The Spotted Devil

Hi slinkyjill Puppies can be right buggers sometimes can't they! My own approach with my young Dal who is not yet 6 months old, is to supervise him 100% whether he is in the house or outside. He is slowly getting more responsible...but I would never trust him in the backyard for long....if I am around I can give him a 'Leave It' command or just play a game with him to distract him from digging or the like. Luckily my contact hours at Uni are low this year and my partner works odd hours so that Ziggy is rarely left alone for more than 3 hours or 5 at the very most (and rarely). So...what I do is...if I have to leave home by 8am, I get Ziggy up at about 5.45am and give him a free run at the beach....very different from a walk. 20-30 mins is plenty and then he hangs out with me while I get ready...then it's into his (open) crate in the laundry with a stuffed Kong. He's pretty good now as I have been training him since he was a puppy. The worst he has done in the laundry is scratch some paint off the walls but he generally sleeps like the baby he is...it is simply a habit now. I hope that helps - it's a lovely age and you should be enjoying it. Remember that exploring with teeth and paws is perfectly natural...we just have to channel it into appropriate behaviours!

Hello Jenna I'm very pleased your friend wants to address these problems. Sheeka sounds like she has had a rough start but now has hopefully landed on her feet. A couple more things to work on: Food: if she is fed dry food you can spread her entire ration over the day so Sheeka only gets a piece of kibble when she performs an appropriate behaviour - e.g. sit, 4 paws on ground, lying down quietly, not barking, not biting, standing quietly while being groomed, greeting a new person or child or dog nicely, coming when called....anything you can think of. Everyone in the house can do this, including visitors. Don't let this turn into begging behaviour though, which can be just as bad! Doors: If you can close all the doors in your house, then do so. When you go to walk through a door and puppy wants to come, then ask for a 'sit' or 'wait'. Open the door very slowly and if she tries to bolt, then close it again and calmly ask for a 'sit' or 'wait'....then walk through the door and give puppy a release command such as 'ok' or 'free'....getting through the door then becomes the reward. If you have to put her on lead at the beginning, then do so. Leave It: Teach this command so that if puppy grabs anything like clothes or goes to dig or wants to play with the cats (our current challenge!), you can say 'Leave It' very calmly....if puppy stops what they are doing....HEAPS of praise! They soon get the idea. I hope that helps for a start. Sheeka's probably very bright and the more you work her brain the less destructive she will become. If she likes to scent, you could try one of our latest games...I hide a 'high value' toy in the house and Ziggy has to search for it after being shown which toy I want him to find. It's heaps of fun and leaves us all laughing and wanting more! Ziggy included!

Hi Jenna I'm only new to this forum and don't get much of a chance to post....but IMHO it sounds like Sheeka's new owner needs some training. As I am typing my five and a half month old male Dally is sitting quietly by my feet chomping on his toys. He has been an incredibly determined (some would say willful) puppy and my simple approach is to be gentle and 100% consistent at all times. He is already 21.5kg and very strong so it's a case of me being psychologically not physically stronger. From the day he came home, any behaviour he exhibits is evaluated by me: Do I want this strong, entire male dog doing this when he is 30kg+? Obedience classes are a fantastic idea but no good if you don't follow up at home. The dog will only get confused and become more destructive if they don't know what is expected. Perhaps you could point out to your friend that if her beautiful puppy bites a child on the chin like that, then it could well be PTS. Sad, I know, but that is the reality. If jumping up is the biggest problem, then Sheeka is simply doing it in order to demand attention. Whether she is praised or pushed down and told 'No' she is getting reinforced for her behaviour. When she jumps up, turn your back, fold your arms and look skywards....give her nothing for this behaviour. As soon as she has 4 paws on the ground, give her a pat or a treat...if she jumps up again...repeat the process. It may take some work to convince her that this behaviour is no longer appropriate but she sounds like a smart lass. All the inappropriate behaviours you mention sound like a dog that is simply getting her own way. It can be a very dangerous sign in a young dog and will soon escalate if it is not brought under control, particularly the growling over food and brushing. If the advice I have provided helps, feel free to PM me and I can post some more tips for your friend but there's not much point if she can't see a problem in the behaviour. Good luck!