Questions bout puppy training?

Question

Well, for I know he is just a puppy(just 9 weeks old) but he has a strong and stubborn will. I want to discipline him without him fearing us. A quick list of his bad activities is:
snarling and growling
getting into garbage
eating cats food
begging for food
barking for food
biting couch
if there is anymore I will put them on, but i REALLY need help...
Thanks...btw, we DONT smack his butt, and we cant put nast stuff in his mouth like lemon juice. we have tried however smacking on nose and yelling...also try to pull away by collar, tell to go lay down, and distracting with toys...nothing seems to work
Again, thanks for all your help!

Answer 1

What i did with mine was I used a "clicker". I'm not sure if that's the proper term for it or not, but they sell them at pet stores and it's just a small little plastic case and inside there's a little piece of metal that you push in with your thumb and it makes a clicking noise. The noise will got your puppies attention and when you click it you also say no in a firm voice.
I had to find a way to teach my dogs very quickly as I have two St. Bernards and they are very large, so if they weren't taught early I'd have HUGE problems now.
They are very well behaved dogs now (most of the time anyway) and I don't have any problems with them getting into the garbage, or chewing, or begging anymore.

Answer 2

This may sound a little harsh, but trust me it works and doesn't harm the puppy one bit. When the puppy snarls or growls (as long as he is not just playing) take a spray bottle and spritz him in the face. Again, this won't hurt him, but it will annoy him. Sooner or later he will get the point. As for garbage, with every puppy comes extra precautions. You need to keep the garbage in a place where he cannot get to it. You could use the spray bottle here to HOWEVER do NOT punish him unless you catch him in the act. If you punish him later, he will not understand and you won't get anywhere. As for eating cat's food, that is the same case as the garbage: you can place the food in a higher place where the puppy cannot reach. When your puppy begs for food, try locking him in a different part of the house while you eat, or distract him with a chew stick. As long as you ignore his cries for food, the more he'll understand that there is no way he is getting any. When the dog barks for food, a spray bottle will come in handle as well. Same for when he bites the couch. If he persists, push him away and firmly say "NO." Keep pushing away until he stops and if he doesn't, lock him up where he cannot get to it.

I really hope all this help. Just remember that this habits can sometimes work out on their own and the puppy grows its adult teeth and learns habits. Good luck with your puppy!

Answer 3

He is 9 weeks old. You need to invest in a crate. Don't smack his nose, he will end up fearing your hand and bite you. Keep the cat's food out of reach, same with the garbage. If he barks or begs for food, ignore him. Feed him on a regular schedule. When he gets too nippy, tell him NO, and distract with a toy. If that doesn't work, put him in his crate for a time out with a toy. He will whine, bark, howl, etc....ignore it. Don't even tell him NO while in the crate....any attention he gets will only make it worse.

Again, realize he is only 9 weeks old and this will take time, especially if you got him earlier than 6 weeks old.

Answer 4

Put the garbage where he can't reach it... doggie-proof your house (like a kid)... the food should be moved up too.
The couch biting is attention grabbing... take him for a quick walk to burn some energy. Try to go for the walk BEFORE the biting starts as you don't want to teach ' a walk as a reward for biting the couch'. Watch him for his personality and learn the triggers and the schedule he is trying to show you. If he's bored, he will show you signs of it and you must react by giving him attention or activity... reward good behaviour and ignore the bad. Change his direction when he is being bad, no need to swat him, he'll get angry and/or use bad behaviour to get attention... like a child does.
Buy LOTS of chew toys of different types. Leave them lying around and figure out which type he likes best. Shower him with chew toys... when he destroys them or they get half chewed up, replace them with a new one. Pups LOVE squeaky toys but get the type he can totally destroy... maybe even destroy in an hour or 2... he will actually learn that when he gets one, it's like a treat! You can get the more durable ones too and they can be around longer. He will play and chew his favorites instead of your couch as when he does the couch thing, he gets bad signals from you. Good luck!

Answer 5

Well first of all because he is a puppy they are expected to do all those annoying things but he will get better. But he'll get better faster if you get him into training. Yes they do train puppies and it will be well worth your while because this is lifetime training. The younger he learns the better, easier. Go to Petsmart they have a fantastic training program and inexpensive. I took my dog and I"m glad I did. Good luck. And your right about how you handle the pup now if you yell or hit he will not trust you and that never really goes away. Be patient until you can get the training.
jw

Answer 6

We used to roll up a newspaper and smack in on our hand while saying “no” very firmly. The crack the paper makes should get your dog’s attention without the need for smacking.

The only thing we never managed to stop our dog doing was eating cat food. (Or worse, the contents of the kitty litter.)

Nine weeks old is just a baby though, I wouldn’t expect too much from the dog for a few months yet.

Answer 7

he's a pup and he will explore everything! you gotta feed him at least 4 times a day. pups need more nutrition. keep the cat food away. (although i dont think it'll hurt him, unless he's somekinda showdog) i agree with the rolled up newspaper thing when scolding him. you could also confine him in a small space as punishment. and remember that no matter how the pup begs, or moans, or barks, never let him out. that would be a positive reinforcement. in respnse to the couch biting, get him a chew toy. one that makes sound would be good, or one that has treats in it.

Answer 8

roll him over on his back, keep your hand no his chest, give himgentle back and forth motions, lean over him in a dominant way and growl in his face until he cries. I'm absolutley serious.
Now about the cat food, you are jus t going to have to figure out another place to feed cats. It's to good and a dog is going to eat it if he has a chance. That war will go on forever.