The Spotted Devil

So it can start as early as 4 months? Herwin has been really difficult for the last week or so. He's been running away from us when he's been naughty because he knows that he is going into timeout (and even when we want to wipe his muddy paws :p ). He has also started biting a lot all of a sudden. We thought we had it under control and then he's started as badly as he ever did (and then running away ) as well as doing all the little things that he knows that he's not allowed to do all the time. I was shocked last night when he actually started trying to hump my husband's leg . He's too young for that sort of behaviour isn't he? Don't tell me my sweet little puppy is turning into a teenager already? And if he starts at 4 months does that mean that he is a teenager for 8 months?? or will we have a lovely well behaved adult at 8mths old? :D This is only my experience with my lad...but after working very hard for the last few months (consistent training, consistent training and above all else consistent training ) I have such a lovely young gentleman on my hands. He's a ripper pup - and is learning to channel his energy and enthusiasm for life into behaviours that I find appropriate - lots of positive reinforcement (clicker training is handy), fun toys as a reward for coming back, loads of interaction, plenty of sleep (underestimated IMO) and sufficient exercise without overdoing it. I've had numerous comments from Dal owners in the street on how well behaved he is for such a young lad. Even a show judge stopped me at the beach one day to comment the same - it makes all the hard work worthwhile...especially when you know your pup will be welcomed at the local cafes....although he's still a bit restless and loves to give our resident felines a hard time ETA: sometimes it's as simple as a new toy! My pup tires of novelty very quickly....even rotating toys doesn't always work...just went out and bought 3 reasonably cheap toys (Ziggy helped to choose of course) and he's in heaven now! He'll get one at a time...

Funny isn't it? This sort of behaviour started with my lad at about 4 and a half months He was a right little bugger but lots of consistent training and exposure to his triggers has seen him right. At 6 months he still has his moments of madness but is much less persistent. Good luck - it's all pretty normal, I think...I always try to remember that it doesn't matter what Ziggy does as much as how I respond to it :D

I can well understand your confusion as there is a multitude of advice and theories out there! The most important thing to remember is to BE CONSISTENT! So...if you want the crate to be a positive place for puppy to retreat to...always make it a positive experience. If it is sometimes positive and sometimes a 'punishment' puppy will get confused and will have trouble settling.

I haven't read this book but it comes highly recommended: "Click to Calm" by Emma Parsons. I know of several handlers who have used it to help overcome fear and aggression problems. Good advice from other DOLers BTW

What really helped my lad get into a routine was giving him a puppy Kong with a few of his normal biscuits (out of his ration...no fat puppies here!) in it every single time he went to bed, plus using a command.....I use 'Bye Byes'. He now rushes to hop into his crate every time I go to fill his Kong. It gives him something to help him relax and associates something positive with being left alone. When he was very little, he would fall asleep straight away and would eat the biscuits when he woke up, then settle back down for another snooze. He goes to bed at 7pm every night (except training night) and I wake him up at around 10.30pm for final 'Quick, Quicks!'. Last thing he gets is another small puppy Kong plus a huge raw chicken neck. He just loves going to bed now! Plus....my suggestion is that when your puppy is old enough, train them to get up when you are ready.....some days I get my boy up at 5am before I go to Uni (that nearly kills both of us ), other days 6am and the odd day off I get, he will sleep straight through until 9am or 10am. It's wonderful!!!!

My lad is only let loose in the garden under supervision so, from day one, I introduced a 'Leave It' command, followed by plenty of praise and games when he stopped chomping or digging. That said, my kangaroo paws stopped flowering very early this year (actually just disappeared!) :p and he has a real penchant for the climbing beans. Anything I was really wanting to protect was simply moved. Oh, and watch the wild mushrooms...I clear the garden of them at least once a day and he still manages to sniff them out!

