New Puppy

[Annie's granny]

Hello. I'm new to this board and new owner of an 8 week old miniature Dachshund puppy. Actually, she belongs to my 14 year old daughter. (Puppy's name is Annie, hence the screen name "Annie's granny.") I see from reading other posts that we apparently got her too young (6 1/2 weeks) but this is new to us (we have no other pets.) We planned to try crate training . . . so far she will not go in the crate for more than a few seconds. We put her in there when she falls asleep, but she usually wakes up and cries or won't sleep very long in there. She will sleep for a long time if we are holding her. I've tried wrapping her in a blanket while we hold her then putting her to bed with blanket still wrapped around. She has stuffed animals in there with her. But she still seems to not like it. Also, in the last few days (we've only had her for a week and a half) she has gotten very aggressive. I've been online looking for answers, and read a book titled "Civilizing your puppy" and have tried several suggestions from these. (chin bop, harsh "NO BITING!", as a last resort, I even tried picking her up by back of neck and shaking then putting down. She just growled, then barked and tried to bite me again.) We are giving her ALOT of attention, so I don't think that could be the problem. I haven't tried a water bottle/squirt gun yet, only because we are snowed in where we live and I haven't been able to go out and get one. She was so sweet the first week. Just the last few days, she seems to be coming out of her shell, and it doesn't seem to be a good thing. <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm12.gif" border=0> She is adorable and we love her already, but we want to nip this behavior in the bud, so to speak. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance. I was VERY relieved to find a forum such as this!

[Wienergal]

WELCOME!!! So glad to have you on the board! Ah yes, the joys of puppy training...<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm25.gif" border=0> Especially when the little angel suddenly hits her "terrible two's" and decides to test ALL the limits! We've just gone through something similar with one of our rescue dogs. Here are some tips to get you started. Others will have advice for you too, I'm sure. Mostly, I want to reassure you that these problems CAN be solved. Just as even the most terrible two-year-old humans can grow into lovely children, assertive pups can be trained to grow into lovely dogs. Please be aware that you need to devote some serious time to this project! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/biggrin.gif

Of course you never want to allow her to snap at you--or anyone. But I would focus right now less on the individual acts of defiance and more on the overall "pack structure" in your house--i.e., establishing yourself clearly as the alpha and letting Annie know her place. (She will actually be glad of this; like a child, she wants to feel secure and safe in her position in the home. Being alpha is a BIG responsibility!)

So you have to act like the alpha all the time. Put her on a leash, even when she is inside. Teach her to come to you on command--not for any reason, but just because she must learn to obey you. Use the leash to bring her to you if she ignores you. Make sure that YOU walk through the door first, not Annie. Make sure she sits on command before she gets any treats. I've also found that speaking to an assertive puppy in a soft, low voice is more effective than a loud command. Try not to let your voice reflect frustration or anger--remember that, more than anything else, puppies want attention, and even negative attention is better than nothing!

Hope these tips help you get started. Obedience training would be good for Annie too.

Good luck!!

[Mark]

Hi Annie's granny,

Welcome to the board! We're glad you're here! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/wavey.gif

You seem to have picked up some good knowledge and Pamela has given you some great advice.

Hang in there, be consistant and find an obedience class.

Please let us know how things progress,

Mark

Ps - Snowed in? Where are you?

[Mrs.F]

Welcome Annie's Granny!

One bit of advice that my vet gave me when I first brought my puppy home, was to incorparate little things in your cuddle/play time that will constantly remind the dog that you are the alpha. He suggested we roll Penny on to her back and even hold her in our arms like a human baby - on her back - while looking right into her eyes and crooning to her softly. The loving, gentle voice messages keep this pleasant for the pup, but being put on her back by you 8 or 10 different times every day will work somewhat like a sublimiminal message telling her over and over again, "I AM YOUR BOSS, but I love you and you can trust me."
He also reccommended that we regularly play with and gently squeeze Penny's feet and ears while snuggling her, and rub our clean fingers over her teeth and in her mouth so that she would accept ear cleanings, toothbrushing and nail clipping more easily when she was older.
I'll never know if Penny was just born with an easy personality or if it was my vet's good advice, but we've NEVER had alpha issues with Penny and she's always been very calm and good about grooming. (er..alpha issues with HUMANS....she can be almost vicious towards our other dachshund when provoked)
Maggie came to us (with Alpha issues) at 7 months of age. She is 15 months old now and will still not willingly submit to being held in our arms on her back. She's learned to be very good for tooth brushing and ear cleanings, but needs a muzzle when I clip her nails.
Good luck to you, your daughter and Annie!

