Too harsh?

[cammidge]

My ten week old puppy (Italian Mastiff x Rottweiler x Bouvier) is giving me the work out. She is mostly okay, has learned the tsst! noise means stop whatever you're doing NOW. However, when she's tired and over threshold, she just gets out of control, leaping at me to BITE me, not just nibble. Today, I lost it, and gave her a very harsh correction with the leash (rope around her neck) which made her yelp (mostly with surprise, I'm sure, as I've never corrected her like that). She's now gone into hiding. Was that too harsh? Am I ruining my beautiful pup? PS: I'm somewhat disabled, with MS, so she's got the advantage. Any ideas? Other than this issue, she's very quick to learn, in the less than two weeks here.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello and welcome to the forums,

This sounds like a cranky pup who may benefit from a little quiet time. Tired pups are more prone to misbehave. Puppies may not know how and when to chill. They are tired, maybe even getting cranky, but they are too overstimulated to relax. If you have provided her with plenty of brain games, socialization (she's at the peak time, so make sure to invite a variety of people over-ask them to take their shoes off- before that window of opportunity closes) play and training, then she needs to learn that it's a good time to take a nap.

 

This can be accomplished by providing her with some interactive toy (like a stuffed Kong) in a confined area (crate, x-pen, behind a baby gate) and giving her some quiet time. Many dogs will chew/lick for a bit and then fall asleep. You can play some calming music (there are several CD's made just for dogs) draw the curtains or place a blanket over the crate. Avoid if possible doing things that may overstimulate her such as getting up repeatedly from the couch, grabbing her food bowl or the car keys or cleaning the house. Having the T.V. on or some music playing, although that qualifies as noise, offers the advantage of buffering sounds that may stimulate her (unless the tv show features door bells or dogs barking!) so she has a easier time falling asleep.

 

If you establish scheduled nap times as a routine, chances are that, day after day, she will start getting drowsy around these times and may fall asleep on her own.

 

Harsh corrections unfortunately lead to several drawbacks. They put a dent in the bonding experience and we want our dogs to trust us rather than perceive us as intimidating and unpredictable. It's a myth hard to debunk that some breeds or types of dogs need a heavier hand. As a crossover trainer, I have seen first hand, the emotional damage that can occur as a result of using harsh methods over time, although it took a while for this "to stick" because when I started training several years ago, it was all about corrections. With my breed (Rottweilers) there is still a strong belief that they need harsh methods, but these dogs are ever so sensitive only that they might not seem to show it.

 

It may help identifying when she is more likely to act this way and do all possible to prevent her from reaching this point. Since she is so smart to learn, we can use this to our advantage by outsmarting her and making our goal to prevent rehearsal of these behaviors before they pop up in full intensity where she cannot cognitively function. Here are some ideas.

 

-As soon as you notice her getting a bit hyped up, you can toss a ball (that you keep handy in your pocket) or play a bit of tug with her and then escort her into her quiet area to chill out with a stuffed Kong.

-Upon noticing she is about to have one of these episodes, (or even better, beforehand), you can take her out on a sniffing adventure prior to nap time. It has been found that sniffing is quite a tiresome activity for many dogs. If you have a yard, spend some time out with her and watch her sniff to her heart's content. Chances are, once back inside, she should be ready for a nap (although may need your guidance initially).

-You can train her to respond very reliably to hand targeting and distract her temporarily this way (toss the treats after each target to allow her a legit way to get rid of this frustrated energy) and then conclude the training by asking one last hand target and rewarding with a stuffed Kong once she is in her quiet area. Here is how to train targeting https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/

 

 

With behaviors that occur suddenly and unexpectedly, it's ideal to be prepared. You must have a plan in mind on how to address this in a timely fashion before she gets over threshold. This often means carrying a treat bag filled up with some kibble/treats and/or toys in a pocket so that you can redirect and reward at a moment's notice or taking her out to sniff/explore.

 

Keep us posted on how things go. If she has learned a lot in less than two weeks, you are doing very well and your pup is brilliant and has shown the ability to learn and absorb all that you are teaching her. Although biting in pups is frustrating, the good news is that most pups outgrow this as they mature (just as they eventually stop chasing their tails) and learn more productive ways to interact.

Edited June 18, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli

[cammidge]

Yes, definitely cranky. It makes me so sad that I did this. I feel absolutely terrible. I hope it's not going to affect her. I just reacted waaay too strongly. Thank you for your great ideas.

[JMFS]

Humans get over threshold, too, and especially so when something is out of our control - like an energetic or cranky puppy! The important thing is that we learn from it and correct ourselves in future instances. The key here is you feel badly about it, which means you know there's a better way and just need some guidance. You'll definitely find that here. I'm sure she'll forgive you so forgive yourself and do it differently next time. :) She very well could be picking up on your feeling of guilt so the sooner your emotional state is in balance the sooner y'all can move on to bonding again.

 

On a more personal side - it can be challenging, especially when you don't feel well. I don't know much about MS and if you experience pain so I can only speak to my challenge. I have an arthritic back as well as chronic neck and shoulder pain. When I have a flare up my fuse is non-existent and I have to Really work to keep myself in check. I find with the dogs I have to internalize that and one way I do that is to gripe them out in a happy voice. It helps me vent and they're none the wiser that they're getting a tongue lashing! "Who's the little turkey? You are! Yes you are, you little turkey!" I kept it clean for the sake of public consumption, but you get the idea. ;) Sometimes it can be so very cathartic to verbalize. Other times I open a monologue, "why would you chase that squirrel when I told you not to?!" She just looks at me as if to ask, "what are we doing next?" More and more I'm finding my fuse growing longer so it's been a good thing for me, too. There are Those days, though. On Those days I give her a long lasting treat and quietly stew in my pain. Thought I'd share a couple of my tricks since I, too, get over threshold so I'm familiar with that struggle. We can't all be perfect, but we sure can make an attempt! :)

[cammidge]

Thanks, Jennifer. Love your tongue lashing idea!

[cammidge]

Update; next day. Watched like a hawk for the signs of trouble. Digging, on the cushion, which also can be done lying down, so it looks like swimming practice. This is done close to the threshold of tiredness, so into the crate with a kong filled with peanut butter she goes (oh and the bully stick). A few small cries, then sweet silence. This goes on all afternoon, apparently. What a tired out pup!

[JMFS]

Aw, wook at dat widdle face, lol!

[cammidge]

Kongs, and crates. I've always used Kongs, but first time crate user.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Update; next day. Watched like a hawk for the signs of trouble. Digging, on the cushion, which also can be done lying down, so it looks like swimming practice. This is done close to the threshold of tiredness, so into the crate with a kong filled with peanut butter she goes (oh and the bully stick). A few small cries, then sweet silence. This goes on all afternoon, apparently. What a tired out pup![ATTACH=CONFIG]45[/ATTACH]

 

Awww... what a cutie! Kudos to you for being so attentive and catching her before her behavior escalated. Napping right afterward sounds like proof she was starting to get cranky!

[cammidge]

Yes, watching for the signs, the digging/scratching, then out for a pee, then kennel up. With or without kibble. She sleeps a lot.