Mil! Be patient!!! It may take several weeks for him to settle. Yes, he will freak out when cars go past at first - imagine how loud that is for a puppy! We live near a train line and although Ziggy was fine with the trains when in the front yard...the second he went out the front gate (out of his comfort zone) he was terrified! It can be frustrating because you want your little pup to explore the world, but every pup matures at a different rate. Just don't push him too far, and equally, don't sook him either, tempting as it may be. If he's not tempted by the treats, try something of a higher value....just be careful not to upset his little stomach. Make sure he's well rested too, as they just get tired and grumpy, otherwise. I used a shortish lead when Zig was little (still do actually). I was happy to stop and start with him, because they certainly need to sniff and explore but didn't really want him getting in the habit of wandering away too far. There's some good advice given by other DOLers and if you follow it, you and your puppy should be fine! That said, do keep us updated. Oh - and squeaky toys are fabulous if your puppy likes them - I save Ziggy's favourite ones for off leash recall practice...works every time.

I use Epi-otic as a general ear cleaner....not routine though as you get rid of the good bugs too if you use it too often. Cleared it up within 24 hours, although I'm sure it wasn't particularly serious.

Goodness! That's not very long to get her used to your routine. I would suggest you take her outside to a very boring area of the yard (preferably where she has toileted before) and simply wait until she goes - lots of praise if she starts sniffing. Then multiply that 10 fold when she goes. In the long term, I would teach her a command. My not quite six month old lad will toilet on command - I use 'Quick, quick!' It's very handy in all manner of situations.

I have to ask....has she been corrected for urinating inappropriately?

How exciting! I still remember how I was jumping for joy the day my pup was born! I have crate trained my lad....but I use an open crate in the laundry so he can get to his water. I make sure he is well and truly sleepy before he goes to bed and he just gets a puppy kong with puppy biscuits to munch on. When he was very young he would fall straight to sleep then eat the biscuits if he woke up in the night. Now he just munches his treat (sometimes I only put a few biscuits in) and goes to sleep. Plus I always say 'Time for bye byes' and he flies into his crate in anticipation of his treat and a nap.

LOL calliech! Thanks for the image ;) At least it's handy when you're toilet training....nose to the ground: "Good Boy!"

These threads are very interesting...nice to get the opinion of others. My old ACD worked for praise or a look - she was so food obsessed she couldn't concentrate at all if I used food treats. I used a tricks routine as a job well done which is different, but it worked. With my lad, I have mostly used praise which he responds beautifully to and just used a treat for 'explaining' the desired behaviour - that said, we are only at a rather basic stage but I like to mix it up. Sometimes he gets a squeaky toy when he comes to me, other times a cuddle, other times a treat! In the house, I use a release as a reward so sitting nicely at the closed door is rewarded by being allowed to go where he wants. I have just bought a clicker (thanks to all the contributors on the clicker thread) and have been having more fun with my Burmese cats! Ziggy's focus went out the window but it is proving useful for a few exercises and hopefully I will improve as well.

It's the pure, unadulterated joy on their faces as they roll that I love! Never not funny!

Do you have possums where you live? Their poo has a good reputation in the dog world!

Because it's fun!!!! Seriously, from what I've seen it depends on the dog...my dearly departed ACD loved to roll in sheep poo and duck poo especially...lovely smears of green down her face. She didn't mind a nibble at her own poo either...or another dog's for that matter. She was spayed too. My Dal has shown no interest in rolling or eating poo at this stage although I do pick it up as fast as he does it so he has never had the opportunity. Chi sounds like a bit of a character - perhaps she just prefers Eau de Dog to Channel No. 5?

Brilliant! Well done Nekhbet - that's bloody funny....and I agree about desexing pets - it's much easier and kinder to all involved.

Mil, don't worry! Your little puppy is just a baby...think about their survival instinct. It's perfectly natural for him to be wary of anything and everything - we tend to forget because they act so confidently at home. I went through exactly the same thing with my Dal - a bold little rat bag at home and get him out the front gate and he just tried to drag me home! So just be patient...a little bit at a time (even sit quietly so he can watch the world go by), some good socialisation classes and he will gain confidence little by little. Just remember not to reassure him when he's scared or you will reinforce his behaviour. Keep your voice and body language nice and cheery and confident. I took Ziggy everywhere when he was tiny....to the shops, cafe, outdoor pub and had all manner of people and dogs approach him (under strict supervision). Now he loves to trot down the street, as proud as punch and doesn't even flinch if another dog gets anxious as he walks past! I picked up a flexi-lead but found it fairly useless....will probably save it for holidays when we can't let him off. I'd rather have Ziggy trotting politely on lead or having a good run at the park/beach. Oh, and definitely be careful around other dogs. Being a large puppy, people assume their dogs can do anything to Ziggy but I am very, very careful he is not bullied, chased or played with too roughly. That said I have no problem with a mature dog gently but firmly telling him off if he gets overly boisterous - teaches him some puppy manners! Enjoy your puppy - he sounds gorgeous.

