Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

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Gunner dog
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Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by Gunner dog » Tue Dec 31, 2013 6:50 pm

Our family picked up our puppy in September and have had nothing but problems, and me and my wife are at witts end trying to get his behaviour in check. He is always jumping on our couch, no matter what we do to deter it. We pull him off all the time, just for him to do it right away again. Sitting on the spot were he jumps up only makes him jump on another spot on the couch. He is always jumping up on our kitchen counters and stealing food off it, even when he has lots of food in his bowl. He is always stealing food off our sons diner plate while he eats. (Son is 19 months old) we had thought that he wasn't getting the exercise he needed so we walked him longer in the day and it makes no difference in his behaviour. We are not sure what to do to try fix these problems, he is still a puppy and I want these issues figured out before too long. Does anyone have any advice to stop this behaviour? We have taken food off the counters,but he still jumps up there looking for food. Quit frustrating. At this point training him to point and retrieve looks entirely impossible if he doesn't listen to basic manners in the home.


Btw the dog is a Munsterlander.

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Fun dog
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by Fun dog » Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:13 pm

Have you tried a scat mat. My GSP of 13 years knew he wasn't allowed on the couch, but as soon as we went to bed he would sneak up there. Then when he heard us get up he would slither down on the floor in hopes that we wouldn't notice. I got a scat matt and after a couple times of having the thing start screaming at him when he started to get on the couch, he decided he wanted no part of that and never got back on the couch again.

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SpringerDude
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by SpringerDude » Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:25 pm

Have you tried putting the dog in a crate? When the dog act's up, back in crate. Sounds like the dog rules the house and needs to know who the pack leader is.

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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by birddogger » Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:53 pm

SpringerDude wrote:Have you tried putting the dog in a crate? When the dog act's up, back in crate. Sounds like the dog rules the house and needs to know who the pack leader is.
Exactly!
Charlie
If you think you can or if you think you can't, you are right either way

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Donnytpburge
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by Donnytpburge » Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:59 am

Put the dog outside!

Db

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mtlhdr
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by mtlhdr » Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:19 am

The dog has not earned the amount of freedom that you are giving it. If you haven't crate trained you ought to straight away. At this age it probably will be spending more time in the crate than out when inside the house. There's no secrets or tricks. Continue to get it as much exercise as you can, walking probably won't cut it, it needs to be running free exploring the world around it. Be firm, fair, consistent, and patient and you will get there. It takes time. Teach the dog "place" or "bed" and reward with treats. Keep a 4-5 ft rope on the dog so you can correct bad behaviors without being in reach of the dog. If you and your wife are committed, you can get through this.

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Sharon
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by Sharon » Wed Jan 01, 2014 12:45 pm

The dog has not earned the amount of freedom that you are giving it." quote MTLHDr

Exactly.
I have a 7 month old that would be doing those things too. Nothing wrong with the dog. Typical first year behaviour. Mine gets to use two tiled rooms only ( buy dog doors). He wears a short 12 inch leash that can be used effectively when necessary. Any family eating and he is outside or crated. Sleeps in the crate at night and when we go out.

What breed ? A "walk" may not be sufficient.

"At this point training him to point and retrieve looks entirely impossible ." Not at all. Find a safe field/woods and let him go /become independent. Graduate to some hard -flying pigeons soon . He'll be tired. he'll behave better. :) He gots energy to heat your home. Burn it off and enjoy watching him ggggggggggggggo.
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by ultracarry » Wed Jan 01, 2014 1:31 pm

Walking any hunting breed is not excercise . That's called a warm up. You actually are doing a good job with the couch issue. The dog not jumping on you is a small battle. Mine would jump on you and smack you around a little if you tried to pull him off and just move to the spot. Sounds like you are just playing.

Like someone said above, crate train the dog. If food is around and you don't want him to get better tasting food the. What's in his bowl, put him in a crate. You do to want him on the couch with you ... Buy an open crate and let him learn how to hang out calmly and he can still see everything going on.

Start training your dog like a dog and not a child. He will win if you don't put him in his place

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CDN_Cocker
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by CDN_Cocker » Wed Jan 01, 2014 1:36 pm

Sounds like a typical puppy. They are annoying to say the least for the first year of life and "No" is the most common word you will use. Just keep at it. Get him out in the woods to run and burn off energy. My english cocker pup is very high energy so I use his crate to give him (and myself) some quiet time throughout the day. The crate can help manage him when you're busy (like at meal time). Crate him and he can't grab food off the table or your son's plate. As he gets older he'll settle down and get with the program. My guy will be 1 year old in a week, and he's had huge changes in the past month or so (for the better).
Cass
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by polmaise » Wed Jan 01, 2014 2:16 pm

