widget Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I am in a bit of a bind. I have a almost 7 months old GSD puppy who seems to be terrified of being told off when inside. If I even slightly raise my voice around him when he is inside he cowers and pees himself constantly till he can escape outside. Even if I just say no in a growly voice. This doesn't happen when we are outside and he seems a lot more confident outside. I really need some advice as it is making it unpleasant for both of us when he is inside as he is scared and I am frustrated as it means I am constantly mopping the floor. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it. What can I do to help him not be afraid of being inside. At the moment I am trying to leave the external door open so that he has an escape route and trying to keep it really calm inside. I do admit that I slide and do raise my voice if he is doing something naughty. Thanks in advance. Shelley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs tornsocks Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 (edited) I am in a bit of a bind. I have a almost 7 months old GSD puppy who seems to be terrified of being told off when inside. If I even slightly raise my voice around him when he is inside he cowers and pees himself constantly till he can escape outside. Even if I just say no in a growly voice. This doesn't happen when we are outside and he seems a lot more confident outside.I really need some advice as it is making it unpleasant for both of us when he is inside as he is scared and I am frustrated as it means I am constantly mopping the floor. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it. What can I do to help him not be afraid of being inside. At the moment I am trying to leave the external door open so that he has an escape route and trying to keep it really calm inside. I do admit that I slide and do raise my voice if he is doing something naughty. Thanks in advance. Shelley What are you / have you told him off for now or in the past ? Has anyone else in the house roused on him for anything ? As a rule, I think positive reinforcement is the way to go for puppies. Of course they need to have boundaries but they need all the help they can get to learn what the RIGHT thing is and being praised rather than the wrong thing and being roused on. Reccommend you read the pinned section about puppy development and fear periods. eta. the section from puppy development • Selective deafness? (5-9 Months) It's no surprise to see puppies pretend not to hear your known commands at this age. It's at this age we introduce more formal training including consequences for disobedience. Dogs often chew & destroy things that have your scent on them at this point too, many pups are dumped before 9 months... why? Because they now have strength, they getting bigger, faster & less reactive to a simple "no"… By now they have either been taught to walk on a loose leash or pull on the leash.. • Second Fear Period (8 - 16 Months) As puppies become what is called gangly, long legs due to growth spurts, they seem to become a little weaker in nerve than previously noted. It's strange sounds, new sights that often spook a dog more easily than just a week ago... It's at this time we need to be good leaders, when your dog baulks at a stairway, keep walking at full pace to show your pup all is ok. Coddling him when he shows fear will re enforce that fear & you will have to work to get over it later. More training now is crucial to his behavioural development. Edited August 12, 2009 by mrs tornsocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusky Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 you urgently need these free downloads http://www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads before and after you get a puppy Your puppy isn't being naughty, he is terrified of you which is probably hard for you to understand, you can turn things around and can start by not growling at him and using good manners and confidence building excercises for him. It may not be you who started all this, but it happened and you need to rectify his fear asap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 there is fear periods and then there is just weak nerves/genetics. It can be a combination of genetic factors as well as environmental but to piss itself shows the dog is well and truly scared of you. I would really get someone in to look at the dog and whats happening in the house before this behavior 'sticks' long term, and shepherds are great at behaving like that. My old boy was the same but I pulled him out of it as most of it was simply his 'if I do this you wont raise your voice at all' behavior instead of real fear. But your dog could be the same, or different hehe. Dont give him an escape route, I would have him on leash inside in short bursts, make it fun and happy, then put him outside. Sounds like inside the house is a problem with him. Make everything positive, I KNOW how frustrating it is but for the long term goals its not good to continue being upset at him, he doesnt understand. If you're not in the mood, better he be happy outside then have another negative inside experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widget Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 Thanks for all the great advice. I will implement it all straight away. It horrifies me that my dog is scared when I don't hit or raise my voice and he is generally not weak nerved, he is normally so inquisitive. He certainly looks to the alpha for guidance so maybe I am not showing the level of leadership he needs in the house because I am expecting him to get upset and have an accident. Maybe it is a self-fulfilling situation. I expect him to be scared so I am creating the issue. Thanks again for the advice. Please don't think badly of me. I think the move back into our own house from my parents where he wasn't allowed inside has contributed but for what reason I do not know. Thanks again. Shelley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 could they maybe have yelled at him if he snuck into the house, and now in a possible fear period he's expecting the same thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widget Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 (edited) No my parents had very little to do with him as I was living there while our house was being renovated. They played with him outside and that and he did come in the house to go into his crate but he wasn't allowed in to play. I just wanted to add that I brought my puppy inside on the lead and it was almost like a different dog. No nervousiness at all, he was happy to come and lay down and have a wander around while I was doing a few little chores. I only brought him in for 5 minutes and then let him back outside with a nice meaty bone. Hopefully the short positive experiences will help him overcome whatever has scared him. I really appreciate the comments. Edited August 12, 2009 by widget Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkehre Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Hi