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thanks everyone, i will start to take some of your tips on board we havent had formal training since he was pretty young ...i'll get the crate back out and also try and train the kids a bit more!!

My 3yr old Cocker spaniel has a couple of habits Im struggling to get on top of! First, is the constant begging or trying to steal food. If I am preparing food at the kitchen counter he is constantly at my feet or trying to get up to the counter to get it...licking the counter,hovering around under my feet. I have tried to put him in the family room and close the door but then we have the scratching on the door! When we are eating I have the head on my knee or coming up and stting next to me on the couch waiting for any crumb to fall...again if I put him outside in the back garden we get the scratching and howling at the door so I dont know which is worse!! If a plate is left unattended for a second the food is gone, have tried to get the kids to be more responsible with their plates but they are only young. the other thing is something I am sure is just a normal dog behaviour....but the constant need to go for a walk...cant even stand up and booooom he is there under my feet squirming with excitement and often I might just be going to another room! Get my shoes on and you would think it was christmas...then I feel guilty that Im not taking him. I do walks at different times of the day so he isnt always used to morning or afternoon but dont know what else to do Any advice on how to make a start in controlling either behaviour!

I have a 5mth old cocker spaniel. He is not really ineterested in sitting and nibbling on a kong and just devours smackos and the like...he does enjoy having a lamb bone though. I have been buying a bag from the butcher (beef bones are too big at the moment) and give him one most days and he will chew on it for hours! If I know im going to go out for a few hours I will chuck one outside and he is pretty entertained the whole time, if the kids are eating I will put him in his crate with it or outside and we dont hear from him. So what I would like to know is...can you give yuor puppy too many bones??? HE is fed on Royal Canin, about 185g a day, over 3 meals. The odd little bit of smacko here or there and maybe a kong bikkie or 2 stuffed into his kong..once he has eaten them he leaves it! Thanks!

ohhhh I will be watching this thread with interest!! it sounds like my life for the last 4 weeks with my CS puppy, 3 and 5yr old children as well!! sorry i cant offer any advice but I feel your pain!

thanks i do walk him for about half an hour every day..and sometimes when my hubby is home in time another quick walk round the block at dinnertime we also play chase in the garden so i think he has enough exercise! i dont go to work so am in and out all day but sometimes just need to have him outside or in the crate while im tyring to organise the kids or have them eating their dinner without him jumping up i think he just doesnt like being outside!

i just put him in his crate with a kong initially...he doesnt go in there of his own accord and sometimes cries about being in there, its easier to deal with him crying in the crate than scratching at the door!! he has ruined the cat flap!!

My CS is now 5 months old. I dont want to keep putting him in his crate inside whenever I go out so Ive been trying to get him used to being outside (large secure back yard) but everytime I put him outside - even with a Kong, a bone, toys - he just scratches and scratches at our back door (there is an old catflap there in the glass). I have stood at the door and waited for him to sit before opening it and letting him in. He is also always jumping in in the kitchen when Im trying to cook dinner , so again he goes outside for5 min - but he still jumps up as soon as i let him in!! I dont want to keep putting him in his crate in case he associates that with bad behaviour and doesnt want to go in there! He doesnt seem interested in his Kong, no matter what treats Ive tried...he will gnaw on a bone for about 5mins then just wants to be jumping around all over the place agian!! Any tips????

HI Everyone Glad to say things are improving!! We still have a few inside wees during the day if we dont take him out in time, but on the whole most toileting is done outside now - phew!! He is only doing one motion a day really, put that down to the food he is having???? And night time he goes to bed when we do at 10.30pm and we dont hear from him till we hear from the kids at around 7am! So gotta be happy with that! He is still in his crate during the day if we go out (with a puppy pen attached) so I do need to work on what to do there, if we put him outside he just scratches at the door - I dont want him to have the run of the house when we are out and dont really have anywhere to close him in Our main issue with him is the jumping up to the couch or pulling on our clothes - we ar really keen to knock that on the head but not having much success On the positive side he is a very friendly dog, had about 6 kids cuddling him in the park yetserday and didnt bat an eyelid, he hasnt really been too scared of other dogs we have met on our walks I think he is goin to be hard to train and I know a lot of it will be my fault as Im inconsistent!! Must work on that myself!!! LOL Still have some way to go but slowly we are getting there!

ive tried a kong, sometimes he is interested other times not! and doesnt like any of his chew toys..ive bought about 5!! i guess i will just ignore him then!

So my now 17wk old cocker spaniel we are slowly getting sorted with!! I do wonder what to do with him when we are eating though. My kids eat at their little table in our family room so far too tempting for a CS puppy! Ive been putting him in his crate or puppy pen but he doesnt seem to like it in there too much, ive put him outside in the garden but he just scratches and wines at the door Is this something that is going to get better? What sort of training should I be doing to get him to stay somewhere at mealtimes that is not scavenging for food Should I just ignore his crying outside until we have finished dinner, I feel bad for him! I was feeling like putting him in his crate when he doesnt want to be in there was like punishment so he might go off going in there Thanks for your help!

thanks! off to try eucalyptus oil now!! ha ha

ok so now my latest issue is....i work from home...my laptop sits on the kitchen counter (this is were it has to be so cannot relocate it) the puppy is insistent on chewing the cable...and just now nearly pulled the laptop off the counter....i nearly had a heart attack! i work from home so have to access the laptop all day, when im sitting on the couch with it he is jumping up and chewing the cable or trying to attack the keyboard! i can put him in his puppy pen but surely i cant keep on doing that everytime i need to do something ive tried spraying the cable with something distasteful but its not working any suggestions? is this something that im going to have to live with or something that will pass? ive put him outside for 2mins in timeout! what is the right thing to do when they do something you dont want to continue?

wow it is certianly amazing to think that there are so many others feeling the same!! how many times ive walked past those adorable puppies in petshops like many others no doubt and just thought ahhhhh i want one of those! thinking its all cuddles and cuteness! thankfully i didnt buy from a petshop and its great to know you can always call up the breeder for assistance....and here of course i think i have a long way to go but im just glad that im not being heartless and mean by not totally loving a cute little puppy!

thanks Didles...tahts just what I need an idea of a routine!!! I think I need a Gina Ford guide to puppies! Thanks everyone..im feeling a bit better now, maybe its the 2 wines i have had! and the pup is sleeping at my feet!

yeh okay i think i will take all your advice and start the training next week, maybe im expecting a bit much!! damn and i just cooked all those sausages up to chop up into treats! thanks guys, hopefully i wont be so stressed next week!