[Mark]

It sounds like "great" advice, to me, Heidi! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/cool.gif

Mark

[Mark]

Hi again Annie's granny,

I see from your profile that you're in AR. I can't believe the storms you got down there. Ice & snow everywhere. We have family in Texarkana, TX and the whole city is without power, all the trees in their yards are snapped off just below the lowest branch, many telephone poles snapped off and 1 1/2" of ice on everything. No wonder you can't get out to get a spray bottle (which works GREAT, BTW).

I hope your weather improves and just remember this the next time you make fun of a Northerners weather. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif I've already taken some jabs at the people we know throughout Texas. http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/biggrin.gif

Take care and please do keep us posted on your progress,

Mark

[Penny's Aunt]

Puppies & dogs are the absolute masters of figuring out people. This 5" tall scrap of fur can look up at a row of monster-tall people & think: "Ah, let's see. That one's an easy touch; another easy touch; oooh, better watch that one - he's the kind that will make me mind; easy touch; easy touch..."

There is a really good book on raising pups & how dogs see the world, called The Culture Clash by Jean Dixon.<u>Text</u> Your library probably has it, or can get it for you. There was so much good info in it that I had to get one of my own.

About the biting: every single time she bites or bears down with pressure of her teeth (we aren't talking "mouthing" here, which is just having your finger in her mouth with no pressure), screech "Ouch!" in a loud, dramatic voice. Make sure EVERYONE in the family does this. She will make the connection that your "yelping" & her brother yelping when she bit his ear too hard is the same thing.

Mouthing is okay for now, & she will probably outgrow it. It seems to be a kind of hangover from nursing. Dogs also explore stuff with their mouth (no pressure), which is a learning experince.

NUMBER ONE DOG RULE: If you want to encourage behavior (bringing a ball to you), pay attention & give praise; if you want to discourage behavior, IGNORE IT. That means all play stops instantly, no verbal commands or begging, no attention WHATSOEVER. Just get up & leave the room for a minute or two. She has to learn that bad behavior gets her NOTHING!

Dogs love attention, they hate to be ignored. If pup does something bad & you yell, make funny faces, swat pup, etc, that is attention! Bad attention is better than being ignored, according to the dog.

The training will be more effective if everyone in the family agrees to do the same thing. If everyone wants to train the pup using his/her own methods, what do you think is going to happen?

Get the pup used to the crate gradually. Feed her all her meals in the crate with the door left open to start. Then start closing the door for just 30 seconds or so after she finishes eating, but DON'T open it if she was just whining or barking; wait until there's a lull. You don't want her to associate whining/barking with you opening the door.

Then start leaving the door closed for a little longer each time. In between times, give her a long-lasting treat, like some cheddar cheese smeared on the inside of a sterilized shin bone or a hollow rubber toy. This special treat is ONLY for when she is in the crate.

Just remember that no one is allowed to open that door when she is whining. In fact, no one should pay any attention to her when she is fussing. Then you can talk to her when she is good. NO GUSHING! NO BEGGING!

And try to put the crate in a common room where people are or pass through a lot. If you've got a spot in the kitchen, that would be ideal. It needs to be somewhere there is plenty of light, things going on, people passing through. Crate should not = Outcast.

Aren't puppies fun? You have to be thinking all the time, or they'll out-con you every time.

