Pawing

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My 10 month old GSP (desexed male) is currently giving me a few bruises by pawing me. Sometimes its very soft and I hardly feel it but other times its so hard it hurts (the worst one was on my thigh and its left two long bruises down my leg) This is a new problem and I wonder if it has something to do with his recent surgery and he's feeling stressed? We've only had him 6 and a bit weeks and basically he's been to the vets on and off for the last 4 weeks with unknown illness. He had surgery last week and is wearing an elizabethan collar which he's not too fussed about (he's chewed one a few days ago but generally he's ok with it, even when confined to laundry on own). He should have been in obedience classes ( he is generally a very well behaved boy) by now but we had to postpone due to his illness. Should I be getting the trainer to come in to give us a private lesson or is this likely to stop once he is back to his normal self? How do I stop him doing it in the meanwhile? He is occasionally left home alone in the laundry (which is large) but is quite happy in there and sleeps (in fact he has decided he likes it so much he goes in there himself sometimes) but generally he is inside with us with toliet breaks outside and also (with vet permission) a little walk about 3 houses up the road and back to let him get out and about and give him a break from being couped up inside. All in all he is doing wonderful, its just this pawing that is the issue.

We do make him sit for everything but the thing with the pawing is that he can still manage to do it when he is sitting!

[schnauzer_luv]

Wow, you have alot to contend with all at once! SOunds like generally you're doing well given your circumstances

The pawing could be for a whole bunch of reasons but I'm only new to the dogworld myself so I'm going to go with obvious stuff. The pawing could be for attention. The first thing I would try is everytime it happens turn the other way and look at the sky (or anywhere but your dog). Do this EVERY time it happens whether it hurts or not. If this doesn't work I'd yelp every time it happens and see if that stops it. Just try not to look at him and definitely stop whatever you're doing, and don't give in to what pup wants. Its time to remind him whose boss, annoying collar or not

[Poodle wrangler]

I think training with a private lesson is very worthwhile.

Ask here for a recommendation in your area, or try the Training subforum.

GSPs are beautiful dogs but can be strong-willed.

Leadership is what dogs need- the best leaders are MORE respected and loved, not less and are never harsh/ cruel.

Are you being a bit soft on him since he's been unwell/injured? It's only natural that you feel a bit sorry for him- but keep up good leadership.

Ignoring bad behaviour is the way to go.

Give him something good to do e.g. sit/ drop and give him a treat and your attention. He can't paw you from a drop position. Food is a good reward- most GSPs love their food.

[Erny]

Sometimes its very soft and I hardly feel it but other times its so hard it hurts ... This is a new problem and I wonder if it has something to do with his recent surgery and he's feeling stressed?

Does he manage to get your attention when he paws you (whether he paws you gently or not)?

I agree with PW .... do a stock-take on your leadership. Is this his way of demanding your attention because he thinks he has a right to (and because he thinks he can)?

10 months is a prime age for a dog to put into practice the pre-conceived ideas he's been developing about his perceived higher rank. Or at the very least, to assert them just to see how far he can push his boundaries and whether you "cut it" as his leader.

Hope your luck with his health issues turns around.

Edited December 4, 2007 by Erny

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if I could ignore the "hard" paws I certainly would but they really hurt (if I was game I'd post a photo of my leg, its got long dark bruises all the way down my thigh). I can't really give him treats at the moment due to his surgery but it just dawned on me I can use some of his steamed chicken from his meal and use that. I know he's a bit stir crazy at the moment with him being somewhat confined due to the surgery. I don't think I have been soft on him, if anything I've made sure he's behaved because he's had to be with us inside so much more than normal and he's a little hyper due to not been allowed zoomies outside or his normal daily walks (although the vet has allowed us a slow walk a few houses up and back again). I'm going to get a private lesson as we had to postpone his obedience classes but I was hoping for a suggestion to help stop him pawing in the meanwhile.

We've only got 3 more sleeps (whose counting ) until stitches are removed and the "bucket" collar comes off so I hope he'll be a little more settled then.

