How do you socialise a puppy who feels overwhelmed by traffic, people and other dogs? Due to lockdowns all over the world, proper puppy parenting and puppy socialisation has been left a bit late by many people. Chloe could by my Working Cocker Pickle’s sister – but unlikely as she Read more
Merlin snaps, they feel aggressively, at their teenage son. He snaps at his hands; he chases and snaps at his feet.
Yesterday’s online behaviour consultation was for a fifteen-week-old puppy. Does squealing really help when a puppy bites hands, clothes or ankles? Luna is a Lurcher. Like so many puppies, she goes wild at times, grabbing clothing with her teeth and biting hands and ankles. This may be ‘normal’ puppy behaviour Read more
Why do young puppies chase feet and grab clothes when people walk around the house? An emergency visit to another biting puppy! The young couple have had eight-week-old Springer Spaniel puppy for just four days. His flying at them and grabbing legs and clothes as they walk about has reached Read more
Why would a young puppy suddenly fly at someone, biting clothes and arms when they sit down? Ollie, approached a bit differently, will learn self-control. The a four-month-old Border Collie lives with a lovely, gentle young lady and her two children. He is a gorgeous puppy and she is working Read more
How do you teach a young puppy to cope calmly with being left alone before it turns into separation distress?
I have had a lovely day.
Bella
This morning I was with fifteen-week-old Cocker Spaniel, Teddy. This evening I was with Bella, a nine-week-old Cockerpoo.
Both puppies have lady owners. Each lady called me because she wants to get off to the right start with her puppy. (more…)
How do you stop a puppy biting and grabbing without constantly saying “no”?
Teaching puppy is about showing her what to do.
That sounds obvious really, but teaching puppy seems mostly about things we don‘t want her to do!
A puppy novice can soon feel bogged down by a new puppy – most particularly by her teeth.
Little Millie is a ten-week-old Cocker Spaniel puppy. Something had happened very early in her life and she had to have an eye removed.
She is the sweetest, softest little thing much of the time. At other times, like all puppies, she is like a small missile with sharp teeth at the front end.
New puppy owners often need introducing to some fairly, to them, revolutionary concepts.
Teaching puppy often involves ignoring unwanted behaviours. Can this be right? Shouldn’t teaching puppy be about correcting her?
Where possible unwanted behaviour should bring puppy nothing. Corrections and ‘no’ may get her confused and frustrated.
Over-aroused, the little sharp teeth come into action. (more…)
I love it when people call me at the start. Puppy Parenting is about making sure things go in the right direction. It’s also about pre-empting possible future problems.
The friends’ advice they have listened to has been old-school, using stern ‘commands’, ‘no’ etc. as opposed to motivation, positive reinforcement and reward.
They will find that modern force-free methods work a whole lot better.
I know. I have used both in my time.
What happens when an energetic puppy overwhelms an older dog in the same home?
The bouncy puppy, a twelve week Old English Sheepdog, is simply too much for their other dog, a little Poodle-Westie mix.
Both dogs individually are perfect for their relative ages and breeds. They are doing brilliantly with bouncy puppy Fergy and all the usual puppy things.
It’s when the two dogs are together that things aren’t going well for little Busby.
Before Fergy arrived, little Busby had an interference-free life. They took him everywhere. Now the ten-year-old has to put up with constant pestering from a bouncy puppy, larger than himself, who just wants to play all the time. (more…)