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Teenage behaviors...

7K views 48 replies 14 participants last post by  mudpuppymama 
#1 ·
..

Oliver is 11 months old and there's a couple things I want to work on with him. I'll definitely seek a trainer's advice too, but I have wait times w trainers around here because of the holidays.

Chewing on stuff! When will this end? Clothing, socks, my chairs, grabbing little toys (scary!) and chewing. He also follows me around nipping at my socks (playing but still annoying). What is the best way to handle that kind of thing? This is part my fault because the more I tell him no, the more attention I'm giving it. Often he wants attention (pick him up and cuddle him and he stops). He's sensitive and sweet, which I love about him, but he also reminds me of a toddler who wraps their arms around your leg when you try to leave. I'll be working on my computer and he keeps jumping on the keyboard and nibbling my clothes until I pick him uo and cuddle him. I don't mind him in my lap, but I can't give him my full, undivided attention while I'm working.

He also nips super gently when he has to go potty so I don't want to discourage that...

BECAUSE

Potty training. He has had two poop accidents recently because he sometimes refuses to poop outside. It's usually something like he'd rather go for a long walk, he gets distracted, etc. He hasn't peed in the house since he was 4 months old. But I can't spend so much time getting him to poop. or he won't go and let us know hours later (say 10 pm) that he needs to.
 
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#2 ·
Does he like chew toys - I would suggest having a ton of them around and substitute them for whatever he's taking. I've been very lucky, we got Perry at 8 months and he has always loved his chew toys (And cloth toys to tear and "kill"). But when I don't have any around (like at my Mom's where i keep the toys up to prevent fighting with my Mom's dog), he will go after things like socks.
 
#3 ·
He definitely likes chew toys, but he likes the whole forbidden fruit of theft lol. And now he gets the drop it command, gets into stuff and sure he'll drop it. For a treat. But I follow him around all day trading for treats. I'm also training kids to keep bathroom doors shut (so he doesn't get into trash and toilet paper) but that's a work in progress too
 
#6 ·
Okay so the sock thing- mine will completely pull off my kids socks and he “conquers” them like they’re a toy, all to initiate play. I gave up on that one because he doesn’t do it with me, and he uses incredible bite inhibition when he grabs their socks when they’re on their feet. It drives my kids crazy when they’re putting their socks and shoes on for school, but they also sit there and giggle half the time, and stick their feet with socks on them in his face at other times to get him to play because they think it’s funny. I have decided this is a kid training issue, not a dog training issue, and if and when they get sick of it then they’re going to have to help solve the problem. I started treating shutting gates the same way and I feel your pain. It’s more work to get my kids to clean up a puppy shredding mess than to clean it up myself sometimes, but it took a few times of cleaning up those messes before they remembered to shut the gates and doors. I’m also mean and I’ve been known to have them come all the way back downstairs just to shut the gate ;) Everyone is learning together, it just takes time and repetition for those habits to form.

As far as him nipping at your own feet as a cue to go potty, I wonder if there’s a way to replace that cue. Maybe someone can suggest a way to actively train that. Mine did it, too, when he needed to poop, but he doesn’t anymore, and I don’t know what changed. I did bell training, which turned out kind of funny. The bell was too heavy, and I meant to replace it but I never got around to it. We still rang it ourselves every time we took him out. Eventually he started sitting by the bell, even though he can’t ring it. I didn’t start bell training until he was already reliable though, and a big piece of him being reliable with poop was adjusting his diet. Maybe you could try taking him out earlier before he gives you his cue and training some kind of cue at that interval, then back off until he gives you his cue and use the replacement then. Not sure about that!

Mine was a finicky about poop but it’s gotten so much better. If there is a car next door I don’t even bother, I know it will take forever because he’ll just watch. He’ll still pee so I let him go and then take him back out in 5 minutes. Then I carry him to a spot and tell him to go potty and put him down. If he doesn’t start sniffing I pick him up and do it again. He rarely needs that second prompt, but sometimes he remembers someone was outside a few minutes ago, or that it’s almost time for the kids to get home so he’ll start watching for them. It’s just too cold outside for me to wait around for him to poop, I’m way too impatient! I do think some of it is age. He’s 2 now and he still gets distracted but it’s not anywhere near as intense and hyper. So keep pushing through!
 