Gunner dog wrote:Our family picked up our puppy in September and have had nothing but problems, and me and my wife are at witts end trying to get his behaviour in check. He is always jumping on our couch, no matter what we do to deter it. We pull him off all the time, just for him to do it right away again. Sitting on the spot were he jumps up only makes him jump on another spot on the couch. He is always jumping up on our kitchen counters and stealing food off it, even when he has lots of food in his bowl. He is always stealing food off our sons diner plate while he eats. (Son is 19 months old) we had thought that he wasn't getting the exercise he needed so we walked him longer in the day and it makes no difference in his behaviour. We are not sure what to do to try fix these problems, he is still a puppy and I want these issues figured out before too long. Does anyone have any advice to stop this behaviour? We have taken food off the counters,but he still jumps up there looking for food. Quit frustrating. At this point training him to point and retrieve looks entirely impossible if he doesn't listen to basic manners in the home.


Btw the dog is a Munsterlander.
All the advice so far is nice. :)
What you have being doing so far is not working. :(
Go see a reputable trainer in your area. I'm sure the guy's on here can help with that.

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bonasa
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by bonasa » Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:14 pm

mtlhdr wrote:Keep a 4-5 ft rope on the dog so you can correct bad behaviors without being in reach of the dog.
Best thing I ever did. When they go to jump up on the couch have your foot on the end, they hit the slack and instantly say off/no. If nothing else it gives them something else to keep them occupied with/chew on.

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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by Georgia Boy » Wed Jan 01, 2014 4:40 pm

Sounds like all he needs is some basic obedience training
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grousehunter 61
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by grousehunter 61 » Sat Jan 04, 2014 8:25 pm

My new pup is placed in her crate when ever she gets out of hand. She also sleeps in her crate, which was how we house broke her. As far as the couch goes, She lays on the right side, and our chessie lays on the left. Jen has also started counter surfing, we just keep after her and hope she will grow out of it, she is one year old as of Dec 15. Come-whoa-stay are about all the yard training she has gotten. Everyone is different as to how their dog handles, she will get in bed with us if we are watching TV in bed, snuggles up to me, and I like it, the chessie lays at the bottom of the bed. Just before we turn in I tell Jen to go to her room, she then gets in her crate, no muss fuss or bother.

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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by tieflyer » Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:06 pm

Enroll him in a structured obedience class or 2. You will be glad you did. From the class he will learn who is in charge. Plus he will gain a sense of accomplishment and dignity. Sounds crazy but thats the feeling I get from my pooch.

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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by roaniecowpony » Mon Jan 27, 2014 9:15 am

For dogs that get on furniture or mess with things they shouldn't, I used a "bonker". I take a regular hand drying towel towel and roll it up tight and put a couple rubber bands around it. After you've shown the dog to get off the couch several times a d you are sure he knows better, I yell "wrong" throw the bonker at him like a baseball pitcher and hit him hard.usually a couple times is all that's needed for the dog to stop that activity. Often once is enough. It's not the hitting of the dog that curbs the behavior. It's the incoming missile that they hate.

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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by gonehuntin' » Mon Jan 27, 2014 10:03 am

Exercise is NEVER an excuse for an ill mannered dog, obedience is ALWAYS the fix. As others have said, you can ceate him, you can keep him outside, you can put a rope on hi (all great ideas) but eventually you're going to have to train him. You can start now before a pattern is established, or wait and work hardere later.

Many things can harm a dog, but obedience isn't one of them.
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Re: Having troubles training new dog! Need advice

Post by DonF » Mon Jan 27, 2014 10:41 am

Sounds perfectly normal. Puppy doing as it please's. I let my dog's on the furniture, shoot they even sleep with me. Of course there's no little woman to object! I'd never heard of the scat mat before but that sounds like a good idea. Not sure it would help with counter surfing though! For that, just set a bunch of mouse traps on the counter he'll set off when he get's up there. Gonna take longer than necessary because you let it go on to long. Next go find a book, "The Monks of New Skete". Great book on how to turn a dog in to a civilized animal. Sound's like the pup is seven months old now? Younger and more impressionable I'd say get a sly swatter to whack him with when he's doing something wrong but at his age, I doubt it would faze him. Roll up a newspaper loosely and swat him with it when he disobeys. I wouldn't stick him in the crate for doing something wrong, timing would have to be right and it sounds like he's already gone past where he should before he should go into the crate. If you leave a room without him, into the crate. If your no going to be long, take him with you. But, I'd get the crate in and at meal time, put him in it. If your not going to be in a room with him, put him in the crate. Don't turn the crate into a punishment place, it's his safe house. Don't blame the pup for your own misunderstandings, sorry if that sounds wrong. But sounds to me like you have as much learning about dog's as your pup has to learn about people. Find an obedience course being given and get yourself in it. Give your pup guidelines and teach you how to enforce those guidelines.
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