lopolla

oh i have seen these, they make a pretty good sound, will have to try and find one :p

thanks ill give this sort of thing a try when i can

yep, i replace these things with her actual toys when i catch her then praise her

i;m just going to have to spend some cashola and invest in a large variety of toys that make noise. do you know anywhere in particular you get these bargins?

If you won't keep things away from her, then its your fault I'm afraid if she chews them. I'd not be punishing the dog for my own mistake - she'd have absolutely no idea why she'd be in trouble. Put anything away you don't want her to have. Baby gates are a great way of keeping dogs out of rooms you don't want them in (even compost bin panels work) What chews do you offer her? There is no second round of teething - she's got all the teeth she's ever going to get. What you're probably dealing with is boredom and an appropriate channel for the chewing and putting things away or keeping her out of areas is the only way to go. Sounds like a decent kennel outside might be a good investment to. Poodlefan is offering great advice. It is natural for dogs to chew particularly puppies, so what things are you leaving her to chew on that she is allowed to chew? You need to take ALL things away that you don't want her to chew - and I mean ALL but also leave her with things that she is allowed to chew so that she learns what is appropriate to chew and what is not. My girl was a chewer so I know eactly how hard it can be! But if you don't give her outlets for this she she'll find her own stuff to chew on and that will generally be your stuff. I am at the point where my girl will still pull all the stuffing out of her toys and her bed (which looks exactly like my cushins on the couch) but she won't touch my couch or the cushins or my bed pillows etc. 99% of the time. I'm happy with that... her bed is hers and she can do with it as she likes, and I'm the poor sucker who keeps putting the stuffing back in as i said, she is not really left alone inside unsupervised, this morning was an exception due to the rain for 10 minutes while i had a shower lol. normally if i see her chewing i replace it with one of her toys and put the the other thing away, as i said. this morning after i caught her i made her sit on her bed as she KNOWS shoes are a no go and she managed to get my orthotics out of my shoe, and she knew she had done the wrong thing. after that i did 10 or 15 mins of some general training stuff before i had to leave, and she was superb! poodlefan did offer some advice yes, but i was not looking at being told whose fault it is. so basically she has 'chew' toys such as tug o war thing and some sqeaky stuff etc outside - where she spends her time when i am not home. and inside she has her tug o war toy. she gets played with everyday, as often as i can, and every couple of days the neighbors dog comes over and they have a big exhausting play date. there hasn't been much walking lately due to me being rather busy with study - this is not an opening for judgement from anyone either, not everyone can walk their dog everyday, she still gets played with/exercise lol !! she has her set things she is allowed to play with/destroy/chew on, and apart from that i don't let her use anything of my own. i have found some advice from a friend which i am going to try rather than blocking entrances, the lounge and kitchen already get shut off. and i put away what i can in my room. i appreciate the advice i have been given. i will look into getting a kennel when i can, as was always my intention. thanks I'm not judging, just trying to offer you advice. I have seriously been where you are, twice in fact so actually know how to solve this problem and can help you if you want to take my advice. Unfortunately you have a breed of dog that requires a walk every day or else its going to have pent up energy and nothing to do with it plus not having enough stimulation so hence the chewing probably out of boredom. Playing is one thing but taking in new sighs, sounds and smells provides excercise and mental stimulation. I know that you study has to take priority but you're better off walking the dog for 10 minutes in your study breaks instead of a play session. Secondly, you need to provide chew toys that are more exciting than tug o war toys. These are interactive toys that they use to play with you. Things like kongs with stuffed food in them, treat balls they roll around to get the food out, pigs ears, bones and raw hide chews are more what I mean. Something with food involved to keep their interest. Blocking entrances and managing the behaviour really isn't a bad thing. It is just setting her up for success so that she cannot get to the things you don't want her to chew on. If you want to stop the behaviour then managing it in the first place until she knows what is acceptable is a REALLY important step. Finally, if she knew that your shoes and orthodics were a no go she wouldn't have chewed them. THey don't do things like that to spite us. I'm not having a go here at all but I just want to point out that this is communication from her to you that she doesn't yet understand what is expected of her yet. thanks, i do appreciate it. she doesnt play with her kong, ive tried putting different food stuffs inside but once the food is gone she doesnt give a rats about the kong ball lol. she ocassionaly gets pigs ears etc, ill just have to start giving her more, she just goes through them so quickly. she also gets a bone or a few every week, not huge ones, but the medium sized marrow bones. she LOVES her squeaky toys but i just can't handle them inside with the constant high pitched squeak haha! especially when studying it drives me bonkers! i think with the shoes she is confused, i have just had a thought about it which might make a bit of sense. just had a housemate move out who let her chew on anything, i would always correct it if i saw it, but she did often let her inside when i wasnt home and let her do her own thing, chew on whatever she wanted, and this housemate didnt really adhere to the rules i had put down for my dog. i don't know why i didnt think of this already as why my ivy might be getting confused, im not saying this is the entire reason this is happening, but the housemate only moved out a week or so ago.