#7 ·
Okay so the sock thing- mine will completely pull off my kids socks and he "conquers" them like they're a toy, all to initiate play. I gave up on that one because he doesn't do it with me, and he uses incredible bite inhibition when he grabs their socks when they're on their feet. It drives my kids crazy when they're putting their socks and shoes on for school, but they also sit there and giggle half the time, and stick their feet with socks on them in his face at other times to get him to play because they think it's funny. I have decided this is a kid training issue, not a dog training issue, and if and when they get sick of it then they're going to have to help solve the problem. I started treating shutting gates the same way and I feel your pain. It's more work to get my kids to clean up a puppy shredding mess than to clean it up myself sometimes, but it took a few times of cleaning up those messes before they remembered to shut the gates and doors. I'm also mean and I've been known to have them come all the way back downstairs just to shut the gate
Everyone is learning together, it just takes time and repetition for those habits to form.

As far as him nipping at your own feet as a cue to go potty, I wonder if there's a way to replace that cue. Maybe someone can suggest a way to actively train that. Mine did it, too, when he needed to poop, but he doesn't anymore, and I don't know what changed. I did bell training, which turned out kind of funny. The bell was too heavy, and I meant to replace it but I never got around to it. We still rang it ourselves every time we took him out. Eventually he started sitting by the bell, even though he can't ring it. I didn't start bell training until he was already reliable though, and a big piece of him being reliable with poop was adjusting his diet. Maybe you could try taking him out earlier before he gives you his cue and training some kind of cue at that interval, then back off until he gives you his cue and use the replacement then. Not sure about that!

Mine was a finicky about poop but it's gotten so much better. If there is a car next door I don't even bother, I know it will take forever because he'll just watch. He'll still pee so I let him go and then take him back out in 5 minutes. Then I carry him to a spot and tell him to go potty and put him down. If he doesn't start sniffing I pick him up and do it again. He rarely needs that second prompt, but sometimes he remembers someone was outside a few minutes ago, or that it's almost time for the kids to get home so he'll start watching for them. It's just too cold outside for me to wait around for him to poop, I'm way too impatient! I do think some of it is age. He's 2 now and he still gets distracted but it's not anywhere near as intense and hyper. So keep pushing through!
Thanks Elizabeth. All of this I can relate to. I think having kids can be both a help and hindrance in training! Lol
 
#9 ·
Cassie at four still likes to put forbidden things in her mouth.

Step on trash cans definitely necessary. Toilet paper a constant issue. Normally, it is kept on bathroom sink rather than on the toilet paper holder. When we have guests, I put it on the holder and about half the time, she checks, finds it and unrolls it..fortunately, she makes alot of noise doing it so gets caught. I can’t train her to leave it so prevention is the only solution.

Nipping stopped long ago but during puppy stage, it had to be trained away with time outs, ignoring etc.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Hadn't thought about getting trashcans will lids and a peddle. Thanks for the idea. Right now I'm keeping my bathroom trashcans in the bathtub and my dog is 21 months old.:| She's been known to jump into the bathtub for a Look See.

Patti is an expert at the game of Drop It for a Treat. When we can - we ignore her - when she picks up a shoe, sock or something else we don't want her to have. Just encourages her more to steal things for a Treat. Grrrrr! >:)
 
#13 ·
These Havanese are special little creatures. My Zoey is 11 months old and is doing the exact same things. I keep my toilet paper on the tank, my garbage in the bathtub. She also watches my husband carefully to steal whatever he leaves out like newspapers, coats and pants with Kleenex in pockets, slippers ,socks, pens and drops whatever she gets at my feet waiting for her trade treat. Senior husbands are as frustrating as kids at not shutting doors and gates and putting things away.
She pulls at my clothes with her teeth if she wants attention but is getting better when I tell her that is bad and to get a toy, and now sometimes stops it when I stare sternly at her and runs and gets a toy. My husband also laughs at her like your kids do which just encourages the bad behaviour. They love attention. As hard as this all is sometimes, it is so worth it as she is the smartest and most loving dog you could want most of the time and her behaviour improves every month. .... Susan
 
#20 ·
Yep. He loves to pull socks off feet! He doesn't nip as in puppy nipping skin. It's little teeny teeny nibbles at your clothes. It is sometimes when he's cuddling, and sometimes a sign he needs to go out. In play he'll try and play tug of war with my kids' sleeves but they taught him he could! I am so mad because he's ruining clothes, and then telling my kids CONSTANTLY to NOT LAUGH at this!

