General Questions

[Steno]

We have a 15week old Standard Schnauzer who is fantastic and learning everyday, but have a few questions.

1. He loves eating garden manuare... loves it!!! No idea what it is, guessing cow. He likes to bring a ball in, in his mouth and dropping in his crate with his favourite toys. Doing wonders for his breath. Any ideas?

2. He has decided to start weeing in his bed...... Hmmm, only started three days ago and his only mistakes have been in his bed. The door is not shut ever so he can wander in our out when he wants. Bed isnt there, he heads outside.

3. Crate; goes nuts if it is shut, but still stores all his toys in it. I guess it is the same if he is outside and the door is shut, he is horrified that he won't be able to come back inside. Any ideas on this?

4. I know this is a how long is a piece of string.... how long does the "biting" stage go for... He is pretty much mouthing us now, and if he does it too hard and we react, he now licks an apology. Soooo cute. Any general clues for how long this stage goes for?

[puggy_puggy]

1. Most dogs love anything stinky and go wild for manuare, dynamic lifter etc. Fence off the manure to stop him getting from it.

2. Sounds like he testing you and trying to show you who's the boss by marking. Only solution is to watch him like a hawk when he is inside and tell him off if he goes to pee. You need to make it clear to him that peeing inside on his bed is not accepted.

3. Tell him off if he goes nuts. If he is in the crate and going nuts leave him and either ignore, tell him off or a bit of both. He has learnt that if he goes nuts then you come running and pay attention to him.

[Erny]

We have a 15week old Standard Schnauzer who is fantastic and learning everyday, but have a few questions.

1. He loves eating garden manuare... loves it!!! No idea what it is, guessing cow. He likes to bring a ball in, in his mouth and dropping in his crate with his favourite toys. Doing wonders for his breath. Any ideas?

Expecting even an adult dog to ignore/leave (eg) horse or cow manure that's in the garden surrounding them can be a pretty tall order, let alone an inquisitive pup. It is normal, and provided there are no harmful things in the garden (such as slow release fertilisers etc. ) then it won't harm your pup. But, as you wouldn't want this to become a habit, for the time being, section the garden off so your pup can't get to it.

Later, if your dog still has a mild interest in it and doesn't over do it, you can teach the "take it outside" command. I taught that one to my boy from the very first time I gave him a bone, when he was only a wee thing. He doesn't bring bones inside now. Well, 99% not. Sometimes he tries a sneeky when the weather isn't favourable. But it's only usually just inside the doorway and I only have to say "take the bone outside" and he picks it up and trots out with it, and drops it outside before he comes back in.

2. He has decided to start weeing in his bed...... Hmmm, only started three days ago and his only mistakes have been in his bed. The door is not shut ever so he can wander in our out when he wants. Bed isnt there, he heads outside.

Continue your toilet training regime. Your pup is still very young and new to 'toilet training' and I wouldn't consider there having been enough time to call him "toilet trained".

3. Crate; goes nuts if it is shut, but still stores all his toys in it. I guess it is the same if he is outside and the door is shut, he is horrified that he won't be able to come back inside. Any ideas on this?

Have you worked on training him to get the idea that the door closed on the crate is an ok thing? You do this incrementally, door shut for moments and open, before he has a chance to become anxious about it and 'carry on'. IE You are teaching him in this initial small way that being calm is what will get the door opened for him.

Does he sleep in the crate at night with the crate door closed?

4. I know this is a how long is a piece of string.... how long does the "biting" stage go for... He is pretty much mouthing us now, and if he does it too hard and we react, he now licks an apology. Soooo cute. Any general clues for how long this stage goes for?