[Annie's granny]

Thanks, everyone for the good advice so far. I've finally gotten a water bottle. I can already tell that this is going to be a BIG help! (For us, not Annie. <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm1.gif" border=0>)

We've been holding her on her back (like a baby) often, and she seems to like that and is actually more submissive after a while of this. Also, talking softly to her does work better. Thanks for that info. It's hard to sift through all the information in books, on the 'net, etc. and decide which strategy to go with . . . there's such a broad range of opinions!!! It's nice hearing from real people who've been there, done that, with this particular breed of puppy. We've joked that if little Annie had a big body to go with her attitude, she would be a lethal weapon and we'd all be in trouble!<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm6.gif" border=0>

Incidentally, her housebreaking seems to be going well ... which surprises me considering that she seems to be quite stubborn. She's had a few accidents, but I really consider those our fault. (Got sidetracked right after she finished eating, or when she woke up.) When we take her outside, she immediately does her thing. So, at least that's one big thing going well.

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know how much I've appreciated the input and that after only 2 days of following some of your suggestions, I can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel.<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm13.gif" border=0>

Something that I just realized that I left out, is that we also have twin boys, age 4. She has NO respect for them when they say "no biting", but is better with my husband, me, or our daughter (age 14). Do you think it's because she senses that they don't have any real "authority"? We've been extremely careful about making sure they aren't alone with her, and only hold her when they're sitting in the floor or the couch, with us right beside them. Also, we've told them not to put their face (or any other body part) close to her mouth. I've been pleasantly surprised at how careful they are in handling her. The ironic thing is, she's the one terrorizing them! They have to run to jump on the furniture, or to their room if she happens to be out, because when she catches sight of them, the chase is on. I'm sure that she'll outgrow this, but so far, they're not sure having a puppy is all it was cracked up to be.<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm36.gif" border=0>

Please forgive the long post. I'm not able to log on frequently, and I try to put everything in at once. We've been on holiday from Dec. 21 until Jan. 2, so this has helped us spend lots of extra time with Annie right at the beginning. It may be a whole new set of challenges when we all go back to work and school. (My husband gets off work at noon, and will be able to come let her out of her crate then.) Again, thanks for all the input, I look forward to sharing stories with everyone and getting to know more about you and your dachsies!

[dutchman]

Hi,

Not much real advice but just some words of encouragement for you. I can't remember for sure how old I was when my folks got our first dachshund but I think I was about 5-7 years old at the time. The dachshund was a six month old who had been with her mother before my folks got her. When they fist got her she would terrorize me standing up on her hind legs to nip at my hands any time I was close. I can't remember the methods used to correct this behavior but I do know that after a month or so the behavior was greatly reduced and she eventually became a welcome member of the household. While she was most closely bonded to my father she was allowed to sleep in my bed after we became good buddies.

One minor word of advice and I know this would be difficult to enforce with four year olds but chasing a running object is deep rooted in a dogs hunting instincts and running from an aggressive animal can be rewarding to the animal and also can cause an elevated level of excitement and aggression. Also another general training note holding an animal when it is in a stressful situation can be counter productive. While I agree on the surface it appears to make sense to help keep everyone safe from each other the comfort of being held can reinforce the aggressive feelings should the animal show aggression while under the stress. A couple of ideas might include the use of a short leash and a collar like a gentle leader when the twins are near instead of holding the dog on your lap. While I wouldn't want to use one for extended time periods a muzzle might be another possibility. I appear to be making some progress with my aggressive boy Tanner but it will be some time and a lot of careful watching before I will consider him a safe animal in general public places. For now if we are in public he requires an almost full time eye to make sure we stay out of trouble.

Goo luck, it appears some thing you are doing is having a positive impact. I'm far from and expert and even an expert has to be careful when making long distance recommendations.

Best Wishes,

Tom and the boys (Frank and Tanner)

[Mark]

Hi again A.g.,

IMO if she treats the kids w/no respect it is because she views them as other pack members who are beneath her rank. Even if she considers you the alpha . . . there is the rest of the pack, which typically has a Beta & the Omega's.

