Posted on 12/24/2023 10:49:04 AM PST by Houmatt
I have a six-month old puppy. I believe it to be a possible German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix.
My problem is she is filled with energy. She jumps and runs around a lot and me and my spouse can't spend a large chunk of time due to our job schedules.
But she also likes to nip and chew. On everything. Including hands.
Any suggestions on what to do?
Rent a bunch of 5 year old hyperactive children to play with your dog.
-PJ
(1) Before leaving for work, when you get home, and when the puppy is rambunctious, walk him on a leash, preferably to the point of fatigue for the puppy. If done properly with you in the lead, walking also helps a dog to bond with you, learn discipline, and to treat you as the alpha.
(2) Defer feeding until you and the rest of the family have eaten and require the puppy to sit and be calm before he can eat.
(3) Crate the puppy at night when it is time to sleep in a dark and quiet room. And, (4) Generally avoid high pitched happy talk, gestures, and forms of play that can excite the puppy.
Can you afford doggie day care or a dog sitter? The dog needs socialization and a way to work off excess energy. Remember she is a working breed and they need to work both their muscles and their brains. She is too young yet for agility but once a vet gives the o.k. you should look into that.
The chewing is likely from regular teething puppy behavior and boredom. Get her safe (made in USA) chew toys and keep her occupied with play.
WHAT YOU MUST NOT DO IS PHYSICALLY PUNISH HER FOR CHEWING. It is fine to quickly scold her for nipping at fingers but hitting, smacking,etc will just create confusion and fear. That is not a good foundation for training.
Some people are amateurs and have never experienced finding the remains of a sofa at the feet of a smiling, proud, puppy.
If you have Rottweiler anywhere in the mix with this pup, you need to get them in training quick.
The dog of my soul was a Rottweiler, and despite what some of the chimps here say, they are phenomenal dogs. Mine was my infant daughter’s protector and playmate. She is the dog by which all other dogs are measured.
Get her in a K9 Good Citizen program, but train her. They are smart dogs, and stalwart protectors.
I believe chew toys would work well in this case.
“Rottweiler mix”
Give it a human to chase. That’ll wear it out until it gets big enough to catch the human. Then give it a napkin.
wy69
Oh, and as for chewing... we got her a KONG brand chew tire, and a few very large KONG brand chew toys. Be wary of possible choking hazzard toys. No cow bones, etc. Nyla makes good products.
And again, get her in a K9 Good Citizen program.
I completely agree with that analysis.
Stay home and raise your puppy. Two paychecks get couples in economic troubles down the road.
Get busy and birth some babies They can even be more fun than puppies.;
I agree with that completely. Raised three kids (their grown now), but they were a handful as toddlers. The wife and I have a lab pup now and its like having a toddler again.
“Brutal”? As in beating the dog, starving them...what?
Discipline may be uncomfortable until you both get used to it, but I don’t see how it’s brutal.
Mine too...
Sounds like a normal puppy to me. We have a local doggy daycare here that will either keep them all day or for a four hour playday. They wore my two Jack Russell/Feists out good. When they got home, all they wanted to do was sleep. They went two or three days a week until they settled down. They played with each other in their fenced yard the other days.
Yipe loudly when the dog nips you.
Chew toys.
My dog would bite her way up the leash, like a shark coming up the line.
Sometimes you do need negative reinforcement.
Cesar Milan has a technique. Make your hand a claw, fingers like teeth, push down on the dogs hindquarters, make it sit.
Grown up dogs reprimand puppies with their teeth.
You must be dominant top dog, or no one will be happy.
A spray bottle of water also helped.
Give her tug play but teach her the let go command. Drop toy. Get treat. And stop play if dog nips.
Puppies are naturally full of energy; to be otherwise would not be a good sign. All the experts recommend a nice long walk at least once a day, ideally twice. As far as the nibbling, that’s a natural behavior for them, but of course it cannot be allowed to go on forever. One of my mini dachshunds, who is about 18 months old has done that since we brought him home at 8 weeks old, but he is doing it much less. Whenever he does it, I tell him no. He knows what no means for other things, but he established himself as pack leader over our other dogs the minute I brought him home, and biting is one way they control their “pack”. I call it fake biting, because he certainly does not bite hard enough to hurt the other dogs or me. So he’s getting better about nibbling on my fingers when I approach him, but he still tries to control the others that way. He’s not a bit mean, but he is aggressive with the other dogs, though if he’s chewing up a kleenex, or some object he isn’t to have, he is never resistant when I take it out of his mouth. I wonder if he didn’t have to fight for every drop of milk he got from his mother, or if he was top dog amongst his litter mates, too. Anyway, he’s a sweet little boy who sticks to me like glue, but it’s going to take more time and training to get him where I want him to be. Remember to praise, praise, praise. My other dachshund, who is a year older than the other one, lives on praise, but she doesn’t willingly do ANYTHING she doesn’t want to do. She’s sweet and gentle, but stubborn.
LOL!
Hot sauce on your valued items, and two hour long runs in a local woodland. Energy cannot be canceled. You have to play your dog like it’s Jaws and he needs four barrels to wear him out. Around the age of five, a slow and steady decrease in energy begins. Those are the companionship and loyalty golden years of dog stewardship.
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