Puppy Classes

We got of to a great start with Murphy (now 3 months), he learned to sit, give paw, lay down and stay in a matter of days, but we are having a VERY hard time with his biting, keeping him down off the couches, and listening to us when he's in hyper mode. Just curious if puppy classes will help with this, or if there is something specific we can do to calm him down and curb the biting? (Also, Murphy appears to be house broken when on the first floor of our house, but for some reason is peeing upstairs on occasion- any thoughts?) If anyone knows of any classes in the Worcester MA area, please let us know!

[seazr]

Our dog had puppy classes at PetsMart and we were very happy with the instructor.
Diane (and Dakota)

[Jac]

Hi, I think that puppy classes ALWAYS help...even if they don't help with specific problems, it helps you to learn to train your puppy and it helps your puppy to learn from you.
You can ask the trainer for specific information about training through your trouble spots, but there are many, many ideas on the net too. (Check the archives here, we have recently been posting about these very problems...)
The potty problem could be due to a UTI, so I always suggest a clean bill of health from your vet (where you discuss the potty problem) and then crate training is the next best method.
The key to any training is not to expect too much (don't try to train several different things at once) and consistency. Work with your puppy constantly. Finally, when you can't watch your pup (and I mean every second) you should crate him for his safety and for the sake of your home/sanity!
You can tether your pup to you when he is out and it helps you to keep a very close eye on him, correcting and praising at just the perfect time.

[Maddie]

If misery loves company, you and I are in the same boat!

We have had Lexi for about a week. She is about 9 weeks old. She could retreive the first night. Could sit consistantly by day 2. She is now working on giving her paw, and giving kisses.

Potty training continues to be a challange, and at times, she goes into high energy puppy mode, and seems to be "all teeth" when playing.

We inquired about puppy classes, but she needs one more round of shots (she has her 3rd round in 2 weeks). We intend to sign up as soon as she is allowed.

For nipping - first we tried offering appropriate chew toys, but this had no effect. Next we tried no teeth, give kisses, but she doesn't seem to understand. We are now working on learning what "kisses" are.

The only thing that seems to help at all is immediately withdrawing all attention. This serves to help calm her as well. Then go back after about 10 minutes and try for a positive interacion.

Have you seen any improvement? If so, what helped th most?

Did you go to puppy class? Any luck there?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Maddie

[Jac]

I found a nice article on puppy biting...I hope that it helps with some ideas:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Conten ... C=0&A=1128

We didn't end up taking any puppy classes, but Murphy is now in doggy day care twice a week. This seems to help with his hyper mode at night time. He has learned what "no bite" means, but thinks it's a game, so he will lean in as if he was going to bite, but then back off, he does this over and over again,. I think he's doing it for attention, but this behavior could be very scary to someone who doesn't know him...so needless to say, we are still working on the biting issue!

Been there, done that!!! Boyd is now 5 1/2 months old and I went through everything you all are discussing......the hyper mode, the biting, the peeing. Consistency and patience are key!!! Boyd was upping and peeing in the living room up until a few weeks ago b/c we won't let him in there. I put a baby gate up to block his access so I'm still not 100% sure he won't pee in there again!

As for the classes, I highly recommend puppy class and basic obedience. Although at the time it seemed Boyd wasn't getting much from puppy class, when we started basic obedience he was the calmest dog there b/c he knew the routine.

You will be surprised at how quickly your puppy grows and becomes a sweet little marshmellow. You may feel frustrated right now and wondering when you'll get your life and house back, but you'll be surprised how quickly things progress!

[K9Summer]

sgintoff-
I know this message is a while after you originally posted, but somehow I missed your first post!
I want to first warn you about doggie daycare, especially since Murphy is so young. They can learn a lot of bad behaviors at places like daycares. I would make sure they are being watched at all times and see what the dog to staff ratio is. There are so many places that have one or two people that know very little about dog body language that are "supervising".
Taking a puppy class is important for socialization. It will also help with leadership, which is so important and will help with all other problems.

When he play bites because he is excited, go into another room (bathroom) and shut the door, or step over a baby gate if he is gated. They do it for attention and because they are excited- if you hold their muzzle and say no bite, you are still giving him attention. It's negative attention, but they would rather have negative attention than no attention at all.
If he is jumping on the couch, you can teach him 'off' or a similar command. But if he is doing it when you're not near the couch, you can get a plastic rug liner- the plastic ones with the nubbies on the bottom. Put it on the couch upside down (nubbies up) and it is extremely uncomfortable to sit on! Good luck with Murphy! Enjoy puppyhood- it goes by so fast!

Bridget, Summer, and Duke

[Maddie]

hi

How old is Murphy now?

I am seeing some improvement with Lexi's nipping by ignoring her when she nips. Also I noticed if I try to keep play and teaching sessions short it helps alot, as the overstimulation must be encouraging the nipping.

Potty training is still hard for us. We keep her gated in the kitchen when she can be supervised, and in a crate when she is alone. We take her out about every 2 hours or when she is sniffing. We give her a treat as soon as she goes, but still she seems far from trained. How long does it usually take? How much water do you allow daily?

Maddie

Hi again Maddie!
I will tell you what our trainer told us. Take her out more than you think possible!....and then take her out again . Your reward will be a potty trained puppy in 6 weeks
Puppies cannot control their bladder until they are 12 weeks old. So until then you will need to take her out every hour. If she does not ever go in the house, she will never consider going in the house.
It is ALOT of work, but it goes by very quickly! Luckily, puppies are soooo cute because no one would put up with all the work of training them

[Maddie]

Thanks Linda!

Thats just the information I needed

Maddie

Maddie,
Sounds like you are doing a great job! I would not limit her water at all. I found a great page by a vet called The Golden Rules of Housebreaking:
http://www.bissell.com/Main.asp?Page_id ... kie_test=1

[Maddie]

can't get the link to work

Sorry, try this one:
http://www.bissell.com/Main.asp?Page_id=46649

[Jac]

I agree, Linda...I always worry when people cut the water supply for puppies in order to train them. I have a good article on that too:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Conten ... C=0&A=2314