How do you discipline your doodle?

netsirk · Senior Member Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 100

Well, our discipline method right this minute is Kryczek in his crate Sad

He has been free in the house while we are at work and intermittently during the morning he will get one odd thing. A sock, a mitten, a piece of paper. We growl at him and tell him "no" and the afternoon is fine. Well today it was pulling down a plant that he really has to work at getting. He pulled the pot into the living room and dug it out. So this afternoon we locked him up in the crate and took away the freedom. We will give it back on Monday, and I am hoping we are not messing up. I am not sure if he can put the two together (getting into the plant means getting "jailed").

Any input?

lmtoth2 · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject:

Did you put him in his crate right when he pulled the pot down? If so, he probably would make the connection...otherwise I don't think he would. I have heard if you don't catch them in the act you cannot really "punish" them for it. However, you could take away freedom for now until he has proven he is mature enough to handle it Smile

How old is he?
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Leslie M

netsirk · Senior Member Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 100

He is 6 months, and we didnt' lock him up right away Sad

. DH came home to the mess. In the beginning, with the little stuff, I figured he was throwing a teeny tantrum and it wasn't a huge deal. This time it was a bigger item and more of a destruction thing. I feel guilty. Knowing he is at home right now caged, wondering why we locked him up. Ugh. I suppose it would be worse if I go home and smother him with kisses and treats? Wink

lmtoth2 · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 5:00 pm Post subject:

My opinion is that 6 months is probably a bit young to have run of the house. I know some doodles here did well with total freedom early, but if he's getting into things it's the best thing you can do for him to confine him. What if he hurt himself or ate something he shouldn't...we used x-pens to confine Dex a lot as a younger puppy so he could have a bit of freedom but in a small area where he couldn't get into trouble.

Don't feel bad - you are doing what's best for him Smile

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Leslie M

netsirk · Senior Member Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 100

We had tried gating him in small areas, but he jumped, crawled up or wiggled out of everything. For a couple weeks we had two pressure gates up at both entrances to the kitchen that worked well. They were about 6" tall all together with one being right on top of another. Well, he managed to push the bottom one out enough and wiggle out the top of it. When we got home, he greeted us at the door and when we went to investigate the gates, they were still up technically...my only next option would be to lock him in a bathroom, but that is a very small area.

SnickersMom · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 6:39 pm Post subject:

Snickers just turned one, and we still crate him when we are out of the house. I work from home, so granted he does not have to be for long stretches very frequently, but I still don't trust him to stay out of trouble. He sleeps in the crate overnight as well. He is very comfortable in it.
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Ann & Snickers

blueteal · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 6:42 pm Post subject:

Denver was a terror as a puppy in the nipping, biting
and jumping phases
So he and i went to school so I could learn the proper
ways..................I tried every method listed and had a difficult time
for a while but eventually day by day and week by week he started to
just get it and now he is Mr. Perfect, end of story haha!!!!!!!!!!
Ok the real story...........
It took me weeks and what eventually worked was crossing my arms
and turning my back,everytime he would try to bite or nip or jump up, this did not happen in one day he was stubborn but so were we so we did it over and over again and for every step forward we praised and praised and then praised some more. As he matured of course the behaviour got better, but I believe the consistency and training started him on the right path. So to all of you with little puppies, keep up your great work and
go to puppy school if possible and above all be consistent and remember to praise and praise good behaviour.............
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Sue & Denver & Ryder

Denver Meets Ryder Today!!!!!!!!!!!

River Rat · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 5:24 am Post subject:

This has been fascinating to read and all the advice is wonderful. I especially like the NILF idea, which is somewhat like what I've heard described as "grounding." It includes not allowing your pup to precede you and making sure that you're in control as much as possible. But as Jac says, these are young dogs and, amazingly enough, with your help and persistence they do grow out of most of it. I remember when I despaired of ever housetraining Chouette, who is now a year old, because she seemed to take longer than other dogs we've had, but somewhere along the line it just disappeared as an issue. Likewise so did most of the other problem behaviours, which were just puppy characteristics for the most part. As they mature they also calm down, which helps a lot. These dogs are bright and usually want to please, so eventually it does work out. Praising each time when they "get it" also works well.

This spring we started trying to teach Chou to stay on the paths and out of the garden rows. We didn't bother trying to get that across to her last year because she was just a little puppy, so she was used to flying through the squash and melon plants and tugging at the bean vines. She's still not perfect, especially if the cat teases her by dancing through the rows, but she really has the idea and usually goes over to lie in the arbor when I'm working in the garden now. We have been really impressed by how smart she is, how much she understands, and how much she wants to do what we ask if she can only figure it out. But again, it takes time and maturity!

Leslie
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