barking and whining

[sakirby]

ok ok. so i have read all the forums about barking and whining. i am still finding it sooooo difficult. i have had oscar for 6 days now (i can't figure out the photo thing so i don't have a photo up of him). the first couple of days, i was totally overwhelmed. now, i am LOVING it. BUT, i must say, when he barks, it is difficult to ignore. oh the noise! if i want any bit of time to myself(if he isn't sleeping), and i leave him in the kitchen where he is gated off, he barks. i can't even walk around the rest of my apt. if he is awake without him barking. i have been ignoring him. or, if it is really getting on my nerves, i walk into the kitchen but, i ignore him until he is sitting calmly. he is getting a LITTLE better. he slept through the night last night and the night before but, when he wakes up in the morning, look out. he barks. from reading other posts (especially KELLY + MANJA), it seems like these are normal problems. i took a shower for ten minutes today and he barked the whole time. other than the barking, he is such a sweety. he wants to be around me all the time and he is really good with other people. i am enjoying him so much. i just feel very frustrated with his fierce little high pitched bark :) he barks when i am not in the kitchen with him, at night, and if i leave the apt. i forsee eviction :rolleyes:

[sakirby]

any advice? aside from ignoring him. i have been doing that. it is getting a BIT better. i guess it is just a slow on going process?

[franp]

Are you getting him tired? Is he allowed outside yet?

The best way to stop him is to make him sleep and the best way to get him to sleep is to make him tired..

If he is old enough to go outside and you can get him to play with other dogs ; that will tire him out.

Otherwise ,PLAY with him. Get him tired. He is a baby and he needs to be occupied by you.. He is asking for your attention. And you must give him some.That should help

[sakirby]

thanks franp....yeah, he is playing a lot. he does sleep a lot too. he isn't allowed outside yet, which is hard. i run him around the apt. alot but, it isn't the same. he is allowed after his shots on thurs. i can't wait!!!! oscar played with his first dog yesterday. a rottweiler. and SHE was scared of HIM. i think he was just so small and she didn't understand and was trying to be protective. but, you are right, he was sooooo tired. his whining was better today. thanks for the advice :)

[Borgan]

Can you take him with you wherevever you go? Like, if you're in the shower, can you put him in the bathroom? Does he sleep in a crate? How far along is he with his housetraining? Do you take him for car rides?

Luna cried ALOT when we first got her - major sepparation anxiety! We solved that problem by lugging her crate EVERYWHERE in the house that we were, and letting her out in areas we could supervise or where puddles didn't matter. Also, we would tell her "quiet", then "good quiet" when she was. Lots of praise for silence. We also took her shopping, etc. with us, and since she was so little we could pick her up and carry her without being noticed by the dog police.

I think the key for you is to get him housetrained so he can roam where you are. The bell method (getting them to ring it to go outside) works like a charm. Pick up a kong to fill with peanut butter & treats (if you haven't already) because nothing keeps a Frenchie entertained like food. The Nylabone & Bullystick are also good ones (under supervision).

Good luck!
-Brooke.

[Borgan]

ps. we never broke the barking in the morning. We solved that by bringing her into the bed with us at round 7 or 8am. She'll sleep till noon if we do.

[sakirby]

thanks guys! yeah, i take oscar out everytime i go out. he rides in the car. he rides in my coat. the neighborhood loves him. i have been leaving him alone for an hour or two each day though, just so he gets used to it. he barks when i leave but, stops after about ten minutes. he will sit in the bathroom with a toy while i shower but, as soon as he gets bored with it, he barks, or eats the shower curtain :) he played with mabel the rotty again today and got very tired out. that is a good suggestion about bringing him to bed in the morning. i think he would sleep a lot longer that way too. if i get up to go to the bathroom, any time after 6 am, forget it...is is UP. i think it will work out ok...i just have days were i am frustrated but, then i realize that this is just part of it.

haven't started housebreaking yet because he still needs his last shots. he gets them on thurs. the bell idea is great! do you just hang it by the door and ring it each time you go out to the bathroom? i am thinking oscar might try to eat it :rolleyes: hee hee. anyway, thanks so much everyone. things are progressing. i think the key is just to get him tired out.

one more question....he is 9 weeks old...is that too young for discipline? i mean, for him to understand what NO means. so far, i have ignored his bad behavior but, now am wondering if i should start saying NO or what to do. thanks for all your help ALL :)

[Martina]

It'll be interesting to see what you get back in response about discipline.