I really wish I'd done a better job teaching him that signal for potty vs taking him out on a leash every few hours. Now he nibbles or VERY occasionally goes to the door. If you say "do you have to go potty?" he walks to the door! He can hold pee for a long time and as long as I'm taking him out every so often it isn't a big deal. It is poop. So annoying. He'll walk an hour, not go, come home, go in the house. I've started putting him in his pen (which is no longer an ex pen but a pretty big area behind a gate. It's not a punishment, but he still doesn't like it. Usually he gets the message though. I take him out 20-30 min later and he goes FAST.
 
#25 ·
He'll walk an hour, not go, come home, go in the house. I've started putting him in his pen (which is no longer an ex pen but a pretty big area behind a gate. It's not a punishment, but he still doesn't like it. Usually he gets the message though. I take him out 20-30 min later and he goes FAST.
That's PERFECT!!!
 
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#22 · (Edited)
@Melissa Woods ... If it is possible for you to install a fence on the side or in the backyard, this pays huge dividends for having a dog. A Doggie Door only adds to the Plus Side. Doggie Doors can now be installed in patio windows and doors. My dog is indoor-housebroken to a potty tray but Patti prefers going outside, she asks to go or will use the Doggie Door. Something she taught herself.

If I were you, after you walk your puppy if he has not pooped put him in the ex-pen. Take him out in a few minutes, walk him back outside tell him to Poop (or whatever you say). If he goes, give him a Treat! Good Job! Yay!

If he doesn't poop, take him back inside and put him back in the ex-pen. Repeat! until he goes Poop. Then Treat!

You still have a very young puppy. These little Havanese are very smart. You can teach this little guy to respond to a Command for doing his business outside.

When he's tearing at clothes, I'd use the ex-pen to get his attention. I'd firmly say: No!. Pick him up, and put him in the ex-pen for a minute. Won't take long. He'll get the message if you will be consistent.

My dog will be two years old Feb 2020. She has settled down a lot but is still very Puppy Like. I just recently, took down a wire crate that I used to Settle her Down or Get Her Attention when I wanted her to stop doing something. Because she older, now when she steals socks, shoes and underwear she just carries the item around and doesn't chew holes in the item (very often).
 
#29 ·
I find myself spelling out words too. One of them is T-U-R-T-L-E!!! This is because my yorkie goes INSANE when he sees a turtle. So when my hubby and I are walking the dogs we are always on the lookout for them. We used to say the word turtle when we saw one but Bear figured out what this meant. So now we have to spell it out.
 
#31 ·
I would just move the tray into the bedroom for a while. if that solves the problem, then slowly move back to the office and practice going to the tray to go potty. I really think that will be enough, but if it isn’t you can set up an expen and confine more tightly, and slowly expand her space again. It’ll be faster this time. Something about the way you described it reminds me of a Kikopup video that ShamaMama shared around the time we got our puppy. It explained how they view their “home,” and about teaching them the path to the potty.

It really doesn’t have anything to do with the indoor potty, IMO. Most likely she would have the same accidents if she was outdoor trained, probably more often because at her age she’s less likely to go to the door and signal someone to take her potty. She’s just at the age where she needs a reminder about the right place to go, and the best way to remind her is to confine her more. I wouldn’t give her enough freedom to wander to a room where you can’t see her for a while yet, even when this is resolved. If she’s out of sight, keep her in an expen, for a couple more months after this is resolved.
 
#36 ·
I would just move the tray into the bedroom for a while. if that solves the problem, then slowly move back to the office and practice going to the tray to go potty. I really think that will be enough, but if it isn't you can set up an expen and confine more tightly, and slowly expand her space again. It'll be faster this time. Something about the way you described it reminds me of a Kikopup video that ShamaMama shared around the time we got our puppy. It explained how they view their "home," and about teaching them the path to the potty.
Sorry, I usually totally agree with your advice, but not on this one. For me, the alarm bells are ringing on this one. This dog is too old, and it sounds to me like this has happened multiple times. It needs to be nipped in the bud and evry opportunity for another accident stopped IMMEDIATELY. Every time the dog practices it, is that many MORE reps needed to undo the damage done to training, I do not believe that a year old dog has suddenly "forgotten" the way into the other room, or "can't" make it there in time. This dog has found that this is a convenient place to go, and noone has taught her that it's not appropriate.

It really doesn't have anything to do with the indoor potty, IMO. Most likely she would have the same accidents if she was outdoor trained, probably more often because at her age she's less likely to go to the door and signal someone to take her potty. She's just at the age where she needs a reminder about the right place to go, and the best way to remind her is to confine her more. I wouldn't give her enough freedom to wander to a room where you can't see her for a while yet, even when this is resolved. If she's out of sight, keep her in an expen, for a couple more months after this is resolved.
Absolutely agree with all of this!!!
 