You're right - it is a "piece of string" type question. So long as you are doing all the things to show him that mouthing doesn't gain him what he would like, and provided you are training him what chew items he can satisfy his need to chew on, then you should see a gradual decline in the intensity of mouthing. You need to be assertive, but calm, and clear in your messages to him, showing him that you are the leader. And show him each and every time he mouths that to do this to humans is not on. I definitely like to see a dog having learnt this by no later than 6 months of age, but prefer it to be pretty much learnt by about the 3.5 - 4 mo mark. Obviously, sooner is better, but I'd be concerned if there is no remarkable reduction by that time. If there is, don't delay in seeking some help as the sooner you get this right, the easier it will be to manage and change. Depending on the dog, you might see a resurgence in this at around 6-7 months of age, so be ready for that and don't drop your guard. Be consistent.

These age indicators are only very rough and there will be many pups who are vastly different in their learning times -vs- inclination to mouth.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Erny

[Nekhbet]

ahh yeah manure is a delicacy ... block him off from it

I agree with Erny keep an eye from him. Where did you get the pup from breeder or pet store?

Biting you have to nip in the bud, it will last as long as you allow it. I find just walking off, or saving that the old thumb under the tongue and hold on until the dog starts giving in. Just gentle pressure and hold through the tanty, then walk off. They learn biting is completely unpleasant.

When the crate is shut, it's shut. Ignore completely. Schnauzers can be pushy you have to be very strict with what you want, and completely ignore any attempts at attention from the dog (unless he's desperate for a wee that is )

[Erny]

I agree with Erny keep an eye from him. Where did you get the pup from breeder or pet store?

There's a point. The pup might have learnt to soil his bed from whence he came.

Nekhbet .... sometimes the ol' "shut the door on the crate straight off and leave him there/ignore if he's creating" method can actually serve to heighten anxiety in the pup, and turn the crate into a not so nice place to be. Whilst it might work with some, it may not for others. I still like to do at least some of the introductory steps first, as if it can be done 'softly' and without issue, there is less risk of the pup getting stressed out about it. Schnauzers can be stubborn critters at times, I agree, but they can also be sensitive.

I also like to use the night time, when the pup is sleeping, as a way of having it used to the crate door closed. I found it easier to do this with absolute minimum to no fuss, by having my boy in my room with me. Mind you, that's still his place .

The pup might also have already developed a dislike for being 'trapped' through being in the 'puppy tank' if he was purchased from a pet store.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Erny

[Dogsfevr]

Std schnauzers are extremely smart & most owners of this breed go wrong by under estimating what the breed needs.

It needs the whole family to be consistent ,they will learn very quickly the pecking order & will win the battle very quickly over those who dont maintain a fair but firm expectation.

The breed thrives on doing a job,they love to please & craze learning.The rare extreme thinkers & will have already thought before you have if you dont have a basic plan for acheiving certain things.They grow quickly & depending on the lines some males will happily take on the battle of challenging early.

If this is you first time as a dog owner i would highly suggest seeking a good training school & attending sooner than latter.

When people are debating between the minis which we breed & the stds we emphasis to them that there very different & the stds are true working dogs & obedience if a novice owner for the first 12 months is a must to enjoy your std .

I have handled the bred for some 15 years.

They area wonderful breed BUT not trained correctly can also be your worst nightmare

[becks]

Standards are the most stubborn and dominant of the 3 sizes of schnauzer and take a strong owner to be a successful leader. They do well having plenty of exercise and mental work as they get older, while young and growing you should be doing lots of small training sessions (eg each time you boil the kettle, practise a few sits/downs etc and build up a little repertoire) look at finding a good training school they will take you further then the basics.

Mouthing I would discourage as much as the biting, as no one likes a mouthy dog, especially one they don't know.

Get the pup used to being handled all over while calm, it will help with grooming trips and vets.

How did you introduce the crate to your pup?

Pup should get used to you being apart in a gradual manner, starting when pup is feeling tired

remove the bedding during the day and go back to basics with toilet training, could be he is still a little unsure about it and it trying to hide it.

All dpogs like manure, it's a favourite treat for them. Dig it into the soil or fence it off as it ain't going to stop snacking on it if he can get to it.