charliedarwn
Banned
We LOVE our new puppy Charlie, but we are definately running into some problems with him. He is our first dog let alone our first puppy, and I know he has the potential to be a great dog, but I feel as if I'm lacking a little in getting him started on that path.
First, he seems to be having a tough time house training. He's 10 weeks old now (we've had him from 8 and a half weeks) and he still pretty much goes in the house at his own discretion. I don't know what we are doing wrong-- we take him outside to the same spot very frequently, give him a treat and praise when he goes, and he will still come inside and go in the house within 10 to 15 minuets of going outside. This isn't every time, but it's often enough to make me feel like he's not getting it. I was concerned that he a had a bladder problem, but the vet said that going to the bathroom so frequently is normal for a puppy. Is it a territorial thing? We don't have any other dogs, just an older male cat that the pup is really none too interested in.
Second, I'm pretty sure Charlie was the leader of the pack in his litter. He was the biggest pup (14lbs at 8 weeks), and a little more serious while the other puppies were crazy playful. Now that he's home with us, he's really fighting for dominance-- barking and biting seem to be his best methods. Lately when he does this, I've held him by the back of his neck (like his mother would) and looked directly in his eyes until he looks away. I've read that it's important to physically assert yourself over your puppy, i.e. walking towards him until he backs off, and I've been doing that also, but he is putting up one heck of a fight. Thing is, I don't want to be TOO dominant and make him a timid or fearful dog, so where do you draw the line? Also, of course I love being affectionate with him, but do certain kinds of affection send the wrong message?
Third (sorry the list is getting longer), my pup LOVED his crate when he first came home a week and a half ago. He would run right into it and plop down and sleep in there for hours. We always left the door open, thinking that if we closed it he would begin to resent the crate or be afraid of it. We only closed it when we had to leave him alone, and the second we were out of sight he would cry and bark until he saw or heard us again. He has peed in his crate a few times, which at first NEVER would have happened, and now he is really against the crate in general. If we can even get him to go in there, he only stays for a few minutes and then comes back out. We had to move the crate a few times, which I assumed had something to do with it. It's really cozy in there and he has his favorite blankets and toys, but he refuses to go in his crate any more, which makes night time awful, since he only wants to be in bed with me, not in his crate. What can I do to reacquaint him with his crate in a positive way? As a side note, I'm sure this crate problem has something to do with his difficulty housebreaking.
Fourth and finally, the biting and attitude. I sometimes worry a little that maybe Charlie isn't as playful or friendly as other Boxers I've met-- he's not timid at all, but he's very weary of people he doesn't know. He needs to inspect them first before he can be at ease with them. I've heard this is pretty normal, but other Boxers I've known practically tackle strangers with kisses when they first meet them. Also, I feel like he really enjoys his alone time, which doesn't seem like a Boxer thing either. He likes playing and he loves jumping into our laps and going to sleep, but it seems he gets bored at playtime and would rather do something on his own. His puppy biting is normal, but when we sternly tell him "NO" or "OUCH" he barks and gets a little bit of an attitude. We have been giving him a short squirt of water from a spray bottle when he does that, and it seemed to work, but now he seems to just hate that water bottle (he barks at it). He is starting puppy classes as soon as he gets his next series of shots on the 21st of March, but in the meantime, I need some guidance!! Are these all normal puppy things, or could I potentially have a dominant, aggressive, poorly behaved dog on my hands? Thanks a lot for your help!
First, he seems to be having a tough time house training. He's 10 weeks old now (we've had him from 8 and a half weeks) and he still pretty much goes in the house at his own discretion. I don't know what we are doing wrong-- we take him outside to the same spot very frequently, give him a treat and praise when he goes, and he will still come inside and go in the house within 10 to 15 minuets of going outside. This isn't every time, but it's often enough to make me feel like he's not getting it. I was concerned that he a had a bladder problem, but the vet said that going to the bathroom so frequently is normal for a puppy. Is it a territorial thing? We don't have any other dogs, just an older male cat that the pup is really none too interested in.
Second, I'm pretty sure Charlie was the leader of the pack in his litter. He was the biggest pup (14lbs at 8 weeks), and a little more serious while the other puppies were crazy playful. Now that he's home with us, he's really fighting for dominance-- barking and biting seem to be his best methods. Lately when he does this, I've held him by the back of his neck (like his mother would) and looked directly in his eyes until he looks away. I've read that it's important to physically assert yourself over your puppy, i.e. walking towards him until he backs off, and I've been doing that also, but he is putting up one heck of a fight. Thing is, I don't want to be TOO dominant and make him a timid or fearful dog, so where do you draw the line? Also, of course I love being affectionate with him, but do certain kinds of affection send the wrong message?
Third (sorry the list is getting longer), my pup LOVED his crate when he first came home a week and a half ago. He would run right into it and plop down and sleep in there for hours. We always left the door open, thinking that if we closed it he would begin to resent the crate or be afraid of it. We only closed it when we had to leave him alone, and the second we were out of sight he would cry and bark until he saw or heard us again. He has peed in his crate a few times, which at first NEVER would have happened, and now he is really against the crate in general. If we can even get him to go in there, he only stays for a few minutes and then comes back out. We had to move the crate a few times, which I assumed had something to do with it. It's really cozy in there and he has his favorite blankets and toys, but he refuses to go in his crate any more, which makes night time awful, since he only wants to be in bed with me, not in his crate. What can I do to reacquaint him with his crate in a positive way? As a side note, I'm sure this crate problem has something to do with his difficulty housebreaking.
Fourth and finally, the biting and attitude. I sometimes worry a little that maybe Charlie isn't as playful or friendly as other Boxers I've met-- he's not timid at all, but he's very weary of people he doesn't know. He needs to inspect them first before he can be at ease with them. I've heard this is pretty normal, but other Boxers I've known practically tackle strangers with kisses when they first meet them. Also, I feel like he really enjoys his alone time, which doesn't seem like a Boxer thing either. He likes playing and he loves jumping into our laps and going to sleep, but it seems he gets bored at playtime and would rather do something on his own. His puppy biting is normal, but when we sternly tell him "NO" or "OUCH" he barks and gets a little bit of an attitude. We have been giving him a short squirt of water from a spray bottle when he does that, and it seemed to work, but now he seems to just hate that water bottle (he barks at it). He is starting puppy classes as soon as he gets his next series of shots on the 21st of March, but in the meantime, I need some guidance!! Are these all normal puppy things, or could I potentially have a dominant, aggressive, poorly behaved dog on my hands? Thanks a lot for your help!