If you won't keep things away from her, then its your fault I'm afraid if she chews them. I'd not be punishing the dog for my own mistake - she'd have absolutely no idea why she'd be in trouble. Put anything away you don't want her to have. Baby gates are a great way of keeping dogs out of rooms you don't want them in (even compost bin panels work) What chews do you offer her? There is no second round of teething - she's got all the teeth she's ever going to get. What you're probably dealing with is boredom and an appropriate channel for the chewing and putting things away or keeping her out of areas is the only way to go. Sounds like a decent kennel outside might be a good investment to. Poodlefan is offering great advice. It is natural for dogs to chew particularly puppies, so what things are you leaving her to chew on that she is allowed to chew? You need to take ALL things away that you don't want her to chew - and I mean ALL but also leave her with things that she is allowed to chew so that she learns what is appropriate to chew and what is not. My girl was a chewer so I know eactly how hard it can be! But if you don't give her outlets for this she she'll find her own stuff to chew on and that will generally be your stuff. I am at the point where my girl will still pull all the stuffing out of her toys and her bed (which looks exactly like my cushins on the couch) but she won't touch my couch or the cushins or my bed pillows etc. 99% of the time. I'm happy with that... her bed is hers and she can do with it as she likes, and I'm the poor sucker who keeps putting the stuffing back in as i said, she is not really left alone inside unsupervised, this morning was an exception due to the rain for 10 minutes while i had a shower lol. normally if i see her chewing i replace it with one of her toys and put the the other thing away, as i said. this morning after i caught her i made her sit on her bed as she KNOWS shoes are a no go and she managed to get my orthotics out of my shoe, and she knew she had done the wrong thing. after that i did 10 or 15 mins of some general training stuff before i had to leave, and she was superb! poodlefan did offer some advice yes, but i was not looking at being told whose fault it is. so basically she has 'chew' toys such as tug o war thing and some sqeaky stuff etc outside - where she spends her time when i am not home. and inside she has her tug o war toy. she gets played with everyday, as often as i can, and every couple of days the neighbors dog comes over and they have a big exhausting play date. there hasn't been much walking lately due to me being rather busy with study - this is not an opening for judgement from anyone either, not everyone can walk their dog everyday, she still gets played with/exercise lol !! she has her set things she is allowed to play with/destroy/chew on, and apart from that i don't let her use anything of my own. i have found some advice from a friend which i am going to try rather than blocking entrances, the lounge and kitchen already get shut off. and i put away what i can in my room. i appreciate the advice i have been given. i will look into getting a kennel when i can, as was always my intention. thanks

I have started crate training her some time ago and shes not too bad in the crate, but i have recently changed rooms and have no room now to put the crate, but i am going to be setting it up in the lounge/kitchen. i already put pretty much everything away, before i leave a room i do think what could she chew! i also shut off the loungeroom and kitchen so she cant get in, so all she has is the hallway and my room. a kennel is not something i can afford right now. i am not blaming my dog entirely, however i am trying to work out a way to reduce the occurence. today it probably was my fault but i am doing what i can so that she doesnt have the options to chew. sometimes things slip by however. she has a few toys inside like a tug of war toy, things she likes to chew. thanks for your suggestions