Perhaps get a baby monitor and put the receive near your ear! I'm sure you could pick up a cheap one on the internet!

A very interesting thread... Apart from a couple of puppy socialisation classes I've completely avoided obedience clubs thus far. The main reason is that I've had several trainers with working type dogs (e.g. Border Collies) roll their eyes and just dismiss the idea of me training a Dally to competition level. So I am very selective and careful with how my pup is treated and trained....I have an excellent show trainer but will work on much of the obedience on my own....of course we will have to join a club to get some ring experience and practice agility as it's a while since I've competed but I plan to have the last say in how and what my boy does. BTW - absolutely no offense to working dog owners - I love those dogs and my last girl was a wonderful ACD who taught me so much. Chase those seagulls at Rainbow Bridge Dolly girl - one of a kind.

I just had another thought....IF your pup is crate trained, you can have the crate in your room at night...attach a bell to his collar....and IF you are a light sleeper you will wake up when he gets restless and probably wants to toilet. Just don't let him think that toilet time is equal to play time....otherwise you'll never hear the end of it!

Hi Mu Shu Personally, I have always left water with my pup, from the day he came home at 8 weeks. After 3 nights of wee on the provided newspaper, he has never done it again. I feed him at around 5pm or 6pm, he's in bed by 7pm and goes out for 'quick, quicks!' at around 10.30pm, then back to bed with a few biscuits in a Kong and a chicken neck to help him settle. But, Zig is a large dog and I have heard that smaller dogs can be a little more difficult to toilet train....I'm sure someone else will pop along with some more experience. Good luck with your puppy...they bring so much joy!

This is only my opinion, of course, and outlines my approach to raising my spotted lad... I think that too many puppies are overstimulated with full-on non-thinking games...e.g. constant games of fetch etc until they get wilder and wilder. I try to play games with Ziggy that require him to think...such as hiding toys and getting him to find them. Or teaching him to play with his toys on his own (I can sit and study while he quietly throws his toys about the room), or having to work for everything he wants...e.g. sit or drop to walk through or a door. Plus I spend quite a bit of time teaching him quiet, appropriate indoor behaviour - lots of praise for quietly lying next to me chomping on his Nylabone. Having said all that, I am fortunate that I am around a fair bit for him, but it still requires me to be creative as I have a heap of essays due at the moment! I have lost count of the number of people that warned me about Dallies...digging, general poor behaviour, independent, un-trainable etc etc etc. Plus the smart ones in the street who tell me to buy a harness as you can't teach them to walk loosely on a lead. Well, it's rubbish! And Ziggy is one of the most determined, willful dogs I have ever come across. My trainer agrees Keep enjoying your puppies, everyone! They are all very, very special

Great advice...positive reinforcement is the most effective way! I use 'quick, quick!' as a command and puppy gets loads of verbal praise....plus I have a particular area of the yard that I direct him to if he is only going outside for toileting...as soon as his nose hits the ground...GOOD BOY! An older dog can't possibly be expected to know the difference between in and outside so it's up to you to make toileting outside very appealing. Good luck!

I've always combined agility and obedience with no problem. I'm working on conformation showing at the moment, but won't start doing formal obedience and agility until Ziggy is more mature...both physically AND mentally I think dogs can understand the context of a behaviour....my dearly departed Australian Cattle Dog was sedate in obedience (probably a bit bored!), hyperactive in agility and completely nuts for her tricks routine. I've found that having a special show lead has really helped Ziggy distinguish between a casual stroll and no sniffing and lots of concentration required. Perhaps it depends on the dog and the owner....it's hard to keep one step ahead of Zig so I think multiple disciplines will suit him perfectly!