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Thread: Saying No

  1. #1
    Puppy jess_cope22's Avatar
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    Saying No

    Our little guy was 7 weeks old on Monday and we just got him last Saturday. The calmness has wore off, which we knew it would.
    I need to know the best way to say "no" and I want to be consistent. He's already started jumping on us, peeing on floors
    inside,(he will be a inside/outside dog) chewing on stuff (we have given him toys in his bed which he loves), and the biggest thing
    is kind of biting (not hard) at our hands when we go to pet him when he's all riled up. I just want to make sure we train right and don't let things
    go to far before it is to late. I tried going through other forums but didn't see anything like this. Any suggestions? Thanks!

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    rather than say no, teach him and reward what you DO want him to do.

    peeing on floors is a HUMAN error not a puppy error. he's too young to have nay idea on that front. Take him outside often, praise/reward and supervise more closely in the house.

    Chewing - interrupt and redirect to an appropriate chew toy. Have plenty of appropriate chews available but switch them out so they are nto all out all the time ("new" is always funner).

    Puppy nipping is VERY normal and you may have even more issues with this as he was removed from teh litter too early (generally best to wait til 8 weeks - it may not seem like much of a difference but the 6-8 weeks period they learn A LOT from the other puppies in teh litter about nipping and dog-behaviour). There are a few ways to work on this. One is to yelp (high pitch) and trun around so they can't "get" to you. It will take time and MANY MANY weeks of consistent repetition to get thru this though. You can also just redirect to an appropriate chew.

    here is a thread on puppy biting/nipping. alternatively you can use the search function as it's one of the most common issues with puppies Puppy biting!


    I HIGHLY recommend puppy classes. They are FUN and great for tips on training and basic puppy issues plus great for socialization in a safe environment (the period before 12 weeks is the most critical socialization period but unfortunately also when they are more at risk as they are nto fully immunized, so important to find safe places and ways to socialize to people, textures, sounds, objects, dogs, etc.)

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    Puppy jess_cope22's Avatar
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    Thank you for the advice!! Very much appreciated I try to take him out often but he tends to get distracted with flying leaves (lol!) as it is windy season. He's done better than I thought though. Mom trained our African borbel by saying go potty! when she was doing it outside and then would praise by going good girl with excitement. That's what I have done so far, is that ok? I'll get him toys more often, he has a rope and then a stuffed little lamb that he absolutely loves!

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    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    you may want to bring him out on leash to keep him on the job. and start associating a command to potting so you can then prompt.

    for toys also look for "safe" chews (ropes and stuffed toys are not the safest chews but may be ok for now)

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    Puppy jess_cope22's Avatar
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    Ok! Will definitely get a leash then today. And what type of toys would be good then? Like rubber or something. This is why I came to the forum Wouldn't have even thought about those not being ok! Thanks!

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    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Management, Training and Maintenance Part 1

    This thread doesn't answer all your questions but it looks like some good reading. I found Brian Kilcommon's and Sarah Wilson's book, "Good Owners, Great Dogs" to be a valuable help with our puppy but it was over 20 years ago.
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    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jess_cope22 View Post
    Ok! Will definitely get a leash then today. And what type of toys would be good then? Like rubber or something. This is why I came to the forum Wouldn't have even thought about those not being ok! Thanks!
    they are ok! just use them under supervision and monitor for now. they may be fine for now (and ongoing) but the puppy may end up tearing them apart and if they are swallowers that could be the issue. but you can just see how it goes I wouldn't leave those in the crate though (when you are not supervising) unless the pup isn't much of a destroyer/chewer).

    I like nylabones and such.

    here is another link for info - dog star daily is by Ian Dunbar who is an EXCELLENT educated qualified trainer. he has two free downloads with good info.
    Free downloads | Dog Star Daily

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    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    All great advice. I really like the Ian Dunbar series that Tanya suggested. Here is a great blog post, It's a Puppy Not a Problem. I'd strongly recommend getting a book, even Puppies for Dummies which is quite good, and reading about puppy rearing. Labs are not the easiest puppies and require consistency and understanding. Good luck!

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  12. #9
    Puppy jess_cope22's Avatar
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    Thank you so much!!

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    Real Retriever PinkDragon14's Avatar
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    As for learning to potty outside, consistency is key. When you're headed out the door, say, "Good boy potty outside!" Then, when you go out and he's in the middle of going, say, "Go potty!" or "Hurry Up!" or whatever you choose to use. Usually I say, "Go potty, hurry!" and Murph sniffs out his spot and goes. Do this every time he goes, even when he's older. Rewards will be your best friend for this process as well. Whenever he goes, praise him a ton! After he's done, say, "Good boy! Good job! Potty outside! Yes! Good boy!" and this is usually where the tail wags fast and he feels proud Take him inside and give him a treat (Murphy LOVES bologna, so he usually got a little bite after he did his potty outside). After a while of consistency, he'll learn to go near the door that you use to take him out. I forget how long it took Murphy to catch on, but I think it was about 3-4 weeks.

    At the beginning, I took Murphy out every 30mins or so. It seems like a lot, but eventually you'll get to the point where 30mins is too short of time and he won't do anything. That's when you move to 40mins, then 50mins, etc. If he ends up having an accident, start over at 30 and try again. Potty training won't be overnight - in the mean time, don't use any ammonia based products to clean up on the hard floor. Use some kind of organic "green" spray (Walmart has some for $1) or a cleaning solution with no ammonia so he won't smell the ammonia and go in the same spot again.

    Ahhh, the biting. My favorite subject LOL Murph was sick when we first got him, so he never learned bite inhibition from his parents (that's when the puppies are playing and one yelps to end the game). We tried EVERYTHING. Apple spray, yelping, redirecting, water spray, etc. Nothing worked and I was convinced we had a demon on our hands (well, we sort of did). Eventually, he grew out of it after losing his baby teeth. He was probably about 20 weeks when he stopped (yes, I know that's a long time, but definitely use the threads here!). Training and exercise are 2 things that help to drain his energy and will take his "biting" energy and put it somewhere else. He still mouths on our hands regularly, but if I yell "NO" or "LEAVE IT!", he'll stop and walk away.

    As for the toys, you'll be fine for a while until the adult teeth come in. Then you'll want to stay away from the ropes and stuffed toys until he's older. I swear by the Kong toys, as they're the only ones that Murphy can't destroy. The blue Kong (the puppy line) was soft enough for him to bite and kept him occupied for a long time. Nylabones are also really good (plastic bones that are NOT edible), so are frisbees from Walmart, Petsmart, etc. This is the toy that helped me survive his biting: Pet Supplies : Pet Toys : KONG Safestix Dog Toy, Medium, Assorted Colors : Amazon.com Yes, it is crude looking (LOL), but it's a firmer rubber than the puppy Kong and allows the pup to chew on something a bit harder.

    I found for Murphy that there was no good way to teach "NO" except to repeat myself 500 times. I'm sure members on here have better ideas than that, but it will come with time. Definitely enjoy the puppyhood despite the accidents and biting. You'll look back one day and miss it!
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