My white shep of 8 months chews on my things. i take the stuff off her and tell her no but it keeps happening, it's not all day everyday but enough to annoy me. im a little pissed this morning as i came out of the shower to find her chewing on my expensive orthotics for my feet, which she had managed to get out of the shoe. she is now on her bed and is not allowed to move. its raining outside, that is why she is inside, i dont normally leave her unattended in the house but there isnt much shelter outside. she nicks things off the bench like paper towels and things, we do not leave food on the bench. I'm just getting rather sick of it and not sure what else to do about it. she also nicks my housemates shoes and has a nibble. i know shes still a puppy and will probably go through second round of teething soon but enough is enough! also when left outside and wants to come in she jumps at the screen door. i have always ignored behavior like this and only let her in when she is calm and i am ready, however she doesn't stop. a friend suggested a spray bottle with water every time she does it, but i am never near the door when its happening and if i open the wooden door (with security still shut) she gets excited and doesn't do it. seems to be one thing after the other with my girl lol. any help would be great.

i am going to look into finding a new club i can attend on evenings. if anyone knows any in the northern suburbs of melbourne please let me know. i will also look at one-on-one as an option just to get an assesement. thanks all for advice, will keep updated!

thanks

she doesnt bark during class but i am going to find another club anyway due to other reasons

whats the point of a school if everyone is already well behaved and knows everything? It wouldn't have surprised me if it was dogs in the lower classes, but it was actually worse in the dogs in the "higher" levels. I would have thought teaching a dog to be quiet and calm around other dogs would be one of the most basic things to achieve before progressing to more challenging things :D I could totally understand if an effort was being made by the trainer to help a dog, like Banjo, who had barking issues, but there was no attempt made by anyone to get these dogs to be quiet. When I raised some concerns after class, the only response i got was that "the dogs were excited" and about my own dogs ability to handle the class "she'll get over it, she has a nice sit" i got the same sort of thing in puppy class "oh shes just a puppy she'll be fine" but then as soon as she was old enough to move out of puppy class they expected her to be completely well behaved! i also had issues at the club as another dog same age would constantly get aggressive towards my dog, i always stayed completely away but the owner was like "oh they liek to play together" - it was much more than just playing, this dog was trying to be dominate which is fine, but she was letting her get away with way too much! brought it up with the trainer and he said "oh just walk away" !!!

whats the point of a school if everyone is already well behaved and knows everything? lopolla sent you a PM Yeah I hate that. At least 3 clubs I contacted wouldn't even accept me and Banjo when I said he barks all through the lesson- becuase they said none of the dogs would learn anything. What a load of bullcrap! Yeah lets start an obedience club but only take well behaved dogs *slaps forehead* Lol it worked out for the best anyway because I have such a great club now that helps ALL dogs when they need it most. haha whats the point of them is they arn't willing to help with people and their dogs who actually need it!

Absolutely find a new club then, because the current club have not taught you how to deal with a working breed. Barking at dogs or people when out walking is just not something that should be happening with a dog that has been trained correctly in the presence of other dogs. Teaching them to ignore all distractions when working should have been the most important thing they taught you. Find a good club and ask advice from the head trainer, not just whoever is assigned to your class. The barking at people looking over your fence or gait is perfectly normal. Dogs guard their territory and while most learn to accept that we allow people to enter our front door, most dogs with any guarding instinct will not accept anyone approaching the house from the fence or gates. Teaching a good reliable come to heel and drop can help you control her more in these situations but don't reprimand her for protecting you and your property. If a burglar decides to try to get over your fence I'm sure you would want the dog to stop them. i havn't really reprimanded her when she barks inside the fence, only when im trying to talk to someone and cant hear cause shes right next to me barking i try and get her to sit or distract her somehow. if you have any suggestions for clubs (if you know any in melbourne area) that would be great :D

