Hi
Wanted to know wether im getting this puppy training right or not . Oscar is 11weeks tomorrow and when i first got him he was pretty obidient . Now however he will try and rush through doors before me and trys to jump up on chairs/beds and nips at me if i try to push him down . Getting very boisterous.
I have started to make him sit so i go through the door first (when i first got him he automatically used to stop and wait for me to go through).
Its been the half term and im wondering wether i have been giving him to many privelages or what? He has had pretty much the run of the house is this too much too soon ?
His not been to bad this morning , is more when the kids are about .
What boundaries do i need to be setting .
So far i have him sitting at doorways if he trys to go through first.
I also have toys which only we play with and i take possesion of at the end.
Thanks in advance

Sounds as tho' you have the right idea :) Just decide your rules and stick to them. If you don't want him in a room - don't let him in even if he makes a fuss. It can be a bit of a thankless job, but if you are firm, you will win in the end - but it may be a few months before you realise it :) The main thing is to be consistent - don't let him up on a chair one day and then tell him off the next.

Have you got a 'cooling off' place - if he gets a bit much put him some where safe and quiet for a little while and ignore him :)

Good luck

Daisy

Hi
Yes we have the kitchen for his cooling off place with a baby gate so that seems to calm him . i find it quite hard to keep him occupied . He is in a routine with the kids were he is awake allday from 7.00am and then at around 8pm hes asleep until morning.
Hes also started to bark alot. When we are in the garden there is a walk way behind , if he sees someone he walks backwards and barks alot!
He is allowed to go out in 2 days , i think maybe he needs more socialisation.

You'll find it so much better when he's allowed to go out - I remember ticking off the days last year and on the first day we went to the pub, the high street, walked past a school, just lots of quite mundane little things that are new and tiring!

Wow, doesn't he sleep at all through the day? That must be really difficult to keep him occupied, but sounds to me like you are doing it right. My pup is nearly 15 weeks and like yours was very, very good initially, she still is really but I have noticed that she is becoming more and more boisterous, however, she does sleep an awful lot, which I have to say is very useful. Do you make him sit before you give him his meals? Also, to impress upon him that you are in charge half way through his meal just take it off him and pretend to eat some, get your kids to do this too. We do this with ours, we also often all pretend to eat some before she gets it, as if to say we've had what we want now you can have whats left. Nobody said it was easy, and it sure isn't, but just keep doing what you are doing and I am sure you will shortly have a well behaved, well adjusted dog. What breed of dog is he?
Bev

Hi
He is a labrador . He is allowed out starting wednesday! We got an invite to a puppy party next tuesday which should be fun .
He wants to play all day , i read that they like to train for only 5 mins - however once we start training he does not want to stop (something to do with the food i think). Today i taught him the down command and hes learnt it already , however with the sit and down commands he comes over to you before doing the action , his suppossed to do it from where he is or not?
Another thing he also does is when he lies down he taps my hand with his paw for his treat!
Funny thing!

Hi
whilst your pup may well want to keep on training for more than five minutes at a time, (and being a lab, with the incentive of food, that isnt suprising at all!) you will probably find that he doesnt actually learn all that much in the longer amount of time.
Keep it to between five and ten minutes, but do a few more sessions a day.
If you always end on a good note, and also always when he is wanting more, he will stay keen for the next session. HOwever, if you overdo it, even just a couple of times, and bore him, or he gets tired, you will find in the long run you will have a pup that associates training, and therfore you , with hard work, and boring things, not a good position to be in!

Good luck with your pup, just dont forget just how young he is!

Em

Hi, take a look at this website : www.puppyschool.co.uk

Puppy School was started by Gwen Bailey, who wrote the perfect puppy, so should fit in with the things you are doing. If there isn't a class near you (there might not be because it's so new) then you should really consider buying the 'training for life pack' which includes loads of information about training and socialisation, there's also a video which is really useful so you can see the methods, it's so much clearer than reading in a book, and an audio tape with lots of noises on your pup will have to get used to such as fireworks. I think the tape especially would be really useful in your case if your puppy is quite nervous.

I am slightly biased because I'm a Puppy School tutor (haven't started the classes yet tho), but I really do believe it's a fantastic idea, she is so knowledgeable and totally dedicated to kind methods that really work. Being chosen and trained by her is such an honour, but more importantly than that, I think the pack would really help you and your puppy.

Jo