I can’t afford puppy obedience classes so what can I do to stop my 7month goldendoodle from biting/barking?
Question by Stacy: I can’t afford puppy obedience classes so what can I do to stop my 7month goldendoodle from biting/barking?
We have a spayed goldendoodle puppy. She’s 7 months old and we’ve had her since she was nine weeks old. Several months ago she began displaying very unpleasant behaviors such as nipping, biting, jumping and just not listening. We’ve taken her to free puppy training classes and a free dog behaviorist who told us we have a goldendoodle with the worst traits of both breeds and that she would be a challenge for a professional trainer. Great… Now that she is 40lbs+ and as tall as I am when she’s on her hind legs, we are at our wits end. She bites – drawing blood – on a nearly daily basis, she doesn’t respond to treat training or submission tactics. My kids are terrorized. *I* am terrorized. She’s not a joy to live with. My husband can control her to a degree, but she bites him too. When we try to correct her in any way, she goes into what we call ‘berzerker mode’. He wants to get a shock collar, but that seems cruel. But nothing else is working. HELP!
Best answer:
Answer by Em
FYI she not a goldenDoodle shes a MUTT!!! she does not have a standard!!!
go to WWW.ASPCAbehavior.org they have good tips for these behavior problems.
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Read about the NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) method of training. A professional trainer would be better, but read everything you can and try it.
If it doesn’t work, the only solution is to take the dog to the Vet and have it put down. Almost no rescue or shelter can take a biter due to liability issues.
For barking the spray collars work. For all around obedience a shock collar might bring her around. Make sure you get a good one and not one of the crap collars from Petco or Petsmart. Go to Cabella’s or Bass Pro. The shocks are just short zaps that get their attention. Try it on your hand at first to see.
When your dog jumps, simply push them off with your knee. the most effective way to stop biting, is to flick them in the nose. this shows that you are dominate over the dog. getting a spray bottle and spraying it in their face also works. My puppy would bite, and we got to the point where we wanted to give her away, but by spraying her in the face she stopped.
Try taking your MUTT somewhere that is reputable. Sometimes you get what you pay for.
Let me tell you before it is too late that a shock collar will worsen the behavior. I would stay away from shock collars with her. If done the wrong way (and you have no trainer) they can increase aggression.
Im sorry but puppy classes are very important. You would have learned how to prevent the behavior and what to watch for. I think that if you can afford a shock collar, you can afford a trainer. Shock collars are far more expensive usually. You really need a trainer so they can help you develop a plan to nip this issue in the bud, and the whole family has to commit. If not, the dog needs to find a home with someone who can afford and take the time to train. I probably sound mean, but I dont mean to, ok? : ) Good luck!
A shock collar isn’t going to work. The problem here is lack of training. You can’t afford training to fix the problem that you have created? NO good trainer or behaviorist is going to tell you that you have a dog that would be a challenge given this behavior is completely normal puppy behavior for a puppy who has absolutely no training or boundaries. You don’t go to training for her, you go for YOU because you don’t know how to communicate with her. She didn’t start displaying unpleasant behaviors, she started acting like a NORMAL puppy looking for set boundaries and you didn’t give her any so here is where you are now at.
When she mouths, what happens? Do you walk away and leave her by herself? Do NOT push her away, that mimics play and encourages her to come back at you even harder. You simply walk away and leave her. No attention, no interaction the minute her teeth touch skin even on accident. EVERYONE in the family has to do this. No more “it’s so cute when she rough houses with us” because you have completely confused her. This is not the dog, this is you. Any trainer is going to tell you that you have created this problem and it is now going to take you a lot of work to actually train some manners into her.
How many times a day do you walk her? She needs at least two walks a day for an hour each time to burn her energy off. You have two high energy breeds here, but of course you knew this before you got her because you did your breed research. The walks will stop the “berzerker mode”. She has way too much energy.
You really can’t come up with $ 80 for an inhome consultation with a certified trainer from APDT? They will evaluate your dog, come up with a training plan tailored to her, teach YOU how to effectively communicate with her and train her, then be available for further consultation. It’s worth it’s weight in gold and you could really, really use it.
Find a certified trainer in your area here: http://www.apdt.com
Call and ask about pricing. Your dog doesn’t need a six week class. You need an inhome session and you need to up the exercise. This is such an easy problem to fix. Please do it.
Yes, a shock collar would not only be cruel, it would do NOTHING to train her. She needs training and guidance, not harsh punishment.
Throw ALL “dominance/submission” BS that you’ve learned out the window. It is a very old way of thinking and it accomplishes NOTHING but to make timid dogs more fearful and make confident dogs more aggravated.
http://leecharleskelleysblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/proper-way-to-do-alpha-roll.html
http://leecharleskelleysblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/is-your-dog-dominant-or-just-feeling.html
http://leecharleskelleysblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/cesar-millan-pack-leader-or-predator_22.html
At 7 months she is entering what we in the boxer world call the “terrible teens,” when young dogs seem to “forget” all their previous training and test their boundaries. What kind of training HAVE you done with her before though? Did she learn bite inhibition as a puppy?? Did you ever do basic obedience with her? How often is she exercised?
It sounds like she needs more exercise and more mental stimulation so that she doesn’t have to release all of her pent up energy and frustration on you and your family. She needs at least one walk daily, several outings weekly to new interesting places (mental stimulation), 15 minutes of obedience training at least once daily, and practice NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free — Google it) starting now.
If you decide to hire another person to work with your dog hire a BEHAVIORIST not a trainer.
A trainer could easily handle the dog and get it under control. My only suggestion is if you can’t afford professional training then turn the dog into a golden or poodle rescue and tell them about her behaviors.