she barks when first gets out of the car at obedience but not during the classes. she just wants to play with the other dogs and i see her eyeballing them sometimes for a play but i try and move her attention away. she just doesnt really concentrate on me at obedience, she does listen, sits etc and is very food orientated. but she is known for the one with bad recall at obedience, no matter how good she is when its just me and her, it all goes out the window at training when other dogs are around to play haha

thanks! that gives me hope lol! i am looking at finding a new club that meets on weeknights as i work pretty much all weekend part time as i am also at uni. the club i am a member of at the moment runs saturdays and i have had to take more shifts on those days and also i am not interested in staying with them anyway as it is not the right place for me and my dog. :D

Just sounds like a completely untrained dog to me. At 7 months she is getting big and strong and having not been trained right between 2 and 6 months, she is now becoming a problem. You need the advice of experienced trainers, her breeders, a professional trainer or experienced trainers at your local dog club should all be able to help. I suggest you contact the breeder and visit the local obedience club to ask for help and recommendations for good local trainers. It will probably only take a few sessions with a trainer for you to learn how to train her. I don't think the dog needs a specialist behaviouralist, you just need to learn how to train effectively. she has been trained, obedience club every weekend up until recently when i have had to take more shifts at work the same day as obedience. she is not perfect, neither am i, but i have taken her to obedience quiet regularly. it is not really an option to contact the breeder at this current time and as i said i have been to obedience, however i am looking for another club as i do not like the one i am currently signed up to. thankyou

im in northern suburbs in vic. out near bundoora area, already use a check chain and it has helped with pulling and other stuff, but not the barking!

its mostly dogs that are behind fences she is barking at! hardly come across anyone else walking their dogs! i also take her to the local off lead footy oval sometimes as their are rarely other people there with their dogs.

thanks i will try the 'look' command! hopefully its something shes just going through fingers crossed hehe.

i don't know why she is barking, i think it is either out of pure excitement or maybe being a bit protective too. she loves interacting with other dogs so this may be that she just wants to go play with them? i really am not sure!

Get some one on one training with an experienced professional. In the meantime put some distance between you and other dogs, KEEP MOVING and reward any focus on you. Its hard for a dog to be pork chop when its handler is moving confidently away at a reasonable pace. im not sure i can really afford one-on-one training, i will have to look into it though. i do try and keep walking no matter what but sometimes its hard as she stops still when shes sighted/sniffed something, and like i said i have a knee problem and can sometimes get the better of me! i take treats and reward her when she is walking nicely and quiet beside me - doesnt last long though haha

my 7 month white shepherd loves walks, i have started using check chain to have some control over pulling as i have a bad knee however she barks constantly at any sign of a dog, sometimes at people. it's more of an excited or protective bark, and she also jumps a bit when barking depending if there is a dog close by or not. I'm not sure what to do, i dont feel like taking her for walks because i dread the barking. i've tried 'NO' and tried pinching sid eof mouth a little whilst saying NO and also holding her mouth and saying no but im not sure what else to do! she barks sometimes in the backyard when someone comes to the gate or at our neighbour talking to me over the fence when she cant see him, but then it's more like a excitment/talkative bark. I just don't want this to turn into a bad habit, and would like to try and break it asap. I have the pulling more under control now and would like to be able to walk her nicely with less noise! any advice would be much appreciated!!!!!

with the effort that has already been put in for this boy and the continued help and effort that is going to be put in, i see a bright future ahead for him.

I have to tell her "No !! Now settle down & go back to sleep !!!" for about 20 minutes & then we're right for another couple of hours until she insists her bladder is full. (She just wants to go outside to have a sticky) You can probably now understand why I'm in bed by 8:30 pm some nights. haha i feel you're pain/tiredness! between 5 and 6.30 is usually the time Ivy insists she needs to be outside!