I so rarely say 'no' to my two. From day one, I found that keeping a chew toy and treats handy and IMMEDIATELY changing their behavior worked wonders. Someone's chewing on the sofa - give them the toy, play with her with the toy and reward her with oodles of praise and a treat for playing with the toy. Teething was, of course, hard - especially when I wasn't around (ie cabinet edges in the kitchen where they sleep). I used bitter apple on anything they might get to. But now, at 11mos, I feel comfortable leaving my house with these two out of the kitchen. They don't chew clothes or shoes or purses. Frankly, the only thing they have a tendancy to want to chew if they are not put away properly are hardbound books :eek: and if they can, they like to get into the paper for recycling! I make sure that the bathroom, bedroom and office doors are closed, and leave the rest of the house to them.

Not only do I hate saying 'no' to them, but I want them to do the right thing, instead. So when Lola jumps on the sofa - we work on 'off.' When the girls jump up on me or strangers, we work on 'sit.' I didn't want them to associate 'no' with just one thing.

I can say that around me they are near perfect ;) - with minor mishaps ... like this morning when my cosmetic bag fell on the floor while I was in the shower and I found my favorite (expensive) powder brush being chewed to pieces. I simply took it away and got a nylabone - and then praised them for chewing the bone. They're just dogs ... if something falls on the floor, it's fair game to them ... it's not their fault they don't know the difference between a $5 nylabone and a $50 powder brush - they just know it's new and different.

[sakirby]

that is interesting what you said about discipline martina...

i have been correcting him. when he chews on something "bad," i give him something he should be chewing on. he is doing pretty good. i don't mind the chewing so much. one thing he does is chase my feet around and bite my jeans...this is when he is really riled up. this, i started saying no to, but, it doesn't really do much. puppies are funny. he gets that wild and crazy spurt that only lasts for like ten minutes.

i can't wait until i feel comfortable just leaving him to roam around the whole house. i feel bad having him in the kitchen but right now, i know he would chew anything and everything and go to the bathroom wherever he could. i just got a bed for oscar...and he is passed out in it right now. i barely set it on the floor, and he was in it. :lol:

thanks for the advice. it is interesting to me how differently people handle discipline with dogs. my friend is telling me i need to start saying no to him every time he does something i don't want....but, then i look at his little face........ :)

[franp]

I do not even like the word discipline;instead behavior modification.
Teaching them not to chew on a hand and giving them a toy. Teaching them not to potty in the house and go outside.

Can I remember the times I intentionally used the word "No" as part of Dari's training?Yes, when she would start to urinate or defecate in the house and I had to catch her attention quickly. No is the shortest word and the tone of voice that work toghether.

But if she was teethin on my hand,I just removed my hand and placed an appropriate object (her toy )in her mouth .Then when she chewed on that ;LOTS of praise in a happy tone of voice. Dari was not a destructive dog(boy was I lucky).

I have a wonderful friend Gale; who knows more about dogs than anyone on earth. She feels that only positive reinforcement works in pups. And if Dari is an example she is right.

Now, if I have issues with Dari of control; I use Alpha models. If I am angry with her for a behavior; like she is being dominant with another dog; I make her go in a down position. This makes ME alpha.

But with puppies, all is positive, You should have seen me do the "POOP DANCE" on the streets of NY when Dari did her business. People thought I was nuts.

So, start with "discipline" or behavior modification or whatever you want to call it. It is not too early. But IMO, use only positive means.

[franp]

What I forgot to add; When we stop a pup from a behavior; we must give them an alternative. Just stopping them, confuses them. Giving them the correct choice is telling them what we want.

Like giving them a chew toy when they are chewing on the wrong thing; ie your foot.

[sakirby]

thanks franp....your advice is great! it does seem like NO doesn't do much. and if i use NO each time oscar does something i don't want him to, i feel as though i would be shouting it all the time :) sometimes, oscar just doesn't want any of his toys. he bites my hand, or my foot, and i give him a toy instead, and he doesn't want it. he just goes right back to my hand or foot. i suppose then, it would be a good idea to ignore him? then the barking comes in :)

this is such an adventure...learning how to get him to behave in ways that i want :) although, also realizing he is just a puppy and is going to do what he can get away with.

i have this site constantly open on my computer because i have found the advice and chats so valuable. when i have felt overwhelmed, i have come here and found answers. THANK YOU!!!

