Help with 4 month old puppy needed

[capncrunk]

Hello all,

We have a 4 month old puppy named Capone. He's a golden retirever and airedale terrier mix. We're having a couple of problems with him and most of the family is losing patience and getting very frustrated with him.

Eating: This is a big problem. We just got done cleaning a bunch of cat litter out of his mouth. Lately he's been digging in the trash, and he seems to rather eat leftovers, the cat's food, the cat's litter, or my nephew's dirty diapers than his own food. He has diarrhea, and I suspect it's because of his eating habits.

Housebreaking: He is, in my opinion, pretty much housebroken. During the day when I'm with him he sleeps most of the time, so he never goes in the house. When the rest of the family gets home, he'll probably go two or three times in the house. This is probably because there's so much going on that we forget to take him out, though.

Biting/Nipping: He'll bite and nip at everyone. I don't really know how to correct this behavior short of going to obedience classes (all of which are booked until the middle of next month). At times he'll try to mouth the baby's arms or hands but he never full on bites him.

Jumping: Same as above. I don't really know how to correct this problem.

If anyone could offer some short term advice before we can take him to an obedience class it would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[keeks62]

Puppies will eat anything and everything that is in reach. We had to learn to put EVERYTHING away, especially food or food-like items. I would suggest putting the trash in a place the dog cannot get it or getting a trashcan with a lid on it.

As for housebreaking, like you said, you just have to be consistent. One thing we tried was to put a string of bells on the door (or you could attach one by the door) and every time you open the door, say "out" and ring the bells. Eventually, our dog began ringing the bells to let us know she had to go. This was very helpful for us.

Nipping, well, they'll eventually grow out of that. One thing that helped us tremendously was the dog park. There, our pup learned socialization and the other dogs taught her what was too hard to bite. This really helped to decrease the nipping at home. She also gets a lot of excersize there and it really tires her out by the time she gets home. Also try the "high yip". when your puppy nips at you, yelp like another dog would and pay no attention to your pup. Turn your back on him/her. This lets your dog know that you will not pay attention to or play with them when they bite.

Jumping is similar (although i'm not too good about disciplining this). There are 2 things i have learned- One- turn your back on your dog when they jump up on you. when they are not jumping, say "good off" and praise them (but not with treats). when they learn "sit" you can tell them to sit and not pay attention until they do. any reaction by you will be rewarding. My friend also had another solution- when a dog is jumping/ready to jump, cross your arms over your chest and walk towards them. you are invading their space and showing that you are the dominant one.

And, if you have cable- watch "The Dog Whisperer" on National Geographic. That Ceasar is AMAZING!!! He also has a blog on www.nationalgeographic.com

I hope this helps! my pup is now a year old, and a lot of those behaviors have subsided, if not stopped! Just don't give up on your little monster, i mean, puppy!