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#32 ·
I think I might have been assuming your set up was a certain way. It sounds like you might be working from home and spending a lot of time in your office, so the tray is there. Then she’s going into the bedroom by herself to go potty. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t let her in the bedroom alone. I’d spend some time playing in your bedroom with her and practicing the route to the potty. And again, she might be trained well enough to have free access to the room you’re in, but if you’re in the office, I wouldn’t give her the freedom to wander into the bedroom alone until this is completely resolved, and when you’re with her in the bedroom you are seeing her go from the bedroom to the potty tray on her own, and she hasn’t had any accidents for a couple of months.
 
#38 ·
Nikki, I love all of your examples of the little changes and quirks in Patti’s potty habits.

I think all puppies have some of these little changes they go through. Mine had to poop twice every time we took him out until he was around a year old. They may seem reliable earlier, but that’s why I lean towards waiting until they’re well past they seem ready to allow freedom. These are smart little dogs, but just because they understand how to use their potty tray doesn’t mean they are completely trained.
 
#39 ·
Thanks for the input everyone; appreciate the comments that it's nothing to do with indoor training. I should've restricted access to my bedroom sooner (and/or for longer). I gave her the benefit of the doubt too quickly after using the upstairs tray again after an accident. We've never had a pee accident; only poop; she seems to prefer softer surfaces for poop. I added a second tray to my office thinking that would help, and I thought I would catch her from my office, but I certainly didn't have eyes on well enough (or at all, really), while working. Lesson learned the hard way I guess.

On our main level, which is hardwood and tile, she hasn't had any accidents since the first puppy weeks bringing her home (and even that wasn't much). We still have her expen on the main level with her tray in the expen, and that is her preferred spot to go. I've been having second thoughts about that now, since her favorite potty is the corner of our living room, but I'm not about to move it now! We had just started giving her access to the entire main level (aside from the gated kitchen/living room area), and keeping eyes on her near the area rug in the dining room, but so far, she has always successfully run to her tray in the expen.

It's only been on our second level carpeting where this has happened - and yes, that is where I work from home, in the office off of my bedroom. I can easily confine her in the office with me, where I have a vinyl sheet that covers most of the carpet (it's a relatively small room). I guess I was just feeling like by now she should have more freedom. It helps to read that others around this age were still only giving access to a few rooms. And EvaE1izabeth - that you still don't give complete freedom. We're at about 13 months now and I had started doing the same thing - freedom downstairs when i'm downstairs, and freedom upstairs when I'm upstairs. She has run to the office potty from upstairs rooms, so I thought we were in the clear, but maybe it wasn't established quite well enough yet, or I wasn't diligent enough after opening up more freedom.

Mikki - thanks for all the examples! Koa doesn't like a dirty tray either. We created an outdoor gravel pit for her to go in once we fenced our backyard, which she will use, but I would NOT say she prefers her "potty pit" to her trays yet. Maybe if it were grass she would.

Krandall, Mikki, EvaE1izabeth - thank you all! I'll keep working on this! Our upstairs carpet is long overdue for replacement anyway. Maybe it's a good excuse to finally take care of it (and switch to vinyl plank) - not that that will solve my problem, just easier to clean. I'll keep her out of there a loong time as suggested.

Have a good rest of your weekend
 
#40 ·
It's only been on our second level carpeting where this has happened - and yes, that is where I work from home, in the office off of my bedroom. I can easily confine her in the office with me, where I have a vinyl sheet that covers most of the carpet (it's a relatively small room). I guess I was just feeling like by now she should have more freedom. It helps to read that others around this age were still only giving access to a few rooms. And EvaE1izabeth - that you still don't give complete freedom. We're at about 13 months now and I had started doing the same thing - freedom downstairs when i'm downstairs, and freedom upstairs when I'm upstairs. She has run to the office potty from upstairs rooms, so I thought we were in the clear, but maybe it wasn't established quite well enough yet, or I wasn't diligent enough after opening up more freedom.

Krandall, Mikki, EvaE1izabeth - thank you all! I'll keep working on this! Our upstairs carpet is long overdue for replacement anyway. Maybe it's a good excuse to finally take care of it (and switch to vinyl plank) - not that that will solve my problem, just easier to clean. I'll keep her out of there a loong time as suggested.
The thing is, that just like potty training children, there is no exact "time" on any of it. They are ready when they are ready, and not before. Every single one is different. And there is NO specific time when YOU should feel like you haven't done your job!