Widget, all advice sounds great... I just thought of another possible scenario that might be going on with him - has he wanted to or needed to move quickly in the house, maybe when he was initially growled at for something when you first moved there, then as he behaved in a perhaps slightly fearful way and moved, perhaps he slipped a lot trying to get away. If you have a slippery surface in the main area where he spend time inside like tiles or polished floor boards, this may explain an identifying with slipping hen being growled at. Might be right off the point. I thought of this when you said he is fine on lead. The extra confidence of a lead can assist a dog to feel that he is not going to slip (although that is not necessarily correct). If I am way off, just ignore this, but if you have a slippery surface, you may wish to use big mats or similar to help him feel more secure. Slipping for young large breeds is dangerous anyway, for all dogs, but partifularly when growing. Sounds like he is making progress anyway, and well done for putting in the effort to rectify the problem. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I really need some advice as it is making it unpleasant for both of us when he is inside as he is scared and I am frustrated as it means I am constantly mopping the floor. This sounds like submissive wetting to me. If you don't want to mop the floor don't yell at him. :D With some dogs the strongest sign of disapproval you can afford to use is neutral behaviour. Reward what you want to see, and ignore the rest. What sort of obedience training do you do with him outside your home? This sounds like a dog that needs a lot of effort put into building his confidence in himself and you as a leader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Regardless of the cause, look into clicker training. Start with a muffled clicker, just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigsaw Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I would also suggest some massage and/or t-touch. I'd also be looking at learning more about the body language he's displaying towards you. Check out Turid Rugaas or Brenda Aloff, both use canine body language a lot in their training. Short Turid Rugaas vid Also think about your own body language and are you giving him hard eye contact while yelling at him? Dogs are very uncomfortable with hard eye contact and this discomfort would be increased if your dog perceives your body language as threatening and you're yelling at the same time. Try singing to him instead of raising your voice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widget Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 I already use the clicker that is what I have been doing to reward good behaviour even if he is just . I think the neutral thing is going to be the way to go as he just seems to be nervous inside. The bit I find confusing is that he is so confident outside and when in new situations except when inside. We were playing with an agility tunnel at dog training and he was happy and confident to go straight through with just a little encouragement from me but wouldn't do it when the instructors was using him as a demonstration dog. I will make sure I have treats in my pockets whenever he is inside and spend time helping him improve his confidence and I will work on trying to not inadvertently scare him more. Thanks again for all of the great advice. I will let you know how he is going in a few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 It isnt confusing really.He hasnt had home privileges & now he has it he has been told off for being naughty When outside he makes you happy. Do you still crate him or has he lost his crate?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widget Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 (edited) Sorry Settrlvr I do find it confusing. If he nips I growl no at him and turn and ignore him. When I do this outside he comes and sits in front of me and if I do it inside he pees and cowers. I am certainly not being excessive with my disapprovement and I am being consistent between outside and inside. He is still crated of a night so he hasn't lost that. I just tried a little experiment and let him in without the lead and sure enough he peed twice and I wasn't even near him or talking at the time I was on the computer typing and when I got up there was urine up the hallway and at the back door even though it was open and he could go outside at will. I think I will just keep him on the lead and build up to letting him off. I just wanted to add I don't actually yell I just use the growly voice and say no or leave it Edited August 13, 2009 by widget Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 (edited) Given what you have said, i think this is quite abnormal and not just a result of being verbally told off a few times. How old was he when you got him? What area was he kept in where you got him from? ETA Has he always done this? Is it getting worse? Edited August 13, 2009 by Cosmolo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widget Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 I got him as an 8 week old puppy and he was between a kennel and indoors. Mum and pups of which there were 10 slept in a outdoor kennel type thing and they were brought inside during the day for play and indoor socilisation. He did urinate inside a little before we went to my mum and dads but it was more potty training accidents which I just ignored and took him outside to finish. Since we got home on Sunday he has been like this so I really don't know what to do. The lead seems to give him more confidence and he would happily trot around the house following me or my daughter. He has a lot of changes though in the couple of weeks. My husband went away for work, we moved back home and I have been sick with influenza so he hasn't been getting as much attention as I would like. I know I am not the perfect owner but I truly love my boy and I am trying to make it as pleasant as possible for the whole family to have him indoors. When I get frustrated I don't yell or scream or hit or anything I just growl and put him outside so I can clean the mess up and not get to the point of wanting to yell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I understand that widget- which is why i think there may be something else going on with your pup and having a professional come and assess the situation would be in order. Whats happening in response to a verbal correction (especially one that has nnever been paired with anything) is not normal IMO. in the meantime, have the lead on whenever he is in the house so that you can build his confidence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirty Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 He isn't scared of something in the house, is he? Are the floors slippery or perhaps a strange smell (paint, etc). If he is a nervous dog, the scarey thing is perhaps tipping him over the edge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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