HELP!!!! need help with a disobedient and disruptive puppy...

OK so at the moment, im looking after my boyfriends dog. shes about 8 months old, red heeler x german shepard (shes a big dog) and she is totally disobedient. She wont come when called, she wont sit, she wont do anything, she chases and harrasses my cats (she killed one of my cats kittens but breaking its back, though she was just "playing" with it she wouldnt drop it or anything when we found her with it ) and she barks all night. She has been here about a week now, and no matter how much we tell her "no" etc she still barks at anything and everything! I had my neighbours over complaining last night about the noise, coz at 3am she just wouldnt stop! She climbs in through bedroom windows (she broke my sisters window, which my parents arent appy about) and she climbs all over the back table (which is also glass) which is also a no no and she wont listen to me about that either!



My boyfriend has very little control over her either.Hes a chef by night and was at uni by day since he got her, (she was bought mainly coz my bf lives in a real bad area and he wanted a litlle more protection 4 his house) so he didnt have much time to spend with her, which may have contributed to this? Though she has nevr been trated badly, she is always fed etc maybe its because of the lack of time he has spent with her in the past?

In any case, I was wondering if anyone had any advise to help me at all! Im coming to my wits end and cannot think of anything else to do to disipline her, short of physical punishment (which im not comfortable with) I have two other dogs which are very obedient and well trained, but she just doesnt seem to listen or anything! Im getting really frusterated! If anyone could give me some tips, i would really really appreciate it!

thanx guys

ash

 

Here's a simple, yet HARMLESS tool for training.
Get a squirt-gun. When pup does something you don't want,
give her a shot. Say in a firm voice, "No." Ya have to look her in the eye
but she'll get the idea.

 

aw man i had a whole long ass post written but i hit some button and it erased! ok ive got stuff to do so ill keep it kind of short.......

physical punishment is never acceptable. it does nothing to help with the training...only makes the dog fearful so you are right in not feeling comfortable with it. for the barking at night....try keeping her in your bedroom with you. my dog would bark all night as well if she was left to her own devices...she sleeps with me anyway but to keep her from barking at nightly noises i keep my door closed so she cant get out. not only does it keep her from hearing things but i think she sleeps better and sounder when next to me. i have to disagree with matts post....while not entirely cruel and alot of people would agree with it...i feel that positive reinforment only is the way to go. remember at 8months she is still a puppy so some of this stuff is to be expected. for the simple obediance training i reccomend a professional course since she is a little older.....lack of attention and time spent with her in the past probably accounts for some of this behavior. i know that petsmart has an 8 week (one day a week) training course for $99.....i am considering taking my one year old pup as well. also keep in mind that like children dogs will act out for attention as negative attention is better than none...are you spending alot of time with her? dogs thrive on friendship and time spent with them. always reward her when she does something right and make a huge fuss over her.....she will get the message eventually. you cant expect this to be done overnight or even in a month or two. some dogs take longer than that to figure out the "rules" of what is and isnt exceptable....have patience ok ive gotta go.....ill try to post more later. good luck hon!

 

Get yourself a nailgun, and pull the trigger with it held right between the puppy's eyes.

It'll twitch for a bit.

Dump the body in a dumpster, problem solved.

GOD I hate dogs.

 

Sounds like what I went through with my little rotti angel. She's a monster. When I was by myself with her for a couple weeks, I couldn't handle it, me and my friend tried everything from sangria to a full out exorcism.

Nothing would work. She was so out of hand. We've had so many dogs, cause my dad use to breed them, and I had never seen such a monster.

She stole half a "special muffin" once, and for the next 5 hours was as good as gold and just chilled, aside from that all I can say, is that's a puppy.

They are made of eslastic bands and stone. They are indestructable and think you are too.

I love my baby girl though more than anything, and she has gotten better, but they need constant attention.

Doing little training classes helps too! I don't like physical punishment either. Usually I make my puppy lay down and I lecture her for about an hour. She listens for 30 seconds and goes back to attacking her back foot.

 

Ok, except for the nail gun thing(loser) those are great ideas, but for someone who doesn't have the xtra cash to go to obedience classes, your best friend(other than the dog ) is a short training lead. Keep it on her at all times. When she barks, step on the lead close to her collar, and MAKE her lay down. Choose a command("down" works well), and while firmly telling her the command, pull up on the handle side of the lead, and gently step down on it. To reinforce this, and to save her neck a bit, push her down by the shoulders with your free hand. This technique works well with any basic training, like when you make her "sit", "come", or any thing else. The biggest thing is that you must be firm (to be "Alpha dog" in her pack) and to be extremly repetitive. If you give even an inch(at 8 months they are strong willed and have started developing their personality) she will walk all over you, and you are back to square one.

Also, try crate-training for night time. It will be even noisier at first, but she will (probably) calm down.
Now, don't take my word as the "gospel", because every dog is different.
But you should pick up a short book or 2 on basic training.
I strongly reccomend "Good Owners, Great Dogs" by Brian Kilcommons.
Good Luck!!

 

Thanks 4 the ideas guys.... Exept for the nail gun one .....

Ill give them all a go and see which ones work.

I have been spending heaps of time with her since shes been here, and she seems to have improved alot in the last few days, but as Elle said its gonna take a while.

Thanks for the feedback, ill keep you posted on whats going on with her!
xxxooo
ash

 

Lots of great advice in this thread. Keep in mind it's not really the dog's fault most of the time when they "misbehave", it's just that no one bothered to teach the dog how to live in a human's world from an early age. They key is to establish communication with the dog, on the dog's level. So don't be angry at the dog, be angry at the person that kept the dog but didn't bother to teach it what it needed to know for everyone's good and it's own.