As far as the carpet is concerned, if your plan was to change from carpet to planking, that WILL help. Carpet hold odors MUCH more, which invites further accidents in the same place. It can make it almost impossible to prevent further accidents. We took up our dining room rug for that reason. After raising 3 puppies, it had had too many accidents on it, and it was an "accident waiting to happen. After removing it, we never had a SINGLE accident in there. But it wasn't a room we could gate off, since you need to go through it to get ANYWHERE in the house. So going without rugs in there was the right answer.

Since our whole house is hardwood and orientals, and we learned our lesson with the dining room rug, we have been OVER cautious with the family room. Well, that and we don't want rough-housing on our leather couches. The dogs are gated out of the family room at all times unless we are in there with them. We have never had an accident in there as a result.

The dogs also aren't allowed upstairs without us. There is no need for them to BE up there without us. The ONLY reason ANY of them go up there without us is trouble. In specific, Panda goes up there to unmake EVERY.SINGLE.BED in the ENTIRE house!!! You'd think she was playing Goldilocks and the Three Bears!!! As a result, the upstairs is gated off. They can go up if we go up. This has been doubly important since our granddaughter was living with us last year. They have moved out now, but they lived with us from her age 1-2. So SHE couldn't have access to the stairs either. So it just became "part of life" that the stairs were gated off.

...And ALL my dogs are ALWAYS gated in my office, with a litter box and their water bottle whenever we are out of the house. I know they are safe, can't get into trouble, and MOST important, we have decals on all doors telling firefighters where to find them in the event of a fire when we aren't home. Dogs die in fires when they get frightened and hide under beds and whatnot, where firefighters can't find them.
 
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#41 ·
If you decided down the line you want to move the downstairs potty, I was trying to be extra careful and moved it a couple of feet every day. Maybe it was overkill, but he didn’t have any accidents. But I wouldn’t make a lot of changes at once, or during a bit of regression. I ended up using a low profile tray that slid under the bench in our mudroom if people were visiting (it’s by the guest bathroom) and it blended enough with the floor that it wasn’t even noticeable. There might be a way down the line to better incorporate it into your living room or move it somewhere on the same floor where it doesn’t bother you as much, but I think it’s smart to keep it where it is right now.

DH thought our puppy should have a bit more freedom before I did. Honestly, I think he was hoping Sundance would come and find him to hang out in different parts of the house. Even when our gates are left open, he’s pretty much my shadow, so I don’t think that was really going to happen anyway ;)
 
#43 ·
I guess I must be lucky. Neither of my dogs have ever chewed up anything! My yorkie has always stolen socks but he just takes them into his crate and lays on them. I have a friend with a daschund who periodically eats an entire pencil, including metal and eraser. She says it just passes through!
 
#45 ·
You are, indeed, lucky! Pixel doesn't chew things, and Panda is pretty selective. (Ear buds, and glasses... she only goes for EXPENSIVE things! LOL!) Kodi Will steal any paper he can get to, or anything wood, like pencils, rulers, paint stirrers (those are a REAL favorite!!!) small branches smuggled in from the back yard if the back door is left open, pieces of plastic... He is really pretty terrible.
 
#47 ·
I'm fairly lucky in this regard. Denver will only go after paper. Keeper is a chewer and will chew anything. But he loves shoes. With a passion. He tries to take them to bed. But it's making us put them away (most of the time).
Sundance loves shoes, too, but doesn't chew them anymore. He did chew flip flops as a puppy. I had to buy my kids a lot of pool shoes his first summer with us. Now he just smells them and uses them to try and entice us to play. He also learned how to take my kids' socks off of their feet and then shake them around. My kids let him because they love it - except when they were trying to leave for school! Shoes and socks have so many smells...
 
#49 ·
My main problem with chewing “bad stuff” is my yorkie eating acorns and cicadas. During the year of the big cicada swarm he went nuts eating cicada skeletons and made himself sick. Lots of dogs in our area were getting sick from overdosing on them. Every fall we have our annual acorn digestive issue...probably due for that soon. He can cleverly carry five or six into the house without me knowing about it. I always keep slippery elm bark powder on hand. I make a paste of it and put it on his food. It coats the digestive system and just about anything will slide out.
 
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