[franp]

You are welcome!

The best lesson I learned; A tired dog is the best dog.. And soon when your pup is able to socialize with the other dogs, he will come home tired and plop down.You both will get some rest :lol:

And remember, he is a baby..Be consistent. Keep offering him a toy , even when he wants your hands..He does need to be handled and loved.These dogs THRIVE on affection.

When I got Dari it was early spring.She was allowed out in late May.We went to the dogpark and because it was so nice out (and I loved watching her play)I would stay for over an hour; sometimes close to two. Little did I know I was tiring her out.

She was so much easier to manage.And she was happy, Playing with the others; learning to be with other dogs.Getting the excersize to build up her muscles.
And we would come home to a quiet dog.. A tired dog is an easily trained dog as Cesar Milan says (the ONLY thing I agree with him on).

So in a few days; you can take him out and get him tired..

Enjoy!!! :) :)

[Martina]

I will have to say that you do have to be a little careful about what you choose to entertain them ... I used boxes when they first arrived. They had hours of intense fun pulling them apart -- but that's also part of the reason that I think they're drawn to my books and the recyclables!!

And to comment further on Fran's use of positive reinforcment for changing behavior. Of course he doesn't want to stop playing with your feet - they're FUN! You have to get him to play with an appropriate toy that's equally as much fun ... maybe you can throw and he'll chase? I used a version of moving the object around (like for a cat) until it caught their attention - and then praise, praise, praise!

You don't need me to tell you that you want to stop that toe-nipping immediately ... so many of these actions are cute and funny when they're pups, but can be irritating, unattractive and potentially dangerous as adults. Especially around un-dog friendly people and small children. It may be just a game to your dog, but someone else could see it as a real threat.

Maybe some sort of food stuffed kong would work well in these situations? You have to make sure that the toy you're coaxing him to change behaviors with is something he wants to play with - and not one of the toys he gets to play with every day. Make it special, make it fun, make him WANT to change behavior! He'll catch on sooner or later!

[Borgan]

"Training doggy to go outside with The Bell is easy and fun!"

1) Purchase 4 or 5 silver Christmas Bells and tie onto shoe string. Tie around front door knob so doggy can ding with paw.

2) Take your doggy to the front door and ding the bell with it's paw. Carry it outside, set it on the grass and tell it to "Get Busy!". Stand there without moving. Tug the leash if doggy f**** around and say "Get Busy!" again. Take he or she inside after 3 minutes regardless of whether they went or not.

3) Take doggy outside EVERYTIME he/she rings the bell (it's good to start this on your days off). Repeat step 2 each time.

Eventually, your dog will realize that this isn't a game and will not abuse the priveledge (okay, most times). You can do this with a puppy who hasn't been vaccinated, as long as it doesn't come into contact with other dog poop or unvaccinated dogs. Works like a charm (but don't hold me to it).

Good luck!
B.

[EmD, MD]

If you want some good doggy entertainment while you're trying to do something else, give him a puzzle toy. It's harder when they don't have teeth, but one thing I've done is roll up some treats in an old rag, then tie the rag in a knot. They will smell the treats, then go nuts looking for them. When they're tiny, they're not strong enough to tear the rag or eat it, but watch them anyway! The first time, it took Penny all day; now she can get that thing untied in about 5 minutes.
So recently I got her this toy called a buster cube. It's a plastic cube with a labyrinth inside. I fill it with dehydrated liver pieces and as she rolls it around the treats fall out one by one. She will chase that thing for literally an hour, by herself. She doesn't even eat all the treats that fall out.
The problem with the buster cube is the amount of time I have to spend looking for it... :rolleyes:

[Kelly+Manja]

hiya
i reckon a lot of the 'bad' behaviour youre mentioning will be grown out of. Its just puppy stuff. obviously consistency and training are important but a puppy is a puppy! when manja was little he would follow me into the bathroom when i had a shower and sit there and whine the whole time until i got out!!! now he still follows me in but he just sits there and waits quietly (looking bored) like wise with bedtime. He would wake up soooooo early and hassle me till i woke up with whining and biting the bed covers... but now he enjoys a good sleep in and wakes up when i do.
If youre consitent and loving puppies DO get the message, dont worry. It just takes a little while before you can see that they get it.
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