[Poodle wrangler]

How does he get to paw you?

I can't get a picture of how it happens

If my 25kg dog is about to jump up, I can tell and have time to turn my back (mind you, standard poodles are light on their feet and not heavy if they do jump up).

You should be in a position that he cannot paw you e.g. you only pat him in a drop position if that's what it takes.

Any way to block that paw? e.g. raise your knee slightly so the paw doesn't make it to your thigh? (not saying to knee the dog).

Make him sit if he's approaching you?

My sister's dog leaves scratches and bruises when he jumps up, so I turn my back or lift my knee to block him if I'm too slow to turn my back.

I don't knee him in the chest- it's blocking him to keep him off. He also needs his nails trimmed!

[Spanner]

PW, thankfully he doesn't jump up at us anymore, we nipped that in the bud quite early on when we got him. I'd love to make him drop and then give him attention but because I'm just in the process of teaching him drop (I'm using food, make him sit then put my hand that has food down to the floor to make him drop) but he manages to paw my hand (that has the food) once he's just about on the floor! The times he paws my legs are random (well seemingly so). Its not always a food thing (as it is with the drop command) but can just be at any time. I guess thinking about it, its probably more evident when he's excited like first thing in the morning and when I come home but he has pawed me when I've just been sitting at the computer and he comes and paws me :rolleyes: I could understand if he was being ignored and he wanted attention but he's getting plenty, probably more so because he is spending a lot more time with us because he is in the house with us all the time inside of having periods of time outside. I've tried to make it a habit of him sitting for pats but he manages to paw me while I stand there and say "sit". He hasn't learnt sit command well enough yet I think for me to tell him to sit while he is some distance from me, its something I need to work on. The pawing only started since the surgery and this has meant times of confinement on his own in the laundry ie at night and when I'm not home, but he's coped with this extremely well, never whines just goes to sleep on his bed, in fact he has taken to it so well he goes in there all by himself and has a nap at other times with the door open.

[chloebear]

I am only fairly new to doggy training, but my guess is that perhaps because he has been unwill, he feel able to test the boundries more and push the limits as to what he can get away with. With my puppy Holly (6mth), we got her as a rescue, so I felt sorry for her and let her get away with small things and slowlery she started to dominate me, since taking control back and demonstrating more leadership to her she has stopped jumping, and pawing me. I ignored the bad behaviourer and only gave her attention for good behaviour if she did something that I wanted. I used the nothing in life is for free principle, thanks to some good recommendation from other people on DOL>

[Poodle wrangler]

Sounds like the pawing is demanding attention.

I have a dominant dog who sometimes does it (different situation). It's him saying, "pat me, pay attention to me".

I ignore him or say "uhh" (as in no) in a gruff voice, but haven't trained him further as it's infrequent and a non- issue for me.

NILIF (Nothing in life's for free) and Triangle of Temptation (TOT) are great!

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=64101

TOT really helps with sit, stay- quick way for him to learn.

A dog needs to eat and you do it each mealtime- only 5 minutes extra to do.

I printed it out and read it through several times b4 actually doing it with the dog- took me a little while to understand it- can't recommend it enough.

Must do it exactly per the post, though, or the result will not be so good- it's not just getting the dog to wait for "ok" b4 food.

Pawing should decrease with NILIF and TOT, and training for when he does it otherwise.

Never reward him for pawing. If he thinks of your attention as a reward, don't give it. No pats, no eye contact- put him outside or in the laundry.

[Spanner]

Thanks for the posts, pawing is not happening much anymore so things are getting back to normal. He's a great dog and really well behaved so I guess I was just a bit surprised he was doing this all of a sudden.

[becg]

My GSP pup is almost 5 months and he does the same thing. He's learnt to sit really well and doesn't really jump up anymore, but is always trying to paw for attention (eg. bringing a ball over for me to throw and pawing my leg), so I know how annoying it is and how hard it is to avoid being scratched. He does it the worst when he's tired and laying with his head on my lap - ruins cuddles by pawing and making me put him off the lounge...he doesn't learn.