Hi guys,

I'm new to this website and am needing some advise on a couple of issues with our 15 week old Cocker puppy.

We have the general puppy issues - toilet training, sleeping through the night, pulling on the lead etc but i think we are well on the way to cracking them and have seen others getting similar advise on these things through this forum.

Our problem is Bailey having barking and growling sessions. They don't seem to be linked to anything in particular. Although sometimes seem to be brought on if he has been told 'no' for something or if we aren't paying him attention when he thinks we should.
He used to do little lunges forward and try to nip (mainly my husband although sometimes he tried it on with me to). We did the 'no' and putting our backs to him/ignoring which just seemed to get him more excited. We have banished him to his crate to calm down which does work and he comes out all appologetic but then it doesn't seem to stop him the next time and we don't wan't him to think his crate is where he should go for a punishment.
We've tried playing with him etc but it doesn't seem to stop him. We have tried taking him outside thinking he might me needing the toilet but that isn't it either. He has now started barking in the car too and is extremely loud and there is nothing i can seem to do to stop him. In the car is the most upsetting because if i'm driving i can't do anything to soothe the situation.

What would anyone suggest? I want to try and nip this in the bud as soon as i can because he isn't generally a barky dog - he never makes a sound when we are out walking/in the park.

All advise gratefully needed.

The other thing is what to do about him picking up/eating everything off the ground when we are out at the park. He isn't fussy - sweet wrappers/sticks/grass/poo/paper/polystyrene - i even pulled a bit of glass out of his mouth last week.

Thanks.

I think eating off the ground is normal for puppies.  Mine used to be particularly partial to picking chewing gum off the pavement with her front teeth.  She would probably still do it but I simply don't allow her the opportunity.  I'm afraid with puppies you just have to be extremely vigilant inside and outside the home.  as they get older you can train them 'leave' (you could start doing this now) but even then if they are free running like my dog was last year when she picked up something in the park it's impossible to stop them.  My dog was seriously ill after and even the vet thought she'd die.

I don't know about the growling.  My dog was growling like a ferocious beast today when playing with my teenage son and I thought at the time that anyone outside the family would have been frightened at the sound but her body language told me (and my son) that it was play all the way. 

Our dog did bite as a puppy and it went on for quite a while (months).  Eventually though we found the best effect was silently putting her outside the room we were in and when letting her back in we'd ignore her for a few minutes. You have to be consistent though.

no words of advice, just a quick note to say our 15 week old GR is EXACTLY the same - I am hoping he'll grow out of it :)

Ah don't say that, they are playing.

We are talking about a baby predator here.  All baby animal games are designed to help them learn how to survive.  Baby prey animals learn to pronk, run, twist and turn, chase and be chased to hone their survival skills.

Baby carnivores play hunting/killing/defending territory games.

We gradually adapt theri play to fit more easily with our needs and expectations.

"Pronk" what the H*** is Pronking?
Maybe something peculiar to an Elkhound?? :-):-)

>"Pronk" what the H*** is Pronking?

Definition of "pronk".

Ahh my next door neighbours JRT is a great Pronker then...I always knew she was a bit weird!! LOL ;-);-)

Well I guess I have had my edumacation for the day.  Pronk for joy.

I used to know a grumpy man at work whose last name was Pronk.

Wouldn't expect dogs to generally pronk, it is what goats and gazelles and deer do, another trick to not get eaten.

Mind you the Elkhounds are pretty good at jumping straight up, and mine I describe as part mountain goat when careering down the woody steep slopes of our country park.