ages.

You could actually feed him his whole food ration using toys and games!

Walking - you might be able to walk him more easily on a harness with a front fastening for the lead, or in a head collar such as Gentle Leader. The latter can just frustrate some dogs, and some people have concerns about safety aspects if the dog should lunge and get his head pulled round, but as far as I'm aware there is no evidence to back this up. I used one with my dog for a while and it did make him much easier for me to control. It's also fine for him to have longer walks if he can be persuaded to stop and sniff and explore with his nose - if there are any local woods you might find this more doable than open areas.

I know all this sounds time-consuming, and it is, but if you are able to really occupy him mentally for the times when he can have your attention, it should be easier for him to have down time... and then you can work on having 'official' down time where he accepts that you aren't available to him. (I have heard of a method whereby you do something like hang up wind chimes where they dog can see them when you are not 'available' and then ignore the dog. Whether it works I have no idea.)

I hope some of this helps. I work from home too and my dog was wild as a youngster, but typical of his type he loved long naps too which made life easier.

 

[Maggie2018]

Skinner's puppy food scores 3.6 on the All About Dog Food website: Skinner's Puppy rated 3.6 out of 5! All About Dog Food They conclude 'Conclusion: A good, natural puppy food that doesn't cost the earth.' I'd guess that changing his food wouldn't make any difference to his behaviour. So...

As far as stealing things, it's a case of having to be very tidy because it is rewarding. If it's food, this is obviously the case and if it's anything else he shouldn't have, then any attention he gets when you try to get it off him is also rewarding (and this could lead to guarding). So if he tends to steal things that are unlikely to harm him and aren't too valuable, the best thing to do is ignore him. You can of course teach him to trade, but you might then find that he presents you with sock, hankies, tissues he picked out of the bin or whatever in the hope of a treat. So get plenty of lidded boxes to pop things in. At one time I used a folding board so I could block off the dirty crockery at the back of the worktop, and of course I could never leave food unattended. Still can't, actually.

A skill to work on is a good 'settle down on your bed' and if he's lying there quietly, give him the occasional treat as a reward for 'not being naughty'. You'll have to build up slowly. Something else which is really valuable is impulse control because not only does a dog need to know that you want him to settle down quietly, he has to be able to control his frustration about not getting attention. There's a video on Youtube called 'It's Yer Choice' which will show you how to teach it, and you can develop it into different games where the dog has to wait and control his urges to get the reward.

Ideas for occupying your dog's mind (which can be just as tiring as physical exercise): There's loads of different challenging toys for dogs, both those that will hopefully occupy the dog on their own and those which are interactive games. K9 Connactables, Kong Wobbler and Nina Ottoson interactive toys spring to mind. They're not cheap, but if you hunt the internet you you'll find ideas for making your own toys. Boxes full of, say, loo roll insides with a few treats hidden amongst them can occupy a dog. Also, search for 'snuffle mats' - I've not tried them but seen them recommended. Clicker training - search for YouTube videos called '101 uses for a cardboard box'. Or a nice meaty bone which he might be happy to chew on for ages.

You could actually feed him his whole food ration using toys and games!

Walking - you might be able to walk him more easily on a harness with a front fastening for the lead, or in a head collar such as Gentle Leader. The latter can just frustrate some dogs, and some people have concerns about safety aspects if the dog should lunge and get his head pulled round, but as far as I'm aware there is no evidence to back this up. I used one with my dog for a while and it did make him much easier for me to control. It's also fine for him to have longer walks if he can be persuaded to stop and sniff and explore with his nose - if there are any local woods you might find this more doable than open areas.

I know all this sounds time-consuming, and it is, but if you are able to really occupy him mentally for the times when he can have your attention, it should be easier for him to have down time... and then you can work on having 'official' down time where he accepts that you aren't available to him. (I have heard of a method whereby you do something like hang up wind chimes where they dog can see them when you are not 'available' and then ignore the dog. Whether it works I have no idea.)

I hope some of this helps. I work from home too and my dog was wild as a youngster, but typical of his type he loved long naps too which made life easier.

Thanks that's really helpful he does get some meals in his Kong and I've got a star shaped puzzle feeder. I'll look up the other things. Thanks very much