Cosmolo

The black pugs i have met have been more hyper than the fawns. I have only met 5 blacks or so though.

I would suggest starting puppy pre school within the next few weeks if possible- particularly given you got your puppy at 7 weeks. An extra week with the littermates would have definitely been preferred. Your puppy school should be run by an experienced trainer in a controlled environment- what area are you in?

I just had to say barbi- what beautiful GSD's And what the others said re training etc

I'm with Nekhbet on this one. 2 of my dogs have incredibly soft mouths with amazing bite inhibition and they were never allowed to mouth people. I think its confusing for the dog and owner and the potential for their to be issues increased when a dog is still allowed to mouth at 5, 6, 7 months of age. I think its particularly important for working breed dogs to learn not to mouth as they're usually in drive when they're doing it so the behaviour is always potently rewarded.

I would stop any mouthing on you (especially because the dog is likely to be in drive) and 20-30 seconds later redirect to a toy. Dogs need to learn bite inhibition but they don't need to learn bite inhibition by mouthing people in my opinion. Well timed correction, settle the pup and redirect a little later

I am so sorry- very teary after reading this, thinking of you.

Thoughts with you- AAPS dogs are the best.

I definitely didn't mean to make it sound like it wasn't much $$ Clare. I just know some people who have been paying triple that who are shocked to find out there are cheaper options. Free shaping is not the same as luring so i am a little confused as to exactly how you taught sit and drop? Is your dog food motivated?

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...&hl=shaping

What and how do you feed him? With dogs that are hard to motivate, i would make him work for his meals rather than presenting them in a bowl. I will try to find the link to a shaping thread i started a few months ago. I would say that for most dogs yes, all pulling is unacceptable. But there is also no point doing the same things again and again if they're not working and this method does work well for some dogs and owners. What training equipment have you tried? While i do understand private training is expensive- there is huge variation in prices and if you've been at the top end its possible that some training might be more economical than you think. I know orgs that charge $250+ for a 1 hour session while other very good trainers i know and us charge $70- $100.

I'm not sure exactly what you've tried but one thing that i have found very beneficial with dogs that have plenty of energy and have issues pulling is to run the dog on a harness (to ensure they still get plenty of exercise) and teach the dog separately on a different kind of collar to loose lead walk. This is in combination with mental stimulation exercises, tricks etc. The reason why many trainers don't offer guarantees is because they are not the only input into the dog. Its different to having a plumber offer a guarantee for instance because once the plumber leaves, you don't adjust the pipes. All training sessions should not be the 'standard set up' either. Have you asked the trainer you have used about the energy build up? I think some basic, safe agility in the backyard would be a good idea- you do need to take things slowly, especially if you are doing it alone and ensure the equipment you use is safe for your dog. Have you tried any shaping with your dog? That exhausts my most active intelligent dog in 10 minutes.

Sounds very interesting- can you buy it online?

Great idea Staranais

I would see Kathy Koppellis McLeod. She is not a veterinary behaviourist but is very experienced. If you have a chat to her over the phone and she thinks you need a veterinary behvaiourist, i'm pretty sure she'll suggest you see Melissa or talk to Debbie. I'm not all that comfortable with phone consults to be honest- so often, you need to see whats happening and owners may misinterpret or miss certain signs.

Whitka, what is your relationship to this person?

Not that the answer in ANY way makes it okay, but why is the person doing it? That may help with the solution.

I can also recommend carolyn at Glen Eira- she may also do a day or two at Warringal Vet too? Worth the drive either way IMO.

Although you may not want to walk your pup before fully vaccinated- socialisation in a safe controlled environment during your pups critical period (6-16 weeks) is vital.

If thats what your trainers are saying, ask again explaining that it is a problem that you need to resolve asap and if they cannot offer solutions (to start working on) to you, find a new trainer/ training club. Whereabouts are you located?

Thats great

How interesting. Never thought of it that way before. Will pay close attention the next time Cosmo does it. Would vary from dog to dog i'd think.

What everyone else said. What other interpretations have you heard Willow- just curious

What have you tried so far? I think you need to look at getting some professional help- to assist you in providing the right outlet for your dogs drive and to implement proper strategies to stop this behaviour. In the meantime, do keep your dog on lead in the presence of strange dogs, in parks etc.

Some dogs require better socialisation than others to be okay with other dogs. I would not describe Mini schnauzers as inherently social. Regardless of what the pup had at the breeders, all pups should have safe controlled socialisation during their critical period. Now that your critical period is over, you need to seek professional help asap. Don't wait until he has been practicing the behaviour for 6 months, 1 year, 3 years- if not resolved behaviour like this is likely to become worse.

No arthritis later on? I was told by the specialists i spoke to that a hip replacement is a 'salvage operation' and arthritis can still be an issue down the track? Wish you the best of luck and hope the recovery from the surgery goes well. Hope you will update this thread