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Puppy Problems


nrm1
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Hi everyone,

Just wondering if I could get some advice on some problems I'm having with my westie puppy.

Harvey was purchased in July at 10 weeks old and lived with me for about 2 months. During this time he was progressing well with toilet training and obedience and had just started puppy socializing classes.

I then found out that my landlord was selling the place and he asked if the dogs could be re-housed until the sale went through. Reluctantly I sent them off to live with my parents.

They came back at christmas time and although Harvey is essentially a good puppy there are two issues that are concerning me.....

Firstly, once he's had enough of being outside he starts a high pitched bark which he won't let up until he's brought inside. The sound is deafening and drives me insane (god only knows what the neighbours think).

Secondly, throughout the day there is a bit of rough housing with my 8 year old maltese. Just normal doggy play and nothing to worry about. However, once a day they seem to get into a really nasty fight with fur flying, snarling, squeeling etc and it's not something that I'd want to get in the middle of. My other half pulled them apart once, but as I'm 4 months pregnant I don't want to risk injury to myself.

When I originally took Harvey to puppy school I was told that the best training methods were a good telling off with a gruff voice and/or the water bottle method. Although both methods worked whilst the dogs were with me the first time, neither seem to have any effect when dealing with the 2 situations above now.

Although I want to take Harvey to obedience school, I'm holding off for a few months as I'm not sure where I'll be living soon.

Anyway, sorry for the long winded post.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Cheers

Nadine

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Given that there is inter dog aggression involved and you are pregnant, i would be very hesiatant to advise online. Is there a reason why you are holding off obedience? Have you considered a one on one session with a behaviourist and a When Freddy Meets Fido session (for pregnant dog owners) given that your pregnant?

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The only reason I was holding off on obedience was because I wasn't sure what area I'd be moving to. I did know that it would be no where near my current address so there was no point signing up and paying for something near home.

The good news is that we are putting in an offer on a home today and the realestate agent is pretty confident that we'll get it. This means that I'll be able to look for an obedience school in that area pretty much immediately.

Given that he's only six months old and I've only had him back for a couple of weeks, he hasn't been desexed yet either. That is however the next thing on the agenda. In fact I'm making an appointment with the vet today.

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Thats a good start but please make sure if you go to a club that hey ahve the expertise to assist with such issues. Just doing basic obedience training itself is not necesarily the answer, particularly because there will be a new baby in the home in the near future.

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