The road to change the pack order is up to you as the alpha. I think I would start by making sure the hooman kids get all the firsts to show that the "alpha says this is the pack order". If approaching the kids and Annie together - greet & hug the kids "before" greeting & petting Annie and if feeding the kids and Annie at the same time, give the kids their food first, etc., etc. The kids should also show dominance by (supervised at first) putting Annie on her back, not kissing her on the mouth area (it's how dogs acknowledge a leader in the pack), let the kids take turns giving any regularly scheduled treats so she sees that food is coming from them and teach the kids what commands are for what so they are using the same words you're using. As the alpha, you may need to reinforce any command disciplines the kids use at first.

If the 4 year olds play "tug-o-war" with Annie and the kids ever lose . . . discontinue the practice. It will reinforce her belief in her dominance over the kids.

Well, I've babbled and rambled on enough.

After a time you won't even have to think about what to do when (I don't anymore) and you will have extablished the pack order.

Once the "pack dynamics" are in place . . . everyone is at their happiest including Annie.

It sounds like you're basically on the right track, please keep us posted on your progress.


Mark

[Frzframe]

I found that when my Mitzi was eight weeks old and my three year old niece came over it was the same way she would run and Mitzi would chase. Mitzi thought it was all a game. But once Chelsea stood her ground (with me to help)it all worked out. When Mitzi turned about three months old it changed into Chelsea is doing the chasing so she can hold and cuddle Mitzi. Chelsea is now the one who gets into trouble not Mitzi Moo. Tee Hee Mitzi is worn out and sleeps like a log. <IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm28.gif" border=0>
~Shonda

<FONT COLOR="#00FFFF" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by Frzframe on December 30, 2000 at 12:06 PM</font>

[dox_no3]

Hi Annie's Granny,

Another method I've heard about how to stop a dog from chasing/jumping/nipping at children is to teach the children to "be trees". The way this is done is that anytime the dog starts to chase or jump on them, they should freeze on the spot, cross there arms over their chest and look skyward. The idea is that the dog is no longer getting a satisfactory reaction from them and will soon discontinue these activities because they are now boring for her. I know that when I was a child, I used to spend a lot of time standing still to avoid dogs. (I was afraid of them all; even our mini daxie when my dad first brought her home!) http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/wink.gif

------------------
Julie & Bugsy
/===//&lt;..&gt;

[Mandy]

We had a similar situation with our 3 yr. old dachshund, Henry. He would growl and do similar things as Annie is doing (minus chasing children) at that age. He would scream bloody murder when we put him in his crate but be a sweetheart in our laps. He would growl at times, and yet he potty trained himself. At the time we didn't know it, but Henry is possessive-aggressive. These are some of the early signs that could have told us about his problem if we had only recognized them for what they were.

That doesn't mean he is a bad dog....he is a very loving dog and would protect anyone of us or any child with his life. We just had to learn how to properly deal with his problem. And is only that....a behavioral problem which can be worked on and dealt with.

In case your Annie may have a similar problem, it is definitely good that you can recognize it as such now. Penny's Aunt gave refernece to a wonderful book by Jean Donaldson. Definitely get this...this was a turning point for us with Henry. We ordered it from Amazon.com but I'm sure there are other places that carry it.

Great advice from everyone here. You MUST establish yourself as the alpha. And you will probably need to remind Annie at times taht she is a dog. When Henry starts to get cranky...we give him the absolute worst punishment ever.....he isn't allowed to sleep with us for a night. To him, nothing could be worse than not being allowed to sleep with us (and hence the pack). Another point to that is that Jakey is still allowed to sleep with us and so Henry can't even snuggle with his dachsie brother.

I wish we had known the things we now do when we first brought Henry home. We would have done things differently. However, we didn't know and no one else around us did either. growing up my family always adopted abused animals who needed a home and love, but we had never been faced with a possessive-aggressive dog.

Another tip....use Annie's meals to help train her. Most dachsies will train for food (Jakey loves food). This helps you bond, helps Annie to learn, and reminds her that you are alpha and that the food comes from you. She has to earn her food.

Good luck and keep us posted! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif And don't give up hope....now Henry is just a sweety who gets a little cranky once in a while...if Annie is possessive-aggressive, you can't do a quick fix..you have to learn how to deal with her so that she stays her sweet self.